Old Gods of Appalachia presents Unknown Roads: A Live Theatrical Experience

80 Broadway Street,Asheville NC 28801

14 October, 2022

Description

Show creators Steve Shell and Cam Collins bring their award-winning podcast, Old Gods of Appalachia, to the stage in a special live performance. Featuring fan favorites Yuri Lowenthal and Corey Ryan Forrester in their iconic roles as The Railroad Man and Jerry Brotherton; and special guest Cecil Baldwin of Welcome to Night Vale fame in an all new role. Of course, an Old Gods of Appalachia show wouldn't be complete without the music that helps set the mood and bring our stories to life! Our stage show will feature live performances by Landon Blood and Keena Graham. CAST Steve Shell grew up in Wise County, Virginia right by Bear Creek Reservoir on top of Coeburn Mountain. For 29 years Steve lived and wrote in those mountains while completing two BAs at the University of Virginia's College at Wise in mass communications and English literature. Steve has been fixated on the occult and supernatural happenings since childhood and has been called a devil worshipper enough times to prove it. Steve currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where he taught high school English for sixteen years and was a host and main stage performer for The Moth StorySLAM from 2015-2020. Steve was nationally ranked slam poet for a long time and also does really nerdy stuff like playing in the Society for Creative Anachronism where he studies and teaches medieval bardic traditions and produces the Knowne World Bardcast, a podcast focused on the music and oral traditions of medieval reenactors. Cam Collins is a native of Wise, Virginia, where she cut her teeth on the spooky folklore of the region. A lover of all things that go bump in the night and dyed-in-the-wool spooky bitch, Cam also produced and co-hosted Appalachian Arcana, a podcast featuring regional stories of folklore, true crime, cryptids and other general weirdness. She worked as a graphic designer and programmer in her life before OGoA, and holds degrees in English (BA, University of Virginia at Wise) and Speech Communication (MA, University of Georgia). Cam currently resides in Bristol, TN/VA, with her partner and their cats, dog, and snake. Cecil Baldwin is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, best known for his work as the narrator of the hit podcast Welcome To Night Vale and co-host of Random Number Generator Horror Podcast No. 9. Film/TV credits include Braden in The Outs (Vimeo), the voice of Tad Strange in Gravity Falls (Disney XD), Narrator for documentary Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street, The Fool in Lear (Paul Sorvino), and indie film Billie Joe Bob. Cecil has been featured on podcasts such as Ask Me Another (NPR), Selected Shorts (PRI), Shipwreck, Big Data and Our Fair City. He is an alumnus of the New York Neo-Futurists, performing in their late-night show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, as well as Drama Desk-nominated The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill Vol. 2. Cecil has performed at The Shakespeare Theatre DC, Studio Theatre (including the world premier production of Neil Labute’s Autobahn), The Kennedy Center, The National Players, LaMaMa E.T.C., Emerging Artists Theatre, and at the Upright Citizens Brigade. In 2017, Cecil was awarded a grant by the United States Embassy and Consulate in Portugal to raise awareness on HIV/LGBT issues and lead workshops on autobiographical storytelling in the digital age (including #ItGetsBetterPortugal, Casa Sol HIV+ children's home and the FEST Film Festival). He recently directed the play As Sylvia for the NY Frigid/Queerly Festival. Yuri Lowenthal lives in Los Angeles where he writes, produces and acts. In 2004, Yuri launched Monkey Kingdom Productions, an independent film company, with business partner and wife, Tara Platt. MKP's first feature film, written by Lowenthal, TUMBLING AFTER, is out on iTunes/DVD. He and Platt currently have five feature scripts and have co-authored a book on voice over: Voice-Over Voice Actor. Yuri also penned the novel Tough City. Lowenthal speaks French, Japanese and German, having been blessed with an exotic past. Yuri grew up throughout Africa and Europe in addition to the US. His body of work ranges from Shakespearean classics to world premieres, in addition to working in film, television, animation, web-series and making guest appearances at conventions around the globe. A philanthropist, Yuri raises money for the charities he supports (Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Research and Project (RED)) and practices yoga. He is also trained in Wu Shu Kung Fu. He holds a BA in Asian Studies from The College of William & Mary. "The Buttercream Dream" Corey Ryan Forrester is a comedian, author, actor, producer, and host of The WellRED Podcast. He is currently touring on The WellRED Comedy Tour w/ Trae Crowder (The Liberal Redneck) and Drew Morgan. Together, the WellRED comics authored the book The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Dragging Dixie Outta The Dark, which debuted at #1 on Amazon in both comedy and politics and was listed as one of Splitsiders' Top 10 Comedy Books of 2016 alongside the likes of Mel Brooks, Trevor Noah, Doug Stanhope, Will Forte, Amy Schumer, Norm Macdonald, and more. The group's comedy album WellRED: Live From Lexington debuted at #2 on iTunes. Corey is currently working with ABC Studios on the development of a sitcom with his co-writers and touring partners, Trae Crowder and Drew Morgan. MUSICAL GUESTS Landon Blood is a musical necromancer currently living in the great state of Louisiana. Capable of summoning ghosts and unchaining spirits with a voice that sounds like your granddaddy's rocking chair harmonizing with the black heart of a coal mine, Landon has been a friend of Old Gods since the very beginning. Keena Graham is a singer, songwriter and producer from Atlanta. She performed vocals and keys for Blood on the Harp, Rooke and other bands over the course of her career, and produces Atlanta's ladies In The Round / Guys In The Round Projects, among others. POLICIES NO WEAPONS — No firearms, blades, or other potential weapons allowed. CLEAR BAGS ONLY — In the interest of your safety and ours, no bags or purses will be allowed in the venue unless they are made of clear plastic, vinyl or PVC. NO SMOKING OR VAPING NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES — Please do not bring food or beverages into the theater space. NO PETS — Only registered service animals are permitted inside the theater. NO RE-ENTRY — In order to reduce disruptions, no re-entry is permitted once you exit the theater.