Human | Charlotte’s Web | The Warp & the Weft | BUGS! | Failure | Click, Clack, Moo | The Little Red Riding Hood Show
HUMAN (2022)
Written and directed by Nehprii Amenii
co-produced by Asheville Creative Arts and Khunum Productions
Creative Team:
Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby (original music); Nehprii Amenii, Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby (lyrics); Amparo Chigui Santiago (choreography); Marie Yokoyama (lights, environment and projections); Joo Won Park (sound design); Dan Jones, April Tillies and Jorge Ariel Blanco (puppet design and fabrication), Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins (early puppet prototypes); Gina Stewart and Brenda Gambill of Jonesalee (musical directors); Dr. Allison Curseen and Philip Santos Schaffer (dramaturgy); Jorge Blanco (stage management).
Starring:
April Tillies, Joshua Chung, Kaylyn Carter, Khalilah Smith, Olympea, Rebekah Babelay and Tippin. Understudy: Edwin Salas Acosta
At the bottom of the ocean, where the darkness meets the stars, where humans are extinct and the world as we know it has ended, an Octopus tells the story of a thing once called ‘the human being,’ will it be willing to give up one of its three hearts in order to create a new, more sensitive human being? Will it be willing to give humanity a second chance?
Human was supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. NCArts.org.
Charlotte’s Web (2019)
adapted by Joseph Robinette from the book by E.B. White
Creative Team:
Abby Felder (director), Jonesalee (original music), Edwin Salas Acosta (puppets, sets and costumes), Jason Williams (lights)
Starring:
Tippin, Rebekah Babelay, Trudy Campbell, Tristan Cameron, Anna Slate, and Asher Leigh as the musician
CHARLOTTE’S WEB is a story about Fern, and her little pig Wilbur who becomes famous with the help of his clever friend Charlotte and their chatty animal neighbors. 5 years since its last production of this beloved family classic, ACA brings its signature style of contemporary and sophisticated storytelling for a fresh, new take on this tale of friendship, sacrifice and growing up.
The Warp & the Weft (2019)
Creative Team:
a devised piece by Abby Felder (co-concept / director), Dr. Allison Curseen (co-concept), Eva Von Schweinitz (dramaturge), Alex Smith (dramaturge), Rebecca Williams (video), Blakeney Bullock (choreography), DeWayne Barton (lobby installation), Abby Auman (lights), Jonesalee (original music), Kylie Irvin (musical support), and Scott Branson (post-show talk-back curation)
Starring:
Edwin Salas Acosta, Tiffany Copeland, Olympea, Daniele Martin and Holly Heveron-Smith
Featuring Personal Narratives from:
Hanger Hall 8th Grade Students, and participants of the Latino youth group MANOS (Mentoring And Nurturing Our Students) a Buncombe County Schools and WWC collaboration.
Post-Show Talk-Backs with:
Juan G Sanchez Martinez , DeWayne Barton of Hood Huggers International, BeLoved Asheville, and Tom Godleski
Experience the power of personal narrative, the magic of a modern fairy tale, and transcendent vocal harmonies in this 60-minute mosaic of puppetry, live music, video and physical theater, as a troupe of actors share songs and experiences from their childhood then vie for the opportunity to act out their favorite story for (and with!) the audience.
Inspired by images of children in NC’s textile industry at the turn of the century, this performance will encourage the young (and young at heart) to tell their own stories on their own terms.
The Warp & The Weft is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
BUGS! An Immersive, Original Musical (2018)
by Jonesalee
Creative Team:
Brenda Gambill and Gina Stewart (creators / musical directors), Abby Felder (direction), Blakeney Bullock (choreography), Abby Auman (lights), Alex Smith (dramaturgy), DeWayne Barton (sets), Edwin Salas Acosta (puppets, costumes), Holly Heveron-Smith (video / projections)
Starring:
Edwin Salas Acosta (Horsefly, Hand Percussion), Holly Heveron-Smith (Mantis, Drums), Jake Donham (Wooly Worm, Keys, Bass), Laura Blackley (Busker Band Leader, Guitar), and Tristan Cameron (Ladybug, Harmonica)
Post-Show Talk-Backs with:
YouthOutRight, Rebecca O’Neill from Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, DeWayne Barton of Hood Huggers International, Shoshana Batson – Peer Support Specialist
When a band of buskers are magically transformed into insects, they must listen to and learn from one another before being returned to their human form. Will they? Comprised of a series of vignettes, this immersive musical spectacle observes and explores the tiny, teeming insect world, in a funny and uplifting experience that asks us to pause, look closely and consider the little things.
FAILURE: A Love Story (2018)
by Philip Dawkins
Creative Team:
Abby Felder with Eva von Schweinitz & Gina Stewart (directors), Jonesalee (soundscape), Alex Smith (dramaturgy), Jason Williams (lights), Chifferobe Home and Garden (set dressing and props), Katie Jones (puppets), Holly Heveron-Smith (video), Flywheel Films (video)
Starring:
Daniele Martin, Julia Cunningham, Katie Jones, Kelsey Sewell
Post-Show Talk-Backs with: healthcare advocates from Givens Highland Farms, Sheree Boyd and John Shnell, and YouthOutRight.
“whimsical, sweetly philosophical…a story about grabbing hold of life and savoring it to the fullest, come what may.” —Los Angeles Times
Through a series of random events that befall the three Fail sisters, Failure: A Love Story shows us how life is both unfair and precious. This bold and quirky modern fairy tale about love and loss leaves audiences with the message, “Just because something ends, that don’t mean it wasn’t a great success.” In its 6th milestone season, ACA showcases its signature style combining lyrical language and sophisticated visual storytelling through live video and found object puppets in a whimsical story that captures how while time is measured consistently by clocks, everyone experiences its passage differently.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (2017)
based on text by Doreen Cronin
with Illustrations by Betsy Lewin
adapted by James E. Grote
music by George Howe
lyrics by James E. Grote and George Howe
Creative Team:
Nehprii Amenii (director, sets and puppets), Anthony Napoletano (choreographer), Gina Stewart (musical director) Gabrielle Tee (barnyard band director), Marie Yokoyama (projections), Anthony Cerrato (lights)
Starring:
Katie Jones, Anthony Napoletano, Jonathan Santos, Jason Stanley, Gina Stewart
with the Barnyard Band:
Reed Atherton, Reina Corcoran, Dax Chatham, Grey Chatham, Samantha Yoffee
Post-Show Talk-Backs with:
Rev. Michael Carter – Unitarian Universalist Church, Paul Howey – Fur Kidz Sake, Daniele Martin of Yoga for Women of Color, DeWayne Barton of Hood Huggers, and Sawyer Taylor-Arnold activist and board member of Womens’ March on AVL
The animals on Farmer Brown’s farm have had enough! They work all day to provide milk and eggs, but when their request for electric blankets to warm the drafty barn is ignored, action must be taken. Join the Cows, Hen, and Duck – and their trusty typewriter – as they engage in peaceful protest to improve their working conditions, in a production that uses projection, elements of puppetry, and protest inspired choreography.
Click, Clack, Moo originally published by Simon & Schuster
Used with the permission of Pippin Properties, Inc.
and is supported by an award from the Puffin Foundation West
The Little Red Riding Hood Show (2017)
by Russell Davis
Creative Team:
Abby Felder and Katie Jones (directors), Marie Yokoyama (sets, costumes), Rebecca Williams (video), Abby Auman (lights), Jonesalee (sound)
Starring:
George Awad, Julia Cunningham, Daniele Martin and Tippin
Take one girl, equipped with a basket of goodies. Add one Grandmother, sick in bed. Combine with one Wolf, lurking mischievously. Toss in one skeptical Mother, and let simmer for one hour. Russell Davis stirs the ingredients of this well-loved tale in new postmodern directions, concocting a sly and spicy story that delights children and adults right down to the last surprising bite, addressing social media as the modern day “wolf in the woods.”