Under the Sycamore Tree

Описание: Under the Sycamore Tree
Short Story Adapted for Audio Drama
Written by UNCA alumni, Gabrielle Paluzzi
With special Thanks to Sora Jo and Harmony Wilson for script writing inspiration
Directed by UNCA Professor, Laura Facciponti Bond

Producers
UNC Asheville’s Drama department, Video Production & Media Design Lab,
and the Ruth Paddison Endowed Professorship Fund

Description
In a small southern town, four 9-year-old girls met every day under a lonely sycamore tree to play a game of “Funeral.” As they grew older, the girls became distant—each following a different path. Their lives only intersected again at a real funeral for one of the girls who had suddenly died at age twenty-six. Mystery swirled around how she died, leaving the remaining girls desperately yearning to return to happier days when funerals were mere games during simpler times, arranging flowers and playing corpse in their wild childhood days under the sycamore tree.

Audio Drama Production Team
Director: Laura Facciponti Bond
Sound Designer: David Freund
Sound Technician: Kent Thompson
Stage Manager: Shel Sammis

Voice Acting Cast
(In alphabetical order by First Name)

Anna Corbit - housekeeper
Emily Greene – mara, age 9
Fran Moore – eden, age 9
Juno Lanham – teacher & maude, age 26
Kenya Lipplett – nell, age 26
Koen Burnham – eden’s husband & eden’s father
Piper Brown – nell, age 9
Sam Ridlehoover – maude, age 9
Susan Hudson – eden’s mother
Tracy George – eden, age 26
Tyler Simms – mrs. ellery
Valerie Lounsbury – narrator & pastor

Townspeople and background voices provided by: Anna Corbit, Emily Green, Fran Moore, Kenya Lipplett, Koen Burnham, Piper Brown, Tyler Simms, and Valerie Lounsbury

Voice-Over Acting of opening and closing credits by Laura Facciponti Bond

Dedication: In loving memory of Chelsea Alena Pagan

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The Development of Under the Sycamore Tree:
During the spring of 2024, Gabbi Paluzzi (A senior Environmental Studies major, with a minor in Creative Writing) was enrolled in Laura Bond’s ARTS 310 class, The Art & Craft of Vocal Production. The course concluded with final radio play projects, where Gabbi wrote her own original script and acted out all the voices for the piece! Impressed with her skills, Professor Bond invited Gabbi to expand her story for a TheatreUNCA main stage project. The two spent the summer exchanging weekly versions of the expanded script for notes and development.

The project was cast with a company made up of 12 voice actors who are UNCA students, staff, and/or faculty. The entire company, representing 12 different departments and programs across the campus worked together to rehearse, direct and record during the fall of 2024.

Through their remarkable dedication to the project, the company was able to complete their recordings, despite the ongoing challenges caused by the Hurricane Helene disaster. However, the final editing and premiere event needed to be postponed until the spring of 2025. It is with a mix of extreme pride, relief and excitement that our production company reveals this final recording of Under the Sycamore Tree!