Robert Krane from Chicago, Illinois 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?
John Baldwin (Director): Just love the 3 plays and the actors that I am directing.
Mike Yow (Actor): The collaboration with numerous fellow performing artists!
Why is being a part of this project important to you?
Mike Yow (Actor): I consider it a solid staple for Asheville theatre and performance art.
Do you feel that producing new work is important? Why?
John Baldwin (Director): Because new theatre brings focus to things in this world that people need to know and care about.
Mike Yow (Actor): Very much so, as I firmly believe that humanity must continue to create and tell stories, while also honoring the incredible tales that have come before us.
Tell us about the piece(s) you’re working on rehearsing for the One Act Play Festival!
John Baldwin (Director): Three pieces and they are the ones to which I really wanted to be assigned.
Mike Yow (Actor): Robert Krane, of which I play the titular role, is a deeply interesting commentary on "old versus new", "oil versus green", and several other themes both ancient and contemporary. Robert is an oil tycoon from Chicago, a slick executive who gets kidnapped by an apparent "eco terrorist" and held for a sizable ransom. However, neither one of these characters comes through the story unscathed or unchanged.
What's your favorite thing about the piece(s) you're working on?
Mike Yow (Actor): Exploring the script has been quite satisfying, as I discover new beats and insights every time I read through or rehearse it.
What have you loved so far about working with The Magnetic Theatre?
John Baldwin (Director): Always the people.
Mike Yow (Actor): I enjoyed working at, and with, The Magnetic for the past six or seven years, performing in at least as many productions there, serving as a nice addition to the long list of other regional theatres at which I have also worked. The Magnetic always offers bright new works and is known for its ability to take some risks and reward new playwrights with a venue to host their creative voices.
How did you get into theatre?
John Baldwin (Director): Started in the 2nd grade and I was hooked!
Mike Yow (Actor): I dabble in theatre since high school, but never really pursued it as a profession until about 15 years ago, while living in Atlanta, and decided that I would dedicated most of my creative and professional life to the performing arts, be it as an actor, director, fight choreographer, of whatever. Consequently, I met my lovely and talented wife while performing in a traveling show down in the Atlanta area 10+ years ago.
What are your top 5 favorite things to do in Asheville?
Mike Yow (Actor): Performing, hiking, Biltmore, pickleball, and eating at some of our fine eateries.
Do you have any upcoming projects we should check out?
John Baldwin (Director): Directing “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Hendersonville Theatre next March.
Mike Yow (Actor): I'll be performing in A Southern Appalachian Christmas, out at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) in December, followed closely by producing, directing, and performing in The 39 Steps out at Black Mountain Center For The Arts in January. Not long after that, a murder mystery dinner theatre show in February (in a repeat role) with Murder For Hire, Inc.
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