Meet the artists of
Mawmaw’s recipe
Brooke Erin Smith | Playwright
Brooke-Erin Smith (she/her) is an Atlanta-based artist originally from the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee. Her plays have been produced or read with Relative Theatrics (Laramie, WY), Mirrorbox Theatre (Cedar Rapids, IA), Blank Page Theatre Co. (NYC), Illinois State University, and Wellesley College, among others, and have been shortlisted for publication in The Brooklyn Review. She has been a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, a finalist for the Echo Theater Company Young Playwrights in Residence program, and a semi-finalist for Goodman Theatre’s 2023 Playwrights Unit. She is a member of Matchbox Theatre’s Playwrights Group, and she’s currently working on a commission with Theatre Above the Law in Chicago.
SAMANTHA OTY | PLAYWRIGHT
Samantha is a graduate of Radford University (B.S. English; Technical Editing and Writing) and The George Washington University (M.P.S. Publishing; Editorial/Marketing and Promotion). Her first play, "Demolition Lovers," was written during her sophomore year of high school and won the 2010 New Voices playwriting contest. She has been writing ever since. Her plays have been produced at MadLab Theatre, Northern Kentucky University, and The Pharmacy Theatre. Her play "New Year's Eve at the Stop-n-Go" was adapted into the indie film "Turbo Cola" by Covert Productions and went on to win several awards in the 2022 film festival cycle, including Best Film at the 2023 Film Threat Awards. When not working on new plays, Sam is half the team behind the Real Horrorshow Podcast and one of the founding members of Postcard Press. She lives in Virginia with her husband and cats, and she may or may not actually be two ten-year-olds in a trenchcoat.
JOHN BALDWIN | DIRECTOR
John moved to Asheville from the SF Bay area 5 years ago where he acted and directed for more than 22 years. Since arriving in Western North Carolina he has directed at a number of theatres, including The Magnetic Theatre, Hendersonville Theatre, Hart and Calliope Stage. He directed 3 Shorts in Calliope's inaugural festival 3 years ago and, most recently, a staged reading of Whittler's Bench. John has been on the Board at Calliope for 3 years and is the current President.
MARTI NEWBOLD | RUTH
Marti was raised in rural Texas but her people have lived in eastern and coastal North Carolina for generations. She and husband Mark moved to Cullowhee when Marti began work at the WCU career center in 2017. Now retired, Marti enjoys hiking with her dog, reading mysteries, landscaping with native plants, honing her acting skills with the wonderful Calliope Stage and learning long-form improv at HART in Waynesville. Previous roles with Calliope include Gramma Mountain (Campfire Stories: Women of the Blue Smoke), Edie (Her Last Expedition staged reading), and Darlene (Whittler's Bench staged reading).
MELANIE YOUNG | LISA
Melanie an actress based in Raleigh, NC, pursuing a BFA in Musical theatre at Western Carolina University! Outside of performance, she loves to play instruments, play sports, travel, and enjoy and iced coffee with friends! Melanie loves Calliope stage and is thrilled to be a part of this amazing project!