July 1-30, 2022

West Side Story

Taught by Tom Chalmers Ages 18+ Trips, stumbles, falls, takes, doubletakes, slow burns, and more! This course covers the spirit and techniques involved in creating and performing physical comedy, and will teach many of the tools used to build a bold physical comedy bit.

July 1-30, 2022

West Side Story

Shipwrecks! Betrayals! Romance! Mistaken identities and switcheroos! Magic! A tipsy sea monster! This Shakespearean comedy has everything!

Rehearsals for “The Tempest” will be from 11am-4pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting June 13, and performances will be July 1-3 and July 8 & 9.

Asheville Area Arts Council funding helps support Moppets after-school program

Taught by Artistic Director Ashleigh Goff and veteran Moppet Eli Hamilton, the class is our first-ever partnership with the City of Asheville. Students in the after-school program are learning basic theater skills and building their self-confidence in a fun and welcoming environment. The program will culminate in a showcase performance for the students’ peers and families.

“One of our overarching goals is to introduce more kids to classical theater, wherever they are,” Moppets Executive Director Rachel Cort said. “This funding helps us to take a big step toward that goal. We are incredibly grateful to the Asheville Area Arts Council for supporting the Moppets and aspiring young actors in our community.”

July 1-30, 2022

West Side Story

2022 Season will offer Rootabaga Express! on Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10:15 am. Celebrate 100 years of Rootabaga this summer! Published in 1922, the “Rootabaga Stories” have entertained readers and audiences of all ages for 100 years. Use the links at the bottom to read a story or watch part of a play. The Sandburg Summer Stage is a series of free public performances. These 30-minute programs feature the cast and directors from The Vagabond School of the Drama, an apprentice program of the Flat Rock Playhouse. Performances are held rain or shine, at the park amphitheatre near the Front Lake. Rootabaga Express! Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.The 30-minute shows are appropriate for all ages and held rain or shine. These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks. Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.

No shows June 30 and July 2.

July 1-30, 2022

West Side Story

Shipwrecks! Betrayals! Romance! Mistaken identities and switcheroos! Magic! A tipsy sea monster! This Shakespearean comedy has everything!

Rehearsals for “The Tempest” will be from 11am-4pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting June 13, and performances will be July 1-3 and July 8 & 9.

Asheville Area Arts Council funding helps support Moppets after-school program

Taught by Artistic Director Ashleigh Goff and veteran Moppet Eli Hamilton, the class is our first-ever partnership with the City of Asheville. Students in the after-school program are learning basic theater skills and building their self-confidence in a fun and welcoming environment. The program will culminate in a showcase performance for the students’ peers and families.

“One of our overarching goals is to introduce more kids to classical theater, wherever they are,” Moppets Executive Director Rachel Cort said. “This funding helps us to take a big step toward that goal. We are incredibly grateful to the Asheville Area Arts Council for supporting the Moppets and aspiring young actors in our community.”

Southern Broadway and Black Wall Street AVL present Mr. Mouse & The Rat Pack, a musical production that will bring you laughs, joy, and great music, in memory of The Rat Pack.

Mr. Mouse & The Rat Pack is a story that takes place in the ’90s. As a young driven writer, Grace goes looking for the last great songwriter, Mr. Mouse, who was believed to be dead. Mr. Mouse has written songs for Frank, Sammy, Dean, and many more in the old days. In search of this writer, Grace ended up finding out a whole lot more than expected. This show will take you back in time and allow you to relive the good ole days in memory of the Rat Pack.

This Broadway show includes an all-star cast with Jeff Grainger as Frank, Dezhon as Sammy, Sean Patrick Kennedy as Dean, Javon Johnson from Tyler Perry’s “The Oval,” Curtis Von from “Why Did I Get Married?,” South Carolina’s Official First Lady of Song Loretta Holloway, International Gospel singer ShAunta Moore, Rosemary Milsap – powerful actress from Athens, GA, R&B/Pop sensation Sydeajah, and last but definitely not least, he’s back…JoJo Williams, an awesome comedian/playwright!

We Invite an audience of all ages to enjoy an amazing production that includes something for everyone.

HART’s Main Stage
Directed by Candice Dickinson

There is trouble in River City, Iowa when con artist Harold Hill rolls into town. Hill poses as a boys’ band organizer and sells uniforms and instruments to the naive midwestern folk, planning to leave town before he ever has to teach a single music lesson. But those plans are turned on their head when Harold Hill meets the clever town Librarian, Marian Paroo. One of the most universally cherished treasures of American musical theater, The Music Man was an instant smash hit when it premiered on Broadway in 1957, winning five Tony Awards, and going on to a long career of revivals, tours, and regional performances.  The Smithsonian Institution ranks The Music Man as one of the “great glories” of American popular culture. Don’t miss this summer smash hit!

Suitable for all audiences.

by Rick Cummins & John Scoullar book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Directed by Jason Williams Opening 6/10/2022 – 7/9/2022

July 1-30, 2022

West Side Story

2022 Season will offer Rootabaga Express! on Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10:15 am. Celebrate 100 years of Rootabaga this summer! Published in 1922, the “Rootabaga Stories” have entertained readers and audiences of all ages for 100 years. Use the links at the bottom to read a story or watch part of a play. The Sandburg Summer Stage is a series of free public performances. These 30-minute programs feature the cast and directors from The Vagabond School of the Drama, an apprentice program of the Flat Rock Playhouse. Performances are held rain or shine, at the park amphitheatre near the Front Lake. Rootabaga Express! Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.The 30-minute shows are appropriate for all ages and held rain or shine. These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks. Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.

No shows June 30 and July 2.

Southern Broadway and Black Wall Street AVL present Mr. Mouse & The Rat Pack, a musical production that will bring you laughs, joy, and great music, in memory of The Rat Pack.

Mr. Mouse & The Rat Pack is a story that takes place in the ’90s. As a young driven writer, Grace goes looking for the last great songwriter, Mr. Mouse, who was believed to be dead. Mr. Mouse has written songs for Frank, Sammy, Dean, and many more in the old days. In search of this writer, Grace ended up finding out a whole lot more than expected. This show will take you back in time and allow you to relive the good ole days in memory of the Rat Pack.

This Broadway show includes an all-star cast with Jeff Grainger as Frank, Dezhon as Sammy, Sean Patrick Kennedy as Dean, Javon Johnson from Tyler Perry’s “The Oval,” Curtis Von from “Why Did I Get Married?,” South Carolina’s Official First Lady of Song Loretta Holloway, International Gospel singer ShAunta Moore, Rosemary Milsap – powerful actress from Athens, GA, R&B/Pop sensation Sydeajah, and last but definitely not least, he’s back…JoJo Williams, an awesome comedian/playwright!

We Invite an audience of all ages to enjoy an amazing production that includes something for everyone.

HART’s Main Stage
Directed by Candice Dickinson

There is trouble in River City, Iowa when con artist Harold Hill rolls into town. Hill poses as a boys’ band organizer and sells uniforms and instruments to the naive midwestern folk, planning to leave town before he ever has to teach a single music lesson. But those plans are turned on their head when Harold Hill meets the clever town Librarian, Marian Paroo. One of the most universally cherished treasures of American musical theater, The Music Man was an instant smash hit when it premiered on Broadway in 1957, winning five Tony Awards, and going on to a long career of revivals, tours, and regional performances.  The Smithsonian Institution ranks The Music Man as one of the “great glories” of American popular culture. Don’t miss this summer smash hit!

Suitable for all audiences.

by Rick Cummins & John Scoullar book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Directed by Jason Williams Opening 6/10/2022 – 7/9/2022