Holiday Happenings at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts with John Hall

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with John Hall — associate director at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, and a well-loved actor, director, and arts advocate in our community. Our conversation dives into all of the incredible Holiday Happenings taking place over the next two weeks. These events bring world-class music, storytelling, comedy, and Appalachian traditions to the heart of Black Mountain.

Here’s a preview of what’s coming to BMCA:

Reasonably Priced Babies — Improv Comedy

Friday, December 12 | 6:30pm and 9pm | $20

Each show is completely unique, created on the spot from audience suggestions. Fresh, original, and always a great time.

Kellin Watson & Friends’ Holiday Special (featuring Aaron Price)

Saturday, December 13 | 7:30pm | $25

A beloved local favorite. The stage is transformed into a cozy living-room setting where Kellin and her friends share music and stories. Last year’s show sold out quickly.

Tales of Chanukah

Sunday, December 14 | 2pm | $15

Featuring storytellers Catherine Serota, Zane Chait, and Donna Catton-Johnson, with Larry Pearlman as emcee. A warm and uplifting celebration of the Festival of Lights.

Christmas in Appalachia — A Family Show

December 19–21 | $15 adults, $10 youth

A singin’, strummin’ holiday experience with Appalachian music, storytelling, and audience participation. Led by musician Travis Stuart, storyteller John Hall, and friends, this show explores holiday traditions and memories from our mountain region.

Beyond these performances, the Black Mountain Center for the Arts continues its mission of bringing art to the people and people to the art. Programs include dance classes, art and clay studios, private music lessons, the Junior Appalachian Musicians program, the Swannanoa Valley Community Chorus, and ongoing gallery exhibitions.

John’s closing reminder is one to carry with us:

“Life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who make the journey with us. Be swift to love and make haste to be kind.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about the heart, history, and creativity that make BMCA such a vital part of our community.

Mountain Magnolia Show — Episode 63 with Cathryn The Grateful

Today’s episode is one of my favorites — and a milestone — the first time I’ve ever recorded the Mountain Magnolia Show from home. It felt sacred to welcome my friend Cathryn Davis aka Cathryn The Grateful into that space.

Cathryn is not only a filmmaker, activist, minister, and creative visionary — she is one of the people who has done the deepest work to preserve and uplift the story of Black Mountain College, one of the most influential places in our region’s history.

From 1933–1957, Black Mountain College operated just a few miles from town — a radical experiment in community-centered, collaborative education. It welcomed European refugees fleeing fascism, artists escaping convention, and thinkers hungry for possibility.

This tiny school in the mountains shaped the world:

• Buckminster Fuller built his first geodesic dome here

• John Cage staged the first multimedia “Happening”

• Merce Cunningham revolutionized modern dance

• Josef & Anni Albers shaped modern art & design

• The Black Mountain Review launched the Beat poets

• Its work program inspired Warren Wilson’s model

• Its community ethos helped shape WNC’s creative identity

The ripple effect of Black Mountain College still lives in:

our arts community, our schools, our festivals , our creativity, and our mountain spirit

And in many ways, the community-centered, collaborative heart of WNC today can be traced back to BMC’s presence here.

Cathryn co-created Fully Awake with fellow Asheville native Neeley House — a documentary that gathers student interviews, faculty stories, archival photographs, and rare footage to illuminate BMC’s legacy.

It has screened at MoMA, film festivals worldwide, and most beautifully — here at home at LEAF, in the very space students once walked.

Her story is as rich as her work:

Born on sacred mounds in Macon… raised in Asheville… clown training, theater, debate… a life-changing season in London… Cultural Studies at UNC… and a chance question in a NYC green room that led to 25 years of devotion to Black Mountain College.

Her life continues in service through:

• Civic activism & justice work

• Sacred ecology & seed sovereignty

• Enough Pie (Charleston) — combating gentrification with creativity

• Housing advocacy

• Spiritual leadership

• Movement healing & dance medicine

She opened our episode with a quote she lives by:

Our conversation is filled with heart, wisdom, history, creativity, and the magic of our mountains.

Listen to Episode 63 — “Cathryn the Grateful: Fully Awake at Black Mountain College.”

Learn more: fullyawake.org

Reconstitution by Mitch Emoff, Directed By Lucy O'Brian

World Premiere | November 14–16, 2025

Black Mountain Center for the Arts | Black Mountain, NC

“Theatre is a form of knowledge; it should and can also be a means of transforming society.” — Augusto Boal

In this episode of The Mountain Magnolia Show, host Mary Noble Braden talks with playwright Mitch Emoff about his new play Reconstitution, making its world premiere this November at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.

Show Dates: November 14–16, 2025

Fri & Sat 7:30 PM | Sun Matinee 2 PM

Tickets: $20 Adults | $15 Students (ages 11–17)**

Visit BlackMountainArts.org for tickets.

About the Play:

On the last day of school, a history teacher’s “experimental lesson” zaps four high-school students into the spirits of America’s Founding Fathers — Franklin, Washington, Patrick Henry, and Madison. In a classroom turned battleground, they debate freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, the three-fifths compromise, and freedom of speech — all while navigating TikToks and classroom cliques.

From Our Conversation:

“All local talents. Many who want to go on after college and go into professional theater. We’ve been blessed with an incredible cast — some from the Black Mountain area, some homeschooled children, and some from Asheville High School, sprinkled all around. It’s been wonderful to watch them bond and become like a family. By the end, everyone’s hugging and sad it’s over.”

Mitch shared how Reconstitution first came to life:

About BMCA:

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts was incorporated in 1995 and opened in 2000 with the mission to “bring the arts to the people and the people to the arts.”