Caro Savanti is a genius chef with a massive ego. After his Atlanta restaurant fails under disastrous circumstances, Caro, along with his staff and investors, move to Asheville to start anew. They become convinced that a reality cooking show will bring them all the success they\u2019ve been denied. They\u2019re hopeful that they will be able to take the Caro brand to a national level. Will Caro\u2019s talents result in fame and fortune? Or will his enormous ego jeopardize his potential?<\/p>\n
Starring Darren Marshall as Caro Savanti, The Magnetic Theatre will produce The Caro Savanti Experience<\/i> February 11\u201327 at Magnetic 375. The script was written by Jim Julien, one of the forces behind the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. It began as five-minute snippets in the Magnetic Midnight<\/i> series before expanding into a one-act version, and, later into a full-length production that premiered at the BeBe Theatre in a sold-out run.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe and the audiences had an amazing experience with the original production of Caro<\/i>,\u201d says Steven Samuels, artistic director and cofounder of The Magnetic Theatre. \u201cEven then, it seemed a shame that a show that so plainly created great enthusiasm had so few seats available. We always knew that we would want to bring it back if and when we had the new home we were dreaming of.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now that we can do it, Caro<\/i> seems more relevant than ever. The foodie and restaurant scene here in Asheville has only continued to grow in the intervening years. The time is right for everyone to have a chance to experience the wonder of The Caro Savanti Experience<\/i>!\u201d<\/p>\n
On his inspiration for the script, Jim says, \u201cI was fascinated by the phenomena of the cult of celebrity chefs and their massive egos and also that cooking is an extremely short-lived artistic experience. Once prepared food is eaten, it\u2019s gone. Nothing left but dirty dishes. Chefs want people to experience something that passes so quickly. It reminded me of other artistic experiences like live theater and music. They exist in the moment and then they are the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim played the role of Caro in the original five-minute piece before Darren took on the role. The supporting cast is new to the show as is the director, Elliot Weiner. \u201cI\u2019ve designed the set to keep the play moving as fast as possible. No set changes,\u201d Elliot tells The Laurel<\/i>. \u201cEverything we need will be out there and the characters will move stuff and get stuff as part of their characters\u2019 action. Comedy is all about \u2026 timing! So my job is to keep it moving and build the chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Caro\u2019s name, there\u2019s a story behind it. Jim says, \u201cI was thinking about unusual cuisine and molecular cooking, which uses foams and bizarre chemistry to prepare food products, and I happened to be in an aisle of baking products and saw Karo syrup. A name appeared to me, I wanted Caro to be an exotic out-of-control artist.\u201d<\/p>\n