Christopher Paul Smith, a native of Greenville, S.C., hasn’t been on the Tryon Little Theater stage before, but the lure of John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” was enough for him to drive all the way to Tryon for auditions.

He trained at USC Upstate, took master classes in acting, technique and voice, and has an impressive background in theater and film. Dialects and accents are a specialty of his, and when you add the fact that he looks like he’s just walked in from a windswept Irish landscape – what more do you need?

“Anthony’s a romantic but definitely shy when it comes to matters of the heart,” says Smith. “I really feel at home with Anthony. We both share very similar values and views on life. He’s a simple and quiet man with his head in the clouds. He’s also Irish and that’s always fun!”

“Outside Mullingar” plays for two weekends, Nov. 9-12 and Nov. 16-19, at the TLT Workshop, 516 S. Trade St. in Tryon. Tickets are available online at www.tltinfo.org or by calling 828-859-2466.

– submitted by Monica Jones