The Stage Is Set For Some Great Theatre in Downtown Greenville

The King, a bunch of guys in togas, a romantic tragedy and, of course, Norma Jean & friends, set the stage for a virtual plethora of plays in Downtown Greenville. From rock n’ roll to vaudeville, Roman-style and Shakespeare’s greatest love story to Norma Jean & Bubba’s take on Victor Hugo, there is a little something for theatre lovers of all kinds. Check out what’s onstage this weekend in Downtown Greenville:

“Elvis Has Left The Building” at The Greenville Little Theatre, April 5 – 20
It is 1970 and the King of Rock n’ roll, Elvis Presley, is nowhere to be found. Desperate to find someone to fill in for a very important live performance, Elvis’ manager, Col. Tom Parker, is going to great lengths to find a stand-in. This “riotously funny” story will have you rolling in the aisles with laughter and keep you guessing right up until the end! Performances are at 8PM Thursday-Saturday, with 3PM matinee performances on Sunday. Tickets are $18 – $26 and are on sale now at the Greenville Little Theatre Box Office or online at http://www.greenvillelittletheatre.org.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum” at Centre Stage, March 28 – April 21This fast-paced, irreverent story takes comedy back to its earliest days, combining the time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. A non-stop feast of farce, this tale follows the crafty slave, Pseudolus, as he seeks to woo the beautiful, but not-so-bright courtesan, Philia, for his master, in exchange for his own freedom. Hilarity ensues as a colorful cast of shady neighbors get involved. Performances are at 8PM Thursday – Saturday and 3PM on Sundays. Tickets are $15 to $25 and are available online at http://www.centrestage.org.

“The Miserables” at Café & Then Some, currently running until Norma Jean & Bubba say to stopThe crew at Café & Then Some can always be counted on to offer a unique, down-home, chicken-fried, Southern take on a classic story. “The Miserables” is no exception. In this hilarious musical comedy by Charles Whisenant, Norma Jean shares her powerful, heartfelt saga in song (and maybe dance). Performances start at 8PM-ish, Wednesday – Saturday. Reservations are required for this homespun dinner theatre and can be made by calling 232-2287 or online at http://www.cafeats.com.

“Romeo & Juliet” at The Warehouse Theatre, March 22 – April 13If your taste in theatrical performances leans more towards the dramatically tragic, then The Warehouse Theatre’s “Romeo & Juliet” is for you. This classic tale of young love and woe follows two star-crossed lovers as they defy their families wishes and are joined together for eternity. Don’t miss this final chance to see this beautifully acted telling of what many believe to be William Shakespeare’s greatest work. Performances are Thursday – Saturday at 8PM. Tickets are $30 and are available now at http://www.warehousetheatre.com.

So, there you have it, Downtown thespians…3 kinds of funny with a little tragedy thrown in for good measure. Who says you can’t find good theatre in Greenville? You just need to look in the right places! See you Downtown!

The Holidays Take To The Stage in Downtown Greenville

I remember how excited I would get when the local TV stations would start adding such Holiday classics as “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34^th Street” to their December programming schedule. I loved it when George Bailey ran through the town of Bedford Falls, yelling “Merry Christmas” or when the postal carriers brought bags of mail addressed to Santa Claus to be delivered to Kris Kringle, during his sanity trial. But, as beloved as these moments are on the small screen, they are truly memorable when you get the opportunity to see them performed live onstage by some of Greenville’s most talented actors!

Perhaps no story signals the start of the Holiday season as much as “It’s a Wonderful Life”. On everyone’s list of Holiday favorites, this time-honored story of George Bailey and his journey of self-realization will be performed at the Greenville Little Theatre starting December 7 and run through December 16. Performances take place at 8PM every Thursday through Saturday evening, with Sunday matinee performances at 3PM.  Tickets range from $20 to $30. For more information, visit www.greenvillelittletheatre.org.

Running a close second on the list of Holiday family favorites, in my opinion anyway, has to be “Miracle on 34^th Street”. This tale of a little girl’s disbelief in Santa has been retold several times on the big screen and is enjoying a creative revival onstage. Currently performed every Thursday through Sunday at Centre Stage, this production will run until December 22. Performances are at 8PM, with the exception of Sunday performances, which are at 3PM. Tickets range from $15 to $30 and can be purchased through http://centrestage.org.

The South Carolina Children’s Theatre is offering its own version of a childhood twist on a popular Christmas carol. Junie B. and her first grade classmates are back again in “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”.  With weekend performances at the Peace Center Gunter Theatre (from now until December 16), this hilarious sing-a-long will delight kids and kids at heart! Performances are at 7PM on Fridays, 1:30PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $26 for adults and $17 for children under 18.  For more information, see http://scchildrenstheatre.org.

The Warehouse Theatre is offering a “plethora” of Holiday stories, certain to become classics. The first is the kid-friendly, “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t”. This delightful musical, adapted from Odgen Nash’s poem of the same name, will be performed starting December 7 at 6:30PM on Thursdays and Fridays and 3PM on Saturdays and Sundays.  Performances run through December 29 and tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under the age of 15. Adults needn’t feel left out of the Holiday fun…WHT has something for you too! Two short plays by David Sedaris, “Santaland Diaries” and “Season’s Greetings” offer a cheeky, and definitely adult, look at the Holiday season and are based on Sedaris’ own experiences with his family and as one of Santa’s Elves at Macy’s in NYC. Performances of these two “tongue definitely in cheek” comedies begin December 7 and run until the 29^th. Thursday & Friday performances will take place at 8:30PM with Saturday and Sunday performances taking place at 8PM. Tickets are $30 and these performances are for adults only. For more information on these and other performances, visit www.warehousetheatre.com.

Café & Then Some can always be counted on for tickling our satirical funny bone and the Holidays are no exception! Norma Jean invites you to join her and her “over-extended” family as they stumble through the real meaning of Christmas in “Merry Christmas, Y’all”.  Performances of this dinner theatre take place every Wednesday through Saturday, with the CATS crew taking the stage around 8PM-ish. Come early for dinner, which is served from 6:30-7:30PM. Tickets are $18 (for the show only) and reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, to purchase tickets or make reservations, visit www.cafeats.com.

So there you have it…A little something for everyone! Why wait for TBS or TCM to run these Holidays favorites on TV, when you can see them performed live. Holiday entertainment from the family-friendly to the not-so-family friendly…and from the classic to the future cult classics. Whatever you are in the mood for this Holiday season, chances are, it’s on a stage near you in Downtown Greenville. Happy Holidays, Y’all!

All The World’s A Stage…

As Southerners, we do tend to have a flair for the dramatic. Many acclaimed actors and actresses, playwrights and other creatives hail from the South. Not one to be left out, Downtown Greenville boasts a wonderful theatre community that strives to keep this tradition alive.

Perhaps the best theatre to start with is the Greenville Little Theatre  (www.greenvillelittletheatre.org). As the oldest venue for live theatre in Greenville, GLT has been the “jumping off point” for many successful thespians, including Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward. This cornerstone of the creative community is well-known for its performances of classic works by well-known playwrights, including Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park”, opening April 6^th. Stick around after the performance for the budget friendly “Studio 444”. For only $8, theatre goers are treated to short, PG-13 plays performed by their resident improv troupe, The Laughing Stock.  To encourage the acting bug in others, the theatre also offers acting classes every summer for adults, teens and children. Greenville Little Theatre is located at Heritage Green, near the Art Museum.

Young thespians can earn their acting chops at The South Carolina Children’s Theatre (http://scchildrenstheatre.org). With the goal of bringing wonder and excitement to the stage through family-friendly entertainment, SCCT offers an array of shows for every age and attention span. Five main presentations take place at The Peace Center, including the upcoming “Go Dog, Go, which premieres April 27^th. For more of a “hands-on” approach to theatre, SCCT also performs small, less formal plays at their Augusta Street location as part of their “2^nd Stage” program, with the delightful piece, “The Arkansas Bear” running until April 1^st. Not to be forgotten, tiny tots also have the chance to experience the theatre with “Tell Me A Story” – short 30 minute performances every Monday and Tuesday, which based on popular books. For those wishing to be onstage, SCCT launched its Theatre Arts Conservatory, a year-round program for students ages 3 – 18. The format includes Exploration, Process, Production, and Intensive Training Classes and Workshops and offers unique games, activities and challenges for the theatre student.

A favorite of West End theatre lovers is The Warehouse Theatre (www.warehousetheatre.com).  Located in a converted warehouse (hence the name), this fine mix of emerging talents, local professionals and artists from around the country have been performing “intense, intimate and unexpected” live productions for over 3 decades. From re-envisioned classics to some of the most cutting edge new works, WHT boasts the sort of theatre you can’t see anywhere else inSouth Carolina’s Upstate region. As an eclectic “side dish” to their main performances, The Warehouse also offers “Improv with The Distracted Globe” for only $5. In a summer event that has helped make Greenville a thespian vacation destination, WHT also plays host to The Upstate Shakespeare Festival. This free, annual event takes place in Falls Parks throughout the summer months and presents the magic of Shakespeare in a charming, outdoor setting.

Located on River Street, another West End favorite is Centre Stage (http://centrestage.org), whose mission since 1983 has been to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. Offering not only a season filled with music, comedy and drama (“Hairspray” opens April 12^th), Centre Stage also hosts art exhibitions (they have an in-house art gallery), chamber music concerts with The Greenville Symphony, independent film screenings, guest lectures, galas and other special events. Aficionados of comic opera will enjoy Greenville Light Opera Works – which is definitely not your daddy’s opera. Each Fall, Centre Stage presents its New Play Festival, a free and open to the public week-long event which givesGreenville audiences the opportunity to hear five exciting new plays by up-and-coming playwrights. And this April, Centre Stage’s state-of-the-art performance facility will play host to Comedy Centre, a stand-up comedy competition sure to banish any lingering winter blues!

 If your funny bone is still in need of tickling – and you like a little dinner with your theatre – look no further than Café and Then Some (www.cafeats.com). Bubba and Norma Jean (aka proprietors, Bill and Susan Smith) invite you to join them for a little folksy satire, served up with a side of home-grown humor and some country vittles! With original shows performed nightly Wednesday through Saturday, CATS offers entertainment unlike anything you’ll find in Greenville…or anywhere else for that matter!  Come on by their location, just off Main Street, ‘round the corner from that fancy ‘ol Blu Martini, to set a spell…and catch their current production of “Life After Oprah”.  You’ll be glad you did!

If you want to be more than just a spectator, Downtown Greenville’s theatres also offer the chance to audition for upcoming performances and to volunteer to help out with productions. Just check their websites for more information. You never  know, we might have another future Oscar-winner out there waiting to be discovered!

Who says you have to go all the way to NYC to see good theatre, when we have it right here in the DTGVL! Make plans to sample a little local creative talent next time you are Downtown. You might just like the drama of it all!