Stories of Dislocation  |  September 26 - October 6, 2019

An Original Slow Tempo Work by Robyn Hunt
Center for Performance Experiment

Professor Robyn Hunt's slow tempo theatre work utilizes transcripts from immigrants and refugees to inspire patterns of migration and interaction between travelers, between strangers, on a road from somewhere in the past toward something ahead. The company will perform in two very different movements: one speaking, in which the actors will offer up stories and experiences of people they have interviewed, and the other in silence, moving gently and precisely in slow tempo toward the unknown, toward the next thing, possibly deliverance.

Much Ado About Nothing  |  October 25 - November 9, 2019

Written by William Shakespeare
Longstreet Theatre

New Main Stage Schedule:
Performances are on Thursday - Sunday over 3 weekends!

Love, deception, and sharp-tongued wit take the stage in Shakespeare's beloved comedy!  The noble Don Pedro has his mind set on bringing together two romantic couples -- the smitten Claudio and Hero, and the constantly bickering Benedick and Beatrice.   His matchmaking efforts are foiled, however, by the scheming of the jealous, conniving Don John. 

MFA Solo Shows  |  November 15-17, 2019

Created and Performed by 2nd-Year MFA Actors
Center for Performance Experiment

Our 2nd-year MFA Acting candidates will present solo plays, which each has written and directed.  Join us for a special performance of diverse, original works!

I and You  |  November 20-23, 2019

Written by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by David Neil Edwards
Lab Theatre

One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I and You is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness.    2014 recipient of the American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award.

Eurydice  |  February 7-22, 2020

Written by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Lindsay Rae Taylor
Longstreet Theatre

New Main Stage Schedule:
Performances are on Thursday - Sunday over 3 weekends!

Playwright Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine in this critically-acclaimed play. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, Eurydice is a fresh look at a timeless love story.  2003 recipient of the Whiting Award for Drama.

Of Mice and Men  |  February 29 - March 3, 2020

Written by John Steinbeck
Directed by David Britt
Lab Theatre

Two drifters, George and his friend Lennie have just arrived at a ranch to work for enough money to buy their own place. Lennie is a man-child, whose obsessions with things soft and cuddly have made George cautious about who the gentle giant associates with. His promise to allow Lennie to "tend to the rabbits" on their future land keeps Lennie calm, amidst distractions, as the overgrown child needs constant reassurance. But when a ranch boss' promiscuous wife is found dead in the barn with a broken neck, it's obvious that Lennie, albeit accidentally, killed her. Realizing they can't run away anymore, George is faced with a moral question: How should he deal with Lennie before the ranchers find him and take matters into their own hands?

Black Snow  |  March 19-28, 2020

Written by Mikhail Bulgakov
Adapted by Keith Reddin
Directed by Steven Pearson
Center for Performance Experiment

Based on Mikhail Bulgakov's 1936 novel, Black Snow is a semi-autobiographical account of Bulgakov's experience with the Moscow Art Theatre, headed in part by influential director Konstantin Stanislavski, whose acting technique has gone on to be a foundation of modern, western approaches to the art.  In the fictional account, a writer named Sergei Maxudov is persuaded to submit his novel to the "Independent Theatre" to have it adapted for the stage, and he quickly finds himself and his creation subject to the whims of the theatre's figureheads. Censored for its criticism of the Soviet government, the original novel didn't actually see publication until 1967, more than twenty-five years after Bulgakov's death.

Amadeus  |  April 3-18, 2020

Written by Peter Shaffer
Director TBA
Drayton Hall Theatre

New Main Stage Schedule:
Performances are on Thursday - Sunday over 3 weekends!

In the court of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, Antonio Salieri is the established composer. Enter the greatest musical genius of all time: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri has given himself to God so that he might realize his sole ambition, to be a great composer. Mozart is a foul-mouthed, graceless oaf who has that which is beyond Salieri’s envious grasp: Genius.  Tony® Award winner for Best Play, 1981.

God of Carnage  |  April 22-25, 2020

Written by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Nick Good
Lab Theatre

A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters.  Tony® Award winner for Best Play, 2009.

A Midsummer Night's Dream  |  May 19-30, 2020

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Robert Richmond
Performed on our brand new outdoor stage!

Bring the whole family to enjoy the ultimate summertime fantasy as The Bard intended -- under the stars! This May, we'll debut our new outdoor stage inspired by Shakespeare's own Globe Theatre. Made possible in part by a grant from the UofSC Excellence Initiative, this portable venue will bring the uniquely communal environment of the Globe into the 21st century and provide our audiences with memorable outdoor theatre experiences for years to come. A Midsummer Night's Dream weaves together the stories of four young lovers and a group of roaming actors, who wander through an enchanted forest and find themselves entangled by the mischievous whims of a band of powerful fairies.  A timeless tale of magic, mix-ups, and mayhem, this Shakespeare classic reminds us all just "what fools these mortals be!"