The Raleigh, NC-based North Carolina Theatre Conference will present Stoneleaf: A Festival of North Carolina Theatre from May 27th through June 5th in Asheville, NC. This 10-day festival will feature 140 performances by 23 Tarheel theater companies and two out-of-state troupes. Six Triangle theater companies and one local actor, performing a one-man show, will participate in this splendid showcase for home-grown theatrical talent.
The following are the Triangle shows, listed in order of opening. For details, including links, see the festival’s website, at http://www.stoneleaftheatrefestival.com/ [inactive 8/08].
The Quest (David Harrell of Raleigh, 2 p.m. May 27, 4 p.m. June 1, and 1 p.m. June 3 at the YMI Cultural Center, 39 S. Market St., Asheville, NC; and 7 p.m. May 28 at 35below [black-box theater underneath Asheville Community Theatre], 35 Walnut St., Asheville, NC) is a solo written and performed by the critically acclaimed Raleigh actor.
Lipstick Traces (Burning Coal Theatre Company of Raleigh, 4 p.m. May 27 and 28, 8 p.m. May 29 and 31, 12 p.m. June 1, 4 p.m. June 2, 8 p.m. June 3, and 12 p.m. June 4 at the North Carolina Stage Company, 33 Haywood St. [enter from Walnut St.], Asheville, NC) is an R-rated offbeat musical conceived by Shawn Sides, adapted by Kirk Lynn, and created by Rude Mechanicals of Austin Texas.
Silver River (Appalachian State University of Boone and Manbites Dog Theater of Durham, 8 p.m. May 27, 4 p.m. May 30, 8 p.m. May 31, 4 p.m. June 1, 8 p.m. June 3, and 4 p.m. June 4 in the Carol Belk Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Asheville) is a one-woman show by Romulus Linney.
Killer Joe (Raleigh Ensemble Players of Raleigh, 8 p.m. May 28 and 2 and 8 p.m. May 29 in the Carol Belk Theatre) is an NC-17-rated melodrama by Tracy Letts.
Performance Improv (Transactors Improv Co. of Chapel Hill, 10 p.m. May 28, 7 p.m. May 29 and 30, 10 p.m. May 31, 11 p.m. June 2, 8 p.m. June 3, and 4 and 8 p.m. June 4 at the Asheville Arts Center, 308 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, NC) is another hilarious outing with the Triangle’s leading improvisational comedy troupe.
Via Dolorosa (Deep Dish Theater of Chapel Hill and EbZb Productions of Apex, 8 p.m. May 30, 4 p.m. May 31, 4 p.m. June 1, 8 p.m. June 2, 12 p.m. June 3, and 4 p.m. June 4 at North Carolina Stage Company) is a ripped-from-the-headlines drama by David Hare.
Hard Love (Theatre Or of Durham, 8 p.m. June 1 and 2, 4 p.m. June 3, 8 p.m. June 4, and 2 p.m. June 5 at the Asheville Arts Center) is a moving two-character drama by Israeli playwright Motti Lerner.
Other festival offerings, listed in order of opening, include the following. Again, for details, including links, see the festival’s website.
The Witch and the Magic Mountain (YouTheatre at Flat Rock Playhouse in Flat Rock, 4 p.m. May 27 and 28 and 8 p.m. May 31 in the Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., Asheville, NC) is a children’s show by Renata Allen.
The Nina Variations (Theatre of a Thousand Juliets of Asheville, 4 and 8 p.m. May 27 and 28 and June 3 and 4 and 2 p.m. June 5 at The Wedge Gallery, 115-B Roberts St., Asheville, NC) is another zany offbeat comedy by Stephen Dietz.
Hounded (David Novak: A Telling Experience of Asheville, 7 p.m. May 27, 4 p.m. May 28, 10 p.m. May 29 and 30, and 4 p.m. May 31 at the Asheville Arts Center) is a performance by storyteller David Novak.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Flat Rock Playhouse of Flat Rock and North Carolina Stage Company of Asheville, 8 p.m. May 27, 4 and 8 p.m. May 28, 8 p.m. June 3, 4 p.m. June 4, and 2 p.m. June 5 in the Diana Wortham Theatre in the Pack Place Education Arts and Science Center, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC) is a madcap comedy originally written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield for the California-based Reduced Shakespeare Company.
Dirty Blonde (North Carolina Stage Company of Asheville, 8 p.m. May 27 and 28, 2 p.m. May 29, 8 p.m. June 1, 12 p.m. June 2, 4 p.m. June 3, 8 p.m. June 4, and 2 p.m. June 5 at NCSC, 33 Haywood St., Asheville, NC) is Claudia Shear’s tribute to wonderfully wicked 1930s silver-screen siren Mae West.
Everything in the Garden (Plaeides Productions of Asheville, 8 p.m. May 27, 4 p.m. May 28, 8 p.m. May 29, 8 p.m. June 3 and 4, and 2 p.m. June 5 in the BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St., Asheville, NC) is a play by Edward Albee.
Mamaleh! (Broadway Arts Productions of Lighthouse Point, FL, 8 p.m. May 27-29 and 1 p.m. May 30 and 31 in the Asheville Community Theatre) is a new contemporary musical, with music by Roy Singer and book and lyrics by Mitchell Uscher.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Tarradiddle Players of Charlotte, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 28 and 2 and 4 p.m. May 29 in the Asheville Community Theatre) is J.D. Jordan’s children’s show based on an immensely popular picture book and performed by the professional touring troupe of the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
Aesop’s Fables (Red Herring Puppets of Asheville, 1 and 3 p.m. May 28 at the YMI Cultural Center) is a children’s show adapted from the classic Greek stories by Lisa Aimee Sturz.
Helpless Doorknobs (Hendersonville High School of Hendersonville, 6:30 p.m. May 28 in the Diana Wortham Theatre) is a free student production of an experimental play by Edward Gorey.
Backyard Fruit (Asheville Community Theater/35below of Asheville, 7 p.m. May 28, 4 p.m. May 30, 7 p.m. May 31, 4 p.m. June 2, 11 p.m. June 3, and 12 p.m. June 4 at the Asheville Arts Center) is a new play by Andy Corren.
The Vagina Monologues (Off-Tryon Theatre Company of Charlotte, 8 p.m. May 28, 2 p.m. May 29, 8 p.m. May 30, 10 p.m. June 1 and 2, and 11 p.m. June 3 and 4 in the BeBe Theatre) is a consciousness-raising play by Eve Ensler.
Bathtub Pirates (Grey Seal Puppets of Charlotte, 1 and 4 p.m. May 30 and 31, 1 p.m. June 1, and 3 and 6 p.m. June 4 at the YMI Cultural Center) is a puppet show by Drew Allison and Donald Devet.
Nine Modern Cantos (Manifest Complexity of Asheville, 8 p.m. May 30, 4 p.m. May 31, 8 p.m. June 1, 12 p.m. June 2, and 4 p.m. June 3 in the Carol Belk Theatre) is a play by Jess Wells.
Performance Improv (Asheville Playback Theatre of Asheville, 8 p.m. May 31-June 2 and 4 p.m. June 3 and 4 in the BeBe Theatre) is a program of improvisational comedy.
Miss Julie (Holderness Theater Company of New York City, 8 p.m. June 1 and 12 p.m. June 4 at 35below) is a free staged reading of a new translation and adaptation of August Strindberg’s masterpiece of Modern Drama. This version of Miss Julie is an adaptation by Kelsey Egan and Jack Lienke, with an original companion piece by the authors. New York director Rebecca Holderness, who frequently stages stellar productions for Raleigh’s Burning Coal Theatre Company, will direct this staged reading.
Inn/Between: A Hotel Play (The Redundant Theater Company Theater of Asheville, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. June 2-4 at the Haywood Park Hotel, 1 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC) is a program of one-act plays.
Kumquat (The Feral Chihuahuas of Asheville, 8 p.m. June 2 and 8 and 11 p.m. June 3 and 4 at 35below) is sketch comedy extravaganza.
Six Degrees of Separation (Highland Repertory Company of Asheville, 8 p.m. June 2, 4 p.m. June 3, and 8 p.m. June 4 in the Diana Wortham Theatre) is an R-rated drama by John Guare.
Cut (Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, 12 p.m. June 4 in the Diana Wortham Theatre) is a free student production of a one-act comedy by Ed Monk.
The North Carolina Theatre Conference presents Stoneleaf: A Festival of North Carolina Theatre May 27th to June 5th in Asheville, North Carolina. $9-$22.50 per show. 828/257-4500 or http://www.dwtheatre.com/boxoffice.html [inactive 8/05]. Groups of 10 or More: Telephone Lisa Causer at 828/712-7216. North Carolina Theatre Conference: http://www.nctc.org/. Stoneleaf: A Festival of North Carolina Theatre: http://www.stoneleaftheatrefestival.com/ [inactive 8/08].
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