News • The Montford Moppets Youth Shakespeare Company

Summer theater program for tweens and teens in Asheville NC

February 1, 2023 February 1, 2023

Fill your calendar with moppets fun

Sign up for our spring and summer theater programs today!

We’re so excited about this year’s shows that we just couldn’t wait to open registration!

Starting today, you can sign up for:

“Play in a Day” Spring Break Intensive (April 3-7)
The Moppets One Act Festival (auditions March 11; rehearsals begin March 20)
“The Odyssey” (rehearsals start June 12)
“Macbeth” (rehearsals start July 17)

We can’t wait to build these amazing productions with you!

An open call for submissions from young playwrights

January 26, 2023 January 26, 2023

The Montford Moppets Youth Shakespeare Company is seeking submissions for our inaugural One Act Festival!
A selection of 3 to 5 finalists will be chosen for production by our judging panel and Artistic Director Ashleigh Goff. Productions will be student-directed, under the supervision of Moppets staff.

GUIDELINES

We are seeking works by playwrights between the ages of 10 and 18.

One Acts must be original works or adaptations of works in the public domain.

All submissions must be written in English.

Running time should be no more than 20 minutes (roughly 20 pages)

Works should require a cast of 7 or fewer actors with minimal staging.

Submissions must be PG-13 or milder.

Contact information should be on the cover page of the script. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else on the script.

IMPORTANT DATES

Submission deadline: February 14
Decision notification: February 21
Rehearsals: March 20 – May 11
Performances: May 12-13

SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT

Meet Sam, our Moppet of the Month!

December 7, 2022 January 26, 2023

Sam Cintron is a freshman at the School of Inquiry & Life Sciences at Asheville, and he has been doing theatre since he was much younger. He performed in his first Moppets show last spring, in our production of “Tartuffe” as the siblings Damis and Marian — still his favorite role(s)! He has also performed as Exeter in “Henry V,” and he is currently Scrooge in the Moppets’ annual production of “A Christmas Carol.”

Sam dreams of one day playing the lead in “Macbeth,” his favorite Shakespeare production. Aside from theatre, Sam enjoys writing, producing, and listening to many different genres of music, hanging out with friends, and thinking deep thoughts (sometimes).

Meet Mia, our Moppet of the Month!

August 9, 2022 August 9, 2022

Sixth-grade homeschooler Mia Saidi has been a Moppet since last summer, when she played King Edward IV and Prince Edward V in “Richard III.” Her favorite role with the Moppets was in “Tartuffe” earlier this year.

Dorine “was a really fun character,” Mia says, “because she was a little bit sassy and a little bit sarcastic but very loving. Like me!”

Mia would love to have a role in a big Broadway production someday. She especially likes “Hamilton” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”

When she’s not on stage, Mia likes to read, make art and play the piano. She also likes to hang out with her friends and play with her cat. And sometimes you can find her hiding under a pile of blankets in her room!

Mia most recently appeared on the Moppets stage as Bedford and Lord Constable in “Henry V.”

“Henry V” starts today

July 11, 2022 July 5, 2022

Rehearsals for "Henry V" start today!

Last summer the Moppets took on “Richard III.” So naturally we’re going back in time this year to learn all about “Henry V”!

“Past is prologue,” after all. “The Tempest” taught us that.

In “Henry V,” Shakespeare follows another king’s rise to power as Henry of Monmouth builds England’s military might from the Hundred Years’ War to the Battle of Agincourt.

Our play’s namesake is a much more sympathetic character this time around. The contrast between Shakespeare’s portrayal of the two ambitious men is very interesting … but we’ll save that discussion for our thesis project.

“Henry V” features one of our personal favorite speeches by Shakespeare: “This day is called the feast of St. Crispin’s…” We can’t wait to see which Moppet will be delivering those rousing lines! No pressure, kids, but we’re ready to be inspired.

The Moppets present “The Tempest”

July 5, 2022 July 5, 2022

The Moppets bring "pure joy" to the stage with their 2022 production of "The Tempest"

Our young actors put on three fun, family-friendly performances for the crowds at Hazel Robinson Amphitheater last weekend as they opened our 2022 summer season with “The Tempest”!

(Thanks for helping us dodge those thunderstorms, Prospero! Sometimes it’s really helpful to have a wizard with weather-manipulating powers on hand.)

The Moppets “bring ‘The Tempest’ to life in a fun and original production that highlights both the comedy of the work as well as its magic and meaning,” said one Moppets fan. “The dedication of these young people, as well as a love of what they are doing, is apparent in every moment. It is pure joy to watch!”

“The Moppets have impressed me again with their talent and their ability to capture the audience,” another audience member said. “The performers have great comedic timing. ‘The Tempest’ is a show not to be missed!”

Didn’t make it to opening weekend? Don’t worry: You still have three more chances to see the show!

We’ll be back on the stage at Hazel Robinson Amphitheater on Friday at 5pm and Saturday at 11am and 5pm. (That’s right! It’s a Moppets double-header!)

Click here to RSVP!

Watching our Moppets on Other Stages

June 14, 2022 June 14, 2022

Watching our Moppets on other stages

Two Princes!

We were thrilled to learn that Moppets alum Kai Strange and senior Moppet Eli Hamilton have been cast as The Little Prince in The Montford Park Players’ upcoming production of “The Little Prince.”

Eli and Kai will each play the title role at different performances, so you should probably plan to go a few times so you can see them both. That’s what we’ll be doing!

Congratulations, guys! We are so proud of you, and we can’t wait to see the show!

“The Little Prince” is a classic French tale of loneliness, love, loss and interplanetary travel. It opens Friday at Hazel Robinson Amphitheater.

Of Moppets and "Monsters"

Fresh off his titular role in our “Tartuffe,” Aidan Short is now appearing as Pup in the Different Strokes production of Christian St. Croix’s “Monsters of the American Cinema.”

“This fast-paced, and engaging two-hander about a unique father/son relationship challenges the idea of family, and the responsibility of being in a relationship, of any kind, with other people” director Stephanie Hickling Beckman told the New Play Exchange. “It brings up human nature and its ever-present need for connection and acceptance in a world that neither understands us or makes room for our differences.”

“Monsters” opens June 16 at Tina McGuire Theater in Asheville.

"Practically perfect" in Brevard

Gabe Rood took the stage last month as Robertson Aye in Brevard High School’s production of “Mary Poppins.” In addition to a performance described by one audience member as “My favorite part of the show,” Gabe helped design the very impressive set.

Great job, Gabe!

Join the Moppets on stage this summer!

May 18, 2022 May 18, 2022

Join the Moppets for "The Tempest" and "Henry V" this summer!

The Montford Moppets Youth Shakespeare Company brings comedy and history to the stage this summer with “The Tempest” and “Henry V”!

Want to be a Moppet? Registration is open for both sessions!

Just want to see the shows? Mark your calendars!

“The Tempest” opens July 1, with more shows on July 2, 3, 8 and 9. “Henry V” opens July 29, with additional shows on July 30 and 31 and August 5-7.

About the shows

We are such stuff as dreams are made on...

“The Tempest” was probably written around 1610, and it’s thought to be one of the last plays Shakespeare wrote on his own. It tells the story of Prospero, a duke who was deposed in a coup by his brother.

Prospero also happens to be a sorcerer, and he conjures a storm that causes his brother and the crew of his ship to be stranded on the island where he’s been exiled with his daughter and some servants.

Chaos and mayhem ensue!

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!

“Henry V” was written about a decade before “The Tempest.” It focuses on the life of Henry V of England around the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War. After Henry is insulted by the French Dauphin, he and his soldiers set out to conquer France. This one’s full of intrigue, action and top-notch dialogue!

Asheville Area Arts Council funding helps support Moppets after-school program

April 6, 2022 April 6, 2022

We are delighted to announce that Moppets has been awarded a $1,500 Arts Build Community Grant from the Asheville Area Arts Council in support of our new after-school programming at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center!

Taught by Artistic Director Ashleigh Goff and veteran Moppet Eli Hamilton, the class is our first-ever partnership with the City of Asheville. Students in the after-school program are learning basic theater skills and building their self-confidence in a fun and welcoming environment. The program will culminate in a showcase performance for the students’ peers and families.

“One of our overarching goals is to introduce more kids to classical theater, wherever they are,” Moppets Executive Director Rachel Cort said. “This funding helps us to take a big step toward that goal. We are incredibly grateful to the Asheville Area Arts Council for supporting the Moppets and aspiring young actors in our community.”

Introducing our Tartuffe

March 9, 2022 March 2, 2022

We are thrilled to announce that the titular character in the Montford Moppets production of “Tartuffe” will be played by Aidan Short!

Aidan became a Moppet in 2019, when he played Bob Crachit and Mr. Fezziwig in our production of “A Christmas Carol.” He’s been on stage for much longer than that, though. His first stage appearance was as Tiny Tim in The Montford Park Players’ “A Christmas Carol” in 2012!

Aidan tells us that his favorite Moppets moment was playing “everyone but Scrooge” in 2021’s “The Moppets Present: A (slightly chaotic) Christmas Carol,” with his role as the Fool in “King Lear” coming in a close second. He’d like to play Mercutio in a future Moppets production of “Romeo & Juliet,” and as we do occasionally cast Aidan in non-Dickens roles that could very well happen.

Aidan is a high school freshman and a founding member of the Moppets musical duo Brick and A Stick, which seems natural for a guy whose off-stage hobbies include collecting “cool-looking sticks” and having fun with his friends.

You can catch Aidan on stage March 24-26 in Asheville High School’s “Quixotica” and on April 15 and 16 in the Moppets’ “Tartuffe.”