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North Charleston to present Juneteenth theatre production next week

The North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is set to host a special theatre performance in recognition of Juneteenth in North Charleston on Saturday, June 18, with "When I First Remember" presented by Lady in White Productions.

This original ensemble production is an interactive, storytelling journey full of song, dance, and dialogue appropriate for all ages. The play portrays the passage of African slaves to the Lowcountry and provides a unique and authentic insight into the Gullah Geechee and African American culture. Tickets are on sale via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/when-i-first-remember-juneteenth-event-north-charleston-cultural-arts-tickets-291785015837. Written by Queen Atterberry and directed by Samelia Adams, "When I First Remember" has been described as educational, poignant, and engaging. The cast features Nina Reinaldo, Rose Eunice Atterberry, Duane Branch, and Samelia Adams. Viewers will witness how enslaved Africans survived, adjusted, and adapted to a foreign environment and harsh circumstances, creating a new culture and identity in the Americas. Audience members will also learn about the origin and significance of the Juneteenth holiday. "When I First Remember" will be presented at Centerpoint Church at Remount, located at 1520 Remount Rd. in North Charleston. The performance begins at 7 p.m. and is approximately 1.5 hours long. Tickets are $30 per person. Parking is free. To purchase tickets, order online. Cash will also be accepted at the door. For information on the performance, visit www.facebook.com/WhenIFirstRemember.
For information on other programs and events produced or sponsored by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, call 843.740.5854 or visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website, www.northcharleston.org.

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S.C. Arts Awards Spotlight Series: Darion McCloud

Governor's Award: Artist Category

As the day nears for the 2022 South Carolina Arts Awards, The Hub is focusing on this year's recipients: four receiving the South Carolina Governor's Awards for the Arts and three receiving the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, which are managed jointly by the South Carolina Arts Commission and McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.

Darion McCloud is an actor, director, storyteller, educator, arts activist, and children’s literature advocate from Columbia.

[caption id="attachment_50263" align="alignright" width="350"] Darion McCloud (left) received his Governor's Award from SCAC Executive Director David Platts on May 19, 2022. Click image to enlarge. SCAC photo.[/caption] He is also the founder and creative director both of NiA Theatre Company and Story Squad. McCloud is a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow and the 2019 recipient of the Theatre Artist of the Year Award from The Jasper Project. Awards from the University of South Carolina include the Andrew Billingsley Award and the Literacy Leader Award – further recognitions of his work. McCloud is a formally trained visual artist with a bachelor’s in art studio from the University of South Carolina. He found his way to the stage via telling stories and stayed, acting and teaching there for more than 20 years. He enjoys crafting theatre, storytelling, and art experiences for the old and young, the initiated and the un-initiated in environments as varied as classrooms, corporate settings, libraries, and even campfires. Theatres, certainly, are places where McCloud makes art; he is a company member for Columbia-based Trustus Theatre and the South Carolina Shakespeare Company. He collaborated in projects with Benedict College, Francis Marion University, the University of South Carolina, and school districts in Kershaw and Richland counties in the education space. Work in the humanities has taken him to the Charleston Public, Richland, and South Carolina State libraries as well as Historic Columbia. He has further arts sector work with the Mint Museum in Charlotte, Piccolo Spoleto and with the Columbia Museum of Art, Kershaw County Fine Arts Center, and South Carolina Philharmonic closer to home. He even fit in work with the UofSC athletics department’s “Pigskin Poets” initiative. McCloud considers himself as having committed his life to the transforming power of art.
The South Carolina Arts Awards are coming live to SCETV on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 9 p.m. ET. South Carolina ETV, the state’s public educational broadcasting network, will broadcast the awards ceremony through its 11-station TV network that spans the state. Viewers can access the broadcast via livestream on the homepage of SCETV.org; by using a digital antenna; or through cable, satellite, and streaming live TV providers. Further information about accessing SCETV is available here.

Jason Rapp

Teaching artist opportunities open in drama, dance

Spring/summer residencies to inspire tomorrow’s readers through drama

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, May 15, 2022 The South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts is interviewing experienced theatre teaching artists immediately for spring and summer residencies. Experience with elementary aged students required. Curriculum provided with room for personalization by each artist, focusing on encouraging students to find joy in reading. (Ed. note: this is a slightly different offering than The Hub brought you last month.) Spark! is an SCGSAH regional outreach program that seeks to support Read to Succeed and reading improvement efforts at Palmetto Literacy Project schools statewide through the effective use of elementary level drama strategies. Spring sites are two days per week for four to eight weeks; Summer sites are M-Th assignments for two to five weeks. All residencies are with the same sites and groups of students for the duration. These teaching artist opportunities offer generous professional day rate, full or half days, and travel compensation/lodging per diem for distanced assignments. Opportunities will continue for the life of the three year Arts Grow SC partnership grant. There will be fully paid training days prior to first residency to ensure consistency in the field and strengthen our research meeting to drama and literacy. Strengthen your application by including work samples of elementary workshop outlines or child oriented lesson plans of your own. South Carolina teacher certification is not required. Sites will be located in some of the following counties: Darlington, Dillon, Fairfield, Florence, Greenwood, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Richland, Saluda, Williamsburg. Apply immediately through May 15. Interested teaching artists are invited to submit a resume and cover letter to Melanie Trimble, SCGSAH Spark! grant director, at melanietrimble@scgsah.org.

Culturally Responsive Dance Pedagogy learning from UofSC Theatre and Dance

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, March 27, 2022 CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE DANCE PEDAGOGY: New Understandings of Culture, Context, and Social Responsibility JUNE 20-24, 2022 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
  • Learn how to integrate culturally relevant practices in the K-12 dance classroom
  • Network and learn with other K-12 dance educators from across South Carolina and beyond
  • Move and collaborate with others in UofSC’s spacious, state-of-the-art dance studios
  • Develop lesson plans to implement in your classroom
  • Acquire FREE curriculum resources and teaching tools
That's right: this is a free professional development opportunity for K-12 dance educators in South Carolina, and beyond, with housing provided for all participants. Dance practices and learning opportunities include:
  • Dance traditions of the African diaspora
  • Global dance practices
  • Improvisation/composition
  • Ballet
  • Somatic exploration
  • Connecting theory and practice
  • Large- and small-group discussions
  • Reflection and application of knowledge
Facilitated by Stephanie Milling, Jessica Moore, Meredith Sims and Gabrielle Tull. For more information, contact Stephanie Milling: smilling@mailbox.sc.edu. First priority will be given to South Carolina residents with opportunities for out-of-state residents as availability allows. This professional development opportunity is being funded by an ASPIRE Racial Equity and Justice Grant funded through the Offices of the Vice President of Research and the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of South Carolina.

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Trustus Theatre conducting search for new executive director

Trustus Theatre is searching for a new executive director.

The executive director will serve as the chief operating officer responsible for managing the human and financial resources of Trustus Theatre according to the policies, strategic direction and mission formulated by the board of directors. He or she will provide direct oversight of all financial, operations, resource development and public relations objectives. The executive director will report to the Board of Directors through the Board President and will advise the Board on all matters that may be of benefit in achieving the theatre’s objectives.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and manage the operations of a creative nonprofit organization that seeks to enrich the lives and deepen the experiences of artists and patrons.

The successful candidate will possess the following leadership competencies:
  • Demonstrated successful fundraising expertise. It is critical for the future of Trustus Theatre that funding be secure. The executive director must have the ability to establish and strengthen community relationships, cultivate new sources of revenue, lead fund solicitation to include grant and proposal writing, secure program and season sponsors, and assure donor stewardship. Grant management experience is also necessary.
  • Strong community engagement and collaboration skills. The executive director must be a good listener, strategist and collaborator. He or she will be able to engage with long standing stakeholders and also build relationships with a wider group to build strong connections that are mutually beneficial to Trustus Theatre and the community. Able to build strong community and civic leader relations to leverage good will and financial support. Relates well to people of diverse backgrounds and exhibits genuinely warm and approachable behavior.
  • Strategic thinker with visionary leadership. The executive director will be a strategic thinker, able to engage Trustus Theatre staff and board in a strategic, thoughtful process of growth. The executive director will inspire confidence and provide leadership and vision to ensure a promising future for Trustus Theatre. He or she will demonstrate honesty, sincerity and respect for individuals while modeling organizational values, inspiring trust in and from others.
  • Personnel and financial management. The executive director will be an experienced and effective manager of people. He or she will be able to build an effective staff team working together toward a common vision. The executive director will have the ability to engage, manage, motivate and unite staff around common goals and strategies, and to drive teamwork and results across functions and work groups. He or she will have strong financial acumen and demonstrate fiduciary responsibility, ensuring generally accepted accounting principles are continually adhered to and related to all budget and financial matters.
The successful candidate will have experience working in a leadership management role, with preference given to experience with a theatrical or other creative arts organization. Specific qualifications also include:
  • Proven business acumen, with a track record of effective management and budgeting.
  • Bachelor’s degree in a related and appropriate discipline and a minimum of five years’ experience, with at least three (3) in a leadership role.
  • Must be able to work a flexible schedule.
  • Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, Google Suite and Slack.
Trustus Theatre is an equal opportunity employer. Interested applicants should submit their resume (cover letter optional) and salary requirements to the Search Committee by emailing trustus@trustus.org.
Trustus Theatre was opened in 1985 by Kay and Jim Thigpen. For 35 years Trustus Theatre has given talented and visionary theatre artists a home where they can be innovative and creative. It has also been home to adventurous theatre-goers who seek out contemporary stories and feel at home as members of a vibrant, cohesive community. Located in the Congaree Vista in Columbia, the theatre boasts two performing venues with the Thigpen Main Stage seating 132, and the Trustus Side Door Theatre seating 50. The underlying principle of Trustus has always been to bring the best of the newest and original plays to an audience craving professional theatre in a setting that is comfortable and unique. Success is measured by a commitment to collaboration and innovation, while impact is measured by the creation of a more diverse and vibrant Columbia.

Jason Rapp

College of Charleston posts two theatre jobs

Assistant Professor of Theatre - Lighting Design

  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 30, 2021
College of Charleston is accepting applications for a full-time, tenure-track appointment in the Department of Theatre and Dance, beginning August 16, 2021. The Department of Theatre and Dance is NAST accredited, offering BA and MAT degrees in Theatre and a BA in Dance. Seeking a candidate to teach electrics, CAD, design fundamentals, and advanced lighting design. Secondary areas are open, but may include Production/Stage Management, Video Design/Production, or Sound Design/Engineering. Candidate may teach introductory theatre and General Education courses. Online teaching experience is desired.

Qualifications

  • MFA in Lighting Design or Theatre Production by August 15, 2021;
  • Professional theatre experience theatre;
  • Undergraduate teaching experience preferred.

Full-time Instructor of Theatre, Non-Tenure-Track

  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 30, 2021
College of Charleston is accepting applications for nine-month, renewable, non-tenure track appointment in the Department of Theatre and Dance, contract beginning August 16, 2021. The Department of Theatre and Dance is NAST accredited, offering BA and MAT degrees in Theatre and a BA in Dance. Seeking a theatre generalist to teach introductory classes to majors and non-majors. Secondary areas of expertise are open, but may include Stage Management, Sound Design, Performance, or other. Aptitude and passion for online teaching is desirable.

Qualifications

  • MA, MFA or PhD required by August 15, 2021;
  • Professional experience in theatre;
  • Prior undergraduate teaching experience strongly preferred.
Apply at jobs.cofc.edu by using the links above. Questions regarding the position can be directed to Janine McCabe, department chair, at mccabej@cofc.edu. The College is located in historic downtown Charleston. Additional information about the institution and area available at www.cofc.edu. The College of Charleston is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or disability.

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2020 College of Charleston theatre grad wins national award. Again.

[caption id="attachment_45697" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Noah Ezell headshot Noah Ezell.[/caption]

Recent College of Charleston alumnus Noah Ezell (2020) had completely forgotten about the award.

He’d entered his submission way back in January and, to be fair, there have been some major distractions since then. So, when he recently learned he’d won the 2020 national Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Undergraduate Theater Scholar Award, it was a welcome surprise—one the College of Charleston theatre major really needed. “This award reaffirmed for me something that felt a little more distant than it did in early March. I needed that reminder that this field is my home, that this is what I was designed to do,” Ezell said. His winning paper, “Metamodernism of the Oppressed: An Exploration of Metamodernism and Its Surfacing in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins ‘An Octoroon,’” was derived from his senior thesis paper. The KCACTF is a national theater program serving as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the U.S. In order to further student activity in the discipline of scholarship, the prestigious national awards program encourages and rewards research and scholarly writing among undergraduates throughout the nation. But this isn’t Ezell’s first national KCACTF award. Last year, he received the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA)/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award for his work on the college’s production of Marisol by José Rivera. “It was through the LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award that I made a network of artistic connections, and I was able to intern at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, one of the leading new play development centers in America,” Ezell said. “From there it’s just been a sort of spiral as my networks of connections and collaborators have grown, and my love for new plays and new play dramaturgy has expanded.”
  Since graduating in May, Ezell has stayed busy with several projects, carving out a place for himself in the professional theater world, one that has all but come to a standstill since the coronavirus pandemic. “Even though things aren’t what I thought they would be, I’m getting to create art with my friends, and that’s really soul filling for me,” says Ezell, who is currently serving as a dramaturg for a friend’s new play about queer bodies and trauma as well as a script reader for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, among other things. “I’m lucky that in the midst of all this I am still able to connect theatrically in all these different ways.” Ezell hopes to have a career both in new play development theater and, later, in academia. “Ultimately I am both an artist and an academic, which is why I love dramaturgy so much. It melds those two worlds in a very beautiful way,” he said. “At the core, though, I really just want to fully support myself with my art and help make art that is socially conscious, lifts up the voices of underrepresented groups and makes a difference in the world.”

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Virginia theatre makes call for Black playwrights

Barter Theatre, in Abingdon, Virginia, is located in the southwest corner of the commonwealth, in the heart of Appalachia.

One of Barter's core beliefs is service to our audience, and to that end, back in 2000, we created the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (AFPP). The AFPP solicits plays that are either set in Appalachia, or plays from playwrights who live in Appalachia (as defined by this A.R.C. link). Over the years we have not received many plays about the Black experience in Appalachia, and in an effort to address this, we have created our Black in Appalachia Initiative - a plan to actively seek out plays by Black Appalachian playwrights. Here's the link to information about the Festival: https://bartertheatre.com/playwriting-festivals/#AFPP

The AFPP Process

Plays are submitted to Barter and read blind. A panel picks the top 12, and from there another panel picks the top 6 or 7. At our festival in January, the plays are read in front of an audience by Barter's resident acting company, a panel gives feedback, the audience gives feedback, and one or two of the plays are chosen for further development - either another reading, or often a place in a future Barter season. For our Black in Appalachia Initiative, we are dedicating at LEAST one slot in the Festival to Black Appalachian playwrights, but we'd love it if there were even more.

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Unified auditions coming for Upstate actors

Registration deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019

Be seen by casting directors for Upstate theatres

Brought to you by the South Carolina Theatre Association
  • Actors should prepare a 60 second monologue
    • Must be from a published play
    • Must be memorized
    • No costumes, please
  • Musical theatre actors should prepare 90 seconds of monologue and song
    • Must be from a published play or musical
    • Must be memorized
    • Must provide your own sheet music (we will provide the accompanist)
    • You can use the 90 seconds however you wish (all song, or song and monologue)
  • Technicians should prepare a presentation of their work.
    • Must bring your portfolio
    • May bring any examples.
    • You and your portfolio will be posted in a room for the casting directors to come visit and chat with you during their lunch break.
  • All auditionees including technicians will be included in the e-book that will be provided to participating theatres.  Upon registration you will receive and email requesting you to submit your resume and headshot.  If technicians have an on-line portfolio they can submit that link as well.  No paper copies will be accepted.
  • Please note: the Upstate Unified Auditions are opens to theatre artists age 8 and up. (18 and older on 2/16; ages 8-17 on 2/17)
  • If you have questions or issues registering, please contact Anita Sleeman: asleeman@southcarolinatheatre.org.
Go here to register now!

Theatre thriving in South Carolina

Theatre seems to be jumping across The Hub's radar this week, and for good reason: it's thriving in South Carolina. We thought it was due for a spotlight piece, so take your seats as we begin.

Act I: PURE Theatre

Co-founder and Artistic Director Sharon Graci (right) is featured here in a brief video from LowcountryBizSC this morning. PURE, a professional contemporary theatre group, set records for new and returning audiences during its 15th anniversary last season, and this year gets a new venue: the Cannon Street Arts Center, where they will be anchor tenant. Graci was the S.C. Arts Commission's acting fellow in 2010/2011 and Rodney Lee Rogers, PURE's other co-founder, was the playwriting fellow the same year. (Coincidentally, the two are married. - Ed.) PURE receives an operating support grant from SCAC, and Rogers helps the commission administer Artists U in South Carolina – a training resource that facilitates artist development.

Act II: Screenwriting fellow bringing play to Columbia

Leasharn Hopkins, who received the SCAC screenwriting fellowship for 2017/2018, will bring a play she wrote and directs to Columbia. Love Me or Leave Me focuses on the effects of drug addiction, mental abuse, and domestic violence in three couples' romantic relationships. Look for it Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Tapp's Arts Center. Go here for ticket information.

Act III: Drama Lady Theatre Group

Based in the rural Pee Dee region of South Carolina (Marion County, to be exact), the Drama Lady Theatre Group premieres Ntozake Shange’s award winning play: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow is Enuf at the FMU Performing Arts Center in Downtown Florence on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Drama Lady Theatre Group is the brainchild of a collective of artists striving to use live theatrical performances to educate and promote wellness across diverse communities. The group received an FY19 Arts Education Project grant from SCAC.

Florence Little Theatre seeks Business Administrator

Florence Little Theatre is looking for its next business administrator. The position calls for a salaried, "at-will" employee working evenings and weekend hours during productions and classes. The person chosen for the position will have administrative and production responsibilities. A listing of those and instructions on how to apply can be found here. A deadline to apply was not given.

The Organization

Florence Little Theatre provides excellence in theatre entertainment and education in an environment of friendliness and mutual respect, which encourages community participation and support. Now in its 95th year, the Florence Little Theatre is more committed than ever to the pursuit of this mission, with a strategy to reach all segments of the community and to realize its full potential as a regional and educational resource for the theatre arts. FLT's Mission Statement • To provide excellence in live theatre entertainment • To reach out to the entire community, thereby, ensuring a diverse volunteer participation • To educate people of all ages in the skills of live theatre and encourage them to reach their full potential as they participate in productions • To introduce the youth in our local schools to the art of live theatre through our Children’s Theatre program • To provide the best professional and volunteer leadership at all levels of the theatre’s operation • To maintain good stewardship of finances so that contributors and supporters can be assured of the financial integrity of the Theatre

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