Montford Park Players (MPP), an Asheville theatrical tradition, is proud to announce its upcoming summer season. All shows run Fridays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre in the Montford District of Asheville. All are presented free of charge. Prime seats can be reserved.
“As always, our plays are nominated by our full membership and then ultimately decided on by our board of directors,” says MPP marketing director Jeff Catanese. “The board saw that quite a few nominees took place or had scenes in the ocean, so we went with an ‘Adventure on the High Seas’ theme for the final roster.”
The season kicks off with Wendy & Peter – A Peter Pan Story, running from Friday, May 26, through Saturday, June 17. Written and directed by Skyler Goff, the play tells of the continuing adventures of everyone’s favorite lost boy. This production is one of three world premieres for the season penned by local playwrights.
“When a local playwright has a work that fits our quality criteria and our mission, we are overjoyed to give our audiences something ‘home-grown’,” says Catanese. “I think viewers will love the new takes on well-known works.”
Next up is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, running from Friday, June 23, through Saturday, July 22. Directed by Fable Wilde Day, this audience favorite returns to the MPP stage with all of the mistaken identity, love triangles and general wackiness that make it a hit.
From Friday, July 28, through Saturday, August 26, the second world premiere of the season, Treasure Island, is a new take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of buccaneers and buried gold, written by local playwright Honor Moor and directed by David Doersch.
The Tempest, a Shakespearean play less frequently produced by MPP, takes the stage from Friday, September 1, through Saturday, September 30. This tale of magic, monsters and mayhem is directed by Dwight Chiles.
Just in time for Halloween, local playwright Will Storrs brings audiences Wonderland Legacies: Alice’s Adventures in Murderland, a seasonally appropriate reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s story, from Friday, October 6, through Saturday, October 28. It is directed by Deanna Braine Smith.
“MPP has a history of supporting the community at large as well as the local artistic community,” says Catanese. “Being primarily a Shakespeare company, we’re so happy to be able to offer shows that are new and, in this case, world premieres.”
Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite foods and beverages to their performances and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows.
For more information or to reserve seats, call the Montford Park Players Box Office at 828.254.5146 or visit MontfordParkPlayers.com.
