Dustin K. Britt, a North Carolina native, is a performer, theatre instructor and freelance writer. He has worked in the theatre for more than 20 years and holds a Master of Arts in Education from East Carolina University.
Dustin covers concerts, dance, immersive dining experiences, comedy, and theatre in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Cary, Raleigh, Durham, Pittsboro, and Apex. His writing has appeared in IndyWeek, Carolina Parent Magazine, Pedal Fuzz, and Triangle Arts & Entertainment. You can find him on Twitter @dkbritt85 or Instagram @dkbritt85.
Rachel and Emory are the authors of our "Mother & Son" reviews and articles.
Rachel Kasten, a North Carolina resident, believes that access to live theatre strengthens communities. She is happy to be back home in Raleigh after a whirlwind decade of living and performing in Ohio, Florida, and British Columbia. She was a professional background actor for 7 months in Vancouver and thinks it’s an experience everyone should have, but only once, and not in the snow. Although she has been frequently typecast as a witch or wicked stepmother (Cinderella, Macbeth, Into the Woods, Shrek...seriously, a lot of witches), she actually thinks she’s an okay mom.
Most recently, Rachel discovered that she enjoys producing even more than being on stage, when she produced These Shining Lives for the Women’s Theatre Festival. Outside of theatre, she serves as a Graduate Program Coordinator at N.C. State and is an active participant in dismantling white supremacy. Rachel is looking forward to sharing something she loves with the person she loves the most.
Emory Kasten, Rachel's son, is 6 years old and in 1st grade. He loves musicals because they have singing and dancing, which are two of his favorite things. He takes jazz and tumbling at Triangle Academy of Dance so that he can perform in Newsies someday. Emory is also a proud Cub Scout. His favorite show is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat because it’s weird, colorful, and silly, like him. Emory wants to see more plays because sometimes they’re really funny. P.S. He wants everyone to know that his favorite animal is the red fox.
Naveed Moeed is a British-born Pakistani, whose parents immigrated to the UK in the 60s and 70s. He in turn has made North Carolina his home for the last seven years where he works as an IT Business Development professional. In addition to his professional life,
Naveed is an avid theatre enthusiast who performed as Flavius in Bare Theatre's 2019 production of Timon of Athens. He also volunteers with Quakers and the American Friends Service Committee on issues of social justice and peacebuilding. Naveed is the resident photographer for Chatham Life & Style.
Al Riggs is a North Carolina native and musician currently based out of Durham, NC. They have recorded and performed with members of Megafaun, The Mountain Goats, and released GODKILLER on local label Suah Sounds. They have written music criticism and festival coverage for Pedal Fuzz (Winston-Salem, NC) and Rezonatr (Raleigh, NC). You can find them on Twitter @alRiggsMusicOk or on Facebook as Al Riggs, music.
Philip Guadagno is a long-time North Carolina resident and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds bachelor's degrees in Dramatic Art and Music. He specializes as a Baroque opera singer, having performed in UNC Opera's productions of Dido and Aeneas and Alcina. Primarily an opera and music performance critic, Philip also writes about a wide variety of theatre and performance art from a wide variety of performance levels
Cecilia Lancia has lived the majority of her life as a resident of the Triangle. She earned her Master of Education degree from North Carolina State University in English language and literature, and has worked for more than 12 years in the local public school system.
Cecilia began her life in Italy. She maintained a strong connection to Italian culture by spending holidays and summers there with her extended family. This bond fostered her love of authentic art, food, cooking and hand craft. Her upbringing helped to cultivate a lasting respect for traditional and sustainable farming practices. As a fervent proponent of local food producers, she relies on them for most of what is served on her family's table.
In addition to writing, Cecilia is a passionate gardener whose small suburban backyard produces over twenty varieties of fruit, berries, herbs and seasonal vegetables.
Travis Lassiter has created content for our Fine Arts and Food & Drink sections.
MaryBeth Crissman has contributed content for our Gardening & Farming section.