Take a Peek Behind the Curtain

CONGRATULATIONS! You cracked the Easter egg.  Here is a collection of links to articles, blogs and videos that addresses some of the reasons that community theatre is an important part of life.  Ten Reasons Why Community Theatre? The Weird & The Wonderful Six Free Ways to Show Your Support 10 Ways Theatre Can Benefit Your Life Five More Reasons Why

Acting in the ensemble for Puffs , the new comedy by Matt Cox, is an energetically fun time for any actor. Each of them has to play multiple roles, from students to teachers to villains, sometimes at the drop of a hat. The Hickory Community Theatre production, which runs October 15-30, has seven talented actors who are up to the challenge. They are Jenni Canterbury, Theresa Decker, Caleb Ernsberger, Betsy Pipher, Jennifer Leigh, Will Vogler and Jared Wachsmuth. ( Back row, L-R) Betsy Pipher, Theresa Decker, Caleb Ernsberger, Jennifer Leigh,  (front) Will Vogler, Jenni Canterbury and Jared Wachsmuth   Canterbury has been on the HCT stage multiple times before, sometimes with a mermaid fin and sometimes in her skivvies, but until now she has yet to wield a magic wand. Decker is excited to be joining HCT for the first time. Many years ago in the faraway land of St. Louis, she starred in several productions, including DRACULA, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE.

  Local actor Auguste Thielemann is returning to the Hickory Community Theatre to play the crucial role of The Narrator for the hilarious and thrilling comedy, PUFFS. The show runs October 15-30 in the Jeffers Theatre. Tickets are available online at hickorytheatre.org or by calling 828-328-2283. Thielemann, who is from Lenoir, is a sophomore at Hibriten High School, where he is also on the tennis team. Puffs is his fifth show at HCT. His first role was Michael Hobbs in Elf . Other roles at HCT include Young Simba in The Lion King Jr. and Little Boy in Ragtime. He has also appeared in the outdoor drama From This Day Forward in Valdese. Puffs (or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic) is the story of Wayne Hopkins: a regular boy who finds out he's a wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has adventures. This perhaps sounds familiar. But, Wayne is sorted as a Puff, he and the other Puffs simply want to learn ho

Two actors, one a recent Kay Award winner and the other a newcomer, take on leading roles in the Hickory Community Theatre’s upcoming production of the mischievous comedy, Puffs . Performances are October 15-30 in the Jeffers Theatre. Tickets are available online at hickorytheatre.org or by calling 828-328-2283. Jordan Randall plays Oliver Rivers, a mathematician wizard from New Jersey. Randall has been a familiar face at HCT recently, appearing in back-to-back productions of Noises Off, The Weir and Skeleton during the 20-21 season. He received the Kay Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of the plant manager Reggie in Skeleton Crew. When asked about what draws him to work so often at HCT he replied, “It’s the diversity and depth of the stories and the people represented on the stage. Katie Stone has the role of Megan Jones, who thinks she’s better suited to being a “Snake” than a “Puff”. Although new to HCT, Puffs is not her Stone’s first time on s

  IRREVERENT COMEDY PUFFS COMING SOON TO THE HICKORY COMMUNITY THEATRE   The Hickory Community Theatre is thrilled to be presenting the southeast debut of the cheeky comedy, PUFFS. Performances are October 15-30 in the Jeffers Theatre. Tickets are available online at hickorytheatre.org or by calling 828-328-2283. For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain school of magic and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs, who just happened to be there too. This is a tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world, but tried to anyway. Not exactly leading the Puffs is Wayne, a nerdy wizard boy from New Mexico. In the Hickory production, Wayne is played by Paul Sapp. Although Sapp has been in numerous productions before, in many other theatres, this is his first time stepping onto the HCT stage. He’s previously been behind the scenes, working as stage manager for productions like AMERICAN BUFFALO in 2020 and EVITA in