Court of the grandchildren
Written By Michael Muntisov
Directed by Jason Williams
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PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE
To paraphrase the author Rebecca Huntley: “Climate change is one of the hardest topics to talk about, surpassing sex and drugs and religion.”
I hope that after seeing Court of the Grandchildren, you can talk about the play as a way to start that conversation.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Michael Muntisov had a career in water technology. Until he got the itch to write. First came a non-fiction book on water treatment, proceeds of which were donated to WaterAid. Then came a novel. Before he knew it, he was a playwright.
Watch the Court of the Grandchildren Trailer
ABOUT THE CAST
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Stan Baranowski
Working somewhat in reverse of the usual, Stan actually started acting in NYC before he moved first to Virginia and then here to Asheville, acting in various theaters all the way. One of his favorite roles was as part of the Ensemble in Indecent here at the Magnetic in August, 2019. Fun fact: he is 2 degrees of Alec Guiness.
Zak Hamrick
Zak Hamrick (he/him) began acting in 2019, and this will be his twelfth performance since. You may have recently seen Zak as Mr. Darcy in Multiverse Theatre Collective’s Christmas at Pemberley. His most recent performance with The Magnetic Theatre was as Hades in Kore. Past credits include work with the Montford Park Players, Nemesis Theatre, and virtually with Different Strokes PAC. Much love to his partner Eliza, brother Luke, mother Josephine, and all of the friends, lovers, and enemies that have supported him along the way.
Roberta Whiteside
Roberta is married to Bill Whiteside and resides in Burnsville NC. She is a graduate of Appalachian State University where she received a BM and MM in Vocal Performance. She has shared her love of music in the public schools of NC for 25 yrs and is, at present, employed in the Asheville City School System as Music teacher at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School. Roberta has had the pleasure of appearing in several productions: The Dark Witch in Dark of the Moon, Dinah Grayson In Dixie Swim Club, Sylvia in All Shook Up, Clairee in Steel Magnolias and Vi in Footloose. She has been musical director for Big River, Nun Sense, Little Shop of Horrors and She Loves Me. She has been Minister of Music for numerous churches and, at present, is serving as Min. of Music at Vians Valley Presbyterian Church, where her husband is pastor.
Sonia Rose D’Andrea
Sonia has been performing on Asheville stages for the last two decades, including work with the Montford Park Players, Different Strokes, American Myth Center, and the Magnetic. When not onstage, she enjoys cooking, reading, and cuddles with her cat, Balky Bartokomous. Thank you for supporting local theatre!
Morgan Miller
Western Carolina University MT 19’. Also seen as Gretchen in “Boeing Boeing” Parkway Playhouse, Nancy in “Oliver” and Hattie in “Laundry and Bourbon” at HART. I would like to thank my Family and Friends for their endless love and support and I would also like to thank the cast and crew for all of their hard work and kindness.
Aaron Ybarra
Aaron is excited to join this production of his first in-person performance at the Magnetic. He has worked with them previous on read-throughs of Court of the Grandchildren, Beautiful Cages, and A Very Modern Marriage, as well as the taped Zoom show, Getting Through the HoliDaze.
Scott Fisher
Scott has been in the background of the Asheville theatre scene for the last 14 years. He has worked with Magnetic Theatre, Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective, Sublime Theatre Co and Press, and Attic Salt Theatre Company. Other TMT acting credits include: Witches’ Quorum, Fix, Solstice, Off the Rails, the "How To" sketch series, Some Things You Need To Know Before The World Ends. By day, Scott is a local kindergarten teacher. He is dedicating this performance to the love of his life, Kirby.
Emily Tucker
Emily Tucker has been working in Asheville’s theatre community for nine years. Asheville theater highlights include Capital Liar (Vanna, The Magnetic Theatre), Private Lives (Louise, Montford Park Players), Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania, Montford Park Players), The Legacy of Amelia Aldean (Georgia, The Magnetic Theater), and Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberly (Jane Bingley, Multiverse Theatre Collective) and Algorithm & Blues (Magnetic Theatre). She is very excited be back at the Magnetic this season and so happy to be back in the theatre after what was way too long (thanks Covid). Enjoy the show!
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director…………………………..………………………………………………...Jason Williams
Stage Manager………………..……………………………………………..Caitlin Lane
Assistant Stage Manager/ Board Operator…………Will Commerford
Set Designer………………………..…………………………………………..Tyler Johnson
Set Builder………………………………………………………………………..Walker Linkous
Props Designer………………………………………………………………..Tippin
Sound Designer……………………………………………………………..Abby Auman
Lighting Designer…………………………………………………………Abby Auman
Costume Designer………………………………………………………..Victoria Smith
Makeup Designer…………………………………………………………..Will Ezzell
Dramaturgy………………….………………………………………………….Katie Jones
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
ABBY AUMAN (Lighting & Sound Designer) - Abby is the Technical Director of The Magnetic Theatre. She also works as a lighting designer in theaters all over WNC.
WILL COMMERFORD (Assistant Stage Manager/ Board Operator) - Will Commerford is excited to be working with The Magnetic Theatre. Will's a newcomer to Asheville coming from Vero Beach Florida. While living there, he performed in local theatre productions at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild. He has portrayed Eddie in "Over The Tavern", Arthur Fleming in "Moonlight and Magnolias", and McMurphy in "One flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Will is grateful for the cast, crew, writers, and devisers he has had the privilege to work with and he is grateful for the opportunity to share this work with you all.
WILL EZZELL (Makeup Designer) - Will is a visual and performing artist living and working in the Asheville area. He has worked on prop design and set-dressing in the past alongside his brilliant wife Kyrstin at SART and before that in Hollywood on several Marvel films at SoCal Production Specialists, as well as having performed at HART, SART, ACT & Parkway Playhouse since moving to Western North Carolina from Los Angeles.
TYLER JOHNSON (Set Designer) - Tyler is a woodworker and furniture designer who moonlights as a set designer. When not figuring out ways to transform spaces, he’s busy taking big pieces of wood, turning them into smaller pieces of wood, then sometimes turning them back into big pieces of wood. You can see some of his work on Instagram at @tothebonewoodworking.
KATIE JONES (Dramaturgy) - Katie is a director, performer, and educator. She has worked with regional theatres in Sarasota, Chicago, and Denver, where she directed community-focused programming. Katie specializes in new play development and is an alumnus of Directors Lab New York and Chicago. She founded Wishbone Theatre Collective in 2009 and continues to perform with them, throughout the country. Katie has a BA from Clemson University and an MFA in from Naropa University. In addition to serving as The Magnetic's Artistic Director, Katie has worked locally with Asheville Creative Arts and the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival.
CAITLIN LANE (Stage Manager) - Caitlin has been working in the Asheville theatre scene for over a decade. She had had the pleasure of Stage Managing for many of Asheville's well known theatre companies including " the Montford Park Players", Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective", and "Dark Horse Theatre". Credits with the magnetic theatre include "Crimes, Missed demeanings, and Video tapes", "Full Tilt Boogie at the Big Bang Diner", and "Luna Gale".
WALKER LINKOUS (Set Builder) - Walker has been working in local theater for about eight years now. He’s proud of the work he’s done with the Montford Park Players and the Multiverse Theater Collective, as well as his work as a grip in several local short films.
VICTORIA SMITH (Costume Designer) - Victoria Smith has been working with fabric, needle and thread for as long as she can remember (which is a LONG time). Bringing her experience, knowledge and creativity to local theatre is fulfilling and so much fun!. She has worked on many productions in several theatres. Her work has been seen in many Western North Carolina theatres including: Montford Park Players, Parkway Playhouse, ACT, HART, 35 Below, Rarely Theatre, Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective as well as other production companies. She thanks the cast, crew, director and all those who have assisted in the many preparations.
TIPPIN (Props Designer) - Since diving into theatre in 2013, Tippin has worked as an actor, stage manager, technical director, assistant director, producer, props master, office manager, collaborative writer, dramaturg, and sound designer for over fifty productions for stage, film, restaurant, hallway, and oversized camera obscura. She has a particular interest in socially progressive, original, experimental, fringe, and immersive theatre, as well as in poetry performance.
JASON WILLIAMS (Director) - Jason Williams is an actor, director and designer that works for many local theatre companies around Asheville. Recent area directing credits include: Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley with Multiverse Theatre Collective, Macbeth and Pericles (performed in Rep), and Peter Pan with the Montford Park Players, Bloomsday and Constellations at ACT’s 35 Below, and The Bald Soprano and My Name is Rachel Corrie in the studio at HART. He admires The Magnetic Theatre's mission of producing brand new works, and would like to thank you for taking a chance on this new work in particular. If you enjoyed tonight's show he encourages you to seek out other performances in our vibrant local theatre scene, and please maybe consider an additional donation to keep more shows like this coming.
PHOTOS BY CHEYENNE DANCY
GALLERY
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THE MAGNETIC THEATRE STAFF
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR…….……JESSICA JOHNSON
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR…………..KATIE JONES
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR………….…ABBY AUMAN
BOX OFFICE MANAGER……………TIPPIN
MARKETING MANAGER……………CHEYENNE DANCY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
GEORGE AWAD
ELIZABETH MCCORVEY
JASON PHILLIPS
JOSH SULLIVAN
ELIZABETH ZIEGLER
SPECIAL THANKS TO…
Kyrstin Ezzell
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Aaron and Gus Ballard
Thank you to the following donors for helping us get started in 2022! We are so grateful for the support of our community.
Sandy Altman Allen
Alchemy Comedy
Kevin Anderson
Brandi Andrade
Michael Awad
George Awad
Rebekah Babelay
Bert Bach
John Baldwin
Melanie Ballard
Stan Baranowski
Jennifer Bennett
Gregory Berlowitz
Marci Bernstein
CJ Breland
Dan Bridgeman
Madison Brightwell
Linda Brinkley
Alesa Bryant
Jenny Bunn
Jan Caldemeyer
Tommy Calloway
Tish Campbell
Loren Carty
Carmela Caruso
Pete Carver
Jean P. Castle
Jeff Catanese
Tom Chalmers
Jenni Cockrell
Susann Cuperus
Cameron Davis
Lauren Davis
Christopher DeBeer
Marilyn Del Vecchio
Searah Deysach
Anne Dickens
Paul Dixon
Blair M. Dotson Smith
Lydia Dove
Sarah Edison
David and Pam Elder
Susan Ellis
Jason Evans
Abby Felder
Joanna Flynn
Andrew Gall
Kay Galvin
Mandy Gardner
Kirby Gibson
Paula Glaser
Chall Gray
Blaine and Cynthia Greenfield
Jason Gross
Melissa Hahn
Amy Hall
Erinn Hartley
Ginger Haselden
Sara Hassinger
Jenny Hassler
George Heard
Trivia Hefner
Melanie Heying
Alexa Hibbert
Kate Holden
Lara Hollaway
David Hopes
Kathryn Huey
Andrew Huffman
Matilyn Hull
Leslie Humphrey
Joanna Jaouen
Tracey Johnston-Crum
Laurie Jones
Henry Joy
Tabitha Judy
Jim Julien
Joshua Kerber
Brea Kichefski
Anna Kimmell
Trissa King
Abby Kittrell
Jamie Knox
Adam Kraar
Lauren Kriel
David LaMotte
Katie Langwell
Andrew Lanteri
Emily Leonard
Amanda Levesque
Denise Lockett
James Long
Michele Louzon
Richard MacGillivray
Alli Marshall
Jenny Martin
Mike Martinelli
Stephanie Marzuola
Erin McCarson
Sam McCarson
Emily McDaniel
Kenny McKee
Amanda McKenzie
McClain
Rachel Menna
Gian Metzger
Hanne and Glen Miska
Steven Molony
Donald Monsees
Lily Mooney
Honor Moor
Hanni Muerdter
Pam Mundy
Bret Murphy
Jennifer Murphy
Caroline Musselwhite
David Mycoff
Bonni Nechemias
Stephanie Nusbaum
Paula O'Brien
Adam Olson
Gabrielle Orcha
John Orr
Lauren Otis
Cher Peretin
Jason Phillips
Justin Phillips
Kenny Phillips
Melissa Reinke
Jamieson Ridenhour
Nita Ritzke
Lauren Rivas
Randall Robins
Sean David Robinson
John Russell
Elizabeth Russell
Carole Saich
Steven Samuels
Daniel Sandoval
Doug Savitt
Richard Schaffer
Madelyn Sergel
Jered Shults
Kristen Simberg
Joe Sinopoli
Fredilyn Sison
Aaron Snook
Annie Spindler
Daniel Sprague
Amanda Stertz
Stan Stockdale
Brooke Swango
Cheryl Swit
Matt Tavener
Tippin
Nora Tramm
Sue Tucker
Charles Umberger
Kimberly Van Ness
Anne Wainer
Ellen Warner
Roger Watkins
Edie Weichert
Jamie Wiener
Hannah Williams
Cynthia Williams
Jason Williams
Nan Williamson
Marissa Wilson
Matt Wilson
Karen Windham
Kay Wise-Denty
Lauren Wylie
Aaron Ybarra
Jane Yokoyama
Christopher Young
Beth Ziegler
Mary Zogzas