PURE Theatre artistic director Sharon Graci said the company’s 21st season will be one to remember. The coming run of plays, which kick off in August, feature three regional premieres and one world premiere, as well as plenty of provocative material bound to resonate with Holy City theater-goers.
PURE has always had a knack for bringing to life shows that are of particular interest to Lowcountry locals. But what’s interesting about this season’s lineup, Graci said, is it explores “not only what it means to be a human, but specifically what it means to be an American.”
The first show of the new season is The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh, opening Aug. 24. “This one tells the story of Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to come to the U.S,” Graci said. “Moy, played in this production by Anna Lin, was brought over as a side show exhibit.”
In October, PURE Theatre will show Atwater, written by local playwright Fred Thompson. “It’s a hilarious satire, set at the gates of heaven where politician Lee Atwater is being judged by Saint Peter and the Devil,” Graci said. “Not only is the cast stellar, featuring core ensemble members Joy Vandervort-Cobb, Scott Smith and Brannen Daughterty, but it’s also incredibly relevant as our country enters this next presidential election cycle.”
The new year starts off with The Lehman Trilogy, a play which tells the story of a family who immigrated from Bavaria to New York City. Graci explained that the storyline spans two centuries and “lends itself to the highly stylized quality of production that we love here.” She also revealed that the cast will rely heavily on ensemble members R.W. Smith, David Mandel and former Charleston City Paper arts editor Michael Smallwood.
The final performance of the season will be a musical set in 1963 Louisiana called Caroline, or Change which unfolds under the direction of Nakeisha Daniel.
Graci said each play contains real links to Charleston.
“Afong Moy made a stop here in 1835. Lee Atwater got his political start right up the road in Columbia. Lehman Brothers had a branch here in Charleston and took many of our community members down with them. Caroline, or Change is set against a background of the civil rights movement, a subject that still demands continued conversation here.
“In our manifesto, we describe Charleston as a place where ‘beauty and brutality are forever fused,’ and exploring and understanding the continued impact of that dichotomy is something that, as Charlestonians, I think we all share — whether we’re on stage, behind the scenes or watching from the audience and joining in on post-show discussions and events,” Graci said.
Though opening night doesn’t take place until Aug. 24, Graci said her team has been hard at work assembling the pieces since season 20 closed in the spring.
“The great thing about coming to see a show at PURE is that even if you don’t think the story is written for you, you will always be able to find a reflection of yourself in the work. That’s one of the superpowers that theater holds — we’re able to pull at that common thread of humanity and learn and grow from each other’s responses.”
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