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USC’s historic Longstreet Theatre is about to get even more legendary as the theatre program presents the fiercely funny Off-Broadway hit The Legend of Georgia McBride, November 10-17.
Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with additional 3 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12. Admission is $15 for students, $20 for UofSC faculty/staff, military, and seniors 60+, and $22 for the public. Tickets may be purchased online at sc.universitytickets.com. Longstreet Theatre is located at 1300 Greene St. Enter from the rear breezeway off Sumter St. The Legend of Georgia McBride contains adult themes and mature language, and is not suitable for children.
Tony®-winning playwright Matthew López’s hit Off-Broadway comedy is a glittering, music-filled story of identity and acceptance, described as “stitch-in-your-side funny” (The New York Times) and “a glorious tribute to the art of drag” (Variety). López’s story centers on Casey, an aspiring Elvis impersonator struggling to make it in showbiz. He’s broke, facing eviction, and just found out his wife is pregnant. To make matters worse, he’s about to lose his only gig at a local dive bar to a much more successful drag act. The only way he can survive? Ditch “The King” and learn to embrace his inner Queen!
Two guest artists are leading the production. Jessica Francis Fichter, Executive Director of Columbia’s Trustus Theatre, returns to the USC stage as director, having recently helmed USC’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Terrance Henderson, an award-winning theatre and dance artist, director, teacher and Equity Advisor, is choreographing, while also consulting the company on the art of drag. He’s additionally embodying the onstage role of Miss Tracy Mills, the seasoned performer who guides Casey on his journey to legendary queendom.
“It’s super meta,” says Henderson, a veteran drag performer, of his dual roles in the production. “I appreciate that in the play we get to see Tracy take Casey through the basics of drag performance, and that a lot of the things I’m teaching the actors are being spoken about in the play.”
For Henderson, at the heart of drag is the art of theatre. “It’s like a mini play in six minutes,” he says. “I’m using all these devices of the body, physicality, choreography, costume, make-up, props…It’s all storytelling.”
“It’s an art form that needs to be celebrated,” says Fichter, “and deserves respect at this moment in time. This play is even more timely now than when it was written in 2014.”
Joining Henderson in the cast are undergraduate actors Koby Hall (as Casey), Keyontaye Allison, John Ballard, and Morgan Passley. David Britt, a senior theatre instructor at USC, is taking on the role of bar owner Eddie. Designers for the production are MFA theatre design students Ashley Jensen (scenic), Lindsay Wilkinson (costume), and Lorna Young (lighting), with make-up co-designed by undergraduate Makenzie Payne and guest artist Lamont Gleaton, and sound by guest artist Danielle Wilson.
“This play is, first and foremost, a comedy,” says Fichter. “The one-liners, the banter between the characters, the 20-minute drag show in the middle of the play… if you are a lover of theatre or art, and a lover of fun, dancing, and joy, this is a really good play for you.”
“You get to witness these drag performances while also experiencing the evolution of someone’s drag journey up front and in person,” adds Henderson. “It’s a visceral experience that lifts the story and drag itself, too.”
For more information on The Legend of Georgia McBride or the theatre program at the University of South Carolina, contact Kevin Bush by phone at 803-777-9353 or via email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.