Get out of the house, for the love of art
Maura's Three for the Week, 4/1-4/7
There is no culture to consume this week. That’s an April Fools’ Day prank no one in Charleston would fall for. As April gets going, a new batch of exhibitions, productions and more is unfolding for all to behold. Grab a plus-one to parse a play, sip and see at an art opening and more.
Editor’s note: Get ready for Culture South’s ramp up—with think pieces, reviews and more coming from me and other culturati committed to keeping the arts front-and-center in the South. Be sure to pass them along —and let’s keep the conversation lively and artful.
Have a laugh with a pair of off-the-rails women
Cannon Street Arts Center, 34 Cannon St. in downtown Charleston, April 4 - 27
Know any women on the verge? Playwright Jen Silverman’s The Roommate is a dark comedy sure to up the funny, via Pure Theatre’s new production directed by Nakeisha Daniel. Sharon (Joy Vandervort Cobb), in her mid-fifties, is recently divorced and needs a roommate to share her Iowa home. Robyn (Sharon Graci), also in her mid-fifties, needs a place to hide and a chance to start over. But as Sharon begins to uncover Robyn’s secrets, they encourage her own deep-seated desire to transform her life completely.
Culture South Exclusive: Culture South subscribers can take 5% off tickets with promo code CS.
Pro-tip: “Pay What You Will” performances are on April 4 and 10, and $10 student tickets are available for every performance.
For tickets, visit puretheatre.org.
Toast two probing, textile-rich shows at The Halsey
The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, 161 Calhoun St. in downtown Charleston. Opening reception is April 5, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.; shows run through July 20.
The Halsey brings on the spring with the opening of two exhibitions. Elisa Harkins: Teach Me a Song and Spandita Malik: Meshes of Resistance.
Spandita Malik photographs women from her home country of India who are victims of domestic and gender-based violence. Printing the images on regional fabric, and the women then embroider their portraits as they choose. Malik will give an artist talk on April 6 at 2 p.m.
Elisa Harkins is a Cherokee/Muscogee visual artist and musician. Her project, Teach Me a Song, documents nine songs sung in Indigenous languages, transcribing the songs into Western musical notation for the first time, making a video, and creating handmade shawls that honor the songs. She’ll give an artist talk on June 1 at 2 p.m. in advance of her Spoleto Festival performances.
For more information, visit halsey.cofc.edu.
Celebrate 20 years of South of Broadway in a double-header weekend
3346 Rivers Avenue, 1A, North Charleston, April 6 and 7
Join South of Broadway in a drama-infused double-header of a weekend that celebrates 20 years of producing live theatre in Charleston.
On April 6 at 7 p.m., Soulmates: Friends & Lovers stars South of Broadway’s founding artistic director, Mary Gould, and musical collaborator William (Bill) Lewis in a lighthearted look at what it means to be a soulmate through their own 25-plus-years partnership.
For tickets, visit https://charleston.boldtypetickets.com/events/150662439/soulmates-friends-and-lovers.
On April 7 at 5 p.m., the company welcomes back alumnus Matt Shingledecker, whose Broadway credits include “Spring Awakening,” “Wicked,” “Rent” and “West Side Story.” The showcase will feature staff, youth production alumni and young performers from the company’s newest educational initiative, The Magical Theatre Academy.
To register for this free performance, contact Mary@SouthofBroadway.com for the required reservation number.
For more information, visit SouthOfBroadway.com.
Bonus: Spoleto is offering a chance at free access for non-profits
Spoleto Festival USA is now accepting applications for the 2024 Open Stage Door program. Through this community engagement initiative, Spoleto distributes complimentary tickets to laudable Charleston nonprofit organizations and their constituents.
Applications are now open at spoletousa.org.