Carol Belk Theater

Spring 2025 Season

Under the Sycamore (audio drama)

Short Story Adapted for Audio Drama
Written by UNC Asheville alum, Gabbi Paluzzi
Directed by UNC Asheville Professor, Laura Facciponti Bond

March 29, 2025 (premiere airing); Online airing and streaming through April 29

Synopsis: In a small southern town, four 9-year-old girls meet every day under a lonely sycamore tree to play a game of “Funeral.” As they grew older, the girls became distant—each following a different path. Their lives only intersected again at a real funeral for one of the girls who had suddenly died at age twenty-six. Mystery swirled around how she died, leaving the remaining girls desperately yearning to return to happier days when funerals were mere games during simpler times, arranging flowers and playing corpse in their wild childhood days under the sycamore tree.

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The Cabaret

Directed by Susana Hudson

Sponsored by The UNC Asheville Drama Department

Auditions: March 6th @5:00pm and 7th @4:00pm

Rehearsals: Beginning first week after spring break

Opening night: April 25th @7:30pm

A cabaret is a series of contrasting pieces (i.e songs, monologues, scenes) strung together to create a narrative outside of a traditional plot or story. Set in the late 1920s, an underground cabaret theatre is stuck in a time loop. Through songs, monologues, and dance the characters of the cabaret tell their stories of grief, catharsis and rebellion.

Schedule your audition

Thursday and Friday, March 6th @5:00pm and 7th @4:00pm

Location: UNCA Campus Whitesides 103

Please sign up for 2 slots - 1 for acting/singing, 1 for movement call

Audition Sign-Up

Audition Form

Comedy Improv Show

Led by Marlene Thompson with Misfit Improv & Acting School

April 4-5, 2025

Format: Short-form games, i.e. Whose Line Is It Anyway? & ComedySportz; possibly dabble in long-form depending on the group's experience and motivation.

Alice's Smile

(The Contagious Effects of Extraordinary Joy)

A family-friendly play inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Directed by Lise Kloeppel in collaboration with local guest artist Edwin Salas Acosta

April 17-19, 2025

Synopsis: Step into a world of wonder and imagination as we tell the story of Alice's missing smile and the quest to make her smile again. Inspired by Lewis Carroll's original work, where the young girl rarely smiles, this tale is narrated by the Queen of Hearts’ playing card gardeners charged with painting the white roses red. They recall the visit of the little girl and try to understand her story by reenacting various scenes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The production will feature puppets inspired by the Bunraku tradition and other characters brought to life through digital animation and projections.

Run Time: 50 minutes