Press release from The Magnetic Theatre:
The Magnetic Theatre is pleased to announce that Andrew Gall and Katie Jones have been appointed to the positions of Co-Artistic Directors. The Magnetic Theatre’s search for a permanent leadership team has been a challenging, yet rewarding experience for the Board of Directors.
“We are incredibly excited to have these two talented, passionate and dedicated individuals leading our team of creative talent as we approach a new season of theatrical offerings and beyond.” stated Jim Julien, President of the Magnetic Board. “Along with Rodney Smith, Associate Producer, who develops programming for our late-night guest companies and alternative productions, we feel that The Magnetic Theatre has all the pieces in place to begin a new era of original and innovative theatrical work for Asheville and the region.” In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, planning has begun on a new play development program.
Andrew Gall served as Interim Artistic Director through the spring of 2018. He is a director, actor, designer, and playwright who has worked extensively in Chicago, as the Artistic Director of the Wing & Groove Theatre, before coming to Western North Carolina to raise a family. His Chicago credits include Chekhov’s Three Sisters (Jeff Award); The Taming of the Shrew (Jeff Nomination); and Tales of the Last Formicans; as well as an original adaptation of Moliere’s The Misanthrope. In WNC, he served as the Artistic Director of Parkway Playhouse for 12 seasons and has worked with HART, SART, Barter Theatre, and Asheville Community Theatre.
Katie Jones is a director, performer, puppetry artist and educator. She worked with Asolo Repertory Theatre, Northlight, Steppenwolf, and American Theatre Company, where she directed community-based programming and served as dramaturge for mainstage shows. Katie is an alumni of Directors Lab New York and is a founding member of Directors Lab Chicago, where she focused on new play development. For several years, she worked as a puppetry artist for Von Orthal Puppets and Theatre Zarko. Katie is the Founding Director of Wishbone Theatre Collective, with whom she has directed and performed at festivals throughout the country and internationally. She has a BA from Clemson University and an MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, focused on collaborative theatre-making. In Asheville, Katie regularly works with Asheville Creative Arts and Asheville Improv Collective, and serves as Managing Festival Director of the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. She currently teaches Storytelling and Theatre Appreciation at Catawba Valley Community College.
Rodney Smith began this journey acting in multiple productions for The Montford Park Players, Different Strokes! PAC, and The Magnetic Theatre. In the early 2010s, he moved to an assistant director role for Jeffrey (DSPAC), and in 2014, wrote and directed the Fringe Festival, award winning Table 6. In the last 3 years, he has gone on to direct Marisol for the Warren Wilson Theater dept, his own stage adaptation of Night of the Living Dead (DSPAC), Terry Tempest: The Final Interview, and most recently wrote and directed Full-Tilt Boogie at the Big Bang Diner for The Magnetic Theatre. Rodney is a core writer, performer, sound designer,and producer of The SuperHappy Radio Hour podcast, which records in front of a live audience once a month, on the Magnetic 375 stage. When not working in theater, Rodney is an award winning, theater and fashion photographer, doing business as Tempus Fugit Design.
The Magnetic Theatre is a not-for-profit production company that gives original works, and the people who make them, a home to share with enthusiastic audiences. Operating year-round out of our beautiful home Magnetic 375, The Magnetic Theatre believes that all the great ages of playwriting have depended on theatre artists living and working in a place like Asheville, producing works for that community.
More information is available at www.themagnetictheatre.org
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