Our Youth Production Classes offer youth theatrical instruction from the first audition to the last curtain call! All productions listed are performed by youth in middle and high school. We will be offering TWO sessions of The Giver – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage!

Registration for both sessions will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available. 

Middle School Cast:
Please note: Advanced level memorization is required for this class. Most roles will not be split and the number of lines each performer will be expected to memorize may be larger than in past middle school Youth Performance Classes.

Directed by: Michael Jorizzo
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons March 14-May 11, 2022 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, May 16 – Thursday, May 19, 2022; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 6:30 pm

Wednesdays 

4:30 pm-6:00pm

All students with some experience under their belt will take an intermediate or advanced group instrument class, and a band class.

• 4:30-5:15 

Jam Band: Phil Jenkins & Carson Moore help young musicians find their voice in a band environment.

• 5:15 – 6:00

Option 1: Intermediate Guitar

Option 2: Intermediate Fiddle

Option 3: Intermediate Mandolin

Option 4: Three-finger banjo- all levels

Clover Pickers: 4:00- 6:00

PacJAM’s house band gets rigorous coaching this semester from Emily Wait and special guest coaches.  Clover Pickers will spend 5 weeks of the semester practicing their teaching skills from 4-4:45 weekly, and 5 weeks working on choosing and arranging songs for Clover Picker performance.  Band rehearsal and coaching last from 4:45-6 for all 10 weeks.  Clover Pickers band is by invitation and the commitment requires extra rehearsals as determined by the group.

While participating in the Lights program, students can develop their songwriting, performing, and musicianship skills while exploring music from around the world. They will have extensive performance opportunities with a focus on music that inspires, uplifts, and spreads a music of unity and hope. Students will record their music in the One Mic studio and learn about the music industry and explore topics such as audio engineering, stage presence, graphic design, videography, website development and more while learning to use their music to be a force for change. Advanced students will have the opportunity to work towards touring locally and regionally with the Lights concert tour. They will also have the opportunity to regularly interact with and learn from LEAF resident artists. Students will be exposed to music from a diverse range of genres and cultures. Students will have the opportunity to see how music connects us on a deep level and how it can create joy, bring people together, and instigate change. LEAF lights will lift young leaders and give them a platform to make a difference in the lives of others.

Wednesdays at 5pm (Junior Group) & 6pm (Senior Group) at LEAF Global Experience (19 Eagle St, Asheville, NC, 28801)

Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!

Hone your acting, singing, and dance skills in this class that dives into Broadway repertoire. With a focus on vocal technique, storytelling through song, and ensemble-based performance, this class will celebrate each actor’s individuality and boost their confidence to make more bold choices on and off stage. With new material every semester, this class can (and should) be taken multiple times!

Instructor: Anna Kimmell

Notes: This class will be held outdoors when the weather allows. When indoors, all students and staff will be required to wear masks. 

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Best known for her iconic role as Shirley Feeney in the hit television series, “Laverne & Shirley,” Cindy Williams is a versatile actress and comedienne who overcame a challenging childhood to pursue her love of acting and found stardom. Cindy shares her memories and hilarious backstage tales in “Me, Myself & Shirley” covering a lifetime in entertainment. Her storied career includes working with Oscar-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, George Cukor, Roger Corman, and Jack Nicholson, in several films including two nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: “American Graffiti” and “The Conversation.” Her friends and co-stars include Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Henry Winkler, Richard Dreyfus, Gene Hackman, Dame Maggie Smith, and Robert Duval. Come hear the stories, the secrets, the embarrassing moments, and the highs and lows of Cindy’s life in Hollywood, (and maybe relive a favorite scene or two)!   “Me, Myself & Shirley” is 90 minutes without an intermission.

https://www.memyselfandshirley.com/

Get in a video audition for your chance to join us ALL SEASON LONG! There are auditions for THREE of our upcoming shows all going on RIGHT NOW! We want you to be a part of our 50th Season, so we hope you’ll come out and bring us your talent! Actors should submit initial audition information online through our website at https://www.montfordparkplayers.org/about-us/volunteers-page/ and may do so at any time. The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Please note all dates and deadlines: For auditions for The Little Prince, directed by Jason Williams, the submission deadline is midnight Friday, April 8, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Saturday, April 23. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Little Prince will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 10 – Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Dwight Chiles, the submission deadline is 11:59pm Sunday, April 24, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Friday and Saturday, April 29 & 30 from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. Much Ado About Nothing will be performed Fridays through Sundays, July 15 – Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for The Three Musketeers, directed by Rodney Smith, the submission deadline is midnight Sunday, May 1, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheater on Saturday, May 7, with a rain date of Saturday, May 14. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Three Musketeers will be performed Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 19 – Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 pm. Submission deadlines for Hamlet will be announced later, through our newsletter and social media. Specific instructions for audition submissions: On the website above, click on the link below “Actor Season Audition Form” Sign in to your Google account (required as most information will be shared in Google documents) Fill out and submit the form – if you have a headshot and/or resume (not required), please upload them as part of your application. Record a short (90 second) video – you can do so on your phone. For As You Like It, a Shakespearean monologue is preferred. IMPORTANT: please name your video with your name, not the default title; ex. “Smith, John Video” On the website, click on the link below “Actor Season Video Upload Link” and upload your video. Directors will review each application and video, and will contact prospective actors for callbacks. Important: This season, the Montford Park Players will require that all persons involved with any show must be fully vaccinated, or present a request for exemption, stating the reasons. The Executive Director, in consultation with the director, will make the final decision on the selection or non-selection of any person who is not fully vaccinated. Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should sent an email to [email protected] and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!

• 

  An All-Ages Hip Hop Dance class led by LEAF  Schools & Streets Master Teaching Artist Otto (Aquaboogy) Vazquez. Get up and get your body moving every Thursday at LEAF Global Experience, with this great family-friendly, fun class!

  Weekly on Thursdays from 2:00 – 3:00pm at LEAF Global Experience (19 Eagle St, Asheville, NC, 28801)

Did you know our staff had a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn what kind of wildlife inhabits the Park and their important roles in the ecosystem. Some of our best teachers have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee

Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford

Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee

What goes on behind the curtains? In this course students learn the ins and outs of technical theatre and backstage work, including safety, basic light and sound board operation, and stage management. Students will then put their skills to practice by covering technical and backstage roles during Youth Production Class performances of The Giver. Students will split tech and performance dates so some scheduling conflicts may be accommodated. Tuition will be $225.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Classes: Mar 17-May 5, 2022 | Thursdays at 4:30-6:00 PM

Tech Week (Group 1): May 9-12, 2022 | Monday through Thursday| 4:30-6:30 PM
Tech Week (Group 2): May 16-19, 2022 | Monday through Thursday| 4:30-6:30 PM

Performances (Group 1): Saturday, May 14 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, May 15 at 6:30 PM
Performances (Group 2): Saturday, May 21 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, May 22 at 6:30 PM

Registration will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

Ages 12+

Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award

Written by Tracy Letts

Directed by Stephanie Hickling Beckman

A vanished father. A pill-popping mother. Three sisters harboring shady little secrets. When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. Mix in Violet, the drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you’ve got a major play that unflinchingly—and uproariously—exposes the dark side of the Midwestern American family.

Funny, poignant, and heartwarming. Escape to the warm Mediterranean sunshine and wisteria blossoms of a 1920s Italian villa with this Tony award-nominated play. Set against the backdrop of dreary post-WWI London, four women – strangers to one another – decide to take a holiday. Leaving their husbands behind, they venture into the unknown. When they arrive, personalities hilariously clash and friendships are forged as the women bloom again, but what will happen when the men unexpectedly arrive? A story of renewal and love, “Enchanted April” is a shining gem of a play!

Featuring Rosalind Ashford, Darlene Cah, Marianne Carruth, Lori Corda, Laura Depta, Ben Dawkins, Andy Millard, and Joel Perkin. Catherine Gillet directs the talented cast.

The Los Angeles Times calls it “As good as they come: a lush, thoroughly refreshing theatrical holiday. Escape has seldom seemed so sweet. A magical triumph.”

Admission is free in celebration of the return of live theater. Cash donations will be accepted at the door to support the artists. The production is made possible by the North Carolina Arts Council and Polk County Community Foundation, in conjunction with Tryon Fine Arts Center.

Advance reservations are strongly encouraged; limited seating is available for each performance. COVID-19 precautions will be observed.

Presented in cooperation with Shakespeare & Friends, Solstice Theatre, Tryon Fine Arts Center, and Tryon Little Theater

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s life, Little Women follows the adventures of sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested – her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she has to do better and write more from herself. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experience growing up in Civil War America.

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s life, Little Women follows the adventures of sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested – her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she has to do better and write more from herself. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experience growing up in Civil War America.

Little Women embodies the complete theatrical experience, guaranteeing a night filled with laughter, tears and a lifting of the spirit. Little Women features plenty of great opportunities for female actors and singers ranging in age. The powerful score soars with the sounds of personal discovery, heartache and hope – the sounds of a young America finding its voice.