Theater & Dance
Dance
CURE8 Charleston
Discover dance in South Carolina at CURE8 Charleston! This show brings together artists from across the state of South Carolina featuring hip-hop, contemporary, krump, tap and more. Meet the co-curators Alexandria Nunweiler & Ashlea Sovetts, support the community, and enjoy live dance with us on June 3, 2023!
Performances:
Venue: West Ashley Theatre Center
Address: 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd #11
Admission: $25-$50
Annex Dance Company
World Premiere of Annex Dance Company’s dance film created with film director, and former company member, Maggie Bailey. Filmed in April of 2023, the film explores the push and pull of relationships in a series of vignettes danced to the music of Marcus Amaker mixed with text by writer and poet collaborators. The Piccolo Spoleto premiere will include a showing of the film and talk back with members of the creative team.
Performances:
Venue: Terrace Theatre
Address: 1956D Maybank Highway
Admission: $18 Adults; $15 Student/Senior
Theater
White Choices
JR. has found the love of his life, Sandy. However, the fireworks happen when he brings her home to meet his family. Things get so fiery, it looks as though the wedding may not happen.
June 2 & 3 at 7:00pm
Admission: $30
Venue: The Hub at Centerpointe
Address: 1520 Remount Road North Charleston, SC 29405
Theatre at Threshold Repertory Theatre
84 1/2 Society Street
A Yank in Scotland
A Yank in Scotland, or The Time I Lost My Wallet in the Highlands
The Highlands of Scotland, filled with misty moors and glens, rolling fields of heather, and ghosts from Scottish history, invite mystical ruminations, kindle existential questions, and spark the imagination to soar into higher and uncharted territory. Join Paul O’Brien, and Bonnie Prince Charlie, in the telling of one man’s story of loss and discovery as he searches for mystery, meaning, and a lost wallet in the Highlands of Scotland.
Performances:
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Cognac and Roses, A Toast to Edgar Allan Poe
This program contains some of Poe’s best and most loved works told by six master storytellers. Join us as we perform these haunting tales for you, and immerse yourself in the intoxicating imagination of one of America’s greatest writers. The show runs ninety minutes and consists of eleven of Poe’s poems and short stories. This cast of six will open your mind in a whole new way to the phantasmagoric world of Edgar Allan Poe.
Performances:
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
The Book of Will
The Book of Will by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Evan Parry
William Shakespeare is dead. His closest friends miss him, and his plays, and now all of the words, are disappearing into pirated works and the forgetful memory of time. To prevent people from stealing his work, Shakespeare wrote plays in pieces, putting the parts together when the actors were on stage. But who’s to stop people from stealing it after he dies? When a rip-off Hamlet hits the stage (“To be or not to be, ay! there’s the point”) Shakespeare’s friends are furious. They set off on a mad chase to compile a book of Will’s plays — but to make one, they’ll battle dodgy publishers, boozy rivals, and worst of all, time. Threshold Repertory Theatre transforms into the Globe Taphouse, and other scenes around 17th century London, for a celebration 400 years in the making! Join us for The Book of Will, a lively, funny, and poignant love letter to theatre and the words that fill it.
Performances:
- May 30 at 7pm
- June 1 at 7pm
- June 4 at 3pm
- June 5 at 7pm
- June 7 at 7pm
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Booger Red
Booger Red
Written and Performed by Jim Loucks
Directed and Developed by Lisa Chess
Produced by Deb Loucks
Booger Red survives a rough childhood, becoming a renowned Hellfire and Brimstone Southern Baptist preacher. Can Preacher’s Kid Jimmy emerge from under his shadow, finding his own unique voice? If you’ve ever had a dream or a daddy, Loucks’ passionate solo show is for you.
Solo performer and playwright Jim Loucks brings his Southern storytelling style to Threshold Repertory Theatre for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival with his one-man show Booger Red June 2-4, 2023. Booger Red is directed by Lisa Chess. Loucks was previously seen at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in his solo show The Biscuiteater.
Booger Red survives a rough childhood to become a renowned Hellfire and Brimstone Southern Baptist preacher. How can Preacher’s Kid Jimmy find a way out from under Booger Red’s larger-than-life shadow as he grows up and finds his own voice? If you’ve ever had a dream or a daddy, Loucks’ gritty and passionate solo performance is for you.
Loosely based on stories from Loucks’ childhood, Booger Red is the story of someone finding their own unique voice, resisting the pressures of society’s ideas of who they should be, and forging their own way. Booger Red premiered in Madisonville, KY’s Bacon, Blues and Big Stories Festival and has been performed at FronteraFest in Austin, FRIGID Fest in New York, NY and the Electric Lodge in Loucks’ current hometown of Venice, CA. Booger Red also had a run at the Winnipeg Fringe and the Edmonton Fringe, where it earned 4 Stars from the Winnipeg Free Press and the Edmonton Journal, as well as at the Calgary, Halifax, Vancouver and Houston Fringes. Booger Red won the award for Best Solo Performance at the Houston Fringe.
Performances:
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
UnShakeable
*Presented by Charleston Opera Theater in Partnership with the Charleston Symphony
UnShakeable is an uplifting story of two actors victimized with memory loss by the virus “Erasure” in a global pandemic. It touches on themes of isolation, loneliness, dementia, and memory loss but also hope and joy as they find awakening and a re-kindled romance through the powerful words of William Shakespeare.
Music: Joseph Illick
Libretto: Andrea Walters Fineberg Music direction: Wojciech Milewski Stage direction: Harold Meers Lighting: Eddie Frye
Wyatt: Jonathan Bryan, baritone Meridian: Grace Kahl, soprano
Wojciech Milewski, piano
Performances:
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Stelle di Domani at the College of Charleston
V3: A Dance Installation
Annex Dance Company presents a dance installation within the Carla Gannis / C.A.R.L.A. G.A.N.: wwwunderkammer exhibit at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. The culmination of the annual residency with the Department of Theatre and Dance, this site-specific piece is created and performed by students and company members.
Performances:
- June 1st at 5:30pm
- June 2nd at 11:30am
- June 8th at 6:30pm
Venue: Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art
Address: 161 Calhoun Street
Admission: Free
Musical Theatre Cabaret
presented by CofC Stages and Charleston Playhouse
Clyde Moser is a Charleston, South Carolina-based actor, dancer, vocalist, and educator. Clyde is a graduate of the College of Charleston and has performed in multiple shows including RENT, Addams Family, Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line, and the New York Summer Play Festival. Clyde moved back to Charleston to pursue his Master of Arts in Teaching at his alma mater. Join Clyde and CofC Theatre professor Laura Turner on piano for an hour of selections from the musical theatre canon.
Performances: Sunday, May 28th at 3pm
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: $40; free for students
Run time: 60 minutes without intermission
Under the Lights
This perennial Piccolo favorite highlights original College of Charleston student works. A series of 10 minute plays, Under the Lights features winners of the Franklin B. Ashley Playwriting and the Todd McNerney Student Playwriting Awards.
Performances:
- June 6th at 6pm
- June 7th at 6pm
Venue: Calhoun Street Annex Room 106 (adjacent to the Chapel Theatre)
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: $10 (general admission)
Alumni Dance Concert
In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Dance Major, the Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to produce a dance concert featuring the work of alumni who are making an impact in our dance community. Featuring works in a variety styles, this concert will be performed by students and companies from dance organizations throughout the Lowcountry.
Performances:
- June 4th at 3pm
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
There’s Always Tomorrow by Sonya Hayden
In this one-act drama, two individuals long to explore the world beyond their conservative Southwest Virginia town, but obstacles of marriage and parenthood constrain them as the years of their lives slip away. There’s Always Tomorrow is a poignant exploration of how our identities, relationships, and worldviews are shaped by our upbringing and the places we call home.
Performances:
- June 8th at 6pm
- June 9th at 2pm
- June 9th at 6pm
- June 10th at 6pm
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress is an irreverent comedy that follows five bridesmaids seeking refuge from the wedding reception in an upstairs bedroom. These fundamentally different women become unlikely friends when they realize they have more in common than they previously thought: it turns out they all hate the bride!
*Contains themes of sexual assault, fatphobia/body dysmorphia, and homophobia.
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- May 26th at 6pm
- May 27th at 3pm
- May 28th at 6pm
- May 29th at 6pm
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
Staged Readings
Free staged readings of the Todd McNerney 14th Annual National Playwriting contest finalists. This year’s staged reading series features winners and runners-up from the last three years of the Todd McNerney National Playwriting Contest. Previous winning plays have come from notable playwrights including Caridad Svich (lifetime Obie award winner), Sheila Cowley, Arthur M. Jolly, James Still, William Missouri Downs, and Donnetta Lavinia Grays.
Performances: Tuesday, May 30th through Saturday, June 10th at 4pm daily (12
readings in total). Winners and runners-up from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 contests will
each have two readings
Venue: Calhoun Street Annex Room 106 (adjacent to the Chapel Theatre)
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: Free (seating is limited)
Lineup:
May 30, 4 pm – 2021 Runner-up — Oil and Watercolor by Seanan Palmero Waugh
May 31, 4 pm – 2021 Runner-up — Oil and Watercolor by Seanan Palmero Waugh
June 1, 4 pm – 2022 Runner-up — Fat Muslim Girls by Ken Kaissar
June 2, 4 pm – 2022 Runner-up — Fat Muslim Girls by Ken Kaissar
June 3, 4 pm – 2023 Runner-up — The Consequences of Madison Mumbry by Darren V. Michael
June 4, 4 pm – 2023 Runner-up — The Consequences of Madison Mumbry by Darren V. Michael
June 5, 4 pm – 2021 Winner — (verb) a play on words by Seth Freeman
June 6, 4 pm – 2021 Winner — (verb) a play on words by Seth Freeman
June 7, 4 pm – 2022 Winner — The Blue Whale by Laura Zlatos
June 8, 4 pm – 2022 Winner — The Blue Whale by Laura Zlatos
June 9, 4 pm – 2023 Winner — Closet Space by Jane M. Lee
June 10, 4 pm – 2023 Winner — Closet Space by Jane M. Lee
Piccolo Fringe at Theatre 99
The Have Nots! Comedy Improv Company
The Have Nots! Comedy Improv Company (improv comedy) 1 hr 45 min
No scripts! All improv! This high-energy comedy improv show is entirely based on your audience suggestion so every show is different and has been running for 25 years. The Have Nots! will perform their unique brand improv comedy AND you never know who will join them on the stage! Come find out why critics say “The Have Nots! have it!”
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $20
Mary Kay Has a Posse
Mary Kay Has a Posse (improv comedy) 50 minutes
They’re back and celebrating 20 years together! Charleston’s original all-female improv comedy group! Part talk show format (similar to The View), part long form improv, ALL funny! Bitingly witty, unpredictable, and politically incorrect, the ladies of “Posse Talk” break all the rules. “An unforgettable night of laughing ’til your face hurts.” Charleston City Paper If you are easily offended or feel that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, stay home. (Adult audiences only)
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $18
TOUCHED (from the mind of Jet Eveleth)
TOUCHED (from the mind of Jet Eveleth) (one woman show) 60 minutes
Jet Eveleth’s show TOUCHED examines what holds us hostage from meeting ourselves. Playful characters commit to the surreal while trying to hold on to humanity. Jet explores the edges of clown while courageously or embarrassing exploring her many minds. Jet Eveleth created and performed a comedic role in the cirque show Absinthe and was a member of The Second City. She performed at the Andy Kaufman Awards and was part of New City Magazine’s top performers. She can be seen in Animals (HBO) and AP Bio (Peacock).
“Dark and subversive… Eveleth is one of the best actresses to emerge from Chicago comedy’s scene in the past decade.” – Chicago Tribune
“Eveleth adopts distinct voices, mannerisms, and attitudes to create characters, at once esoteric and identifiable, that appear to spring from deeply personal takes on humanity.” – Chicago Reader
Show is appropriate for 17 years and older.
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $15
Take the Funny and Run
Take the Funny and Run (improv comedy) 1 hr 40 minutes
Some of the funniest improv you’ll see anywhere. Theatre 99 is Charleston’s year round home for improv comedy where audiences come to laugh until it hurts. Bring your suggestions for the quick-witted Theatre 99 ensemble members who will take your suggestions…and rock out hilarious unscripted scenes. Guaranteed to make you laugh!
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $20
Clean Improv Comedy Show
Clean Improv Comedy Show (improv comedy) 60 minutes
Have you ever been to an improv show and thought, “I’d love to bring my parents or my 10 year old, but it’s just not clean enough for them”? Well, now we’ve got you covered! Theatre 99 is presenting a one hour hilarious short form show that is clean as a whistle. No need to take cover from “F” bombs. This show is chock-full of fun and is just as side-splittingly funny as what you’ve come to expect here at Theatre 99. All improv – all based on your suggestions.
This is a family friendly show. Bring the kids! (ages 8 and up)
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $12
Laughway to the Weekend
Laughway to the Weekend (comedy) 1 hr 45 min
Come laugh it up with us halfway to the weekend! This improv comedy show will feature 3 acts of hilarity. Wednesday nights at Theatre 99 are a Charleston tradition. Every show is different and completely based on audience suggestions.
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $10
Thank You, Next
Thank You, Next takes physical comedy to a new level. Ian Brennan, Meredith Kidd and Stephan Hughes play not only the characters in their scenes, but the world itself: clothes, the weather, the guilt of eating a whole pizza at 1:00 a.m. Everything is on the table. Watch the hilarity ensue!
Moral Fixation
Moral Fixation is a 2 man long form improv show from the minds of Lee Lewis and Greg Tavares. They take one audience suggestion and through virtuoso scenework weave an intricate tapestry of artistic deliciousness. This is a show for those who like their comedy a little on the meaty side.
This and That
“This & That” combines stand-up with improv to create a comedy experience that is satisfying for everyone. A little bit of this, plus a little bit of that, equals a whole lotta laughs!
Comedy Improv Marathon
Comedy Improv Marathon (improv comedy) 1 hr 45 min
Three acts of improv comedy
F.B.I.* *Finch Boys Improv
Good improv groups often feel like family. This one actually is family! Timmy Finch, veteran of The Have Nots! Comedy Improv and nine-time winner of Charleston’s Best Local Comic teams up with his best friend and son Cahal to deliver quick witted, feel good, made up family fun. Come see an old man and the next generation.
Spoons
Who runs the world? Spoons! Long time friends, Lily Stanton, Jillian Bonner, Meredith Kidd, Ali Sylvester and Greg Tavares have been making audiences laugh for years. Come see this hilarious, improvised show where characters and stories collide! A Spoonful of laughter does help the medicine go down.
Likely Story
Likely Story is a two-man improv show that tries to create a one-act play in less than 30 minutes. Andy Adkins and Greg Tavares have been improvising together for over 10 years. Their show is funny and heartfelt.
Performances:
Venue: Theatre 99
Address: 280 Meeting Street B
Admission: $10