Erin McCarson, former baby, is an actor, director, producer, writer, and educator based in Western North Carolina, and serves as Academy Director at Haywood Arts Regional Theater. Having first appeared on stage as a sheep at four years old, her lifelong affair with art has never wavered. With nearly 40 years of experience in theatre, Erin brings both deep expertise and a sense of play to helping artists of all ages discover their voices and tell stories that matter.
Erin holds degrees in Dramatic Arts and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and trained in musical theatre at New York University’s CAP21 professional musical theatre conservatory. She spent over a decade performing professionally in New York City, appearing on stages including Ars Nova, SoHo Think Tank, Public Assembly, and The Bell House, working with- and learning from- some of the most creative minds in the industry. She performed improv with Improv Everywhere and at Upright Citizens Brigade and was lead singer of a band that released two studio albums. Beyond the stage, Erin has appeared in film, television, internet, and commercial projects, including work with Joel Schumacher, Michael Urie, Reed Birney, Bekah Brunstetter, Ryan Serhant, and Sierra Boggess.
Since returning to North Carolina in 2016, Erin has performed with Haywood Arts Regional Theater, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Sublime Theater, NC Stage Company, Immediate Theatre Project, Nemesis Theatre, Magnetic Theatre, and Calliope Stage. She won HART Performer of the Year for her performance of the Narrator in Every Brilliant Thing. She plays on the improv teams Gal Pals, Adesto Theatre, and Scuttlebutt. Her training has continued in WNC with Lucid Body, Speak the Speech, Theatrical Intimacy Education, and advanced stage combat. She has directed, written, and produced shows that celebrate humor, heart, and humanity.
As Academy Director, Erin’s mission is to provide accessible, high-quality programming across theatre disciplines while nurturing a creative community built on kindness, safety, and inclusion. She believes theatre is a place to share truth, build connection, and transform the world- one story at a time.
Amanda Proffitt-Newcomb is an Asheville native and graduate of Appalachian State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Dance Studies and Non-Profit Management. As an undergraduate student, she was involved in the Appalachian Dance Ensemble and was an Excellence in Dance Scholarship recipient. Her studies included choreography, performance, pedagogy, and administration. Currently, Amanda trains and performs with the Asheville Ballet, teaches at both the Academy at HART and the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, and is a certified Pilates instructor. She enjoys sharing Dance and Pilates throughout the Asheville area and connecting with people of all ages through movement.
Jadyn Shook is a teaching artist, actress, and singer originally from Asheville, NC. She has been doing theatre for four years and is currently pursuing her B.A. in Stage and Screen from Western Carolina University with a minor in Voice Performance. She is passionate about teaching all ages the magic of theatre! She has previously worked as a teaching assistant at The Flat Rock Playhouse, and as an acting coach at the Art of Dance Studio in Flat Rock. She seeks to create a space that children can flourish in and find the joy of theatre. She is a member of the Cataracts Comedy Club improv team at WCU, and will be seen performing in Wild Party here at HART this season! Outside of theatre, she enjoys hanging out with her cat, Wesley. She is so excited to join the HART Theatre team!
Kristen Livengood has spent the last 24 years performing, directing, teaching, and producing theatre and improv comedy around Western North Carolina. Before relocating to Waynesville, she served as the Operations Manager at Parkway Playhouse for nine years. During her tenure, she founded and directed Get the Hook, Parkway Playhouse’s high school improv comedy troupe (2015-2022). Under her leadership, the troupe gained regional recognition, appearing on WUNC’s The State of Things and performing at comedy festivals across the Southeast. Committed to lifelong learning, she continues to study with some of the nation's most respected and innovative improv instructors, ensuring her teaching remains fresh, engaging, and grounded in current practices. She also directed numerous youth productions that traveled to the Junior Theater Festival, where her students won Outstanding Performance by an Individual awards, earned national recognition, and even achieved a perfect adjudication score. Since moving to Waynesville, she has become an active member of the HART community. She teaches acting and improv through the Academy at HART, has appeared on the HART stage as Madame in Cinderella and Ethel McCormack in Footloose, and directed the Academy's competition production that earned national recognition at the 2024 Junior Theater Festival. Currently, she helps organize and run a monthly improv jam at HART and is a Co-Founder of Parking Space Comedy, the company behind Waynesville’s premier improv troupe. By day, Kristen serves as Theatre Teacher at Shining Rock Classical Academy, where she is developing and expanding the school's theatre program. Known for bringing warmth, humor, and infectious enthusiasm to every rehearsal and classroom, she believes theatre is a powerful tool for building confidence, fostering empathy, encouraging artistic collaboration, and creating meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Kayenta Cruz is a local performer, singer, dancer, and artist who has been working with HART since 2019, with just a few of her recent show credits including Washington Place, Newsies, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Cinderella, Footloose, The Music Man, Big Fish, and more. She has experience as an actor, director, choreographer, costumer, and similar roles, and has been working with theatres in the area for over 15 years. She trained at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, in addition to years of local training in voice, acting, improv, and various styles of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, and more. She is thrilled to be teaching at HART and grateful for the opportunity to share the arts with the next generation.
Evren is delighted to be a teacher at HART! They’ve been involved in theatre in WNC since they moved to Asheville in 2022 and enjoyed every moment of it. He has always had a passion for bringing communities together through art and has worked as an educator in various capacities for over 3 years. His favorite parts of acting are building characters that feel real and connecting with fellow creatives. Outside of theatre he enjoys writing fiction and vending at local craft markets.
