The Autumn Players

Community Outreach

Looking for about an hour of high-quality entertainment for your retirement community, social organization, business meeting, civic club, private function or public event? Then, consider sponsoring and hosting a performance by The Autumn Players of Asheville Community Theatre!

Readings of great literature by experienced performers can spark deep understanding and kindle lasting interest. As words jump from the page with conviction and emotion, stories come to life. Characters seem real. The message memorable.

The Autumn Players is a troupe of seasoned actors dedicated to taking the theatre experience into the community. Since 1992, we have been entertaining audiences of all ages and diverse interests. While some performances have been at the theatre, most have been in spaces ranging from intimate parlors to open-air stages. All performances are in readers theatre format where actors read selections from a growing repertoire.

Currently, we offer several programs of two or more short plays. Our repertoire also includes adapted classics for middle/high schools and familiar poetry selected for rest/nursing homes.

We bring everything and we need only a few weeks notice. To cover costs such as royalties, script preparation, programs, postage and staging items, we charge a small fee for each performance.

If you are interested, contact ACT. We will work with you on the details.

Teachers bring theatre into your classroom.

Teachers, now you can easily enrich your classes with works by:

By calling on The Autumn Players of Asheville Community Theatre. This troupe of seasoned actors has been taking the theatre experience into the community since 1992 and has a repertoire of classics adapted to fit your class periods. Brief descriptions are below.

Mystery And Mischief
Sherlock Holmes meets his match in William Britain's adaptation of A Scandal In Bohemia. But Old Hank and Snake Eyes cannot match the freckled kid in William Sydney Porter's (aka O. Henry) The Ransom Of Red Chief as adapted by Janina Shoemaker and Kevin McKee.

Romeo And Juliet is synonymous with young love plus parental disapproval leading to a major misunderstanding resulting in tragedy. Timeless! adapted by Nels Arnold.

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley (1797-1851) introduced the science-fiction genre in 1818 by recounting the dilemma of animating lifeless matter. Adapted by Janina Shoemaker.

Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)
His moods were many as reflected in: The Murders In The Rue Morgue, a mystery; The Angel Of The Odd, a fantastique; The System Of Dr. Tarr And Prof. Fether, a humoresque; Annabel Lee, a poem. Adapted by Janina Shoemaker.

Dracula
Though Bram Stoker (1847-1912) never visited Romania, it was no accident that his vampire story of 1897 was set in the wildest and least known portion of Europe. Adapted by Clinton Betz, Jr. and Georgeanne Hoegerman.

Chuckles with Chekhov
Though Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is well known for his depressing Russian tragedies, few know of his rich collection of comedy adapted by Janina Shoemaker.

The Diary Of Anne Frank (1929-1944)
You are 13 and your parents say that you must all live in an attic to hide from the Nazi occupation. You don't understand. Months pass. Then years. You record daily events, your thoughts, changes in others and changes in yourself until....
Adapted by Janina Shoemaker.

To book a performance or to get involved, just contact ACT at:

Email act@ashevilletheatre.org
(828) 254-1320
35 East Walnut Street
Asheville, NC 28801-2909