AS OF 10/9/24, ALL PERFORMANCES OF THE LAST WIDE OPEN HAVE BEEN CANCELED DUE TO THE ONGOING UTILITY OUTAGES IN ASHEVILLE FROM HURRICANE HELENE. TICKET HOLDERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL.
Meet the two person cast of our season opener: The Last Wide Open
This magical, time-shifting rom-com features performances from two actor/musicians, each playing their own instruments while bringing this beautiful story to life. NC Stage has enlisted the talents of two actors seen in separate shows last season, and is thrilled to to bring them together for The Last Wide Open by Audrey Cefaley with music by Matthew M. Nielson.
First up, Heather Michele Lawler, last seen at NC Stage delivering snappy one-liners while dressed in head to toe polyester as the feisty feminist Aunt Terri in Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
In The Last Wide Open, she’ll play Lina: a witty, burnt out waitress in need of a change. Read more about Heather: Heather recently made her UK debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival w/ Dissociation by Reuban Wade. Some favorite regional credits include Stupid F*cking Bird, Unicorn Theatre; King Lear, Kansas City Actors Theatre; Macbeth & Othello, Riverside Theatre in the Park; Miss Holmes, Creede Repertory Theatre; Marion Bridge & All My Sons, Riverside Theatre; Sense and Sensibility, Crooked Path Theatre; She Kills Monsters, Bloomington Playwrights Project; The 39 Steps, Shawnee Theatre; and the world premiere of Mark St. Germain’s Wednesday’s Child; Florida Studio Theatre. International credits include Footloose, Wine Lovers: The Musical & Broadway Cabaret, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Company withICW Productions in faraway Perth, Australia. Training: MFA Acting/Directing from University of Missouri-Kansas City’s program and BA in Theatre: Acting from Coe College. Heather is a Philadelphia based actor where she lives, creates, and explores the world with fiancé, Ken Sandberg and cuddles her incredible kitty, Lina…and yes that is really her name!. She is represented by the amazing team at Pantera/Murphy the Agency and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. www.heather-michele-lawler.com
If you were lucky enough to catch last season’s Witch, you’ll remember Arusi Santi as the sly, scheming, slightly scattered devil who comes to town leaving darkly comic chaos in his wake.
The Last Wide Open finds Arusi as Roberto, a hopeless romantic immigrant dishwasher in search of love. Here’s a smattering of some of Arusi’s previous credits: Regional: Real Women Have Curves, A.R.T; A Christmas Carol, The Guthrie Theater; Somewhere Over the Border, Syracuse Stage, Geva Theatre, People’s Light, City Theatre; Blood Knot, Flat Rock Playhouse; On Your Feet! Aurora Theatre; Ironbound, B Street Theatre, Moxie Theatre; Once (San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award), Chaps, Lamb’s Players Theatre; Moon Over Buffalo, North Coast Rep; Annie Get Your Gun, The Liar, Creede Repertory Theatre; Clandestino, Mixed Blood Theatre. UK: Much Ado About Nothing, Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mexico: La Alondra, Teatro UNAM. TV: “Naomi”, “El hotel de los secretos”, “A que no me dejas”, “Hasta que te conocí”. Training: University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. www.arusisanti.com IG: @arusi.santi “Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto”
Together, these two will spin a boundless tale of longing, loss, and the timeless power of a love meant to be. Join us for the story, for the songs, and to see these excellent actors take on this funny and exquisitely simple play from Audrey Cefaley and Matthew M. Nielson.
Playing at 15 Stage Lane October 10 through November 3. Tickets at NCStage.org or by calling the box office at 828.239.0263. See you there!
