Tooth or Dare is one of our one act plays being produced in our upcoming One Act Play Festival! We reached out to some of the people who made this production possible to find out more about them and this exciting festival!
What about the One Act Festival are you the most excited about?
Kristen Livengood (Director): I'm just very excited to see what the directors do with the pieces that were selected for the festival. I had a chance to read them all, and since I read them through my 'Director Eyes,' I have my own ideas of how I would bring them to life, so I'm excited to see them through other Directors' perspectives.
Lily Bartleson (Actor): Meeting local Asheville actors and having fun on stage!
Charles Mills (Actor): Getting to work at The Magnetic for the first time.
Jen Russ (Actor): I'm most excited about seeing new plays in quick succession. It's exciting to see how playwrights can convey a complete story with drama, emotions, and wit in ten minutes or less!
Why is being a part of this project important to you?
Jen Russ (Actor): Being in a One Act Festival keeps me sharp - you have to work with a cast you've never met before under a director you've never worked with in a fairly short amount of time. It's exciting to work under a little bit of pressure!
Do you feel that producing new work is important? Why?
Kristen Livengood (Director): I do think producing new work is important because there are so many voices out there with so much to say, and it's our job as theatre makers to tell their stories. Playwrights are creating work that reflect the world we live in, so it's incredibly necessary for growth and change.
Lily Bartleson (Actor): Every story is important. Every story has a core meaning and deserves to be shared.
Charles Mills (Actor): Yes! New work needs venues to be seen.
Tell us about the piece(s) you’re working on rehearsing for the One Act Play Festival!
Kristen Livengood (Director): My favorite thing about the piece I'm working on is the cast and the material. The scene is incredibly funny and I'm so pleased to be working on it with three friends who I have ALWAYS enjoyed working with and who I know can bring these characters to life in their own unique and charming way.
Jen Russ (Actor): My favorite part of this piece, Tooth or Dare, is watching Lily Bartleson Bartleson play with her character of a disgruntled Tooth Fairy. She is hilarious in whatever she's in, but watching her in the rehearsal process trying different things out is such a treat!
What's your favorite thing about the piece(s) you're working on?
Charles Mills (Actor): Working with actors and a director I like.
What have you loved so far about working with The Magnetic Theatre?
Lily Bartleson (Actor): It's easy to get on stage and perform with new people because they don't feel like new people or strangers. It feels like they've been in your circle for a lifetime.
Charles Mills: Organized and friendly staff.
Jen Russ (Actor): I love working on new work - shows that haven't been done before over and over again. You never know what each new season will hold. The theater leadership is encouraging, generous, and they treat everyone like family.
How did you get into theatre?
Kristen Livengood (Director): Growing up, I had little access to theatre, so I was very involved in music and did perform in our annual high school spring musical. When I was in college, I was undeclared and was taking a theatre elective class. One of the requirements was to see productions at the college, and after the first one, I was left speechless. I remember being so in awe and inspired by the show that I immediately declared theatre as my major.
Lily Bartleson (Actor): As a young girl I always wanted to be "an entertainer." Sharing a smile, a laugh, a tear, a scream whatever it is, is worth sitting down and sharing with other people live. It's a whole new experience, live theatre.
Charles Mills (Actor): I joined Drama Club in seventh grade and haven't stopped since then.
What are your top 5 favorite things to do in Asheville?
Jen Russ (Actor): 1. Visit the wide variety of breweries 2. All of the street festivals and art shows 3. Watching live theater in and around the city 4. Walking or riding my bike along the greenways 5. White Duck Taco :)
The Magnetic Theatre’s Third Annual One Act Play Festival will be showing November 4-13, 2022! Find out more and grab your tickets here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=magn