Hendersonville is renowned for having one of the most vibrant arts scenes around. Along with its live musical performances and elaborate art exhibitions, Hendersonville is also the home of a thriving community theater group – the Hendersonville Performing Arts Company (HPAC). For over three decades, HPAC has thrilled audiences with live productions of musicals, dramas and comedies, as well as training future thespians through its education programs.
Recently, Hendersonville Lifestyle sat down with HPAC Executive Director Angela Pasquini to find out more about the organization and its upcoming season of shows.
What makes HPAC and community theater so special?
“For over 30 years, HPAC has brought people together through live theater. Each season, we provide local artists, musicians, designers and techies a place to actually use their talents. Every single show you see is built by volunteers who are doing this because they love it, not because they're getting paid. So, when the curtain goes up, you’re watching an entire community show up for each other.”
How many shows does HPAC perform during a season?
“At HPAC, we stay busy. We produce five mainstage shows each season, along with three summer youth productions and a wide variety of classes, improv nights, cabarets, workshops and community performances. Honestly, something is happening at HPAC every month.”
How do you select your productions?
“Everything starts with our directors. Every year we put out a call and basically ask them, ‘okay, what's the show you've always wanted to direct?’ And then they pitch us their show, their vision and why it matters to them. Next, our production committee reviews those pitches and starts piecing the season together like a puzzle. We're usually shooting for three musicals and two plays, but honestly, it's less about the math and more about balance.”
Do you have a regular acting troupe, or do you have open casting for your shows?
Every show starts with open auditions. Each production is a new group of people coming together to create something special, and anyone has the opportunity to be part of it.
How long do you rehearse each show before you go live?
“Most productions rehearse for about eight weeks before opening night. Musicals tend to need that whole runway because there's just so much going on – music, choreography, staging, costumes and all the tech stuff has to come together. Plays can sometimes get away with a little less time. It just depends on the show.”
How do you design your stages and props to match the artistic style of each show?
“It all starts with the story. Once we've got a director, they pull together the whole production team including set designer, costume designer, props master, etc. Everybody works together to land on one shared vision for the show. We always ask ourselves, ‘what do we want the audience to feel the second they walk into that theater?’ And from there, every style choice is in service of telling that story.
How do you acquire your costumes?
“Our costumes come from anywhere and everywhere. We've built up a huge costume collection over the years, so step one is always ‘shopping’ our own stock first. After that it's thrifting, borrowing, renting and sometimes making pieces from scratch. We are always trying to find the right look for every character without blowing the budget.”
How do you match the shows production style to its genre?
“The story always comes first. Every show has its own personality, and everything design-wise has to serve that. Dramas, comedies, and musicals all move and feel differently. So, the scenery, costumes, lighting and the tiny details all work together to build that world for the audience.
Which shows are you going to be producing during the 2026-27 season?
“We're kicking things off with Jekyll & Hyde, followed by The Secret Garden and then Barefoot in the Park. Next spring we will feature Dial M for Murder, and we're closing out the season with Sister Act. So, we've basically got a little bit of everything in there – mystery, romance, comedy, and a big feel-good musical to send everyone off happy.”
Hendersonville Performing Arts Company
260 West Main Street, Suite 204,
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615.826.6037
"Our job is basically to make sure the whole look of the show is telling the story right alongside the actors."
Angela Pasquini
"HPAC is where people find talents they didn't even know they had, where kids build real confidence, where adults get to reconnect with a creative side they may have put away years ago and where families end up making memories together without even trying."