We would like to thank Asheville for an amazing run of The House of Yes. It’s possible Theatre Obscura might be back sometime. Stay tuned!

Here’s a spotlight on the folks who worked on our production:

Joseph Barcia (Anthony) has acted with The Magnetic Theatre, NC Stage’s Catalyst Series, Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective, Bombs Away Cabaret and Montford Park Players.

Matthew Brooks (Stage Manager) most recently worked backstage on Dark Horse Theatre’s The Midnight Area.

Jeremy Brett Carter (Director/Sound Designer) has acted with Dark Horse Theatre, Different Strokes and The Magnetic Theatre. He co-produces shows with Teatro Latino de Asheville and performs with the Institute for the Advancement of Occultism and Aerophonics, a.k.a. the Asheville Accordion Club.

Courtney DeGennaro (Jackie) has acted most recently with Theatre Emory, the Oxford Ensemble of Shakespearean Artists, Montford Park Players, and The Magnetic Theatre. She finds that portraying the insane keeps her own madness at bay.

Sean David Robinson (Marty) is an actor and stand-up comedian born and raised in North Carolina. He was named WNC’s Best Comedian of 2011 by the readers of Mountain Xpress.

Greta Trautmann (Mrs. Pascal) has acted and directed most recently with Teatro Latino de Asheville, of which she is a founding member.

Jason Williams (Lighting Designer) has designed lights for The Magnetic Theatre, Parkway Playhouse, Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre, Asheville Community Theater, BioFlyer Productions, Different Strokes and Montford Park Players, among others. He is a graduate of UNCA in drama.

Alison Young (Lesly) was most recently seen in The Magnetic Theatre’s MILF: The Musical (Lynette) and Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre’s The Light in the Piazza (Franca). She has also appeared with NC Stage and Asheville Lyric Opera.

The final two performances of The House of Yes approach. Come see the show our audiences tell us you’ll regret missing!

Here’s what theatre-goers have to say about our opening weekend:
“This show is very professionally done!” – John Fragale
“I’m still laughing at all the insanity.” – Elizabeth Dana Wunderlich
“The evening was splendid. I enjoyed the production immensely.” – David Ely
“That was an awesome show.” – Christian Watson
“A phenomenal performance.” – Jessica Stouder
“The play was fantastic, funny and well played. I loved it.” – Jamie Appel

Performances take place at the BeBe Theatre on Commerce St at 7:30 on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2. Tickets are $15 at the door, and we only take cash. For reservations, please email TheatreObscura@gmail.com and specify the performance you wish to attend as well as how many tickets you would like us to set aside. Then, just arrive at the theatre by 7:15! Please be aware that if we fill up and have to start a waiting list, we will give away unclaimed reserved seats at 7:20 so the performance may start on time.

UPDATE (2/20): Our reservations list is filling up, which means you should TheatreObscura@gmail.com to get on the list or snag one of the few remaining seats for each performance at the door. If we fill up, we’ll start a waiting list and distribute unclaimed reserved seats to the waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis at 7:20.

L to R: Courtney DeGennaro as Jackie, Sean David Robinson as Marty, Alison Young as Lesly, Greta Trautmann as Mrs. Pascal and Joseph Barcia as Anthony

Reservations are encouraged for Theatre Obscura’s production of The House of Yes by Wendy MacLeod. Email theatreobscura@gmail.com and we’ll get you on the reservations list. Performance dates are February 22-23 and March 1-2.

Our reservations policy is as follows: arrive at the theatre at or before 7:15 on the designated performance date. At 7:20, we’ll open up unclaimed reserved seats to the waiting list. Please note tickets are $15 each, and only cash is accepted. If you do not have reservations for a given performance, tickets are still likely available at the door; however, larger parties should make sure to reserve in advance.

We look forward to seeing you at the show! This is coming together in a very special way, and we know you’ll be delighted and intrigued by what we have to offer.

Courtney DeGennaro as Jackie

Theatre Obscura is excited to announce The House of Yes by Wendy MacLeod, to be performed Fridays and Saturdays February 22 through March 2 at the BeBe Theatre.

Wendy MacLeod describes this dark comedy as a “suburban Jacobean play.” The action takes place on Thanksgiving some 20 years after the Kennedy assassination, an event that still hangs over the upper-class Pascal family. Eldest son Marty throws the household’s delicate existence off balance when he brings a surprise guest home for the holiday. The play inspired a successful 1997 film starring Parker Posey, and this is the first time the script has been staged in Asheville in more than a decade.

“The House of Yes is a deliciously dark comedy that explores themes including class and reality vs. fantasy,” explains director Jeremy Brett Carter. “It’s a sharp script full of surprises, and it will challenge the audience to think and make them squirm at the same time.”

“The House of Yes” Poster (design: Sean David Robinson)

This production features a cast of local favorites who have been seen in productions by The Magnetic Theatre, North Carolina Stage Company, Bombs Away Cabaret, Dark Horse Theatre, Teatro Latino de Asheville, Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and more. Featured are Joseph Barcia, Courtney DeGennaro, Sean David Robinson, Greta Trautmann and Alison Young.

The BeBe Theatre is located at 20 Commerce St. in downtown Asheville. Showtime for all performances is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and will be available at the door for cash only. Reservations are recommended and may be made by emailing theatreobscura@gmail.com or calling (828) 351-4358.

For more information about Theatre Obscura or The House of Yes, visit theatreobscuraAVL.com, facebook.com/TheatreObscura or @TheatreObscura on Twitter.

L to R: Courtney DeGennaro as Jackie, Joseph Barcia as Anthony, Sean David Robinson as Marty, Greta Trautmann as Mrs. Pascal and Alison Young as Lesly

AT A GLANCE
What: “The House of Yes” by Wendy MacLeod
When: February 22-23 & March 1-2, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Where: BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St. in downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (at door, cash only)
Reservations: theatreobscura@gmail.com / (828) 351-4358
Press Contact: theatreobscura@gmail.com

Event Summary:
Theatre Obscura presents “The House of Yes” at BeBe Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., February 22-23 & March 1-2. Tickets at the door are $15 and cash only. For reservations: theatreobscura@gmail.com or (828) 351-4358.

Joseph Barcia, founder of Theatre Obscura, explains how the group was formed.

Joseph Barcia

When I have spoken excitedly about our production of The House of Yes, the common follow-up question is, “Who’s putting that on?” My reply tends to be vague. After all, how does one come to produce and appear in a play if it’s not an act of massive ego? In this case, it’s because community has created theatre.

Courtney DeGennaro

Courtney DeGennaro and Jeremy Brett Carter worked on The Magnetic Theatre’s Love Among the Frankensteins together. Over post-show drinks one night with Sean David Robinson, Jeremy brought up The House of Yes and how he envisioned Courtney and Sean bringing new life to the characters of Jackie and Marty Pascal. He explained the show, and Courtney suggested Jeremy play the Pascal twins’ brother Anthony. A few days later, Jeremy reported back that he remembered it is important Anthony be demonstrably younger than his siblings, so Courtney suggested he direct. If he were to direct, she wondered, who would he cast as Anthony? I, Joseph Barcia, came to mind. For the role of the Pascals’ house guest Lesly, Alison Young was his first choice. Greta Trautmann had wanted Jeremy to direct her in something for some time, and he thought she’d be a wonderful Mrs. Pascal.

Alison Young

About two months later, Courtney, Sean and I were backstage of The Magnetic Theatre’s Brief Encounters 2012, and Courtney brought up The House of Yes to me casually. I had tweeted something the day or two before about how I had wanted to work on the play for about ten years. In high school Alison and I, who were friends bonded as recent transplants to the area from Atlanta and New York City, respectively, thought we might play Jackie and Marty one day. Courtney explained the conversations she and Sean had with Jeremy, and I was suddenly excited. Courtney and Sean were perfect as Jackie and Marty, and Jeremy’s right that Alison would be a great Lesly. I was flattered to be thought of as a good choice for Anthony, an excellent character. Courtney and I talked about how I looked as though I could be her and Sean’s brother.

“You know, I love that play and I can produce a show,” I replied. And it’s true: Jeremy and I worked together on the board of another theatre company, and I co-produced there sometimes well as for a cabaret troupe. With Jeremy’s involvement, I knew this show could come alive, as we work well as a team.

Sean David Robinson

In August, after Jeremy confirmed his cast, we confirmed actors’ availabilities and we secured the marvelous Jason Williams as our technical director, I reserved the BeBe Theatre and created Theatre Obscura. And now it is late January: we’re in rehearsals and they’re going well, we have Matthew Brooks as our terrific stage manager who is helping us with those lines us off-book actors memorized incorrectly, and we are buying props and costume pieces. This show is real and living. It’s a team effort that is blossoming into something very special with every rehearsal.

Greta Trautmann

Working with Alison, Courtney, Greta, Jason, Jeremy, Matt and Sean is a privilege. Each of us has remarked at some time that this is just a fun play and group of people to work on, and our director Jeremy feels we’ll give you a good show. My trust, both as producer and actor, is in Jeremy; if he’s happy with us, you’ll follow suit and come to appreciate this dark gem of a play for what it is, which might not be exactly what you think it is when you walk into the BeBe in about a month. Each actor’s take on her or his character is harmonious with the others’ choices but very different from what you might imagine based on the film or perhaps a previous production you might have seen.

So, please put our production in your date book and email theatreobscura@gmail.com to place your ticket reservations for February 22-23 or March 1-2. The joy to perform for you is ours. But I think you’ll get something thought-provoking out of it, too.

Theatre Obscura, dedicated to presenting quirky, dark plays to Asheville audiences, will produce Wendy MacLeod‘s The House of Yes as its debut production.

The show is to be performed at the BeBe Theatre on Commerce St in downtown Asheville. Performances will take place February 22-23 & March 1-2. Jeremy Brett Carter directs a stellar cast that includes Joseph Barcia (Different Strokes‘ Love! Valour! Compassion!), Courtney DeGennaro (The Magnetic Theatre‘s Love Among the Frankensteins), Sean David Robinson (Mountain Xpress‘ #1 Standup Comedian of 2011), Greta Trautmann (Telash‘s Sí, pero no lo soy) and Alison Young (NC Stage Company‘s Fight Girl Battle World).

For more information, email theatreobscura@gmail.com or call (828) 351-4358.