The stage is set
For those of us who grew up in small towns where there was one (or no) theater company, it's refreshing to move to the Lowcountry and discover the bustling theater scene.
Whether you live in Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant or elsewhere, there are always performances to enjoy.
With Piccolo Spoleto beginning soon, a lot of local companies are preparing to participate.
And, of course, summer workshops and competitions plus regular fall seasons keep things busy for the thespian crowd.
What If? Productions
What If? is one of the newer theater groups in the area. The company's hit from last fall, "Hedwig & the Angry Inch," is returning to the stage for Piccolo.
"We were able to do Hedwig for just two nights last fall. We weren't sure how it would be received at first, but we ended up having to turn people away," says Kyle Barnette, founding artistic director. "Our aim is to stand out in Charleston, and 'Hedwig' does that."
This summer, What If! will host a playwright competition in hopes to discover some original work by Lowcountry writers. This fall, expect some cutting-edge performances for the first official full season of the company.
"So far, we're planning on 'The House of Yes' in September, and for August, we're doing a sort of 'Shakespeare in the Park' performance involving scenes from Shakespeare's most famous plays. It'll probably take place at the William Aiken House," says Barnette.
Additionally, the original music of local composer Alex Hennessey will be produced in the fall.
"I want us to have an ambitious season, says Barnette. "I think we have a lot of support from the community, and I know we can do it."
Village Playhouse
The Village Playhouse has been a Mount Pleasant mainstay for 10 years, but summer is not going to be a time to snooze.
"We stay very busy," says Keely Enright, producer and artistic director. "There's something going on pretty much every month, even in the summer."
The Village Playhouse will kick off the warm months by performing a reprise of "The Marvelous Wonderettes" during Piccolo, as well as hosting a magician cabaret show.
The company also will offer a children's musical called "Once on This Island." It's produced for children, by children and the admission is free.
"July's performance is a tribute to Johnny Cash, called 'Red, White and Cash,' " says Enright. "It ought to be fun. Then we'll have a play called 'The Sunset Years,' written by a local husband-and-wife team."
The official 11th season of Village Playhouse starts in September with a performance of "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Footlight Players
The Footlight Players in downtown Charleston are getting ready to celebrate their 80th season this fall. But first, check out their Piccolo performances of "Oh George Too" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."
" 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' is based on a true story; it's a musical about a brothel in Texas," says Jocelyn Jenkins, the Footlight Players' director. "It's really funny, very tongue-in-cheek. 'Oh George Too' is about the songs of composer George Gershwin. It's a second edition more than a sequel, so you didn't have to see the original version of the play to enjoy it."
Later this year, the Footlight Players will kick off the 80th season with a special performance of "South Pacific" at the company's original location: the Dock Street Theatre.
"A lot of people don't know that the Dock Street was our original home," says Jenkins. "We were there from 1937 until 1985. We'll be celebrating our past with this performance."
Other fall plans include a performance of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as well as "It's a Wonderful Life" during Christmas.
"We'll also do a couple of adults-only, late-night shows this fall," says Jenkins. "We're performing 'This Boy's Life' and 'Topdog/Underdog.' "
Threshold Repertory
Threshold Repertory is another of the area's newest companies, but director Mark Mixson is eager to get the ball rolling.
"We're in the process of locating a building for our company home," he says. "So we'll be spending the summer doing that. We plan to continue doing shows at Memminger Auditorium, where we held a lot of this year's plays, but we'd like to have our own spot."
For Piccolo, Threshold will be busy with a performance of "The Guys," a show about a firefighter whose comrades died on 9/11. The performance will take place at the Charleston Actors Studio on James Island.
"It's a very moving piece," says Mixson. "That's why we like it. It has strong characters and generally people are touched by the story."
For the fall season, which will be Threshold's first full season, there's an eclectic mix of performances to anticipate. "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" is a black comedy about terrorists, which Threshold will perform in its new home. "The Crucible" and "The Robber Bridegroom" are also on the list.
South of Broadway
Although South of Broadway has been around since 2004, this fall will be only its third season of doing full performances.
The Park Circle company's focus mainly has been on classes, workshops and other community involvement.
"Our mission is to educate the youth and inspire the public," says Mark Gorman, artistic director.
One of the most popular fall happenings is the yearly "Playfest," a series of Saturdays in September when newly written scripts are read out loud.
"We're currently accepting submissions for this year," says Gorman. "We try to pick a script that we can fully produce after getting acquainted with it during Playfest."
Another opportunity for writers are the "Second Sundays at Seven," a workshop for playwrights to get feedback on their scripts. It runs all year, even in the summer.
"It's a great opportunity to get an honest critique," says Gorman. "We're always looking for fresh writers to contribute their work."
As far as full productions for fall, Gorman says they're still in the works.
"We have our kid shows, which is known as 'Showbiz School,' " he says. "The kids get together and rehearse on Saturdays, then produce a play. We'll also have an opera in the winter, and a one-woman show in January."
