Encore Players Senior Theatre Troupe Debuts at Black Mountain Center for the Arts

The Encore Players brought Noël Coward's ghost comedy "Blithe Spirit" to the Black Mountain Center for the Arts this weekend, launching what BMCA bills as the Swannanoa Valley's first dedicated senior readers-theatre program with matinee performances at 2 p.m. on March 20 and March 21.

The troupe performs in a script-in-hand format, meaning actors hold their scripts rather than committing lines to memory, with the emphasis placed on vocal expression and character development over elaborate staging. BMCA describes the approach as celebrating "the power of the actor's voice to ignite the imagination without the pressure of memorization," and frames the Encore Players as open to both veteran performers and first-timers. "Whether you are a veteran of the stage or a curious newcomer, the Encore Players offer an accessible way to dive deep into character development and share the joy of storytelling through public performances," the organization states.

The selection of "Blithe Spirit" was deliberate. Coward, known to theater historians as "The Master," was a prolific dramatist, composer, and performer whose career was defined by quick-witted, rhythmic prose and biting social satire. That same verbal precision makes his work a natural fit for readers theatre, where the spoken word carries the full weight of performance. The format "allows the performers to showcase their comedic timing and dramatic range without the pressure of full memorization, proving that the magic of storytelling remains vibrant at any age."

The program received funding from ArtsAVL, Buncombe County Government, and the National Endowment for the Arts. BMCA, a nonprofit community arts center at 225 West State St. in Black Mountain, held open auditions for the production on February 12 and 13, each running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the BMCA theatre.

The Encore Players' debut places BMCA in the middle of an active spring theatrical season. The center also hosted "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)," produced by Mike Yow and Fire in the Head Productions, which ran February 20 through March 1 at $20 per ticket. With the Encore Players now launched, BMCA's stated mission of building "theatre for and with the people of Western North Carolina" has extended its reach to include a dedicated senior arts program for the first time.