May 24-June 9
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Mozart & Tchaikovsky
BEKKER CONDUCTS OPENING WEEKEND
September 20 & 21 | 7:30PM
The Charleston Symphony's opening weekend features Concertmaster Yuriy Bekker conducting, with Principal Oboe Kelly Mozeik performing Mozart's Oboe Concerto.
Rach 3
FEATURING PIANIST JEREMY DENK
October 10 & 11 | 7:30PM
A concert that celebrates extraordinary creative forces joining together –Rachmaninoff’s Third tops the list for one of the great piano concertos ever written.
Harlem Renaissance
WITH BYRON STRIPLING
September 26 | 7:30PM
Master trumpeter, conductor, singer, actor, and more – Byron Stripling returns to lead and perform with the Charleston Symphony for an uplifting night of symphonic jazz.
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
WITH CONDUCTOR JOANN FALLETTA
March 7 & 8 | 7:30PM
A program showcasing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Florence Price's Ethiopia’s Shadow in America, and pianist Geoge Li performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MASTERWORKS, POPS, & PICK 6 SUBSCRIPTIONS
I want to welcome you all to the 45th Anniversary Piccolo Spoleto Festival. For 17 days, Charleston will be bustling with various performances and exhibits from both wellestablished and breakthrough artists of the highest caliber. I want to encourage residents and visitors alike to join us in this wonderful time of expression, reflection, and creativity.
Charleston is a city known around the world for its architecture, rich history, and diverse culture, making it the perfect setting for the nation’s preeminent performing arts festival 45 years and running.
Having grown up here, I know the vibrance that this festival brings to the city each year, and I have many fond memories of attending with friends and family. With annual highlights like the Sand Sculpting Competition on Isle of Palms, and the Piccolo Spoleto Finale at Hampton Park, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy.
I want to thank all the artists who are participating in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival this year. I know you have put countless hours and effort into your craft, and I want to personally thank you for sharing your talent with us. I also want to extend a special thanks to the Office of Cultural Affairs and the community volunteers who continue to make this event a success year after year, your hard work does not go unnoticed.
I look forward to seeing all that the festival has to offer, let’s make this year the best one yet!
Sincerely,
William S. Cogswell, Jr. 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, 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 2025 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.
Piccolo Spoleto Festival is produced and directed by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs
CITY OF CHARLESTON
William S. Cogswell, Jr. Mayor
CITY COUNCIL
Boyd Gregg District 1
Kevin Shealy District 2
Jim McBride District 3
Robert Mitchell District 4
Scott Watson Director
Mindy Manziano Associate Producer of Piccolo Spoleto Festival
Harrison Chapman Farmers Market Manager
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
Basil Punsalan Outreach and Event Coordinator
Anne Quattlebaum City Gallery Manager
William Tinkler District 9
Stephen Bowden District 10
Ross A. Appel District 11
Caroline Parker District 12
Katie LaPorte Cultural Projects Coordinator
Latanya Mueller Production Manager
Rachel D. Workman Finance Manager
It’s springtime in Charleston and that means the arts are in full bloom. May 31 marks the halfway point of Charleston’s annual Piccolo Spoleto festival, a citybacked celebration of local arts and artists that accompanies Spoleto Festival USA. The second full week of Piccolo sees even more culturally rich and diverse offerings — from internationally acclaimed artists to emerging playwrights.
Find the festival’s full lineup at piccolospoleto.com, or take a look at our second festival program that outlines all of the artsy things happening in Charleston through June 9.
This Piccolo festival enjoys international influences all over its musical lineup. From a bossa nova concert to a program celebrating composers of the Jewish diaspora, you can find a wide range of musical events at venues around town until the festival’s end.
On June 1 at Gage Hall, embark on a musical journey to the vibrant streets of Brazil with Charleston based band Porto Seguro. With a centerpiece of Alva Anderson’s soulful voice, backed up with impressive instrumentals and solid grooves, the band delivers a heartfelt tribute to Brazilian bossa nova, samba, choro and more. The rest of the band comprises Susan Conant on flute, John Holenko on mandolin, Tom Noren on guitar, John Kennedy on bass and Bryce Waldron-Noren on drums. The program of Brazilian favorites and lesser-known but equally terrific tunes will make your toes tap and your heart sing. Each weekday, there’s a free concert held at noon at the Circular Congregational Church on Meeting Street. Lindsey Pasko offers a June 1 performance of original
songs noted for their intricate guitar picking and honest lyrics. June 4 sees the Top Notes Piano Quartet performing 8-hand music, ranging from Bernstein to Beethoven, and June 5 offers solo piano by Demetrius Doctor.
And the “World of Jewish Culture” program has something new every day — like the June 2 musical performance at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim from Baklava Express, an New York-based Middle Eastern fusion project led by Oud player and composer Josh Kaye. The band performs distinct and genre-defying music, heavily influenced by both Mizrahi and Ashkenazi traditions as well as those traditions of the broader Middle East and Eastern Europe. Performing members include Josh Kaye, Davide Laura, Daro Behroozi, Max O’Rourke and Jeremy Smith.
Or, find a film series at the College of Charleston from the Jewish Filmfest, offering screenings on June 3 and 4 of The Way to Happiness, a 19th century immigration story, and The Nita Zita
Provided
New York-based Middle Eastern fusion project Baklava Express performs as part of the “World of Jewish Culture” program
Project, which follows the extraordinary story of outsider artists and sisters Nita & Zita, Jewish immigrants who were trailblazing burlesque dancers.
For lovers of contemporary dance, the notto-be-missed program of this year’s festival is It’s Itself, a work straddling themes of the spiritual world and the human world. The work “offers questions about the desire to place lingual descriptions on art.”
It’s performed by the Annex Dance Company and created in collaboration with visual artist and College of Charleston studio art faculty member Susan Klein. The choreography and art share the performance space, allowing for connection, interaction and manipulation of humans and inanimate objects. It’s Itself is performed by students and company members as a culmination of the annual Piccolo Spoleto residency with the department of theater and dance. Catch the performances at 7 p.m. on June 7, or at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. on June 8.
Another program in which you can sup-
port the work of emerging artists at the College of Charleston is the Under the Lights Piccolo tradition. 10-minute plays are written by and performed by CofC students, including winning works of the Franklin B. Ashley Playwriting Award, the Todd McNerney Student Playwriting Award, the David Lee Nelson Hope Award and The Pages Festival. The 60-minute show is held at Chapel Theatre on Calhoun Street June 2 and 3 with tickets at just $10.
Hold on to your hats for this next one — Art Forms and Theatre Concepts presents CROWNS, a gospel musical set to lift your spirits. It’s written by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. It’ll be performed at Burke High School May 31 through June 2. CROWNS tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity. The story follows a young Black woman who has come down south to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn. The production shows how hats tell tales — concerning everything from etiquette
Old Saint Mary’s May 25 -June 8 • Daily at 3 pm
Piccolo Favorite
to historical and contemporary social functioning. This gospel-inspired production will have you tapping and clapping as it offers a look into the story of the dramatic role hats play in people’s lives.
For a totally different theatrical experience, step into a bygone era with Shortwave Kitsch, a 1940s-era radio show. A performance by Shortwave Kitsch offers a dramatized, purely acoustic show, or as co-founder Brandon Joyner describes the genre to be “theater of the mind.”
Their June 1 performance is a journey through time featuring two enthralling “episodes;” a double feature of suspense, humor and historical richness. The talented local cast brings original stories to life with skilled voice acting, piano accompaniment, melodic tunes and live sound effects.
And returning to the festival for the second time is the show called A Yank in Scotland, or The Time I Lost My Wallet in the Highlands.
Paul O’Brien and Bonnie Prince Charlie tell one man’s story of loss and discovery as he searches for mystery, meaning and a lost wallet in the Highlands of Scotland, which are filled with misty moors and ghosts from Scottish history. The show is said to “invite mystical ruminations, kindle existential questions and spark the imagination to soar into higher and uncharted territory.” Find it at Threshold
Repertory Theatre on June 1, 4, 7 and 8. Keep reading this special program to learn of even more offerings: City Paper writer Kevin Young previews Whore’s Eye View and Jaden Wilson covers the Piccolo Spoleto Finale at Hampton Park. Plus, we’ve got our talented cohort of arts journalism graduate students from Syracuse University helping us cover more than 50 Piccolo Spoleto and Spoleto events. Keep reading, and don’t forget to check the latest at charlestoncitypaper.com.
Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart
will feature original material from a dozen acts
By Brandon WallaceAlthough the Marion Square Jam is new this year to the Piccolo Spoleto festival, its curation by Awendaw Green’s Eddie White makes it feel like a longtime festival regular.
“We’re like a non-venue venue,” White said of Awendaw Green, an East Cooper venue that features a weekly showcase of original music called the Barn Jam. “It’s really great to showcase these bands because their original music sometimes, even though it might not be something you instantly recognize, is something that
you end up enjoying because they do it so very well.”
While the weekly Barn Jam takes place about 15 miles north of Charleston, the Marion Square Jam will bring these same local artists and the authentic Awendaw Green experience downtown.
The two-day series boasts a potentially unwieldy lineup of 12 acts, but White said he worked to really make it digestible for audiences.
“It’s multi-eclectic — it’s not just folk or bluegrass or even rock ’n roll,” White said. “We always mix it up with different genres of music. We find that that’s part of our secret sauce: You never know what you’re going to get, and hopefully it’ll be something you remember.”
The Marion Square Jam’s free admission may increase the pull of the event, but the emphasis on local artists is the real selling point.
“A lot of the times when we’re playing, we’re part of the ambiance of what’s going on, whether that’s a brewery or a bar,” said George Stevens of the Letter Show, which will perform June 8 at 2 p.m. “Whereas, this is all about the art and the individuals taking it in. That’s one of the reasons we love playing at Awendaw Green.
“It’ll be a good listening-room opportunity, and we look forward to fluxing out of the bar band into an artist role.”
Stevens started the Letter Show with fellow songwriter Becca Bessinger in 2011. With 13 years under their belt, the duo has performed everywhere from breweries and bars to other festivals and events.
“There is a bond established between Becca and me,” Stevens said. “We’ve been playing together for a very long time, and you don’t play together for that long without really enjoying each other and enjoying these sorts of special opportunities.”
For other performers, pursuing their original music has been a long and ardent road traveled with multiple hurdles along the way. Take the harmonica-powered Hibachi Heroes, which will perform June 8 at 5 p.m. A string of losses idelined the funk-rock band but also proved instrumental in forging its identity, according to one member.
“It’s really hard to keep a band together,” Rob Lowe said. “We’ve been somewhat unlucky that our guitar players haven’t been able to stick around, and we lost one of them to suicide. That really set us back. Then we had Covid happen,
“We always mix it up with different genres of music. We find that that’s part of our secret sauce: You never know what you’re going to get, and hopefully it’ll be something you remember.”
—Eddie Whitewhich slowed us down. Our new guitar player had been in the band for three years, and he just decided we were going in a different direction after Covid. Then we found out another one of our good friends passed away. So, loss is a big part of our story.”
While the initial loss put the band on the back burner, the latter one brought them together again — Lowe credits their “love of music” for getting them to this point. Performing at the latter’s celebration of life and then for a Ukraine benefit
“reignited the fire.”
“As an original music band, it’s been a challenge,” Lowe said. “But it was also an inspiration. For our album, we wrote a song in memory of Rick, who was the one who committed suicide, and included one that Nick, our friend who passed away, wrote on.”
White, Lowe and Stevens expressed excitement to bring the Awendaw Green ethos not just to downtown Charleston but to the historic 6.5 acres of Marion Square.
“Being embedded in the heart of Charleston and surrounded by the festivities in all directions will be a little different, but in a good way,” Stevens said. “People always respond well to our original stuff, whether it’s at a background gig or something more like this, but it’s the expectation of originality as opposed to its novelty that attracted us to the Marion Square Jam.”
And while the Hibachi Heroes have had their share of gigs on upper King Street and elsewhere in town, Lowe said, “it’s nice to be able to be part of something that … isn’t tucked away in some random hole-in-thewall bar. It’s right there in the middle of the action. It’s in Marion Square.”
25,
Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. Charleston with special guest, Ann Caldwell “Oh
“Gershwin & Jazz” with Mark Sterbank and Nolan Tecklenburg, “Porgy and Bess” stars Diamond Tyler and Ramelle Brooks, and “Rhapsody in Blue”
Spoleto Festival is back 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 1. Isle of Palms, front beach.
5 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 8. Hampton Park. Free.
Tickets are limited, but required, for various kid-friendly programs:
9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., June 4: College of Charleston Opera in Jack and the Beanstalk
9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., June 6: Super Reggae Man
Shows may be ticketed (T) or free (F). More info: visit PiccoloSpoleto.com. Please check the website for other shows not listed below.
A major part of Piccolo Spoleto since 1986, 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
The Sand Sculpting Competition on Isle of Palms is a family-friendly favorite
Note
Schedule is subject to change, with additions and tweaks expected in the coming weeks. 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 can always be found at piccolospoleto.com
stunning acoustics. All concerts start at 3 p.m. and last an hour. (T)
May 31: Jacob Fuhrman, harpsichord –Suites & Variations from Buxtehude, Böhm, & Bach
June 1: Viva Vivaldi – NC Baroque Orchestra Chamber Players
June 2: Shakespeare’s Stage Band – The Spartina Consort
June 3: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
June 4: Mozart in the Afternoon
June 5: The Golden Age of the Spanish Guitar
June 6: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
June 7: Mozart in the Afternoon
June 8: The Golden Age of the Spanish Guitar (in Beaufort, SC)
Enjoy the talents of a broad array of local musicians who are performing as a tribute to the festival with free noon concerts at Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St.
May 31: Alva Anderson
June 3: Lindsey Pasko
June 4: Top Notes
June 5: Demetrius Doctor
June 6: Ann Caldwell
June 7: Leah Suarez
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. (T)
• The Sound of Charleston: 2 p.m., June 1 and June 8.
• Oh Happy Day Gospel Music with Ann Caldwell: 4 p.m., June 2.
This concert is a celebration of LGBTQ+ voices both past and present featuring the Singers of Summerville, the Palmetto Peace Choir, soloist Gary Powell and a string orchestra with conductor Ryan Pagels. (T)
7:30 p.m., June 1, Unitarian Church, 4 Archdale St.
Carillonneur Michael Varnadore will play
The Citadel’s 59-bell Carillion, one of the largest instruments in North America. All concerts are free and start at 10:30 a.m. 171 Mountrie St.
June 1: Music for Children
June 4: Hymns and Spirituals
Emerging artists from the College of Charleston showcase their talents in various musical disciplines. Hill Gallery, 161 Calhoun St. All shows at noon. (F)
May 31: I’ll Take Romance
June 3: An Operatic Affair
June 4: My Romance
June 5: To Infinity and Beyond
June 6: Go for Baroque
June 7: CofC Jazz All-Stars
• The Charlestones, 7 p.m., May 31, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 5 Clifford St. (T)
• Samba Beats Soulful Bossa , 3 p.m. June 1, Gage Hall, 4 Archdale St. Free, donations accepted.
• Scottish Performing Arts Classic , 4 p.m., May 31, South Carolina Society Hall, 72 Meeting St. (T)
• Distances: Saxophone/piano duo, 5 p.m., June 1, Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. (T)
• Oscar Rivers Quartet , 7 p.m., June 6, Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St. (T)
• The Peacock and The Snake , 6:30 p.m., June 5 and 6, Redux Contemporary Art Center, downtown
• Christopher Laughlin , noon, June 6, St. Matthew’s Luthran Church, downtown (T)
• Charleston Gospel Choir, 6 p.m., June 8, Mount Zion AME Church, downtown (T)
• Cantores Charleston, 7 p.m., June 8, Christ Episcopal Church, Mount Pleasant; 2 p.m. June 9, The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, downtown (T)
• Marion Square Jam , noon, June 8 and 9, Marion Square, downtown
• Keys for a Cause , a benefit, 4 p.m., June 9, Meals on Wheels of Charleston, downtown (T)
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., May 31: Nicholas Quardokus, Grace Church Cathedral, 98 Wentworth St.
10:30 a.m., June 1: John Nothaft and Sarah Berger, The Chapel, Bishop Gadsden Retirement Home, James Island
4 p.m., June 2: Elena Baquerizo, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, West Ashley 10 a.m., June 3: Mi Zhou, St. Michael’s Church, downtown 10 a.m., June 4: Theodore Cheng, St.
Classical guitar virtuoso Ulyana Machneva will offer a glimpse into “The Golden Age of Spanish Guitar” as part of Piccolo’s Early Music Series
Matthew’s Church, downtown 10 a.m., June 5: Daniel Carroll, Summerall Chapel, The Citadel 10 a.m., June 6: Marya Fancey, St. John’s Lutheran Church, downtown 10 a.m., June 7: Stephen Gourley, Grace Church Cathedral, downtown
2 p.m., June 8: Jordan Prescott, St. Clare of Assisi, Daniel Island
Tickets online at PiccoloSpoleto.org. 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 1 and June 8 at 8 p.m.
OTHER THEATRE 99 SHOWS
Take the Funny and Run
Bring your improv suggestions.
7:30 p.m. June 7.
Mary Kay Has a Posse Unforgettable night of all-female improv comedy.
4 p.m. June 1; 6 p.m., June 2; 7:30 p.m., June 5.
Laughway to the Weekend
Midweek fun featuring up to three acts per night.
9 p.m., June 5.
Piccolo Spoleto 2024 is back, stronger than ever. This year’s annual event — the 46th so far — again will ofer scores of fun, innovative programs and art experiences, according to Scott Watson, director of the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs.
The 17-day long arts party and companion ton 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 four things you can count on to make memories that will last for years:
9 a.m., June 1. Isle of Palms, front beach. Free. This can be more fun than you can shake a stick at. Head over June 1 to 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.
5 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 8. Hampton Park. Free. Grab lawn chairs and blankets to relax as worldclass local musicians serenade and celebrate the end of the 17 days of the Piccolo Spoleto festival. Following an opening act by Fake News, there will be a Motown celebration by Motown Throwdown, which will feature special guests Kanika Moore and two-time Grammy winner Charlton Singleton of Ranky Tanky.
Through June 8. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Marion Square. Free. Marion Square is transformed into a beautiful open-air market as 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.
Noon to 5 p.m., through June 9, City Gallery, 34 Prioleau St. Free.
More than 70 visual artists have been invited for the 2024 Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Exhibition presented by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs. This annual exhibition highlights the recent work of artists across South Carolina featuring painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and photography. Artworks receiving prizes are presented alongside a limited selection of pieces identified by the juror as meriting display. This year’s juror is Charleston artist Duke Hagerty
Unscripted
A completely improvised play in the style of Tennessee Williams.
6 p.m., June 1; 8 p.m., June 2.
Also known as Finch Boys Improv by Timmy Finch and son Cahal.
4 p.m., June 2.
Improv comedy from New York City.
8 p.m., June 6; 9:30 p.m., June 7;
6 p.m., June 8.
Improvised scenes with Dan O’Connor, Edi Patterson, Brandy Sullivan and Greg Tavares.
4 p.m., June 8.
Tickets online at PiccoloSpoleto.org.
Experience the mysterious and thrilling tales of Edgar Allan Poe in this stunning fusion of live theater, immersive visuals, and haunting music. Gage Hall, 4 Archdale St. (T)
8 p.m., June 1
4 p.m., June 2
7:30 p.m., May 31, June 6, 7
Songs from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and more in this popular show by Lady in White Productions at The Pearl, West Ashley Theatre Center, Ashley Landing, 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. (T)
All shows at 7 p.m. Performances on May 31, and June 1, 7 and 8.
This gospel musical by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard, explores Black history and identity in a production by Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc., at Burke High School Auditorium, 244 President St. (T)
8 p.m., May 31 and June 1;
2 p.m., June 1; 4 p.m. June 2
The Void Theatre presents a production on the story of Em and Belle, a lesbian couple, who are new parents of a son named Rory at Hed Hi Studios, 654 King St. (T)
All shows at 7:30 p.m.
Performances on May 31 and June 1.
Cannon Street Arts Center Presents
All shows at 134 Cannon St. (T)
Shakespeare’s Magic Show
Family fun in a 55-minute show of ideas and skills used in performing Shakespeare. 7:30 p.m., May 31.
Shortwave Kitsch: Freedom of Screech
The charm of a 1940s radio show. 2:30 p.m., June 1.
Shortwave Kitsch: The Passive Aggressive Living Dead
A double feature of suspense. 7:30 p.m., June 1.
Whore’s Eye View
A dash through 10,000 years of history from a sex worker’s perspective.
7 p.m. June 3 and 4.
Threshold Repertory Theatre Presents
All shows at 84½ Society Street. (T)
The Wolves
Award-winning play on a team of young women soccer players. Presented by Flowertown Players.
8 p.m. on May 31; 3 p.m., June 2.
Musings from the Bar
A dive into marriage, a bar and patrons. 7 p.m., June 2 and 3; 3 p.m., June 4.
Cognac and Roses, A Toast to Edgar Allan Poe
Six master storytellers share Poe’s works.
5 p.m., May 31.
A Yank in Scotland
On a story of loss and discovery in Scotland.
4 p.m., June 1; 7:30 p.m., June 4; 5 p.m., June 7 and 8.
Visit PiccoloSpoleto.com for full descriptions and times of performances of these theatrical productions by students at the College of Charleston. Shows are ticketed, unless otherwise marked, and are being performed in the Chapel Theatre, 172 Chapel St., or an adjacent annex. May 31: Staged readings (F)
May 31: Musical Theatre Revue
June 2, 3: Under the Lights
June 5, 6: In Love and Death
June 7, 8: It’s Itself
June 9: Shakespeare on the Steps at the Charleston Library Society (F)
• For times and more information, visit PiccoloSpoleto.com
Piccolo Spoleto’s annual Sundown Poetry Series features acclaimed poets who will read from their work in the Washington Square Park, 6 p.m., 80 Broad St. Bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets to these free events. Signings and receptions follow at Buxton Books, 160 King St.
May 31: Cheryl Boyce-Taylor
June 4: Lola Haskins
June 5: Ray McManus
June 6: Regina YC Garcia
June 7: Katherine Williams
Piccolo Fiction. This event devoted to fiction offers local and S.C. authors reading short stories. Authors include Mindy Friddle, Emilie Ross, Sara Cappell Thomason and Susan Beckham Zurenda. (F) 5 p.m. June 1, Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St.
The Piccolo Spoleto festival has served for nearly a half century as a spotlight for local talent. And its Hampton Park finale on June 8, come rain or shine, will wrap up its 45th year with another group of hometown heroes and heroines.
“The lineup that has been assembled consists of Grammy nominees and Grammy-winning folks,” said Scott Watson, director of Charleston’s office of cultural affairs. “It’s fantastic to see that firepower — and have it all be Charleston-based, making South Carolina proud.”
The opening group will be Fake News, followed by the headlining Motown Throwdown. Mike Quinn, who sings and plays saxophone for both bands, is eager to play with his friends and enjoy the finale’s laid-back nature.
“It’s always such a really good time playing with my friends,” Quinn said. “And the crowds are always super-receptive out there. People are coming out to see some fun music.”
“The crowds are always superreceptive out there. People are coming out to see some fun music.”
—Mike Quinn
The June 8 show will be Quinn’s second time performing for the finale, which will be from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. This time, he has some special guests. Joining Motown Throwdown will be singer Kanika Moore and two-time Grammy winner Charlton Singleton of Ranky Tanky.
Basil Punsalan, Charleston’s event and outreach coordinator, said the finale typically attracts between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees.
“People bring their lawn chairs and blankets,” he said. “There’s a big meadow, a pond area down by the stage, live oaks, Spanish moss and native plants. It’s just a really beautiful setting.”
In addition to the scenic views of Hampton Park, guests can also enjoy savory and sweet treats from area food trucks as well as beer and wine.
The sense of community and enjoyment that Quinn describes is a key reason why the event continues to thrive after 45 years.
“We know that people love this event,” Watson said. “This gives people an excuse to come out, have a good time and enjoy a long summer evening with great local talent. It really is just a great way to wrap up a festival.”
A LOOK BACK: Seed & Feed Marching Abominable
The first weekend of Piccolo Spoleto featured a longtime crowd favorite, a wacky marching band from the Atlanta area
Writer and performer Kaytlin Bailey brings her one woman show, Whore’s Eye View to the Cannon Street Arts Center. Whore’s Eye View is a mad dash through 10,000 years of history from a sex worker’s perspective, as Bailey weaves together comedic storytelling and the wisdom of lived experience.
Bailey, a 2009 graduate of the College of Charleston with a dual degree in history and theater, said she is grateful for the history professors who “indulged my curiosity and set the foundation for what has become my life’s work.”
She also spoke about the motivation behind the show as it relates to internet censorship and misinformation — like last year’s film Sound Of Freedom, the runaway hit movie about child trafficking which Bailey said is “the satanic panic and the white slave panic all over again.”
Never one to mince words or play it safe, Bailey expounded on the journey that brought her to this point: Right after graduating college, she took part in numerous field campaigns for different organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. Before too long, she focused on another passion.
“I quit everything in 2010 to do stand up comedy and move to New York.” In time, she produced the Pink Collar Comedy Tour, the CAKE Comedy Tour, the Naked Show (which is exactly what it sounds like) and created her first one woman show, Cuntagious “I was in the comedy scene and then Donald Trump got elected. Suddenly I felt called back to politics... Specifically when he passed into law the federal bill SESTA/ FOSTA which stands for Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking or Fight Online Sex Trafficking, which was sold to the American people as a way of protecting vulnerable women and children from sexual exploitation. But of course, the law didn’t do that,” she said.
“Instead it tried to erase consensual adults from talking about sex online. I saw the immediate and devastating impact that had, not just on sex workers, but on
educators, therapists and all kinds of people. It gutted law enforcement’s ability to find and prosecute predators. I recognised that this moral panic around sex work is a threat to freedom of expression on the internet,” she said.
“I was sorely disappointed that my peers, my male peers in comedy, many of them free speech advocates, didn’t see what I saw.”
This prompted her to in 2017 create The Oldest Profession Podcast, where in each episode, Bailey does a deep dive on a different sex worker from history.
“
I was sorely disappointed that my peers, my male peers in comedy, many of them free speech advocates, didn’t see what I saw.”
Kaytlin Bailey
A year later she accepted the position as the founding director of communications for Decriminalize Sex Work, a national advocacy organization, “I spent two years talking to legislators again, before remembering that that’s not my favorite thing to do,” she chuckled.
But after talking with politicians about this issue, it became clear to Bailey, she said, that we’re “not going to get good policy on this issue unless we can change the story about sex work.”
This frustration would lead to the founding of Old Pros, a non profit media organization creating conditions to change the status of sex workers in society. Bailey stated her intentions as “reclaiming our history and our legacy as pioneers, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and leaders in the arts world.”
Bailey sees the decriminalization of sex work as the only policy that reduces
violence — a perspective is backed by Amnesty International, The World Health Organization, Human Rights Watch, and UNAids, and the United Nations focus
In addition to writing and perfroming, Bailey is creator and host of The Oldest Profession Podcast
group on women and girls.
Whore’s Eye View is a culmination of her passions. “It’s like an hour long history lecture plus a comedy show. I get very personal in the show. I’ve been writing the show for the past five years. During that time the pandemic happened, I got married and my father died. I grew up a soldier’s daughter, and I pull some very pointed comparisons between what we say about soldiers and what we say about sex workers.”
See Whores Eye View at the Cannon Street Arts Center 7 p.m. June 3 and 4. Tickets for $25 at citypapertickets.com
