Redesign, rebuild, reclaim
After a tentative return to programming in 2021, 2022 was a banner year for Charleston’s arts scene. Everything returned this year — some of it bigger and better than ever. Great shows, incredible performances, beautiful exhibitions, milestone anniversaries and award-winning art came out of the Holy City this year.
A year of anniversaries
James Island’s locally owned movie theater, the Terrace Theater, celebrated 25 years in 2022 with screenings of classic movies and a brand new carpet. The celebration came during the best financial run the movie theater has ever had, owner Paul Brown told the City Paper in September, bolstered by the huge box office hit Top Gun: Maverick.
PURE Theatre staged Randy Neale’s new play A Hidden Life to kick off its 20th season, which continued with a successful run of Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s. Black Fedora Comedy Theatre also celebrated 10 years. Congratulations to these local organizations that have become cornerstones of Charleston’s arts scenes.
Covid struggles continue
The pandemic still isn’t over. While the shutdowns are done and arts organizations came barrelling out of the gates in 2022, Covid continues to affect the world around us.
This year was a trial showcase of how arts companies will operate post-pandemic and navigate its ongoing impacts on entertainment.
Lost rehearsal time from Covid protocols led PURE Theatre to delay the opening of Ben Butler, actively shifting PURE’s entire spring slate. Footlight Players’ A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder lost its entire closing weekend because of cast illnesses.
Spoleto Festival USA wasn’t immune either, with multiple cancellations and College of Charleston student Delaney Faile filling in as the character Cora for the opening performances of The Approach. This year demonstrated the necessity for new thinking in the way arts organizations plan productions. It’s also been a phenomenal year for understudies.
Foundational shakeups
New faces in high places have defined some of Charleston’s most venerated arts organizations. Spoleto Festival USA 2022 was helmed by Mena Mark Hanna, who took over after long-time General Director Nigel Redden. Hanna oversaw the return of Spoleto after two years of canceled and small-scale festivals. The 2022 edition of Spoleto saw a lot of programming that was held over from 2020, most notably the centerpiece Omar, so it’ll be another year before we see the full extent of Hanna’s vision for the festival.
Spoleto Festival USA wasn’t the only major arts organization to see a proper shakeup in leadership this year. Cara Leepson stepped down from her position as executive director of Redux Contemporary Arts Center in May, ending a five-year run with the organization in order to help another organization grow and thrive. Kate Ledbetter took over the role in August. Flowertown Players saw some changes at the top, including the addition of new board members like Lizzie Harris, who heads a new play selection committee for the company.
More places to thrive
Many arts spaces flourished in 2022, a necessity after 2020 took several away. Sarah Dionna got a second chance at her film-focused Actors Resource Center this year when ARC Take 2 opened its doors in September. Stationed in the Citadel Mall, ARC Take 2 offers acting workshops, audition services, pole dancing classes and much more. It’s also touted as a potential gathering spot for writers, directors and any other artists looking for community and resources.
In Summerville, Public Works Art Center continued to serve the community by extending free arts access to as many people as possible. Studio Union in North Charleston provided long-term rental spaces for artists. Artist Collective expanded to downtown, bringing its art gallery company to The Charleston Place. Charleston really became an excellent home for aspiring and developing artists in 2022, and these resources helped ensure that.
New companies look to the future
Young upstart arts organizations are also looking forward to becoming more involved with the community. The International African American Museum spent much of 2022 holding events in preparation for a now delayed January 2023 opening. Charleston Playhouse, which next year will open its first season as Charleston’s first professional equity musical theater company, has been setting the stage for its debut with small-scale performance nights at various venues. The Void Theatre Company, a new queer-focused performance company founded by recent College of Charleston graduates, is preparing for its first show in February 2023. The future certainly looks bright for Charleston’s arts scene.
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