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.
2021-2022 Theatre Season
Rumors
October 15-22, 2021 Written by Neil Simon Directed by David Britt
Drayton Hall Theatre
Sharp-edged wit meets madcap farce in this laugh-out-loud comedy from legendary playwright
Neil Simon. When the first pair of guests arrive for an anniversary party at the
opulent home of Charlie Brock, the Deputy Mayor of New York, they find their host
unconscious, shot in the head (well…the ear lobe), and his wife missing. Wanting
to protect Charlie – and themselves – from potential scandal, they fabricate a lie
to tell the rapidly-arriving partygoers, setting in motion an ever-more-hilarious
series of cover-ups, misunderstandings and mishaps.
"Has nothing on its mind except making the audience laugh." - The New York Times
October 28-31, 2021 Written by Mary Zimmerman Directed by Tiffani Hagan
Lab Theatre
Hailed in 2002 as “the theatre event of the year” (Time), the award-winning Metamorphoses is a breathtaking fusion of classic and contemporary storytelling, bringing Roman
poet Ovid’s timeless myths to dazzlingly theatrical life. Mary Zimmerman’s daring
adaptations explore the wide gamut of our universal experience, from love to loss,
from joy to despair, connecting all with the idea that nothing in life comes without
transformation.
"Mary Zimmerman's lovely, deeply affecting work...shows that theater can provide not
just escape but sometimes a glimpse of the divine." — Time
*Contains adult themes that may not be suitable for all ages.
November 12-19, 2021 Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos Co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail, and Nia Vardalos Directed by Maureen Heffernan
Longstreet Theatre
When she was a struggling writer, author Cheryl Strayed (Wild) spent several years writing an advice column under the pen name “Sugar,” in which
she offered up truths on everything from dating to family dysfunction to profound
loss. Originally published as a best-selling book and now adapted for the stage by
Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Tiny Beautiful Things presents Sugar’s unflinching and highly personal takes on dilemmas big and small,
in the process giving audiences an uplifting experience that Variety has called “a
theatrical hug in turbulent times.”
“Tiny Beautiful Things is about the endangered art of listening to – and really hearing and responding to
– other people…it works beautifully as a sustained theatrical exercise in empathy.”
– The New York Times
*"Tiny Beautiful Things" is a story about truly listening and understanding others.
The play uses adult language and addresses sensitive topics such as physical/sexual
abuse and mortality and is not appropriate for children.
February 25 - March 4, 2022 Written by Melanie Marnich Directed by Ibi Owolabi
Longstreet Theatre
Based on actual events, These Shining Lives reaches back almost a century to uncover a harrowing but inspiring history that still
has profound resonance to our society today. Through poetic and powerful language,
playwright Melanie Marnich tells the tragic story of women in the 1920s hired to decorate
watch faces with glow-in-the-dark, radium-based paint, a substance their employer
refers to as “medicinal.” As they begin developing serious illnesses from radiation
exposure, they soon realize the company’s complicity and wage a legal battle to bring
it to justice. The case would go on to have far-reaching consequences on workers’
and womens’ rights in our own time.
“Perfect, touching and wistful…beautifully tragic.” — Talkin’ Broadway
March 24-27, 2022 Written by Kenneth Lonergan Directed by John Reynolds
Lab Theatre
Three privileged young adults experience 48 eventful hours at the dawn of the materialistic
Reagan Era in this hard-hitting drama by Academy Award-winning author Kenneth Lonergan
(Manchester by the Sea). After stealing $15,000 from his tycoon father, 19-year-old Warren turns for help
to his slightly older, drug-dealing friend, Dennis. As they concoct a scheme to buy
cocaine with the stolen funds and resell it for profit, Warren falls for fashion student
Jessica, threatening both the plan and their lives. Brutally frank and honest, This is Our Youth is a still-relevant portrayal of young people coming of age in a world they aren’t
yet equipped to navigate.
“This Is Our Youth is rich and sad and wry in its cruel-to-be-kind portrayal of disillusioned adolescents...
How do you put away childish things, it asks, when you aren’t ready to pick up adult
ones?”—The Guardian
*Contains adult themes that may not be suitable for all ages.
Romeo and Juliet
April 8-15, 2022 Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Carolyn Howarth
Longstreet Theatre
Set in a time and place suffering the ravages of plague and social division, Shakespeare’s
ageless tale of the “star cross’d lovers” Romeo and Juliet still has the raw power
to connect in visceral ways. Fiery passions lead to fateful outcomes as the two impetuous
teenagers succumb to their irrepressible attraction, despite the long and bloody feud
waged by their warring families. As riveting today as when it first appeared in print
425 years ago, Romeo and Juliet is a story of love, intrigue and danger that will leave you breathless until its
shockingly tragic end.
