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A story about a heart that had to be broken open in order to finally feel…

Meet the Cast

  • Lauren Coleman

    THE WOMAN

    Lauren Coleman is a rising junior musical theatre major at Western Carolina University and is so excited to take you on this miraculous journey of love! She wants to give thanks to Ashlee for this opportunity to bring these characters to life, Lala, for graciously letting her reside for these past couple weeks, and White Moon for the delicious hot honey sandwich that was consumed during many rehearsals. She hopes you enjoy this heartwarming story! …and hang on tight! We’re going to loop the loop!

  • RUFARO RUTIZIRIRA

    THE TRAVELLER

    Rufaro Rutizirira is excited to be part of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. A Zimbabwean actress, she is currently pursuing her BFA in Acting at the Western Carolina University School of Stage and Screen. Her previous Calliope Stage credits include A Christmas Carol Adaptation and Comedy Show Nights. Other favorite credits include The Tempest, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Boeing Boeing, and work with Reps Theatre and the United Nations in Zimbabwe. Rufaro has also appeared in the films Raya, Rainbows and Sunshine and Strangers Together. Her upcoming work includes The Importance of Being Earnest as Lady Bracknell. She would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their constant support.

  • AIDAN OATES

    THE MAN

    Aidan Oates is excited to be making his Calliope debut, as well as his post-college debut, with Edward Tulane. As a recent graduate of WCU, he appeared in such roles as Dr. Rank in A Doll's House and Mr. Beaver in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He is looking forward to bringing audiences on this miraculous journey. 

  • BRAD REISINGER

    THE MUSICIAN

MEET THE PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Ashlee Wasmund

    DIRECTOR

    Ashlee Wasmund travels around the country as a professional director, choreographer, and educator. She is a Resident Artist with New Light Theater Project in NYC; a professor in WCU’s School of Stage & Screen; and the Founding Artistic Lead of Calliope Stage, where she now serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors. Recent and favorite productions: NARNIA the MUSICAL (AD Players, Houston) GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! (The Warehouse Theatre, Greenville) THE LION (Pendragon Theatre, NY; Boise Contemporary, Oregon Contemporary), H*TLER’S TASTERS* (Off-Broadway, Edinburgh Fringe “Best of Fest”, Chicago, LA), THE GREATEST HITS DOWN ROUTE 66 (Off-Broadway), MY 80-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND (Arizona Theatre Company, Human Race Theatre, OH; Idaho Rep). Upcoming: HEAD OVER HEELS at WCU (April 2027) and LITTLE WOMEN at The Warehouse Theatre (Greenville, May 2027).

  • TIM BECZE

    PRODUCTION DESIGNER / ARTISTIC PRODUCER

    Born and raised in Indiana, Tim studied lighting design in college but quickly expanded his expertise into various areas of theater production. Recently, he has been working behind the scenes with the Calliope Team to build and expand outreach and programming. We are all excited for what the future holds! In addition to his production work, Tim is a passionate painter and has worked extensively as a Scenic Artist throughout the Midwest and New England

  • MARTINA SEGOVIA

    STAGE MANAGER

    Martina is a BFA Musical Theatre Student at WCU. At school she has been part of the cast of Violet, Boeing-Boeing, The Tempest, Holiday Inn and Peter + I. She has been involved with Calliope before with Action! Club and Summer Camps. Martina is very excited to be working as a Stage Manager for the first time in this production. 

  • EMELINE ADDY

    LIGHT BOARD OP

    Emeline Addy is a third year student at University of North Carolina Wilmington, double-majoring in Film Studies and English. She is the Art Editor for her campus's creative magazine, 'Atlantis,' and has been Wardrobe Supervisor twice for the campus film society, 'Flicker.' In her free time, she likes to read, make art, and spend time with her two cats: Artemis and Apollo.

  • Spencer Abscher

    RUN CREW

    Spencer Absher is a BFA in Film & Television Production student at Western Carolina University. He has worked on countless productions like starring in WCU 2026 Web Series, “Rough Draft”. He has directed many films & now taking a first time dive into Theatre Production. He is thrilled to do work on this product & hopes everyone is as excited as he is for this!

  • A.J. Roberts

    EDWARD DOLL WARDROBE DESIGNER

    A.J. Roberts is a recent graduate of WCU’s Musical Theatre Program, and is excited to have helped out with Edward’s “stylish and fashionable” attire! A.J. also has worked recently on making a muppet for the play “Beatrice”, and hopes to continue making her silly puppets in the future.

  • Megan Ritchie

    PRODUCTION GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Megan Ritchie is a theatre artist, marketer, and graphic designer from Atlanta, GA. She studied theatre at Western Carolina University and remains passionate about supporting the arts throughout the Southeast. Megan currently serves as the Marketing & Program Manager at the Aurora Theatre, where she combines her love of storytelling, design, and live performance. She now lives, performs, and creates in the Atlanta area. She was thrilled to create the show art and graphics package for Calliope Stage Company and deeply admires the company’s mission to bring professional-quality theatre to Western North Carolina communities. For freelance marketing or graphic design inquiries, Megan can be reached at MeganRitchieCreative@gmail.com.

FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER | MARISSA O’BRIEN

FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER | JOYCE POPE

PUPPET DESIGNER | BECK HOLT

Production Staff

SPECIAL

THANKS

THE CALLIOPE STAGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - WCU’S SCHOOL OF STAGE & SCREEN - TRIPLE THREAT PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY - THE SYLVA HERALD - WHITE MOON COFFEE SHOP - Blue ridge bootleg Coffee RoasterS - Greg & JENNY McPHereson - COLIN & FIONA WASMUND - GUS ZIMMERMAN - BECK HOLT - Cherokee Historical Association - HART Theatre - Casey Walawender - Marissa O’Brien - Joyce POpe - ALL OUR VOLUNTEER USHERS!

Your Support Builds More Than Performances — It Builds Community

Calliope Stage is more than a theatre — we’re building a welcoming community arts hub where creativity, connection, and shared experiences can thrive in Western North Carolina. Your donation helps us expand accessible programming, support local artists, create opportunities for young people, and continue growing this vibrant space for our entire community. Thank you for helping us build something meaningful together.

We deeply appreciate your tax-deductible contribution, whether through a one-time gift or a recurring monthly donation. Even a small monthly gift helps us keep the lights on, pay local artists for their skills, time, and talents, and continue creating meaningful arts experiences for our community.

Click to Contribute

THANK YOU TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

BRIAN LAWRENCE | President

ASHLEE WASMUND | Vice President

MARISSA O’BRIEN | Secretary

JOYCE POPE | Treasurer

KARA ADDY | Member

MAGGIE CHARDELL | Member

Are you passionate about the arts, community connection, and the power of creative spaces to shape a town’s identity and well-being? Calliope Stage invites you to help lead the next chapter of our growing organization as a member of our Board of Directors.

Calliope Stage is entering an exciting new era. After years of nomadic programming, we have established our first permanent home in downtown Sylva — an accessible space designed not only for performance, but for creativity, gathering, collaboration, education, and belonging. As we settle into this new home, we are seeking thoughtful, passionate community leaders to help strengthen its foundation and shape the future of what this space can become for our region.

We believe the arts are essential to a thriving community. Our goal is to build more than a theatre — we are cultivating a lasting community arts hub that supports artists, welcomes diverse voices, fosters connection, and contributes to the cultural vitality of Western North Carolina.

As a Board member, you will help guide this exciting period of growth and possibility while contributing to the long-term sustainability and impact of an organization committed to meaningful community engagement through the arts.

Join us at this transformational moment and help shape the next phase of Calliope’s story.

To learn more, contact us at hello@calliopestage.com.