We’re proud to support those who dream of a brighter tomorrow through the performing arts.
We’re proud to support those who dream of a brighter tomorrow through the performing arts.
who dream of a brighter tomorrow through the performing arts.
I invite you to join us in celebrating 45 years of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Charleston’s annual celebration of our local arts community. Produced by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, Piccolo Spoleto is the longstanding complement to the world renowned Spoleto Festival USA. Each season, the festival brings together a varied line-up of exhibitions, performances, educational programs, and culturally inspired fun that encourages us all to come together and experience something truly exceptional.
Piccolo Spoleto strives to offer something for everyone over the course of 17 days and nights, bringing the arts to life in our galleries and theatres, historic houses of worship, public plazas, courtyards and gardens, and, of course, the City’s beloved and beautiful parks. It is a Charleston tradition that endures and grows richer with each new season.
As we mark this milestone year, we are excited by many of our festival traditions, from our curtain raising Sunset Serenade concert with the Charleston Symphony at the US Custom House, to the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition at Marion Square. Equally, we welcome new offerings like our Piccolo on King block party and an ever-expanding roster of pop-up events and exhibitions. Piccolo Spoleto exists in a constant state of reinvention, and each season is a reflection of both grand aspirations and small gestures. I hope you will relish everything the festival has to offer.
The arts have demonstrated remarkable resolve and resilience in recent years and we salute Charleston’s artists and audiences alike for their commitment to cultural vibrancy. Piccolo Spoleto is a direct reflection of the
dedication and generosity of artists and arts enthusiasts throughout our community, and I want to acknowledge all of the outstanding artists and appreciative audience members who will make the 2023 Piccolo Spoleto Festival an resounding success. I also want to thank the staff of the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs and the team of dedicated community volunteers and arts leaders who bring Piccolo Spoleto to life. Enjoy every minute of our long-playing Piccolo Spoleto Festival as it continues to spin 45 years on, proudly ablare with unbridled creativity, artistic excellence, and an infectious groove. It is always such an amazing time of the year in Charleston as music, joy, and laughter spill out beyond our concert halls and auditoriums, transforming our city with artistry, whimsy and fun. Please be sure to join us, and bring along your family, friends and neighbors. I look forward to seeing you all at Piccolo Spoleto.
John J. Tecklenburg Mayor
The Piccolo Spoleto Festival annually presents a varied program that includes visual arts exhibitions, performances of classical music, jazz, dance, theater and choral music, as well as cultural events and community celebrations, poetry readings, children’s activities, craft shows and film screenings.
Piccolo Spoleto prioritizes accessibility for both artists and performers, presenting professional work of the highest standard, while ensuring that nearly half of Piccolo’s events are admission-free, with the balance offered at affordable prices.
In addition to the Festival’s visual arts, artisan crafts exhibitions and public art installations, performances are being planned for outdoor settings in Charleston’s parks. Events are scheduled for the City’s larger parks in formats that accommodate social distancing and smaller neighborhood pop-up events will be announced the week of the event to ensure that the weather will accommodate the performance.
Piccolo Spoleto was launched in 1979 by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, which continues to work closely with an engaged group of volunteers from the Charleston arts community. The working group of arts professionals who serve as volunteer program coordinators for the festival now numbers nearly 40 with each specializing in a particular discipline, genre or period.
Applications for the 2024 Piccolo Spoleto Festival will be available online in the autumn at PiccoloSpoleto.com
For more information, call the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs at (843) 724-7305 or email CulturalAffairs@charleston-sc.gov.
CITY OF CHARLESTON
John J. Tecklenburg Mayor
CITY COUNCIL
Boyd Gregg District 1
Kevin Shealy District 2
Jason Sakran District 3
Robert Mitchell District 4
Karl L. Brady Jr. District 5
William Dudley Gregorie District 6
Perry K. Waring District 7
Michael S. Seekings District 8
OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
Scott Watson Director
Mindy Manziano
Associate Producer of Piccolo Spoleto Festival
Harrison Chapman Farmers Market Manager
Basil Punsalan Outreach and Event Coordinator
Anne Quattlebaum City Gallery Manager
Virginia Clyburn Event Planner
A. Peter Shahid Jr. District 9
Stephen Bowden District 10
Ross A. Appel District 11
Caroline Parker District 12
Katie LaPorte Cultural Projects Coordinator
Ray Swagerty Production Manager
Rachel D. Workman Finance Manager
3 concerts spotlighting Charleston’s musical history
JUNE 3 & 10 AT 2pm
Charleston’s longest running musical production featuring gospel, Gershwin, jazz, Civil War songs and light classics.
SUNDAY, JUNE 4 AT 4pm
“Oh Happy Day” Gospel Music featuring the Bright Family Singers & Ensemble
with special guest, Ann Caldwell
By Chloe Hogan
The second half of Piccolo Spoleto 2023 offers more chances to engage with the work of creative Charlestonians, visiting artists, emerging playwrights, musicians and actors. Other events focus on community celebrations, such as a sandcastle sculpting competition on Isle of Palms and a free Pink Floyd-inspired finale event curated by local concert producer Zandrina Dunning.
“What we’re looking to do is create an inclusive and complete presentation of our community,” said Scott Watson, cultural affairs director for the city of Charleston.
The festival’s longest-running event exclusively devoted to fiction, Piccolo Fiction by Piccolo Spoleto and Blue Bicycle Books, allows local and South Carolina authors to read brief short stories. The event will be held in the courtyard beside the King Street bookstore, and, following tradition, each story will begin with the words “I ducked into the alley…”
Owner of Blue Bicycle Books, Jonathan Sanchez said the event is a great way for folks to engage with up and coming talent.
“I think we got a really good group this year,” he said. “I’m excited to meet Brittany Butler. She’s a little bit different in that she writes spy fiction. I’m also thrilled to have
Gervais Hagerty, who I’ve known for a really long time and wrote a great book that takes place in Charleston called In Polite Company.”
Piccolo Fiction is free and open to the public at Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St., 5 p.m. June 3.
This year’s featured authors:
• Brittany Butler is a former CIA targeting officer who recruited spies and dismantled terrorist networks abroad. Butler has worked to promote the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls. Her first novel is The Syndicate Spy, which tells the story of how female intelligence officers use their intellect and skills to bring peace to a war-torn region.
• Gervais Hagerty grew up in Charleston and spent time as a reporter and producer for local radio and TV. After earning her MBA at The Citadel, she taught communications to cadets. She published her first novel, In Polite Company in 2021. A new novel is on the way.
• Y-Danair Niehrah writes historical fiction, focusing on the stories of the Degar people (the indigenous tribes of Vietnam). He studied creative writing at the College of Charleston before pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts at Queens University of Charlotte.
• Sara Peck is the author of three books of poetry. She grew up in Greenville, attended the College of Charleston, received her master’s degree in fine arts from Columbia College Chicago and teaches writing at the University School of the Lowcountry.
For those interested in more of the art of spoken word, there’s the Sundown Poetry series, which this year will be held at Washington Square Park on Broad Street. Each reading starts at 6 p.m. with book signings to follow at Buxton Books around the corner.
The first poets to perform this year were William Lee Kinard III, Marlanda Dekine and Eugene Platt. It’s free to attend the upcoming poetry performances by these writers:
• Angelo Geter. June 2. Geter is an award-winning poet and teaching artist currently serving as the poet laureate of Rock Hill. Geter is a 2020 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, and a National Poetry Slam champion. His debut collection More God Than Dead was published in 2022.
• John Milkereit. June 6. Milkereit, now of Houston and formerly Charleston, has appeared in various literary journals including Panoply and The Ekphrastic Review. Lamar University Literary Press
recently published his third collection of poems entitled, A Place Comfortable with Fire.
• Kurtis Lamkin. June 7. Lamkin combines performing spoken word with playing the Kora, a stringed West African instrument. His poems have been published in many magazines and anthologies, and his latest recording, “Love Life,” can be found at kurtislamkin.com.
• Elizabeth Robin. June 8. Robin is a retired teacher and working poet on Hilton Head Island. She has three books with Finishing Line Press, most recently To My Dreamcatcher (2022). The 2021 Carrie McCray Nickens Fellowship winner, Robin emcees open mics and creates literary programs on Hilton Head.
• Long Table Poets. June 9. The group has met for 20 years to study and craft poems with teacher Richard Garcia, whose book of prose poems, Porridge, was selected by Poetry magazine’s editor as the best collection of 2015.
Piccolo celebrates the transition into summer with a loved festival tradition that takes place at the Isle of Palms front beach at 9 a.m., June 3, the Piccolo Spoleto Sand Sculpting Competition. Artists compete for prizes in different categories as they transform raw sand and water into beautiful works of art. Whether you’re a competitor or a spectator, this free event is fun for everyone.
For the finale event at Hampton Park, the cultural affairs office collaborated with local music organizer Zandrina Dunning, owner of concert production company The ZD Experience.
The June 10 Hampton Park Finale event is a Pink Floyd tribute in celebration of the 50th anniversary of its iconic album, The Dark Side of the Moon.
“When I was asked to do this, I was super-excited,” Dunning said, “So I immediately thought of just who could fill out this event and do it the right way.”
Johnny Mac will take on lead guitar and vocals with Scotty Friar, plus Tristan Sills on bass, Bill Nance on keys and OrganMaster Bank on saxophone. Also singing Floyd songs on stage are frequent guests on Dunning’s concert lineups; Zander Bowes of Columbia and soprano Javetta Campbell.
The concert starts at 5:30 p.m. with local indie group Admiral Radio on the Rose Pavilion Stage. At 7:45 p.m., a Pink Floyd tribute band called “Comfortably Pink” will take the main stage. Local light artist Lazer Catcher will provide hazy, colorful, Pink Floyd-inspired visuals. Dunning said folks should bring chairs
and blankets to enjoy this free, familyfriendly concert in the park.
“It’s a cool thing to be partnering with the city of Charleston on this level,” Dunning said. “Producing something kind of from the ground up; I’m super excited about that. [ZD Experience creative director] Stephen Washington and I are putting this thing together and we’re just so excited to make it happen.”
For the full lineup of Piccolo Spoleto events, visit piccolospoleto.com.
September 17 at 3PM
CHAMBER MUSIC WITH FRIENDS SOTTILE THEATRE
September 24 at 3PM
OVATION CONCERT SERIES DOCK STREET THEATRE
October 22 at 2 AND 4pm
SALON SERIES
SOUTH CAROLINA SOCIETY HALL
November 5 at 3PM
CHAMBER MUSIC WITH FRIENDS SOTTILE THEATRE
January 14 at 3PM
OVATION CONCERT SERIES DOCK STREET THEATRE
February 18 at 2 AND 4pm
SALON SERIES
SOUTH CAROLINA SOCIETY HALL
March 10 at 3PM
CHAMBER MUSIC WITH FRIENDS SOTTILE THEATRE
March 24 at 3PM
OVATION CONCERT SERIES
DOCK STREET THEATRE
April 7 at 2 and 4pm
SALON SERIES
SOUTH CAROLINA SOCIETY HALL
The last time Jim Loucks performed at Piccolo Spoleto was in 2017 with his oneman show The Biscuiteater, a show broadly based about his grandfather, centering around the day he shot someone in the line of duty as a police officer. Having to sit with that guilt that he felt after the shooting.
“Alongside that is the relationship with his young grandson who has a lot of selfesteem issues, and he’s coming from a kind of tough home environment.” Loucks said.
He’s now bringing his new solo show, Booger Red to Piccolo Spoleto. He said he feels excited and ready to perform at the Threshold Repertory Theater.
“I’m looking forward to it. I love Charleston,” Loucks said, “It’s such a great city.”
He said that he was supposed to perform back in 2020, but due to the pandemic that couldn’t happen. So he said he’s excited to come back now.
He now has written a new one-man show, Booger Red, which centers around his father.
The show is about analyzing the father’s “journey of coming out of the home environment and becoming a hellfire and brimstone Southern Baptist preacher,” Loucks said.
At the same time, it looks at the father’s
son, Loucks, who isn’t necessarily religious and what brings him to being a performer.
Loucks said his upbringing in south Georgia influenced his writing. He wants to bring humor mixed with sensitivity to the stage. He remembers putting on skits at a very young age and being heavily influenced by Bugs Bunny.
Now he’s performing solo shows, having to memorize 30 pages of script. Along with that he works with Shannon Moses on his singing and vocals, and pulls together a hour-long show.
He preps for his shows with his team, including his wife Deb. They have a theater in California called The Electric Lodge in which they create all of their shows. Loucks said he has a great support system to help make all of his shows happen.
as a “great director,” adding that they’ve worked together a long time.
She and Loucks met in 2014 at the Austin Fringe Festival.
“I told the curator of the Fringe Festival, I’m from Venice, California,” Chess said. “And I will probably go back there at some point. The curator said, ‘Oh, we have a couple that’s from Venice, California, and they’re here with their show, Deb and Jim Loucks.’ ”
Six months later, Loucks was developing The Biscuiteater and was looking for a director.
“So you know I said well, maybe I could see a piece of it and see if you like what I say during that meeting and if it seems like a match, maybe we will work together.”
Booger Red - 7 p.m. on June 2 and June 4; 6 p.m., June 3. Threshold Repertory Theater, 84½ Society St. Tickets are $15 and available at CityPaperTickets.com.
This also included his director, Lisa Chess. She directed The Biscuiteater and is now directing Booger Red. She has also been an actor and acting instructor for more than 10 years. Loucks described her
Chess said, “And indeed it was a match,” Chess said. They’ve worked together ever since.
Chess describes Booger Red as “an adult child’s homage to his father.” She described him as an authentic writer and an emotionally available actor. She’s sure the performance will be great for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
What sport made its first home in the colonies in Charleston?
What American opera is an homage to Charleston?
Charleston County is larger than which U.S. state?
Charleston’s
with a broad range of performances — from free outdoor concerts, familyfriendly fun and exhibitions to ticketed events to whet your cultural whistle in theater, music and more. Get out during the 17-day festival to experience the Holy City’s creative community.
The calendar profiled in this publication focuses on the second half of the festival. To learn more and find tickets for some shows, visit PiccoloSpoleto.com
Visit the front beach of Isle of Palms to watch artists transform the beach into art as they compete for prizes in six categories of the annual sand sculpting competition. Family-friendly and free. 9 a.m., June 3. Location: Isle of Palms, front beach.
Free. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 10, Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Blvd.
All shows are ticketed. Visit: PiccoloSpoleto.com.
The Early Music Series this year moves to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 89 Hasell St., Charleston. Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart are the composers that will be featured in an intimate setting with stunning acoustics. Concerts start at 3 p.m. and last an hour.
June 2: The Art of the Trio
June 4: Spartina Consort: Masters of the French and German Baroque
June 5, June 8: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
June 6, June 9: Mozart in the Afternoon/A Little Night Music
June 7: Bach cello suites
The a cappella quartet presents “Love is in the Air,” a program of love songs from the genres of Renaissance, musical theatre, doo-wop, country, jazz and pop.
7 p.m., June 2. Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St.
Accomplished music students and alumni perform at the Hill Gallery at Cato Center for the Arts, 161 Calhoun St. Concert starts at noon.
June 2: A Day with the Romantics
June 5: To Infinity and Beyond
June 6: Mostly Mozart
June 7: My Romance
June 8: What’s Opera, Doc?
• Learn more at PiccoloSpoleto.com
The Sound of Charleston, featuring music of Charleston’s history, from gospel to Gershwin, is a festival favorite that this year offers more than ever. All shows at Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St.
The Sound of Charleston: 2 p.m., June 3 and June 10.
Oh Happy Day Gospel Music: 4 p.m., June 4.
Now in its 15th year, Palmetto State Arts Education will host its Rising Stars Series, which will showcase six young actors, dancers, musicians, writers or visual artists in each of six programs. Remaining shows are in the parish hall of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 1 Vanderhorst St.
1 p.m. and 4 p.m., June 3.
11 a.m. and 3 p.m., June 10.
Spoleto. Shows are at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell St.
3 p.m., June 4: “A Klezmer Journey” with Viva Klezmer!
6 p.m., June 4: Chamber music featuring Jewish Composers with Yuriy Bekker and Friends
• For more about the shows, visit piccolospoleto.com
Soprano Jill Terhaar Lewis, with jazz musicians Robert Lewis (saxophone) and Gerald Gregory (piano) collaborate for a one-of-a-kind performance of original works and arrangements of an eclectic mix of genres and a truly unique chamber music experience.
6 p.m., June 3. Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St.
Selected students from the Charleston Academy of Music perform alongside faculty featuring a variety of genres, ensembles and instruments.
2 p.m., June 4. Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting St. Free.
Musicians who share a passion for choral music and are dedicated to supporting the choral arts through performance and community engagement. Free, but contributions welcome.
4 p.m., June 4. Summerall Chapel, The Citadel
Note Schedule is subject to change, with additions and tweaks expected in the coming days. Be sure to check back with the Charleston City Paper and the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs for the latest up-to-date information. This advance calendar listing focuses on the events in the second half of Piccolo Spoleto. The most up-to-date calendar information and any venue changes can always be found on piccolospoleto.com
piccolospoleto.com
PiccoloSpoletoFestival
charlestoncitypaper.com charlestoncitypaper
The Lowcountry community handbell ensemble returns to Piccolo Spoleto, presenting “Through the Decades,” an entertaining concert for all ages featuring music from each decade starting with the 1900’s. Free, but contributions welcome.
4 p.m., June 4. Bethel United Methodist Church, 57 Pitt St.
The series was inaugurated in 1998 as a joint project of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston, in cooperation with Piccolo
Bonafide Blues royalty Poppa Dupree and JoJo Wall will take their talents around the globe, blending American roots blues with Middle Eastern music (Peter Kfoury and Pete Cortese), Native American Soul (Delia Chariker) and African Kora Vibes (Kurt Lamkin).
7 p.m., June 6. Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St.
The concert, “Capturing the American Spirit,” pairs Antonín Dvořák’s acclaimed “American” String Quartet with pieces by underrepresented composers H.T. Burleigh, Florence Price and William Grant Still.
6 p.m. June 7, S.C. Society Hall, 72 Meeting St.
The Housing Authority of the city of Charleston presents Charlton Singleton and Contemporary Flow with performances by Bill Wilson and Devone Barry.
4:30 p.m., June 8. Enston Homes, 900 King St. Free.
Awendaw Green and city of Charleston
Office of Cultural Affairs present an evening of art and music featuring HEAL with HeARTS, Eden & Noodle, Danielle Howle, Basic & Cosmo and Foxy G’s Soapbox.
6 p.m., June 8. Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Drive (near Ashley and Moultrie Streets).
Musicians will explore the range of pipe organs in nine churches throughout the Holy City in Piccolo Spoleto’s annual L’Organo performances. Free, but contributions welcome.
10 a.m., June 2: Jared Lamenzo. French Huguenot Church, 136 Church St.
3 p.m., June 3: Mayor John Tecklenburg and Wesley Hall, Emanuel AME Church, 110 Calhoun St.
4 p.m., June 4: Jihye Choi, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, 3075 Bees Ferry Rd., Charleston.
10 a.m., June 5: Lee Kohlenberg, First Scots Presbyterian Church, 53 Meeting St.
10 a.m., June 6: Paul Byssainthe, Grace Church Cathedral, 98 Wentworth St.
10 a.m., June 7: Eddie Zheng, St. Michael’s Church, 71 Broad St.
10 a.m., June 8: Anthony Williams, First Scots Presbyterian Church, 53 Meeting St.
10 a.m., June 9: Margaret Harper, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 120 Broad St.
A musical retrospective chronicling the choir’s two-decade of international performances.
5 p.m., June 10. Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting St.
The second half of this year’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival is stronger than ever with lots of fun, innovative programs and art experiences, according to Scott Watson, director of the city of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs.
The 45th season of the festival, a city-backed companion to Spoleto Festival USA, connects friends and neighbors to artists and friends across the Lowcountry. It’s all about “what’s made us special through those past decades and also brings in some new twists.”
While this year’s festival will again feature several last-minute neighborhood “pop-up events,” here are five things you can count on to make memories that will last for years:
Tickets: $0 to $50. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., June 3. West Ashley Theatre Center, 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
Discover dance in a show that brings together artists from across the state of South Carolina featuring hip-hop, contemporary, krump, tap and more.
Free. 3 p.m., June 3. Emanuel AME Church, 110 Calhoun St. As part of the annual L’Organo performances exploring the range of Charleston’s pipe organs in nine churches, you are invited to attend this concert with Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and organist Wesley Hall.
Tickets are $25. 6 p.m., June 4, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell St. Experience an unforgettable evening of intimate chamber music by prominent Jewish composers at the magnificent KKBE synagogue, featuring Charleston’s own critically acclaimed violinist Yuriy Bekker. He will be joined by renowned violinist/violist Michael Klotz, awardwinning cellist Julian Schwarz and pianist Marika Bournaki, with works by Mendelssohn, Krein, Korngold, Katz and Schonfield
Free. 4:30 p.m., June 8. Enston Homes, 900 King St. The Housing Authority of the City of Charleston will present “All That Jazz!” a show by Grammy-Award winning musician Charlton Singleton and Contemporary Flow with performances by Bill Wilson and Devone Barry.
Free. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 10, Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Blvd. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album, the 45th Piccolo Spoleto Finale will honor the legendary band after beginning with some area roots music. Columbia-based folk duo Admiral Radio will open at 5:30 p.m. on the Rose Pavilion Stage, followed by all-star tribute band Comfortably Pink at 7:45 p.m. on the venue’s main stage.
The concert, “COME SHAKER LIFE: Settings of Shaker songs for choir and harp,” focuses on the beauty and sacredness with which the Shakers have regarded life through their music. Free, but contributions welcome.
5 p.m., June 10. Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St.
This exhibition showcases artists in grades 4 to 12.
Through June 11. Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. Free.
Dozens of esteemed and award-winning fiber artists celebrate African goddesses as mermaid and water spirit in mixedmedia work.
Through July 9. City Gallery, 34 Prioleau St. Free.
60 of the finest and most creative local artists exhibit and sell their work. You can view original oils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, encaustics, photography and more.
Through June 10. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Marion Square, King and Calhoun Streets. Free.
Baskets, centerpieces, jewelry, clothing and more will be on display and for sale from some of the most innovative and creative craft artists in and around Charleston.
Free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 2 and 3; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 4. Wragg Square, 342 Meeting St.
Tickets online at PiccoloSpoleto.com. All shows at 280 Meeting St.
The Have Nots! Comedy Improv Company offers powerful improvisational comedy in Charleston’s longest running show. Shows on June 3 and June 10 at 8 p.m.
OTHER THEATRE 99 SHOWS
Take the Funny and Run
June 2, June 9. All shows at 8 p.m.
Mary Kay Has a Posse
6 p.m., June 3; and 7:30 p.m., June 7.
Comedy Improv Marathon
8 p.m., June 8.
Touched
10 p.m., June 9; 6 p.m., June 10.
Tickets online at PiccoloSpoleto.com.
A one-man show written and performed by Jim Loucks.
7 p.m., June 2; 6 p.m., June 3; 7 p.m., June 4. Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84½ Society St.
A Yank in Scotland: One man’s story of loss (including a wallet) and discovery in the Highlands of Scotland
3 p.m., June 3; 7 p.m. June 6; 4 p.m., June 9. Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 Society St.
This is a lively, funny and poignant love letter to theater and the words that fill it.
3 p.m., June 4; 7 p.m., June 5 and June 7. Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 Society St.
Charleston Opera Theater and Charleston Symphony present an uplifting story of two actors victimized with memory loss by the virus “Erasure” in a global pandemic.
7 p.m., June 8 through 10; 2 p.m., June 10. Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 Society St.
Stelle Di Domani is a broad, lively series by students, faculty and alumni of the College of Charleston of Charleston’s award-winning Department of Theatre and Dance.
11:30 a.m., June 2; 6:30 p.m., June 8. Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, 161 Calhoun St. Free.
3 p.m., June 4. Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun St. Tickets are $16.
4 p.m. daily through June 10, Calhoun St. Annex, 172 Calhoun St.
6 p.m. June 6 and June 7. Calhoun Street Annex Room 106, 172 Calhoun St. Tickets are $10.
by Sonya Hayden
6 p.m., June 8; 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., June 9; 6 p.m. June 10. Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun St.
Tickets are $16.
• View other shows andfind show info at PiccoloSpoleto.com
The Piccolo Spoleto Craft Show highlights some of the most innovative and creative craft artists in and around Charleston
Artists from across the state perform to a variety of music, from hip-hop to tap. Tickets start at $25.
2 p.m. and 7 p.m., June 3. West Ashley Theatre Center, 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
Piccolo Spoleto’s annual Sundown Poetry Series features acclaimed poets who read from their work in the coziness of the Gibbes Museum of Art’s Lenhardt Garden (135 Meeting St.). Bring your lawn chairs and picnic baskets to this free event. Free.
Angelo Geter: June 2.
John Milkereit: June 6.
Kurtis Lamkin : June 7
Elizabeth Robin: June 8.
Long Table Poets: June 9.
• More info at PiccoloSpoleto.com
This event devoted to fiction offers local and S.C. authors reading short stories.
Authors include Brittany Butler, Gervais Hagerty, Y-Danalr Niehrah and Sara Peck. 5 p.m. June 3, Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St.
and Roses, A Toast to Edgar Allan Poe
Some of Poe’s best and most loved works by six storytellers.
9 p.m., June 3; 3 p.m., 6; 9 p.m., June 9. Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 Society St.
Piccolo Spoleto, the official outreach arm of Spoleto Festival USA, was founded by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs in 1979. The 2023 Piccolo Spoleto Festival is funded in part by grants from the City of Charleston, and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Patrons with accessibility concerns should call or email the Office of Cultural Affairs at (843) 724-7305 or email CulturalAffairs@charleston-sc.gov. The Office of Cultural Affairs is open MondayFriday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ©2023 City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs.
By Piper Starnes
Chamber Music Charleston returns to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival this season with two specially curated programs of rediscovery and adventure. “Forgotten Voices,” which was presented May 31, celebrated music by women composers of the Baroque era. The remaining program, “Capturing the American Spirit,” is set for June 7 and features string quartet pieces that paint the nation’s culturally and historically rich soundscape.
The June 7 concert will be 6 p.m. June 7 at the South Carolina Society Hall, 72 Meeting St., one of the region’s most historic venues. It was built between 1799 and 1804.
“It’s the first time I believe this space has been used for Piccolo Spoleto,” said Sandra Nikolajevs, Chamber Music Charleston’s president, artistic director and bassoonist. “We’re playing in a ballroom where I’m sure they had harpsichords playing music 200 years ago.
Charleston professor, first sparked the idea for the program after teaching a course about women composers from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
Harlow said her students were most inspired by how these women overcame hardships for their art to be recognized and appreciated.
Chamber Music Charleston Presents
Capturing the American Spirit6 p.m. June 7, S.C. Society Hall, 72 Meeting St. Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students and are available online at CityPaperTickets.com.
“For some women, that was prejudice by the men in their lives or sometimes even abuse,” Harlow said. “Some of the composers had physical limitations, like one woman who was blind and devised a composition board with pegs to represent notes. There’s a lot to be discovered. I think there will be more music coming to light in the coming years.”
Harlow said she also found that very few women were writing music for oboe and bassoon in the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily because of the way the instruments contort musicians’ faces when blown.
The second concert, “Capturing the American Spirit,” pairs Antonín Dvořák’s acclaimed “American” String Quartet with pieces by underrepresented composers H.T. Burleigh, Florence Price and William Grant Still, who shaped the sound of late Romantic and 20th-century era United States. For some audience members, the piece will sound familiar.
“It’s almost like pop culture in the string quartet world. It’s just the best,” said violinist Jenny Weiss. She added she was looking forward to performing with her husband, violist Ben Weiss. “Anytime we get to play it, I’m always really excited. Dvořák’s music is like a painting of the sounds from the open plains of America.”
while director of the National Conservatory in New York City. There he met baritone singer H.T. Burleigh who introduced Dvořák to spirituals and hymns.
“It isn’t the loudest of instruments, but when you’re in a space that fits about 100 people, you’re going to feel each of those notes being plucked because you’re so close to it.”
The venue was especially fitting for “Forgotten Voices,” which featured Baroque and early classical pieces for harpsichord, bassoon, oboe and flute.
Julia Harlow, Chamber MusicCharleston’s harpsichordist and College of
“It was really just considered a man’s instrument and kind of unseemly for a woman to play,” Harlow said.
Nevertheless, Nikolajevs and Harlow found sonatas and concertos written by Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxe Weimar, Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia and “virtuosa di musica di camera” Anna Bon to include on the program alongside works by J.S. Bach and Vivaldi.
Though the Czech composer was from Bohemia, violist Ben Weiss said Dvořák immersed himself in America.
“Dvořák would spend his summers in Iowa, so you can imagine the openness,” Ben Weiss said.
With its references to American songbirds, trains and folk tunes, there is a cultural richness in the quartet’s sound and story. Dvořák took particular interest and inspiration from African American music
“It’s really Burleigh’s influence that really created that sound we are all so familiar with in Dvořák.” Jenny Weiss said.
Burleigh’s “Southland Sketches,” arranged for string quartet, highlight blues harmonies and expressive spiritual melodies, allowing audiences to hear the early sound of American classical music.
“We’ve performed parts of it before, and it’s gorgeous,” Jenny Weiss said, “but neither of us have played the Price or Still yet.”
Anytime we get to play it, I’m always really excited. Dvořák’s music is like a painting of the sounds from the open plains of America.”
—Jenny Weiss
Outreach by an organization may be more appreciated in a population most often forgotten — senior citizens.
As part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the Remington Concert Series performs June 8 at its Mount Pleasant home, the Franke at Seaside retirement community.
The Remington Concert Series is named after the late Emily Remington, a patron of Charleston arts who died in 2020. When Remington moved into Franke at Seaside, she told members of the staff and residents that she felt it was her mission to share her love of music with neighbors. Thus, the series was born.
“While many of the residents will go out and watch concerts, there are those who do not leave the facility because they cannot,” said Chee-Hang See, director of the Remington Concert Series. “That’s why we have these monthly concerts there, and I would love to bring some more events during Piccolo Spoleto so people don’t miss out on any of this.”
See said he played at Remington’s 100th birthday concert in 2016.
“When she was 101 and 102, she invited me to go back and do solo recitals,” See said. “At every single concert, she would be right
there introducing the concert. She would be telling the audience what she remembered from her experiences as a musician playing those pieces.” See has continued Remington’s mission of bringing music to people across the city of Charleston.
Performing in places other than large concert halls and venues can sometimes be a challenge for musicians and hosts but See said he often finds it just as, if not more, enjoyable. The energy in these relatively intimate spaces can even be greater than in more traditional venues.
“At these retirement facilities, you’re not on a big stage,” he said. “They’re right up there with you. As you’re playing and you’re talking about the pieces, sometimes they just ask a question immediately, and you can reply right away. That immediate feedback is very rewarding for me as a performer.”
While none made themselves available for in-depth discussion, staff members from several assisted living facilities across Charleston agreed that outreach programs
and performances like the Remington Concert Series are a fantastic way for their residents to stay active and engaged.
The staff at the facilities enjoy it as well, according to See. While facilities may often have active living and event coordinators, they often don’t have the time to scout out and approach musicians to schedule performances. At Franke, for instance, See knows the musicians who want and are able to come and play and is able to cover much of the planning for the staff.
As a local musician, See has been able to maintain an ongoing discussion with not only the staff members, but with the residents as well through repeat performances. Thanks to both working as a musician locally and maintaining the Remington Concert Series, See will often receive feedback from and have a discussion with plenty of audience members who have seen him in multiple performances over the years.
“It’s very fulfilling as an artist to know that there are people who support us and who actually still want us to play.”
C.M. McCambridge is an arts journalism master’s degree student at Syracuse University.
IF YOU WANT TO GO Remington Concert Series - Nina Sandberg, Daniel Mumm and Chee-Hang See will perform 4 p.m., June 8. Rodenberg Chapel at Franke at Seaside, 1885 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant. Free.
At these retirement facilities, you’re not on a big stage. They’re right up there with you. As you’re playing and you’re talking about the pieces, sometimes they just ask a question immediately, and you can reply right away.”
—Chee-Hang SeeNina Sandberg Daniel Mumm Chee-Hang See
CONTINUED
On the program is Price’s “String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor” and Still’s “Lyric Quartet.” Like the Weisses, some audience members will be experiencing these long-neglected composers for the first time. And there’s no better place to enjoy them than at Piccolo Spoleto.
Chamber Music Charleston is always ready for its loyal, local following and looks forward to the new faces of out-of-town Piccolo Spoleto visitors. Jenny Weiss said, “It’s special to get to represent Charleston and our theme to those who aren’t familiar with our city and how magical it is with arts and music.”
Nikolajevs encouraged guests to arrive early, explore the historical building and join the musicians for a small pre-concert reception.
“It’s like a big chamber music party,” she said. “We’ll have everyone surrounding us in this big hall, so I’m really looking forward to just being with the audience and enjoying this great music.”
The June 7 program will highlight the American spirit
Piper Starnes is an arts journalism graduate student at Syracuse University.
BOOGER RED
Friday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 3 at 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 4 at 7 p.m.
Threshold Repertory Theatre
DEEP IN THE NIGHT
Sat, Jun 3 at 6 p.m. at Cannon Street Arts Center
THE SOUND OF CHARLESTON
Saturday, Jun 3 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Jun 10 at 2 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church
CHAMBER MUSIC FEATURING JEWISH COMPOSERS WITH YURIY BEKKER AND FRIENDS
Sunday, June 4 at 6 p.m. at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
UNSHAKEABLE
Thursday, June 8 at 7 p.m.
Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 10 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, June 10 at 7 p.m.
Threshold Repertory Theatre
CAPTURING THE AMERICAN SPIRIT: MUSIC OF DVORAK, PRICE, BURLEIGH, AND STILL
Wednesday, June 7 at 6 p.m. at South Carolina Society Hall
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