First and foremost, Tod Leaven (he/him) is father and husband, living in the Montford neighborhood of Asheville, just a few blocks from the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater. Additionally, he is a lawyer and partner at the law firm Grimes Teich & Anderson, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, and a Veteran of the United States Army. He likes to believe that he is also an actor, appearing beside his very talented daughter, Eleanor, at Montford Park Players, Asheville Community Theater, and Shakespeare & Friends in Tryon, NC. He attended college at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and law school at the University of North Carolina School of law at Chapel Hill.

Cody Fox (he/him) has called Asheville home since 2012 after graduating from Appalachian State University with a minor in theatre. Cody is a local mortgage banker and has been since 2013. He joined our Board in 2024 and debuted with Montford Park Players in our 2023 production of  Wendy & Peter. Cody has been in multiple productions since then and looking forward to more in the years to come.

A native of Durham, Charles is a product of the North Carolina public schools and an alumnus of Duke University, where he majored in history. He later received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and embarked on a banking career, which took him to Georgia and Florida before returning to North Carolina 13 years ago, still in banking. Charles and his wife, Winslow, found Montford Park Players during their move to Asheville, fell in love with the experience and the community, and have been active attendees and supporters ever since.

Charles enjoys hikes and long walks with Winslow and his participation in the Asheville Debate Society and an active history book club. He also serves as treasurer of the Border Memorial Folkmoot Foundation and the Haywood Community College Foundation.

Honor Moor (she/her) started out her career as a board certified k-12 art teacher but quickly transitioned to follow her dreams in acting in both Seattle and Manhattan. She was a member of a Southern Repertory Theatre & performed in countless plays and a long standing Off-Broadway musical review. She studied the Sandford Meisner technique with famed, teacher Fred Karaman, in Carnegie Hall Studios. After years of acting, Honor left the circus and worked for two New York Cancer Foundations in development where she learned to fundraise, create events and write grants. Moor moved back to her hometown of Asheville in 1998 and raised two kids and continued to act, direct and teach theatre while also being the Executive Director for Junior Achievement WNC, Asheville Parks and Greenways Foundation and was in charge of development for the Altamont Theatre. She was a six year member of the Junior League of Asheville and board member of the NC Arboretum, Jewish Community theater), and the legal consultant for The Hippodrome Theater, a professional regional theater in Gainesville, Florida.

Patricia Robertson (she/her) is a retired University administrator and professor. Her discipline is mental health and she had a private practice for 40 years in each city where she was employed at the nearby University. She has spent much of her career focused on issues of diversity/civil rights. She received a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill; a Masters degree (in counseling) from Western Carolina University and a doctorate from UNC-Greensboro. Since retirement she has been a potter at Squeaky Wheel Potters’ Studio and spends as much time as possible with her adult daughters, Heather and Kelly Carter, her wonderful friends and her partner, Curry First. She spent her youth in Swannanoa, NC and moved back “home” about 19 years ago.

Throughout her life, Audrey Kopp (she/her) has been active in the arts. After moving to Asheville in 2009, she became enamored of the productions of the Montford Park Players. Audrey’s husband, Bill, suggested they attend an MPP production for their first date, and they have been sitting next to each other during plays since 2013. Paco the wonder dog accompanies them and is a big fan of stage combat.

Since 2022, MPP has been extremely supportive of her efforts as an actor and playwright. Leveraging her organization and problem-solving skills, Audrey has been providing high-level administrative support for the past 15 years. She works for the US subsidiary of d&b audiotechnik, a Germany-based manufacturer of high-end sound amplification equipment

Quinn (they/he) has been performing for over 20 years, since they were eight years old. He first appeared on the Montford stage in 2023 with Twelfth Night, followed shortly after with the Tempest. He also assistant directed the latest production of King Lear. Locally, Quinn has starred in productions at Asheville Community Theatre, HART, and The Magnetic Theatre, as well as performed with the Asheville Fringe Fest, Skysail Theatre, Different Strokes, and Adesto Theatre. They are a founding member of the Phantom Lamp Theatre Company alongside Abby Auman, Jess Johnson, Katie Jones, and Jason Phillips. Quinn is passionate about queering stories on stage, fostering understanding and compassion through art, and that feeling you get when you’ve warmed a toaster strudel perfectly. 

Daphodil Phillips-Sprague (she/her) is a student at Asheville high school, taking part in her school theatre program plus doing outside of school theatre too. She’s been attending shows and acting onstage at Montford for about 10 years now. She has been involved with theatre for about 14 years, and is ecstatic to be able to represent and be as helpful as possible to the youth of Montford! 

Executive Director John Russell became the first employee and Executive Director of Montford Park Players in 2006. He has been instrumental in growing the audience and enhancing the audience experience since his arrival. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Arts Council in July 2017 by Governor Roy Cooper. He currently also serves on the North Carolina Governor’s School Foundation Board as Vice President and Chief Fundraising Officer, and also as a member of the Theatre Consulting Group for SETC.
In 2018 the Institute of Outdoor Theatre recognized Russell with the Mark R. Sumner Award, a national award exemplifying the highest standards of American outdoor drama. The Sumner Award recognizes significant contributions by an individual to a specific drama, or to the outdoor drama movement. Recipients have played a major role in the production of a specific outdoor drama or they have made a noteworthy impact on outdoor theatre.