Today Footlight Players announced that, in an effort to “return to its roots,” the company is rebranding their space, located at 20 Queen St., as the Queen Street Playhouse. While 20 Queen St. will continue to operate as the home of the Footlight Players company, the venue is introducing more varied productions under its new moniker, from a ‘Queen Street Harmony’ series, presented by Awendaw Green; a comedy series from Bill Davis; and poetry nights with Marcus Amaker. [content-1] Footlight Players is the oldest theater company in Charleston, in operation since 1931; they’ve occupied the old cotton warehouse at 20 Queen St. since 1934. In a press release, Footlight Players announces, “The Board of Directors is thrilled to announce that the building will once again don the historic name of Queen Street Playhouse in honor of the company’s initiative to transform the facility into a performing arts event center, the only one of its kind in downtown Charleston.”
And while Footlight assures Charleston that “Footlight Players is not going anywhere,” they say they are most certainly changing things up and “expanding their repertoire under a larger umbrella.”
Check out upcoming repertoire expansions including:
The Queen Street Harmony Series, held on Tuesdays or Thursdays and featuring live and often local music. Tonight, Pierce Edens and Johnny Holliday perform. On Tues. Aug. 28, you can hear from Mike Farris and the Fortunate Few, and on Thurs. Sept. 27, head over for a performance from Doug Jones Everybody Doug Jones, Forty Mile Detour, and Wild Ponies.
The Queen Street Comedy Series, hosted by Bill Davis, features local comedians performing on the first Friday of each month. On Fri. Sept. 7 at 9 p.m., check out Jeremy McLellan and on Fri. Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. hear from Dusty Slay (who, in case you missed it, recently killed on Fallon).
[content-4]
Unspoken Poetry Nights from Charleston Poet Laureate Marcus Amaker are currently slated to be held on Sept. 24 and Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.
In addition to these ongoing events, Queen Street Playhouse will serve as the venue for two Charleston Arts Festival productions, as well as a special event, Karaoke Smackdown, from What If? Productions, held on Sept. 8.
And lest we forget the venue’s roots, Footlight Players’ season is going strong, with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill on deck through Sept. 2 and Hitchock’s The 39 Steps in October. [content-6] In other theater news, Queen Street Playhouse is hosting two playwrights in residence, Thomas and Judy Heath, an award-winning team from right here in Charleston. The pair will produce a staged reading of their fifth play, a musical comedy, at Queen Street Playhouse on Sept. 29 at 2 and 7 p.m.
[location-1]
Keep the City Paper free We don't have a paywall. Each week's printed issue is free. We're local, independent and free. Let's keep it this way. Please consider a donation of $100 to keep the City Paper free. Donate: chscp.us