Wow! Day 16 was an AMAZING Day! Not only is Asheville one of the coolest cities in America, but the town is also home to a passionate University professor who is pioneering the way to great change and transformation in American Theatre. We had the most unbelievable day with Scott Walters, Associate Professor of Drama at UNC Asheville. We have been long time fans of Scott's blog "Theatre Ideas" which is based on a single premise: something is deeply wrong with the state of the American theatre, and without radical change it will continue its slide into irrelevance.
We met Scott for breakfast at Rise and Shine Cafe to discuss his innovative ideas. He recently was given the "Access to Excellence" award along with a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Scott is using his grant to help create a new model for regional and community theaters in towns with populations under 100,000. The project will include convening professionals to create the groundwork for a national organization to improve geographic diversity within American theater. Please check out his inspiring CRADLE project for more details about his commitment to "bringing the arts back home." Scott is also leading the conversation (along with Tom Loughlin) in Theatre Arts Curriculum Transformation at the collegiate level. Needless to say, our breakfast with Scott was intellectually stimulating and inspiring as we passionately discussed our high hopes for the future of American Theatre.
This great day got even better when we had the opportunity to speak with Scott's theatre students. We were highly impressed by the intellects of this awesome group! We had an amazing discussion regarding their hopes for the future as they prepare for a life in the theatre. It made us so happy to hear them talk about their commitments to creating theatre that will truly serve communities.
Undoubtedly, the work that Scott Walter's is doing in Asheville will pave the way for great theatrical advancements at a national level. We commend him for his pioneering vision and look forward to collaborating with him in the future!
We spent the afternoon exploring Asheville... one of the coolest cities ever! Everyone in Asheville is cool. The town is also very committed to local sustainability and health. We were in heaven! Many of us got our hair cut at the hip Ananda Hair Salon. Amy's stylist Jeremy said that he had gone on a 2 month road trip once to explore a new city to live in, but he returned from his travels having decided that no town was cooler than Asheville!!!! The night concluded with a great vegetarian dinner at Laughing Seed Cafe followed by some lively traditional St. Patrick's Day music by local musicians. We wish we could stay here a month, but it's time time to head off to Whitesburg, Kentucky to visit Appalshop and The Roadside Theatre!
We met Scott for breakfast at Rise and Shine Cafe to discuss his innovative ideas. He recently was given the "Access to Excellence" award along with a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Scott is using his grant to help create a new model for regional and community theaters in towns with populations under 100,000. The project will include convening professionals to create the groundwork for a national organization to improve geographic diversity within American theater. Please check out his inspiring CRADLE project for more details about his commitment to "bringing the arts back home." Scott is also leading the conversation (along with Tom Loughlin) in Theatre Arts Curriculum Transformation at the collegiate level. Needless to say, our breakfast with Scott was intellectually stimulating and inspiring as we passionately discussed our high hopes for the future of American Theatre.
This great day got even better when we had the opportunity to speak with Scott's theatre students. We were highly impressed by the intellects of this awesome group! We had an amazing discussion regarding their hopes for the future as they prepare for a life in the theatre. It made us so happy to hear them talk about their commitments to creating theatre that will truly serve communities.
Undoubtedly, the work that Scott Walter's is doing in Asheville will pave the way for great theatrical advancements at a national level. We commend him for his pioneering vision and look forward to collaborating with him in the future!
We spent the afternoon exploring Asheville... one of the coolest cities ever! Everyone in Asheville is cool. The town is also very committed to local sustainability and health. We were in heaven! Many of us got our hair cut at the hip Ananda Hair Salon. Amy's stylist Jeremy said that he had gone on a 2 month road trip once to explore a new city to live in, but he returned from his travels having decided that no town was cooler than Asheville!!!! The night concluded with a great vegetarian dinner at Laughing Seed Cafe followed by some lively traditional St. Patrick's Day music by local musicians. We wish we could stay here a month, but it's time time to head off to Whitesburg, Kentucky to visit Appalshop and The Roadside Theatre!
It was great having you in town. What an energy boost! Come back anytime! Safe travels, and happy learning!
ReplyDelete