Our students shine on stage and behind the scenes. Come see the many ways that the
university's theatre and dance performances enhance the arts scene in Columbia, South
Carolina and the Midlands.
2024-2025 Theatre Season
Antigone
October 4-12, 2024
By Sophocles Translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald Directed by Lauren Wilson
This final chapter in Sophocles’ Oedipus Trilogy presents themes of gender equality
and civil disobedience that are as relevant today as they were over 2000 years ago.
After Antigone’s two brothers are killed while fighting each other for the throne
of Thebes, the kingdom’s new ruler declares that only one brother will receive a proper
burial, while the other will be left out to rot. In allegiance with her family –
and honoring her own strong sense of morality – Antigone buries her brother in defiance
of the law, setting in motion a chain of events that threaten to bring even more tragedy.
Enjoy a fast-paced evening of laughter, heartbreak and everything in between as we
present a collection of (very) short plays, each directed by a different member of
our theatre performance faculty. “A ten-minute play is a streak of theatrical lightning.
It doesn’t last long, but its power can stand your hair on end.” (Take Ten, Vintage Books)
Upon hearing about the sudden death of his mother, Spencer returns to his home in
Philadelphia to plan her funeral. Along the way Spencer falls in love, discovers the
truth about his absent father, and learns that his past is also the making of his
present. This magical journey through space and time takes us literally from Philadelphia
to the moon and back. “James Ijames’ gorgeously written play dwells in the loneliness
of being an only child to a working single mother, the barriers we let down when genuine
love wants in and the enduring power of the mother-son relationship, one of the most
magical things in life.” — Philadelphia Weekly
MFA Actor Solo Shows
December 10-11, 2024
Written and Performed by MFA Actors
Lab Theatre
Experience a dynamic and diverse collection of new voices and fresh stories in the
intimate environment of the Lab Theatre. As part of their 3-year training, our 2nd
-year graduate acting students will perform an evening of premiere, original solo
plays, which each has written and directed.
Mauritius
February 21 - March 1, 2025
By Theresa Rebeck Directed by Erica Tobolski
Longstreet Theatre
Stamp collecting is far riskier than you think. In Theresa Rebeck’s thrilling dark
comedy, two estranged half-sisters inherit a book of stamps that includes the “Blue
Mauritius,” one of the world’s rarest and most valuable stamps. When one of the sisters
tries to collect on the windfall, she enters a dangerous underworld of high-stakes
collectors who are willing to do anything to claim this crown jewel as their own.
“Funny, sharp and beguiling... with stunning scenes of high humor and drama.” – Variety
Activity Placemats
February 27 - March 2, 2025
By Kirk McGee Directed by Lyle Browne
Lab Theatre
Kirk McGee’s sharp-witted comedy takes us into the frantic backdrop of a wedding-gone-hilariously-wrong,
as four members of the wedding party struggle against overwhelming obstacles to make
everything perfect while dealing with their own messy histories.
Twelfth Night
April 11-18, 2025
By William Shakespeare Directed by Carolyn Howarth
Drayton Hall Theatre
Stranded by a shipwreck, twins Sebastian and Viola become separated on the island
of Illyria. To survive, Viola disguises herself as a man (“Cesario”), so she can work
for the Duke (Orsino), whom she’s secretly fallen in love with. Orsino, however, has
a thing for Olivia, who quickly becomes smitten with “Cesario.” A comic love triangle
for the ages, Twelfth Night is a madcap tale of mistaken identity and unrequited love!
Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.
