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Theatre
PURE Captures Contrasts of “Next Fall”
A DRAMA that smoothly incorporates lots and lots of humor—the laugh-out-loud kind—is difficult to write, direct and act. The Tony-nominated “Next Fall” by Geoffrey Nauffts is just that, a deadly serious piece that maintains a tone not at all serious, except when it needs to. That is its strength and its power. PURE Theatre’s... Read »
Threshold Repertory Stages Potent “Crucible”
RELATIVE NEWCOMERS to the Charleston theater scene, Threshold Repertory Theatre opened its second season last week with an American classic, a play of historical significance full of technical and dramatic challenges. Another company may have quailed at the prospect of casting, staging, lighting and costuming Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” requiring a cast of 19,... Read »
Beethoven’s “Women” at the Library Society
FRESH FROM THEIR PERFORMANCE in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, the Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina and Chamber Music Charleston will present “Beethoven: His Women and His Music” at the Charleston Library Society, Thursday November 3 at 7:00 P.M. This innovative musical drama combines the live classical music of Beethoven’s Archduke Piano Trio with... Read »
Getting Educated with Frank and Rita
NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLAY’S TITLE, “Educating Rita” presents its two characters and their journey together in far more than literal terms. When the eager, young Rita first meets Frank—her elder, disillusioned tutor—she asks excitedly, “What’s it like to be free?” After all, he’s the one—the tenured professor—who knows “everything” and can lead her to the... Read »
PURE Cast Sizzles in Season Opener
WHEN THE CONFLUENCE of playwright, cast, director, and every production element—down to the intr’acte music—reaches the level that PURE Theatre did Friday night, an evening of theatre becomes an extraordinary experience. Hyperbole? Hardly. A miracle of sorts took place in the company’s new performance home, the Charleston Ballet Theatre on King Street downtown, and... Read »
Striking “Streetcar” at Village Playhouse
“I DON’T WANT REALISM. I want magic!” says Blanche in a line that captures the essence of all the characters in Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-Prize winning play, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” now at the Village Playhouse. Well, what they want is exactly what none of them get in this epitome of Williams’ taut psychological portrayals,... Read »
The Enduring Influence of Shakespeare
WHO WAS THIS CREATIVE GENIUS, William Shakespeare? How did he manage to possess such a wealth of insight into the full range of human nature? Why have his plays endured for so long? And what is the value of reading, studying, and performing him today? These are some of the questions that television host... Read »
Here they come to save the day!
SHARON GRACI and Rodney Lee Rogers of PURE Theatre have come to the rescue of the theatre-going public, presenting a mid-summer slammer to get us through the arid emptiness between Spoleto and The Fall Season. They had a full house for their “Pay What You Can” Thursday evening, before the official Friday night opening... Read »
Oliver Reels in “East 10th Street” Audience
SINCE ITS INCEPTION, but especially over the past several years, Spoleto USA has brought us a series of one-man shows ranging from artsy, hilarious, intriguing, even breathtaking, to downright dreadful. Performer and writer Edgar Oliver’s “East 10th Street: Self Portrait with Empty House” falls squarely into the first category. A New York City resident since... Read »
Ex-con/poet Finds Beauty and Humor in Lemonade
LEMON ANDERSEN’s autobiographical one-man show, “County of Kings: A Beautiful Struggle,” received high praise at this year’s 2011 Spoleto festival. So much so, I wondered if it was warranted. While sitting for the dress rehearsal, I realized immediately that Andersen was a master storyteller with a triumphant story to tell. His words are powerful.... Read »
