The South Carolina Theatre Association, based in Lexington, breaks theater in the state into five distinct categories. These include Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, College and University, Secondary Schools, and Children's Theatre. Thanks to such a wide range of theatrical exploits, visitors have the opportunity to experience a wide range of theatrical performances.
Lowcountry Theater
For high-density theatrical entertainment, the coastal areas, particularly Charleston, cannot be beat. Charleston boasts several theatrical groups and maintains an active calendar of current productions by month.
Charleston offers first and foremost, the Dock Street Theatre, home to the Charleston Stage Company. A nationally recognized professional Equity theater, this company stages productions at the Dock Street Theatre, the Sottile Theatre, and the American Theatre. Their full season repertoire includes a commitment to new works, showcasing world-class productions.
Several other notable theater groups operate in the Charleston area. The Village Playhouse in Mt. Pleasant produces a full season lineup of drama, comedy, and musicals. The Company Company, on the other hand, specializes in musicals. Another premier theatrical group, Art Forms and Theatre Concepts, is the foremost African-American theater group in the Lowcountry. PURE Theatre, housed in the Cigar Factory on East Bay Street, produces contemporary theater.
Each summer, Charleston hosts the world famous Spoleto Festival. The festival showcases performing artists from around the world in the genres of opera, musical theater, theater, dance, and music. This 17 day festival presents hundreds of performances in venues across the city. Piccolo Spoleto, held in conjunction with the main festival, showcases regional artists.
For community theater, the Footlight Players are the cornerstone, as the oldest continually producing theater group in Charleston. In addition to a regular season, the company produces a late-night season filled with edgier shows rather than mainstream fare. Additionally, the College of Charleston Department of Theatre produces a full season of quality entertainment. Hilton Head has its own theater, plus the South Carolina Repertory Company and the Seahawk Theatre Guild, a production of Hilton Head High School's Drama department.
Beaufort offers the Sea Island Dinner Theatre, for those who enjoy a meal with their entertainment. Myrtle Beach carries a lineup of more commercial theatrical entertainment, including Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, Medieval Times, Le Grande Cirque, and the Legends in Concert Show. For more traditional stage performances in the area, the Grand Strand Players Community Theatre in Myrtle Beach produces classic American plays, among others. A few miles down the road from Myrtle Beach, you'll find the Murrells Inlet Community Theatre.
While most theater companies are based in a home city, one theatrical group in the state considers the road its home. The Actors Theatre of South Carolina, a professional Equity theater, is a touring company with a film division. They have performed all over the state, including at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston. Headquartered in Folly Beach, the company offers classes and a variety of theatrical fare in venues statewide.
Upcountry and the Midlands
South Carolina's upcountry region stages plenty of locally produced theater. Community theater groups thrive in Chester, Greenwood, Easley, Rock Hill, Summerville, Winnsboro, and other towns throughout the area. In particular, the Anderson area presents quite a variety. Their offerings include the Electric City Playhouse and the Anderson Senior Follies, with youth theater presented by CYT Anderson, Christian Youth Theatre.
Visitors to the Newberry area often have a wide range of productions from which to choose. The Newberry Opera House serves as the home of the South Carolina Opera Company, which produces operatic favorites such as La Boheme and The Pirates of Penzance. In addition, the Newberry Opera House hosts many visiting productions, including a Broadway Series, music, dance, and a family series.
In Spartanburg, community theater takes center stage. The Spartanburg Repertory Company produces opera and musical theater, while the Spartanburg Little Theatre puts on more traditional shows and a summer season. The Spartanburg Youth Theatre, sponsored by the Little Theatre, produces four shows per season with local youth.
Greenville offers community theater at the Greenville Little Theater and the South Carolina Children's Theatre. It's also home to one of the few professional theaters in the area, a regional Equity theater called The Warehouse Theatre. In addition to a varied main stage season, The Warehouse produces the Upstate Shakespeare Festival in Greenville each summer. The festival is a mixture of professionals and theater students, and it's free to the public.
Clemson has a thriving theatrical scene anchored by the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University. The main theater seats 1,000 patrons, and the center also has a black box theater. The center hosts touring Broadway productions, family entertainment, musical productions, and Clemson student productions, including new plays. The Clemson area is also home to two community theaters. In nearby Pendleton, the Clemson Little Theatre operates from a restored old movie theater, the Pendleton Playhouse. The Oconee Community Theatre puts on shows in Seneca.
For upcountry theatrical fare, however, Columbia has the largest arts scene with a group of vital professional and local theaters. Community theater is represented by the Town Theatre, the Chapin Community Theatre, The Village Square Theatre, the Wingit Theatre, and the Workshop Theatre. For children and families, the Columbia Children's Theatre and the Columbia Marionette Theatre offer a variety of shows.
Professional theaters raise their curtains in Columbia, too. The Patchwork Playhouse is a professional educational theater. It produces local shows and tours, as well as holding youth classes. The South Carolina Shakespeare Company, comprised of classically trained actors, produces a main stage season of Shakespeare in Columbia's city parks. It also tours to universities and high schools, holds a youth summer camp, and has performed at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. The Trustus Theatre serves as the flagship local professional theater, with a series of contemporary plays and one of the longest-running playwrights' festivals in the country.
South Carolina produces a plethora of theatrical entertainment, ranging from commercial theater in tourist areas to renowned regional professional theater, plus a large group of community theaters. With its extremely vital theatrical community, visitors to South Carolina will find plenty of enjoyable productions waiting in the wings year-round.
