We had such an enoyable chat with Actor Amanda Ladd on the latest "Behind the Curtains" podcast produced by the Asheville Theater Alliance. Learn how she got involved in theater and some words of wisdom she received from a professor that she has never forgotten. Amanda also chats about her work at the New Circle Theatre Company in New York City, why she loves "new works," what roles are on her "bucket list," and her unique one-woman show coming up in April (and what she has to do on stage!). Then get all the details about the upcoming production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" bing presented by the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) and how she is preparing for her role as Blanche DuBois. And she answers the question on everyone's minds - is Alan Ladd her father and what does she do with all his fan mail??

The Founder of Superhappy Productions Adam Arthur was the latest guest on the "Behind the Curtains" podcast being produced by the Asheville Theater Alliance. Hear about his background as an actor, why he founded Superhappy Productions, what the company is all about and its bizarre evolution through the years that started as a live radio show, and how The Match Game influenced its development. Also get all the details about the company's first release - "The Fight of the Bucket," as well as the scoop on the new series about to be launched entitled "From Within." And what is the best compliment Adam has ever received from his father (after seeing him perform for the first time) and what was the second best compliment - both will make you laugh out loud.

The Managing Artistic Director of the South Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) joined us on the "Behind the Curtains" podcast to update us on their exciting 51st season. Get all the details about the mission of SART, the organization's goal of creating opportunities for local artists, how at least one show each season highlights Appalcahia in some way, how they choose plays each season, all the shows in this year's spectacular season, really unique twists in several productions, and information on the many different ticket purchasing options. Also hear his story about how he got into the theater industry, what brought him to Asheville and how he ended up at SART.

Actor Alan Steele was the latest guest on the "Behind the Curtains" podcast being sponsored by the Asheville Theater Alliance. We had a wide-ranging discussion that covered his unique foray into acting, some of his very "off the wall" acting experiences, and why he is drawn to Shakespeare roles. Also hear about his appearnace in "The Book of Will" written by Lauren Gunderson that is being presented by the Montford Park Players, what the show is about, how his character's life mirrors his own, the plays we would not have today without the work of these characters in real life, and what specific new acting ability he had to master for the role.

Actor and Director Julie Wharton joined us on the Asheville Theater Alliance's podcast show "Behind the Curtains" to talk about her career and upcoming production. Find out how she ended up in the theater industry, some amazing adventures she had overseas in unique theater projects and what types of plays she likes to especially direct. Also get all the details about her upcoming production of "RED" being presented by the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, the actors portraying the artist Mark Rothko, and his assistant, the rocky relationship between these two characters, the artist's very strong feelings about art, what she would like to hear patrons saying as they leave the theater and much more. 

The Executive Director of the Montford Park Players John Russell was our latest podcast guest. We chatted about his long and impressive career in theater and Shakespeare industry,  the interesting history of the Montford Park Players, how the theater has grown and evolved over the years, a typical night at the amphitheater, and several distinctive awards and accolades the venue has received. Also get all the details about their 2025 season of 6 FREE shows including "Cyrano," "Book of Will" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor," and the most unique seating arrangement he has seen on the lawn.

Director and Acting Coach John Reynolds was the guest on "Behind the Curtains" to tell us about the many services he provides as an acting coach. Also hear about his long and impressive career in the performing arts world, his insight into directing all genres (film, television and theater), and the one he appreciates the most as a director. Get all the scoop on his upcoming workshop for storytellers, his advice to directors in their first meeting with the cast and crew, and what he specifically contributed to the making of the film "ET." 

The Co-Founder of Double Dip Productions, and Improv Artist George Awad entertained us on the latest "Behind the Curtains" prodcast produced by the Asheville Theater Alliance. Hear how he became interested and then immersed in improv, and his insight into the qualities needed to be an effective improv performer. Also learn about his company Double Dip Productions, events that they are presenting, services the provide and they they launched the company. And then get all the details about the upcoming Asheville Improv Festival, including the six headliners they have coming from all over the US to perform (a couple of whom write for Stephen Colbert) and the workshops they will be teaching.

We were very honored to interview Esther Manheimer, the Mayor of Asheville in a multi-faceted discussion about the state of the arts in Asheville. Hear about her work on the Rebuilding Western North Carolina Advisory Committee and how she is bringing the arts to the forefront of the rebuilding efforts. Also learn about a possible $1 billion+ that could be flowing into Asheville, the opportunity for arts businesses to obtain some of this grant money and her advice to arts organizations and artists in becoming involved in the state and local government efforts. We also chatted about the Public Leadership in the Arts Award she received from the Americans for the Arts and why the arts are so important to her personally and to Asheville overall.

We learned so much about the art of storytelling from Connie Regan-Blake in our latest "Behind the Curtains" podcast episode. Obtain more insight into this unique craft, and hear about her unique journey into the field, her experiences with storytelling guru Ray Hicks, her emotional story about her time in Uganda helping women, and her favorite Adam Sandler tale. Also get details about her company Story Window, workshops that she conducts, and an event happening at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.