Restart for SART?

Something unusual is happening at The Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre in Mars Hill. On December 1, 2, 4, and 5, SART will present the world premiere of Fresh Preserves. Written by Tom Godleski, with original music performed by Buncombe Turnpike, it is a story about life in our part of the world. Fresh Preserves will […]

The un-bareable lightness of ABSfest

Richmond native Paolo Garbanzo — are you laughing yet? — started juggling at 12, gave up guitar at 16 (hoping an "athlete of the small muscles" would be even more appealing to women than a rocker), taught himself fire-eating at 18, cracked his first original joke at 19 or 20 and has since earned a […]

Flat Rock Rising

Possibly the hardest job in theatre is taking charge of an established institution after the founder departs. Founders tend to be indefatigable forces, spending decades building startups into substantial organizations, and commanding a fierce loyalty from colleagues, audiences and supporters that makes it nearly impossible for a newcomer to take the theatre in a fresh […]

For the Glory

For The Glory began life as Frank Wildhorn's The Civil War: Our Story in Song, with a book by Gregory Boyd and Wildhorn, and lyrics by Jack Murphy, which debuted at Houston's Alley Theatre in 1998, played Broadway for a few months in 1999, was nominated for a Tony Award for best musical, and toured […]

Review of The Trojan Women

It couldn’t be better had it been planned: an opportunity to see productions of two plays by that old Greek, Euripides, in one weekend — The Trojan Women at UNC-Asheville and The Bacchae at Warren Wilson College. Better still: both are presented outdoors, just as the Greeks would have had it.