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Small business: As the restaurant and brewery scenes grow, so does PaperHouse Theatre

By Vanessa Infanzon

Nicia (pronounced knee-C-ya) Carla is next up in C5’s Entrepreneurs Series. A native Charlottean, she has made a career for the past 15 years from acting, teaching and directing. Carla started PaperHouse Theatre three years ago.

Here’s what she had to say:

Why is Charlotte a good place to start a business?

Charlotte is my home, I have roots and history here. And more than ever, Charlotte is searching and stretching. Because our restaurant and craft brewery scene is growing, theater is growing.

I love telling stories and finding new ways to connect with an audience.  Collaborating and mixing things up, taking what was old and reframing it – like a Victorian comedy of manners mixed with a tasting party at Frock Shop or staged readings that mix drinks and idiocy with an audience at UpStage. This sounds a lot like Charlotte to me.

Who has been your biggest influence?

Without a doubt, my mom. Until I was 8, she was a single mom to the three of us. During that time, she finished her Ph.D. and moved us to Alaska. She kept moving forward in the midst of obstacles. She taught me that life is never easy, but you show up, do the work and make better happen. She may wish I was a little more practical, but really it’s her fault that I am crazy enough to be a working artist.

How do you begin each day?

Earl Grey tea, hot, just like Jean-Luc Picard, from my kettle at home. When I am out, Not Just Coffee is true to their name and makes a great cup of tea.

My best days begin with yoga at home. Most often I am struggling for the balance between the go-go of running around with kids and taking a breath. I want to give space for what is next before jumping in.

What do you see in your future?

In the immediate future, PaperHouse needs the perfect warehouse for an immersive staging of “Othello.” I see an audience being drawn to the light to find Desdemona in her bed and chasing Iago through the streets.

I want regular events at breweries. I want to collaborate and play! I want to tell silly, sad, awkward, joyful stories that remind us how alive and alike we all are. I want to excite people – making our own flavors, our own spin.

Where do you go in Charlotte when you need to chill?

A benefit of having artist friends is that they make for good times even when we are hanging at home. But when I am not in or at a play, I love Snug Harbor and Petra’s for local music, and Sir Edmund Halley’s for their great patio. My favorite new spot is Red Clay Ciderworks, so good that I am hoping to make this a problem.

Photo: Drea Atkins

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Small business: As the restaurant and brewery scenes grow, so does PaperHouse Theatre."

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