For nearly four decades, the Montford Park Players have brought free classic theatre to Asheville. Their venue, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, is now the worse for wear and even becoming hazardous to the actors.

To correct this situation, the Montford Park Players have launched the Kickstarter Project, an online fund-raising campaign that will allow groups and individuals to make tax-deductible pledges to help raise the money needed for repairs. John Russell, managing director of the Montford Park Players, says the donations will “give donors the opportunity to experience the theatre on a deeper level, from reserved chairs on the hillside to the chance to help stab Julius Caesar in the Players’ 2011 production!”

The group’s outdoor plays have become an Asheville sum- mer tradition, and every year people bring their families— along with picnics, pets, and lawn chairs—to watch the classics performed live in front of a pleasant mountain hillside. “Our beloved amphitheatre is showing its age,” says John. “Beams are rotting away and a complete renovation has become necessary. The project funding will help bring the current performance space back to life, with new materials for safety, aesthetics and durability. There will also be changes allowing for improved sightlines, lighting and acoustics.”

To help out, visit kickstarter.com and enter “Montford Park Players.”