HAPPYLAND
Written by Brayden Dickerson and Zach Knox
Directed by Jason Phillips
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HappyLand-inspired Spotify Playlist, Show Trailer, and Reviews
About the Cast
About the Production Team and Band
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DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Sometimes the right thing comes your way at the right time. The past several years have been filled with a barrage of bad news, halted plans, and enough uncertainty for a lifetime. When Zach asked me to direct HappyLand, I was hesitant and made all kinds of excuses: “There’s not enough time”, “I’ve never directed a rock opera”, “I’m not sure I get the story” and “No, but seriously, I’ve never directed a musical”. All of my excuses and fear were no match for the great songs that Brayden and Zach gave me to listen to.
Once I signed on they walked The Magnetic Theatre’s Co-Artistic Directors, Jessica Johnson and Katie Jones and me through the most hilarious storyboard. (Seriously, check out the show t-shirt and some of the drawings in our lobby display). I was hooked by the music and the joy that is infused in every song. Every single person involved with this show has brought their ideas to the table and worked together to take great songs and funny storyboard drawings and make them so much more. When we were casting the show, I realized that the music brought that same joy out in the folks who came to auditions. It was the most fun call backs I’ve ever been a part of.
All that said, throughout the process I’ve wondered and worried about the big picture. What is the show trying to say? What does the story mean? As we get closer to opening I get closer to fully understanding what HappyLand is truly about. It’s about not fitting and setting out to find where you belong. It is about the weird and wonderful experiences life has to offer when you set out on a journey. It’s about finding a great love. It’s about realizing that great love you found might not love you back. It is sweet, silly, whimsical and a little heart breaking. It brings to life the love and exuberance its writers bring to both to their music and to those lucky enough to know them.
I want to welcome you to HappyLand! I hope you leave this show with the same light heartedness it has brought to me all these months.
SPECIAL THANKS TO NEW BELGIUM BREWING, OUR 2023 SEASON SPONSOR!
Take a look at the HappyLand trailer!
See what folks had to say about HappyLand!
ABOUT THE CAST
click or hover over a photo to see bio
Tiffanie Boone
Postal Employee, Hipster, DMV Employee, Space Debris
Tiffanie is thrilled to be a part of the wonderful cast of HappyLand. She has performed all over WNC over the past several years. You may have seen her at Parkway Playhouse this past year in In The Middle of Nowhere as Raylean or in Working: A Musical. She has also worked with ACT most recently as Ms. Scarlett in Clue, and she was also in the cast of Footloose and 9 to 5. If you have seen the Carolina Christmas Show over the past 3 years, you might recognize her as a vocalist. She would like to thank her family and partner for their love and support.
Evan Eckstrom
Postal Customer, Knifeguy, Tollbooth Operator, DMV Customer, Alien
Evan Eckstrom had a wonderful time working with The Magnetic Theatre in 2022. Previous roles include Roger in Beautiful Cages and Percy Shelley in The Frankenstein Rubrics. He also got the chance to perform in Algorithm & Blues: A Dating Sketch Show and Magnetic's 3rd Annual One-Act Play Festival. He is thrilled to kick off the 2023 season with such a fabulous cast & crew! Enjoy the show.
Morgan Miller
Protagonist (Cast B); Postal Customer, DMV Customer, Alien (Cast A)
Morgan would like to thank her family and friends for their endless love and support. She truly wouldn’t be able to do it without them. She also wants to thank the entire team at The Magnetic Theatre for having her back for her third show with such an amazing company (Court of the Grandchildren and The Frankenstein Rubrics), and lastly, she would like to thank the cast and crew, for all of their hard work, kindness, and endless talent!
Bill Chameides
Postal Employee, Hipster, Citizen, DMV Customer, Alien
Bill is so happy to have landed onto HappyLand! Previous theater credits include: Flat Rock - West Side Story (Lt. Shrank); Mars Hill - Milestones (Phil); Asheville - Comedy of Errors (Egeon), The Winter’s Tale (Leontes), The Ballad of Romeo and Juliet (Preacher), Shakespeare in Love (Frees/Wabash); Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival - Merry Wives of Windsor (Page), All’s Well That Ends Well (King), Fool For Love (Old Man), Titus Andronicus (Marcus); Off-Off-Broadway - As You Like It (Dukes Frederick and Senior), Rough Draft (The Writer); regional theater - Copenhagen (Niels Bohr), Much Ado About Nothing (Balthasar), Permanent Collection (Paul), The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (Daniel Berrigan), Love Letters (Allen M. Ladd III), Peachtree Battle (Sherwood). Movie credits include: Trois: The Escort and The Sugar Creek Gang. TV: American Detective. Bill holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and the American Globe Theater Conservatory. His artwork can be viewed at willcvision.com.
Elise Harvey
Postal Customer, Rhonda (Cast A); Postal Customer, Citizen, DMV Customer, Space Debris (Cast B)
Elise Harvey is a local aspiring singer-songwriter dipping her toes into the theatre world for the first time since elementary school. She would like to give a warm shout out of love to her friends and family for encouraging her to explore new creative outlets and she is so grateful to The Magnetic Theatre for being so supportive and welcoming.
Paula O’Brien
Boss, DMV Customer, Space Creature (Cast A); Postal Customer, Hipster, Citizen, DMV Customer, Space Creature (Cast B)
Paula is ridiculously delighted to be back at The Magnetic, in a rock opera no less! Since her last time on this stage (one weekend of Traitor before the pandemic shut it all down,) she has been in her first Shakespeare production, Much Ado About Nothing, at Montford Park Players, as well as The Little Prince, also at MPP. Locally she has performed with NC Stage, 35below, and Parkway Playhouse. Paula is busy working on bringing her one woman show to Asheville. Stay tuned and enjoy!
Quinn Terry
Postal Customer, Rhonda (Cast B); Postal Customer, Citizen, DMV Customer, Space Creature (Cast A)
Quinn has been involved in local theatres since they were twelve years old. This is their first show since the pandemic, and they are so Happy(Land) to be here! This is their first show at The Magnetic, with hopefully many more to come. When they aren't singing and cavorting on a stage, you can find them weeping over their thesis research, chattering about mortuary art, and taking care of their small homestead with their amazing spouse, Luke.
Dwight Chiles
Protagonist (Cast A); Postal Customer, DMV Customer, Alien (Cast B)
Dwight is excited to be back on stage with The Magnetic Theatre. Dwight is an Actor and Director in WNC. They have worked with several theatres in the area including Montford Park Players, Parkway Playhouse, HART, SART, NC Stage, Mountain Art Theare, Different Strokes!, and many others. They would like to thank their family for continued support and the audience for keeping theatre alive as a vital part of the Asheville Peforming Arts Community. We need it now more than ever.
Gina McDaniel
Postal Employee, Hipster, DMV Employee, Space Debris
Gina is excited to make her Magnetic debut, and her return to the stage after a 7 year hiatus! Her favorite previous roles include Mrs. Elam/Dream Ballet Dancer in Oklahoma!, Dancer/Ensemble in Brigadoon, and Belle in Ah, Wilderness!. Since she was last seen on stage, Gina has graduated from Appalachian State University with a History degree, added several more styles to her dancing resumé, become a competitive West Coast Swing dancer, and has become involved with social dancing groups both locally and in South Carolina. During the day, Gina works as an Account Manager in the Commercial department of a local insurance agency, and is very likely the person you hear singing along with the music at the grocery store.
Sharvis Smith
Boss, DMV Customer, Space Cadet (Cast B); Postal Customer, Hipster, Citizen, DMV Customer, Space Creature (Cast A)
Sharvis works in the mental health field, with a focus in creative arts therapies; specifically music therapy. She has over 3 years of experience working with Asheville's youth. When she is not working she can be found exploring new places, taking on a new DIY project, or sharing her love of the arts with others. Previous acting credits include Raylnn in Blood At The Root, Diana in Lend Me a Tenor, and various musicals including Sweeney Todd, The Christmas Schooner, and Jerry’s Girls. She is so grateful to be a part of this amazing production. She would like to thank Jason Phillips for allowing her the opportunity to return to the stage in her debut production with The Magnetic Theatre. Also a special thanks to Zach Knox and Brayden Dickerson, for writing such awesome, relatable music for this production.
| Director | Jason Phillips |
| Music Director | Zach Knox |
| Stage Manager | Jess Johnson |
| Set Designers | Evan Eckstrom, Tippin |
| Lighting Designer | Abby Auman |
| Sound Engineer | Ted Marks |
| Props Designers | Evan Eckstrom, Tippin |
| Costume Designer | Ashleigh Goff |
| Dramaturgy | Katie Jones |
| Choreographer | Jamie Knox |
| Board Operators | Madeleine Anderson, Daniel Sandoval |
| Guitar, Vocals | Brayden Dickerson |
| Keyboard, Vocals | Zach Knox |
| Bass, Trumpet | Tyler Mack |
| Drums | Will Miller |
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM & BAND
MADELEINE ANDERSON (Board Operator) - Maddie graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in technical theatre. She specializes in theatrical lighting, and has an interest in set building and painting. Maddie is planning on moving to Asheville to really get immersed in the community, and she is looking forward to it greatly.
ABBY AUMAN (Lighting Designer) - Abby is the Technical Director of The Magnetic Theatre. She also works as a lighting designer in theaters all over WNC.
BRAYDEN DICKERSON (Guitar, Vocals) - Born and raised in Asheville, NC Brayden’s musical journey began early with teaching himself to play guitar at age 7. He has self-produced two albums “Electric Mountain” and “That’s all for now”. He is currently playing music with local country funk band Smooth Goose and can also be seen performing under his pseudonym “Dick Dickerson”. When he’s not playing music you can catch him gallivanting with his two dogs, Bella and Bleu, and his lovely partner Gabrielle.
EVAN ECKSTROM (Set Designer) - Evan had a wonderful time working with The Magnetic Theatre in 2022. Previous roles include Roger in Beautiful Cages and Percy Shelley in The Frankenstein Rubrics. He also got the chance to perform in Algorithm & Blues: A Dating Sketch Show and Magnetic's 3rd Annual One-Act Play Festival. Evan is returning behind the scenes after stage managing and designing for various small theatre companies in Boston, MA from 2012 thru 2019. He welcomes the challenges and creativity that come with technical work, and is thrilled to kick off the 2023 season with such a fabulous cast & crew! Enjoy the show.
ASHLEIGH GOFF (Costume Designer) - Ashleigh has been doing theater in one way, shape or form for over 20+ years. She's acted, designed, crewed, stage managed, directed and taught. Most recently, she costumed and acted in Caroling by Gaslight, and will be directing the upcoming production of Fish, on The Magnetic stage. Most notably Ashleigh is the Founding Artistic Director of The Moppets, an all youth Shakespeare theater company, which she is extremely proud of and highly recommends you see any of their upcoming shows this spring and summer. Ashleigh is extremely grateful for the community at Magnetic and for the opportunities they create for local artists.
JESS JOHNSON (Stage Manager) - Jess has over 20 years experience as a stage manager, director, props and scenic designer, and dramaturg. She currently serves as the Co-Artistic Director for The Magnetic Theatre.
KATIE JONES (Dramaturg) - Katie is a theatre director, performer and educator. She grew up down South but spent her 20s living and working in Chicago. She founded Wishbone Theatre Collective in 2009 and continues to perform with them, throughout the country. Katie has a BA from Clemson University and an MFA from Naropa University. In addition to serving as The Magnetic Theatre's Co-Artistic Director, she has worked locally with Asheville Creative Arts and the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, and teaches at Brevard College.
JAMIE KNOX (Choreographer) - Jamie Knox juggles writing, directing, and acting in plays with running a yoga business and wrangling a four-year-old. She spent six years choreographing children's theatre and is happy to be back in her leg warmers. This is her first Asheville choreography credit. She'd like to thank her husband for writing this play. He's the sexy Tree playing the keyboard over there. Yep, that's him.
ZACH KNOX (Playwright, Music Director, Keyboard, Vocals) - Raised in the hills outside of Austin, Zach Knox first learned how to play piano from Elvis Presley's sister-in-law. He plays in multiple WNC bands including Smooth Goose, Supatight, Sidecar Honey and the improv duo Two Sided. He loves to eat crawfish, see his brilliant wife's plays, and play in Hominy Creek with his fascinating daughter.
TYLER MACK (Bass, Trumpet) - Originally from Durham, NC, Tyler’s passion for music and frogs led him to the Asheville area. He is currently playing with local bands Supatight, Random Animals, Smooth Goose, & Sidecar Honey. When he is not playing music or chasing his amphibian friends, you may find him on one of the many hiking trails in the Asheville area with his loving partner Lillian and their two sons.
WILL MILLER (Drums) - After playing his first gig on drum set in 7th grade, Will has never wanted to be anything other than a musician. He received his bachelor's degree in Percussion Performance in 2012 from Appalachian State University. Will has performed in many variations of ensembles including orchestras, marching bands, jazz combos, wind ensembles, steel pan bands, bluegrass bands, and funk-rock bands. Since 2011, he has studied West African percussion and even traveled to Guinea, West Africa to immerse himself into West African drumming and dance. Currently Will plays in various Western NC based groups including Supatight, Danger Fields, and Smooth Goose.
JASON A PHILLIPS (Director) - Jason studied theatre at Southwestern University. He has worked in Austin, TX with the Rude Mechanicals and Vortex Theatre and in Chicago with Lifeline Theatre. He has over 30 years experience as an actor, director, and sometimes writer. He most recently directed and co-wrote Algorithm & Blues: A Dating Sketch Show at The Magnetic Theatre. This past summer at Parkway Playhouse he was seen as Little John in Sherwood and as a principal in Working: A Musical. Most recently he was a very drugged Scrooge in The Magnetic’s production of Caroling by Gaslight. Thanks to Cullen and Daphodil for letting me be gone so many evenings.
DANIEL SANDOVAL (Board Operator) - Daniel is an Asheville singer and actor who has appeared in a variety of shows in the area since 2018. He is originally from NY and works as an Automation and Robotics Engineer during the day.
TIPPIN (Set Designer) - Since diving into theatre in 2013, Tippin has worked as an actor, stage manager, technical director, performance director, producer, set designer, builder, painter, puppeteer, make-up artist, props master, writer, dramaturg, sound designer, and more, for dozens of productions for stage, film, restaurant, hallway, and oversized camera obscura. Tippin has a particular interest in progressive, original, experimental, fringe, and immersive theatre.
SPECIAL THANKS TO…
TYLER JOHNSON of To The Bone Woodworking
EMILY LEONARD
RACHEL MENNA
AARON AND GUS BALLARD
PHOTOS by JENNIFER BENNETT / JENBENMEDIA
www.jenbenmedia.com
GALLERY
click to view full-size images
| Co-Artistic Director | Jessica Johnson |
| Co-Artistic Director | Katie Jones |
| Technical Director | Abby Auman |
| Public Relations Manager | Tippin |
| Marketing Manager | Jennifer Bennett |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
George Awad
Eliza Heath
Jason Phillips
Max Reid
Josh Sullivan