Theater & Dance
Piccolo Spoleto offers a diverse lineup of theatre and dance, featuring captivating plays, dynamic dance productions, and more.
Theater & Dance at Cannon Street Arts Center
134 Cannon Street
Lowcountry Magic Jamboree
Lowcountry Magic Jamboree – A fun family friendly showcase presented by the Lowcountry Conjurors, Charleston’s Magic Club. Come 45 minutes early for close-up magic in the lobby and house followed by a 75-minute show of diverse captivating miracles for all ages by your local magicians.
Admission: $10
10+ 4+ 1: A Collaborative Art Show Featuring Dance Performances
This wonderful Piccolo Spoleto performance is an opportunity to see four different local dance groups, each giving us performances of 20 to 30 minutes.
Unbound Ballet Project proudly presents excerpts from their full-length ballet, Everything Moves and Nothing Stays, which premiered last July and was choreographed by director Crystal Wellman. Inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem “The Journey,” this captivating performance invites you to explore the seasons of life through music and movement.
Annex Dance Company presents three repertory works inspired by the art of Leslie Alexander, Aya Kawano, and Mary Walker, translating their visual worlds into movement.
Collective SC presents Short Fuse, an exploration of the fragile line between calm and chaos. Like an electrical fuse, it holds energy until overloaded, stopping the flow and unleashing a sudden blow. Brief moments of quiet ignite into inevitable eruptions. Choreographed by Lacey Bates and Izzy Byers, Short Fuse features excerpts from BREAK alongside new works in progress.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” dancers bring to life the eponymous 1892 classic feminist short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. First staged in June 2025, it tells the story of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and her struggle to get well during a time when women’s mental health was not taken seriously. The titular yellow wallpaper, brought to life by a corps of dancers, fascinates and taunts the narrator as the lines between the narrator and the wallpaper become increasingly blurred.
- Saturday, May 23 at 3:00pm
- Saturday, May 23 at 6:00pm
Admission: $12-$25
10+ 4 +1: KANSAS
A staged reading of the new play by Brad Erickson.
- Sunday, May 24 at 2:00pm
Admission: $12
On The Other Side
On the Other Side - an evening of storytelling through dance and movement interlaced with text and vignette. Beginning at Ms. Rose's, Anita Zucker (played by Megan Lane) takes you through her life and the lives of her parents as they navigate the difficulties of the Holocaust. An ensemble brings the story to life through movement and dance.
- Friday, May 29 at 7:00pm
- Saturday, May 30 at 7:00pm
Admission: $20
Twisted Fairy Tales
What if everything you thought you knew about fairytales wasn’t true? Join the student performers at Low Country Arts Theatre for an evening performance of family fun where all your favorite fairytales are retold from a new main character's perspective. The cast is set to amaze, ranging between the ages of 7 and 15, with talent that will leave you inspired and excited for our next generation of Charleston-based actors and actresses.
Written and directed by local female playwright Andrea White, this performance is sure to entertain and thrill all ages. Low Country Arts Theatre is a new educational youth theatre company by Director Andrea White, together with Assistant Director and Choreographer Simone Liberty. The company serves students with Musical Theatre learning and performing experiences in the Charleston area and beyond.
- Wednesday, June 3 at 7:30pm
- Thursday, June 4 at 7:30pm
Admission: $10
Too Clever by Half
- May 29 at 5:00pm
Admission: $
See You In the Funny Papers
- May 30 at 12:00pm
Admission: $
All Show and No Go
- May 30 at 4:00pm
Admission: $
Other Theatre & Dance
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
Date: May 28 & 29 at 7:30pm (doors at 7:00pm)
Venue: Circular Congregational Church, Upper Lance Hall
Address: 150 Meeting Street
Admission: $25 General Admission; $22.50 Seniors, Students, Military (ID's Required at Check-in; $30 VIP (front-row seating + possible cast interaction)
Community Contra Dance
Zephyr is the band and the caller is Chris Hernandez. Charleston Folk welcomes everyone to a slice of Americana in the historic Lance Hall of Circular Congregational Church. Contra dance is easy to learn, great exercise, fun for all ages, and no partner needed. Zephyr is musicians Susan Conant, Matt Masie, Mike Kaufmann, and John Holenko. Chris Hernandez will teach beginners at 7:30 with dancing until 10:30. https://charlestonfolk.weebly.com/
Date: Saturday May 30 at 7:30pm, doors at 7:15pm
Venue: Circular Congregational Church, Upper Lance Hall
Address: 150 Meeting Street
Admission: Free
The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Performances:
Saturday, June 6 at 7:00pm
Sunday, June 7 at 5:00 pm
Venue: Parish Hall at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
Address: 405 King Street
Admission: $30 General Admission
Stelle di Domani at the College of Charleston
The College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to present the 19th season of Stelle di Domani, its annual Piccolo Spoleto offering. The series highlights students, alumni, faculty and staff of the College of Charleston and Theatre and Dance programs and this season’s offerings include theatre, dance, staged readings of new works, and meaningful collaborations including a partnership with the Charleston Library Society.
Noise Source
CofC Stages & Polymath Performance Project presents
Noise Source is an improvisational response and meditation on Article 36 of The Negro Act of 1740, which prohibited enslaved people from keeping drums and other instruments that “may call together or give sign or notice to one another of their wicked designs and purposes”. Combining live synthesized noise sampling by Concept Rxch and digitized approach to tap dance by Charlie Maybee, this interdisciplinary collaboration explores both the sampler and the tap shoe as percussive technologies that fulfill the communal role of confiscated African drums offering a postmodern technique of communication and maintenance of an augmented culture that is fundamentally American. Ultimately, this performance explores tap dance as an experimental form of rebellion against this law by letting it be social, responsive, and open to deconstruction and rearrangement through a conversation with two contact mics and a sampler.
Instagram Handles: @polytap2, @concept_rxch, @project.polymath
Performances:
- Sunday, May 24 at 2:00pm
- Sunday, Mary 24 at 8:00pm
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre
Address: 54 St. Philip Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: 60 minutes without intermission
Late, a Cowboy Song by Sarah Ruhl
Center Stage presents
Late, A Cowboy Song by Sarah Ruhl
Mary, always late and always married, meets a lady cowboy outside the city limits of Pittsburgh who teaches her how to ride a horse. A story of one woman’s education and her search to find true love outside the box...
Performances:
- Friday, June 5 at 2:00pm
- Friday, June 5 at 7:30pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 2:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 7:30pm
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: 2 hours including intermission
Under The Lights
This perennial Piccolo favorite is being led by CofC alum Michael Smallwood and highlights original College of Charleston student works. A series of ten-minute plays written by and performed by CofC students, Under the Lights features winners of the Franklin B. Ashley Playwriting Award, the Todd McNerney Student Playwriting Award, and more. Suitable for audiences 14+.
Performances:
- Monday, June 1 at 7:00pm
- Tuesday, June 2 at 5:00pm
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre
Address: 54 Saint Philip Street
Admission: $10 (general admission) plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: 60 minutes without intermission
Staged Readings from the 17th Annual Todd McNerney Playwriting Contest
Staged Readings from the 17th Annual Todd McNerney Playwriting Contest
Staged readings of the Todd McNerney 17th Annual National Playwriting contest finalists. Previous winning plays have come from notable playwrights including Caridad Svich (lifetime Obie award winner), Sheila Cowley, Arthur M. Jolly, James Still, William Missouri Downs, and Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Free admission. Suitable for audiences 14+.
Readings:
- Thursday, May 28 at 2:00pm
- Friday, May 29 at 2pm (runner-up)
- Wednesday, June 3rd
- Thursday, June 4th at 2pm (winner)
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission: Free
Runtime: 90-120 minutes
Cabaret TBD
TBD
Performances:
- Sunday, May 31 at
Venue: Chapel Theatre
Address: 172 Calhoun Street
Admission:
Runtime: 45 minutes without intermission
Piccolo Spoleto Dance Showcase
CofC Stages and the Office of Cultural Affairs present
Piccolo Spoleto Dance Showcase
As a featured component of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Stelle di Domani series, the showcase brings together dance artists and organizations in celebration of the diversity, creativity, and vitality of the Charleston and broader Southeast dance community. Featuring five distinct programs, the showcase offers multiple opportunities for audiences to experience performers of all ages across a wide range of genres.
Performances:
- Friday, May 29 at 4:00pm
- Friday, May 29 at and 7:00pm
- Saturday May 30 at 1:00pm
- Saturday, May 30 at 3:00pm
- Saturday, May 30 at 5:30pm
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre
Address: 54 St. Philip Street
Admission: $12 general admission plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: 60 minutes without intermission
Performances:
- Friday, June 5 at 5:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 12:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 6:00pm
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre
Address: 54 Saint Philip Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: 45 minutes without intermission
Cougar Night Rewind
CofC Stages and The Comedy Club present…
Cougar Night Rewind
“Comedy Club's Greatest Hits (Trust Us)”
Do you ever watch Saturday Night Live and wish that it felt more like lunch on a Thursday? From the same college students who just failed their Introduction to Mathematics exams, CofC Stages is proud to present The Comedy Club and Cougar Night Rewind. Enjoy an hour slam-packed with the Club's best sketch comedy!
Suitable for 16+.
Performances:
- Monday, May 25 at 7:30pm (doors at 7:00pm)
- Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30pm (doors at 7:00pm)
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre OR Chapel??????
Address: 54 St. Philip Street
Admission: $12 general admission plus ticket surcharge??
Runtime: 60 minutes without intermission
Romeo & Juliet: Cuts and Kisses
CofC Stages and the Charleston Library Society present
Romeo & Juliet: Cuts and Kisses
Join us for Cuts and Kisses, an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, as part of the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance’s partnership with the Charleston Library Society. Cuts and Kisses will also be presented as a free performance as “Shakespeare on the Steps” during June’s Second Sunday on the steps of CLS. Suitable for audiences 14+.
Performances:
- Friday, June 5 at 5:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 12:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 6:00pm
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre
Address: 54 Saint Philip Street
Admission: $16 (general admission); $12 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: 45 minutes without intermission
Shakespeare on the Steps - Romeo & Juliet: Cuts and Kisses
CofC Stages and the Charleston Library Society present
Shakespeare on the Steps - Romeo & Juliet: Cuts and Kisses
Join us for Cuts and Kisses, an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, as part of the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance’s partnership with the Charleston Library Society. Suitable for audiences 14+.
Performances:
- Friday, June 5 at 5:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 12:00pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 6:00pm
Venue: Charleston Library Society
Address: 164 King Street
Admission: Free
Runtime: 45 minutes without intermission
Real Love... Negotiated
Dark Blue Mondaze in partnership with CofC Stages present
Real Love… Negotiated is a sultry, story-driven jazz cabaret where Broadway drama meets late-night swing. Through bold new arrangements of theatre favorites and jazz standards, it follows one woman’s journey from romantic fantasy to hard-earned truth.
Where Broadway Meets Modern Jazz
featuring works by Sondheim, Schwartz, Bacharach and more
Heather Rice is a Jazz vocalist, songwriter, and recording artist whose performances blend soulful storytelling with intimate, emotionally rich delivery. A featured artist in the Charleston Jazz Festival, CJO, OJO, CSO and the NC Pops, she has also opened for Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Lady A, and Joan Osborne, and performed at venues including Green Room 42 and Studio 54 in New York City. Known for her vulnerability in live performance, Heather creates deeply personal experiences where jazz sophistication meets emotional truth.
Performances:
- Wednesday, June 3 at 7:00pm
- Thursday, June 4 at 7:00pm
Venue: Simons Center Black Box Theatre
Address: 54 Saint Philip Street
Admission: $ (general admission) plus ticket surcharge
Runtime: minutes without intermission
Theater at Threshold Repertory Theatre
84 1/2 Society Street
Staged Reading of Covenant Farm by Brigid Amos
Staged Reading of Covenant Farm by Brigid Amos
Performances:
- Saturday, May 23 from 12:00-3:00pm
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Admission: $
Shakespeare and Me
Shakespeare and Me - Shakespeare has colored literary history with larger-than-life characters who have changed how we see the world, and he has shaped our emotional landscape. Join Paul O’Brien on a journey through that landscape in a solo performance featuring some of Shakespeare’s all-time favorites: Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Othello, Iago, Macbeth, and the troubled Dane himself in Shakespeare and Me.
Performances:
- Saturday, May 23 at 7:30pm
- Sunday, May 24 at 7:30pm
- Monday, May 25 at 7:30pm
- Tuesday, May 26 at 4:00pm
- Sunday, May 31 at 7:30pm
- Tuesday, June 2 at 4:00pm
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Admission: $
Tick, Tick, Boom!
Tick, Tick, Boom!
Before Rent, there was Tick, Tick... Boom!. This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning composer of Rent, is the story of a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theatre. Containing fourteen songs, ten characters, three actors and a band, Tick, Tick... Boom! takes you on the playwright/composer's journey that led to a Broadway blockbuster.
Performances:
- Sunday, May 24 at 3:00pm
- Saturday, May 30 at 3:00pm
- Saturday, May 30 at 7:30pm
- Monday, June 1 at 7:30pm
- Thursday, June 4 at 7:30pm
- Saturday, June 6 at 3:00pm
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Admission: $
Musings from the Bar
Donnie Exelbierd has been entertaining the patrons at the bar of Muse Restaurant in downtown Charleston for years. As he has for the past two years in front of sold-out crowds, Donnie brings his unique style of comedy and story-telling to the stage. Come laugh and sing along and have drink or two at the bar with Donnie in Musings from the Bar.
Performances:
- Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30pm
- Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30pm
- Wednesday, June 3 at 7:30pm
- Friday, June 5 at 7:30pm
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Admission: $
The Drop of a Hat
The Drop of a Hat - The English comedic singing duo Flanders and Swann charmed and delighted audiences with their witty revues on both sides of the pond in the mid-twentieth century with songs composed by Swann and the lyrics supplied by Flanders. Come laugh and sing along if you know the words with Paul O’Brien as Michael Flanders and Brian Brooks as Donald Swann as they re-create that mid-century magic featuring some of Flanders and Swann’s favorite songs including “Hippopotamus,” “The Gnu”, and “The Gasman Cometh” in The Drop of a Hat.
Performances:
- Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30pm
- Thursday, May 28 at 7:30pm
- Friday, May 29 at 7:30pm
- Sunday, May 31 at 4:00pm
Venue: Threshold Repertory Theatre
Address: 84 1/2 Society Street
Admission: $
Piccolo Fringe at Theatre 99
280 Meeting Street