Courtney DeGennaro Robinson makes her first appearance at ACT in Rabbit Hole. She has most recently appeared on stage as Grace in the off-Broadway production of Starbright, Ricky Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross, Sam Fried in Coyote on a Fence, and Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest. When not onstage, she is an avid knitter, bookworm, and baker of French macarons.
Name: Courtney DeGennaro Robinson
Character in Rabbit Hole: Becca
Occupation: Paralegal.
Hobbies and Interests: Baking French Macaroons, hiking, knitting, and reading
Why should you come and see a play like Rabbit Hole? The magic of the theatre allows us to experience lives outside our own as we invest in the characters onstage. This play, in particular, gives us a window into an experience that we all hope never to have. Rabbit Hole fosters empathy for those who are suffering, and reminds us that grief is not something that goes away neatly or quickly, nor is it a permanent state of being. There is always hope and light, and life, if we choose to find it.
What is the hardest part about playing your character? Becca has suffered an unbelievable loss, and she is in indescribable pain, but she doesn’t spend the entire play wailing and crying. It would be easier to just feel and release those emotions. Instead, I’ve had to generate that enormous sense of suffering and bury it just beneath the surface, so that it can eke out a bit when the circumstances of the show require it. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.
Can you name some of the major recurring emotions you felt throughout the rehearsal process for Rabbit Hole? As odd as it may sound, there was a lot of joy in the rehearsal process. My cast mates and I bonded quickly, and we share a lot of laughs backstage. This show requires a lot of vulnerability and intimacy, and we’ve really leaned into our trust for one another to balance the pain of the deep emotions we’re exploring with care and affection for one other. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to go through this process with.
What is, in your opinion, the most important moment in …

For Joann Johnson, the theater was a big part of her life in middle school and high school. Her roles as a fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a Lady in Waiting in the Princess and the Pea, and the Goblin Queen in the Princess and the Goblin Queen, helped influence her love for the arts. Mainly receiving smaller parts however, Joann moved onto other art pursuits when college came around. The journey through university was tumultuous, helping Joann decide to take a break to travel, work, and navigate adulthood. After a few years, Joann received clarity that she should pursue nursing school. While pre-nursing courses are arduous, Joann continues to study while working full time as a hostess at Chestnut in downtown Asheville. Joann decided to try out for Rabbit Hole after almost a decade of not doing theater. The role of Izzy felt like the perfect debut adult performance. 
Name: Joann Johnson
Character in Rabbit Hole: Izzy
Occupation: Hostess.
Hobbies and Interests: Hiking, yoga, biking, reading, writing and throwing events for my friends.
Why should you come and see a play like Rabbit Hole? Rabbit Hole is an authentic play that gives the audience a window into a home filled with the mixed emotions that families experience with loss. It has humor, sadness, dysfunction, and frustration that is relatable.
Can you name some of the major recurring emotions you felt throughout the rehearsal process for Rabbit Hole?  Humor, Joy, Sadness, Grief.
What about Rabbit Hole drew you to audition?  My character Izzy deals with pain through humor which I connect with. She is honest almost to a fault. I also have had my own experience with grief. Four years ago I gave my son up for adoption and I’ve been grappling with that grief in my own way the last few years.
Have you grown at all as a person, working on Rabbit Hole? I really feel like this play has helped me deal with my own grief and story in a deeper way. It’s brought me out of my shell in a creative and challenging way. Midway through the show’s rehearsals I also had a hard break up with my partner which was another loss …

Jon Morrison is 23 years old and new to the Asheville area. This is his first play at ACT and he’s really grateful to be a part of it. He likes to watch movies and write. Earlier this year he performed in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure at Raleigh Little Theatre in Raleigh, NC.
Name: Jon Morrison
Character in Rabbit Hole: Jason Willette
Occupation: Delivering pizzas.
Hobbies and Interests: Watch movies, video games, write, sports, YouTube. Typical millennial stuff.
Why should you come and see a play like Rabbit Hole? Because it’s what we need right now. If we all took the time to understand each other and see that we’re all hurting in different ways, we’d spend less time fighting and more time growing.
What do you feel is the most important message of your character, and what can it teach other people? To be sincere. Jason sort of says/does what he feels without the filter of what society thinks is normal. It’s not corny to unironically express yourself.
What is the hardest part about playing your character? It’s easier/more fun to work with emotional extremes in acting. Jason is the opposite of that. It’s hard expressing emotions without being overt.
Have you grown at all as a person, working on Rabbit Hole? Of course. I’ve always dealt with grief the same way Becca does; by compartmentalizing. I’ve learned it’s healthier to face your demons head-on.
Have you struggled at all working on such a heavy and potentially sad play? If so, how were you able to remain positive? Yeah it was tough. The deeper we got into it the less fun it became. It slowly became an obligation just to get the story right which is what kept me motivated on the particularly rough days. Knowing that everyone goes through grief and that someone might take something away from the play on how to deal with it.
Can you describe what, in your opinion, the essence of Rabbit Hole is? Sometimes bad things happen that are nobody’s fault at all. You should spend your time learning, healing, growing instead of ignoring, hiding, and placing blame.
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Jon, we hope we’ll keep seeing you on our stages and on other stages …