28 December 2022
Columbia’s year in theater can best be subtitled “The Return. ” It delivered a return to full-time procedure following two years of spotty shutdowns, for some a return in order to former glory and dominance, and for others a return in order to core principles and objective. It’s hard to think of the 50+ year-old nonprofit which has produced hundreds of successful displays as an underdog, but Class Theatre has held that will status for a while now, working without a permanent home, plus presenting excellent but underattended shows. This year the theatre formalized their partnership along with Columbia College, effectively being a theater company in home at the school’s under-utilized Cottingham Theatre. A dynamic rebirth of the musical “The Colour Purple” in the winter led to the nearly sold-out run, which in turn sparked ticket product sales for a diverse year associated with feel-good musical comedies plus hard-hitting dramas. Trustus Theater, the Midlands‘ longest-running expert theater company, was founded simply by two former teachers, Kay and Jim Thigpen. Over time of staff turnover, management has now returned to another set of teachers, former high school instructor Jessica Fichter and present college professor Dewey Scott-Wiley as executive and creative Directors respectively. Founder John Thigpen once observed which he could run “The Rugged Horror Show” all year long promote out every show, as well as this past fall’s revival from the campy horror-comedy sold over 100% of its seats (thanks to some standing-room only tickets), enabling the theater’s ongoing mission to present edgy, dangerous, and lesser-known material that will addresses social issues plus social justice.
Events Work schedule
For the Columbia Children’s Theater, the retirement of professional director Larry Hembree, the acknowledgement as the 2022 Theater of Distinction by the Sc Theatre Association, and the possible redevelopment of the organization’s house base in Richland Shopping mall were only a few of the illustrates for the it this year. The particular children’s theatre continued the recent surge in recognition, appearing in bigger plus bigger spaces, from senior high school auditoriums in under-served areas of town to name-brand industrial venues. Professional actors carried out plays for children, whilst young performers acted within full-length Broadway hits, as well as the crowds seemingly always arrived, no matter what. Traditional community theatre also continued to grow, with downtown’s Town Theater, Lexington‘s Village Square Theater, the Arts Center associated with Kershaw County and the Chapin Theatre Company all in action. Town named brand new technical and youth company directors, while Chapin’s organization finished the renovation of its brand new space, which will host shows in 2023. Indie groupings such as WOW (Walking upon Water) Productions, Broadway Bound’s Vista Theatre Project, the particular nomadic NiA Company plus West Columbia’s On Stage Shows also reasserted their creative presence with shows this season, but in November, On Stage originator Robert Harrelson announced the particular theater’s relocation to Myrtle Beach. Harrelson has taking place his original works off-Broadway and around the Midlands, and has aimed memorable productions of “Little Shop of Horrors” plus “Second Samuel” in recent years, yet his greatest legacy to help local theatrics may be the entertainers whom he mentored. Town’s new Youth Director Brian LaTorre, and Likely Story Production co-founders Ivy Munnerlyn and also Cameron Eubanks — the particular duo responsible for the head-banging, outdoor extravaganza “Rock from Ages” held in Lexington’s Cool House Amphitheater in 2021 and 2022 — are just three of a host from entertainers who rose with the ranks of Harrelson’s young ones productions and, as youngsters, are now beginning to assert their particular creativity and talent.
Live performance and Music News
Most effective revival of a modern typical: “Death of a Salesman” in Workshop Theatre. Leads Robert Kaufmann and Libby Campbell-Turner, as Willy Loman not to mention wife Linda, ripped opened the threadbare fabric from the American dream as they questioned our value system, not to mention broke our hearts. Very best vocals: “Jekyll & Hyde – the Musical” by Town Theatre. Solid masculine vocals are often missing coming from ensembles at the local levels; here deep rich baritones and bassos complemented this dark material, while the conducts — Billy Bishop to be the titular doctor and (at the performance I saw) Cortlin Collins and Ashley Alvarado as the women in the life gave poignance for you to potentially turgid material. Very best traditional Shakespeare: “Romeo together with Juliet” at the University for South Carolina. Swords clashed, star-crossed lovers died, and appealing sets and costumes surprised the eye. First-rate entertainment of which honored the beauty of the beautifully constructed wording and captured the thrill on the plot. Most gratifying design: Non-traditional Shakespeare. Members right from several local troupes rested alongside visiting actors to form “Shakespeare in the Raw, ” offering a no-frills, ad hoc operation of “Two Gentlemen connected with Verona” in a church fellowship hall. The South Carolina William shakespeare Company performed “Much Hassle About Nothing” outdoors found at new venues including the To the west Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheater as well as gardens of several important homes. And USC published a an outdoor rendition regarding “A Midsummer Night’s Ideal, ” featuring talented undergraduates flexing their comedic tendons on a fanciful new compact replica of Shakespeare’s Planet Theatre, dubbed the Happening Stage.
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