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PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTES
Jamie Knox:
One of the mediums I have not yet tapped into in the Asheville theatre scene is Asheville Fringe. So, I thought, "Cool. I'll write a play for Fringe." But I knew I needed to bring the funny if I was going to do so, so I reached out to George Awad. I think the convo went something like this. George: "Knox!" Jamie: "Let's write a play for Fringe." And that was it. And then it wasn't. Like a lot of other theatre these past couple of years, Fringe plans shifted. And here we were, sitting with a half-done play that neither of us wanted to give up on. So we made an agreement that we would finish it and figure out how to get it on stage. It needed a lot of work. It was short, bawdy, and not-at-all fully developed. So, the brilliance of artistic director Katie Jones saved us. With her suggestions, we worked by the skin of our teeth to get a product right for the general public. All was fine and well until we both realized we knew nothing about open marriages or relationships! So, we had to go back to the drawing board again. And again. It was important to us to write something that was funny, but rooted in truth and heartache, and to not make fun of the subject, but instead to have fun with it. Our approach was way different than any collaboration I've done before. George would start a scene, tell me to check it out, and I would finish the scene, or vice versa. We would gut the other's lines, beg for ours to get back in, and decide whether it mattered. A theatre writer and a sketch writer came together to explore the heartache of a failing marriage, and the possibility of it being saved, with love, puns, too much talking, and a little farce.
George Awad:
One day in the summer of 2020, the very talented Jamie Knox reached out to ask me if I would help her write something to submit to the Asheville Fringe Festival. Flattered that she asked little 'ole me, I readily said yes and agreed to meet up for a beer to discuss. Took about an IPA-and-a-half to flesh out a rough idea that we quickly turned into a fringey and raunchy stage bit. It was a half-hour of flim-flam we think would have at least raised some Fringe attendee eyebrows. But like those saloon doors in westerns, theatre kept fluctuating wildly between opening and closing and we just couldn't get it produced for the 2021 Fringe. Once we decided, months later and over more IPAs, to flesh this out into a real-deal play, it all kind of came together. No, that's a lie. The process was a hot mess; two steps forward, three steps sideways. But the collaboration was joyous. If you can leave a writing dinner-meeting laughing with a good friend and with a curry stain on your shirt, then who cares if your play ever gets produced? Besides the collab, what I enjoyed most was the two of us trying to write something that could (hopefully) make you laugh, relate, and maybe even think a bit; all while not taking itself too seriously. And while I know nothing about open marriages — or closed ones for that matter — I can surely relate to being one of two people grasping for connection despite our mutual wheelbarrows of insecurities. It's the universal condition and, while it's at times sad and painful, you still can't help but laugh.
Watch the trailer for The Shorthand Job
CAST (in order of appearance)
Callie……………………Jamie Knox
Omar……...…………..George Awad
Alexa….………………..Christine Caldemeyer
Becky…………………..Delina Hensley
ABOUT THE CAST & PLAYWRIGHTS
click or hover over a photo to see bio
George Awad (Playwright/Omar)
George Awad is an improvisor, actor, designer, and writer. Raised in Buffalo, NY, he moved to Asheville after several stints in various cities, most recently New York City.
Though coming late in life to performing, George was instantly hooked once he did. Performing improv since 2014, George has trained at NYS3, Asheville Improv Collective, iO Chicago, and The Annoyance.
He has also appeared in a handful of local stage and film productions and is a co-host of the local Creative Mornings chapter. A graphic designer by trade and an avid traveler and cook, George is constantly striving to fill a passport and a coffee mug.
Delina Hensley (Becky)
Delina has been onstage for many years. Since moving to Asheville, she has been in numerous productions at ACT, The Magnetic Theatre (glad to be back), NC Stage, and SART. For 5 glorious years, she was also a lead tour guide on the LaZoom Comedy tours. Many thanks to her parents for putting up with her theatre shenanigans over the years, her love and soulmate, Sarah Spooner (congrats for being a theatre widow now that theatre is open again), and most importantly, her mentor and friend, Marilyn duBrisk. She taught Delina all that she knows and taught her that character acting is definitely in her nature.
Christine Caldemeyer (Alexa)
Chuffed to be back working with folks at The Magnetic, Christine is a local actor and costumer. Look out for her costume design work later this season in The Magnetic’s co-production with Nemesis Theatre Company in June!
Jamie Knox (Playwright/Callie)
Jamie is excited to be back on stage after 2 years. She has an MA in theatre history and is the co-writer of this crazy piece. She runs a yoga business, has a toddler, and married the handsomest man in Texas before moving to Asheville 5 years ago. Asheville credits include: Menenius in Coriolanus, Ophelia in Hamlet, Abbie in The Mercy Seat, Mrs. Martin in The Bald Soprano, Kyra in Six Knots, Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida, Antonio in Merchant of Venice, and Portia in Julius Caesar.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director…………………………..…………Katie Jones
Stage Manager………………..……..Tippin
Set Designer………………………..….Laura Lowe
Sound Designer…………………….Abby Auman
Lighting Designer…………………Abby Auman
Props…………………………………………..Laura Lowe
Costume Designer………………..Katie Jones
Dramaturgy………………….………….Mandy Bean
Fight Choreography……………..Jered Shults
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
ABBY AUMAN (LIGHTING & SOUND DESIGNER) - Abby is the Technical Director of The Magnetic Theatre. She also works as a lighting designer in theaters all over WNC.
MANDY BEAN (Dramaturgy) - Mandy Bean is a native of the Asheville area, and has been involved with a number of local theatre companies in various capacities over the years. Her next project with the Magnetic Theatre will be directing Beautiful Cages by Jamie Knox in the fall. Thank you for supporting live theatre!
LAURA LOWE (Set Designer & Props) - Laura has managed set design/dressing for several past productions at The Magnetic Theatre and the Montford Park Players and is currently serving as the resident properties manager and set designer for Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective (DS! PAC). Past production designs include: Oxalis, Eleemosynary, The Education of Ted Harris, Rasheeda Speaking, The Mountaintop, Hamlet (2018), Richard III, Private Lives, and Six Knots. Look for her upcoming work in next month’s Algorithm and Blues at The Magnetic Theatre and DS! PAC’s June production of Monsters of the American Cinema. She would like to thank Travis Lowe and Jean Castle for their love and food. She would also like to thank DS! PAC for assisting their theater community, and the Habitat For Humanity ReStore for continued support of Asheville performing arts.
JERED SHULTS (Fight Choreographer) - Jered is always happy to utilize his skills as a fight choreographer for The Magnetic Theater. Jered has choreographed fights at Parkway Playhouse and Montford. Shows that he has choreographed have been Bloodbath at The Magnetic Theatre, Dead in Denmark at Montford, and Treasure Island at Parkway Playhouse.
TIPPIN (Stage Manager) - Since diving into theatre in 2013, Tippin has worked as an actor, stage manager, technical director, assistant director, producer, props master, office manager, collaborative writer, dramaturg, and sound designer for over fifty productions for stage, film, restaurant, hallway, and oversized camera obscura. She has a particular interest in socially progressive, original, experimental, fringe, and immersive theatre, as well as in poetry performance.
PHOTOS by CHEYENNE DANCY
GALLERY
click to view full-size images
THE MAGNETIC THEATRE STAFF
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR…….……JESSICA JOHNSON
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR…………..KATIE JONES
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR………….…ABBY AUMAN
BOX OFFICE MANAGER……………TIPPIN
MARKETING MANAGER……………CHEYENNE DANCY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
GEORGE AWAD
ELIZABETH MCCORVEY
JASON PHILLIPS
JOSH SULLIVAN
ELIZABETH ZIEGLER
SPECIAL THANKS TO…
Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Aaron and Gus Ballard
Thank you to the following donors for helping us get started in 2022! We are so grateful for the support of our community.
Sandy Altman Allen
Alchemy Comedy
Kevin Anderson
Brandi Andrade
Michael Awad
George Awad
Rebekah Babelay
Bert Bach
John Baldwin
Melanie Ballard
Stan Baranowski
Jennifer Bennett
Gregory Berlowitz
Marci Bernstein
CJ Breland
Dan Bridgeman
Madison Brightwell
Linda Brinkley
Alesa Bryant
Jenny Bunn
Jan Caldemeyer
Tommy Calloway
Tish Campbell
Loren Carty
Carmela Caruso
Pete Carver
Jean P. Castle
Jeff Catanese
Tom Chalmers
Jenni Cockrell
Susann Cuperus
Cameron Davis
Lauren Davis
Christopher DeBeer
Marilyn Del Vecchio
Searah Deysach
Anne Dickens
Paul Dixon
Blair M. Dotson Smith
Lydia Dove
Sarah Edison
David and Pam Elder
Susan Ellis
Jason Evans
Abby Felder
Joanna Flynn
Andrew Gall
Kay Galvin
Mandy Gardner
Kirby Gibson
Paula Glaser
Chall Gray
Blaine and Cynthia Greenfield
Jason Gross
Melissa Hahn
Amy Hall
Erinn Hartley
Ginger Haselden
Sara Hassinger
Jenny Hassler
George Heard
Trivia Hefner
Melanie Heying
Alexa Hibbert
Kate Holden
Lara Hollaway
David Hopes
Kathryn Huey
Andrew Huffman
Matilyn Hull
Leslie Humphrey
Joanna Jaouen
Tracey Johnston-Crum
Laurie Jones
Henry Joy
Tabitha Judy
Jim Julien
Joshua Kerber
Brea Kichefski
Anna Kimmell
Trissa King
Abby Kittrell
Jamie Knox
Adam Kraar
Lauren Kriel
David LaMotte
Katie Langwell
Andrew Lanteri
Emily Leonard
Amanda Levesque
Denise Lockett
James Long
Michele Louzon
Richard MacGillivray
Alli Marshall
Jenny Martin
Mike Martinelli
Stephanie Marzuola
Erin McCarson
Sam McCarson
Emily McDaniel
Kenny McKee
Amanda McKenzie
McClain
Rachel Menna
Gian Metzger
Hanne and Glen Miska
Steven Molony
Donald Monsees
Lily Mooney
Honor Moor
Hanni Muerdter
Pam Mundy
Bret Murphy
Jennifer Murphy
Caroline Musselwhite
David Mycoff
Bonni Nechemias
Stephanie Nusbaum
Paula O'Brien
Adam Olson
Gabrielle Orcha
John Orr
Lauren Otis
Cher Peretin
Jason Phillips
Justin Phillips
Kenny Phillips
Melissa Reinke
Jamieson Ridenhour
Nita Ritzke
Lauren Rivas
Randall Robins
Sean David Robinson
John Russell
Elizabeth Russell
Carole Saich
Steven Samuels
Daniel Sandoval
Doug Savitt
Richard Schaffer
Madelyn Sergel
Jered Shults
Kristen Simberg
Joe Sinopoli
Fredilyn Sison
Aaron Snook
Annie Spindler
Daniel Sprague
Amanda Stertz
Stan Stockdale
Brooke Swango
Cheryl Swit
Matt Tavener
Tippin
Nora Tramm
Sue Tucker
Charles Umberger
Kimberly Van Ness
Anne Wainer
Ellen Warner
Roger Watkins
Edie Weichert
Jamie Wiener
Hannah Williams
Cynthia Williams
Jason Williams
Nan Williamson
Marissa Wilson
Matt Wilson
Karen Windham
Kay Wise-Denty
Lauren Wylie
Aaron Ybarra
Jane Yokoyama
Christopher Young
Beth Ziegler
Mary Zogzas