Mainstage Season for 2023-2024

Cinderella

Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II

Directed by Monica Bell
Choreographed by Alison Levenberg
Musical Direction by Michael Gribbin 

In the Wheelwright Auditorium 

Description:  A magical night in the theatre for the entire family! The new Broadway adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical, Cinderella, will delight audiences with the story of how dreams really can come true. This contemporary approach to a well-known fairy tale features some of musical theatre’s most beloved songs, including In My Own Little Corner, Impossible/It's Possible, and Ten Minutes Ago, as well as an updated, hilarious, and romantic libretto by Douglas Carter Beane.

Saturday Night/Sunday Morning

Written by Katori Hall
Directed by Dawn Monique Williams

In the Edwards Black Box Theater

Description:  Set in the final days of the Second World War at Miss Mary’s Press and Curl beauty parlour and women’s boarding house in Memphis, Tennessee, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning unites a group of young women whose lives have been affected by the loss of men to the war and the upheaval of social attitudes that followed. When sisters Taffy and Mabel devise a scheme to solve Leanne’s ongoing depression over a lack of correspondence from her soldier sweetheart, their lies spiral out of control, and the girls and Miss Mary must learn to navigate the nuances of love, sexuality, and sisterhood. 

Cabaret

Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Directed and Choreographed by Adam Pelty
Musical Direction by Alex Lefevre

In the Wheelwright Auditorium

Description:  “Life is a cabaret, old chum…come to the cabaret!” This daring, provocative, and exuberantly entertaining musical explores the life of Bohemian Berlin at the close of the 1920s and as Germany slowly yields to the emerging political regime. Set inside a scintillating nightclub, the Master of Ceremonies performs cleverly crafted songs as sociopolitical commentary while daring romances unfold: Cliff, a young American writer, begins an affair with English singer Sally Bowles, as Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of a boarding house, tentatively falls in love with a kind Jewish fruit seller, Herr Schultz. Favorite musical numbers include Willkommen, Don’t Tell Mama, and Cabaret, among others.

Three Sisters

Written by Anton Chekhov
A New Version by Sarah Ruhl
Based on a literal translation by Elise Thoron
with Natalya Paramonova and Kristin Johnsen-Neshati

Directed by Steven James Higginbotham

In the Edwards Black Box Theater

Description:  In this classic by Anton Chekhov, three sisters, Olga, Masha, and Irina, yearn for the promise of Moscow while grappling with the challenges of living unhappily in a provincial Russian town. Unrequited love, family drama, mourning the loss of their father, and dealing with a changing Russia are realities they must face as they pine for that elusive trip to Moscow and accept their uncertain futures. 

The E.A.R.T.H. Festival

Project Led by Ben Sota and Sandrine Schaefer  

Site Specific Festival Performances and Events – Location(s) TBD 

Description:  We are thrilled to present The E.A.R.T.H. Festival, a unique and thought-provoking event which stands for Eco, Art, Radical, Theatre, Happening.  E.A.R.T.H. brings together theater, art, and activism to explore themes of sustainability, climate change, and the relationship between humans and nature. Co-created by Coastal Carolina University students working with community members, this festival showcases inspiring performances, engaging workshops, and informative talks that aim to inspire change and promote awareness about the urgent issues facing our planet. With The E.A.R.T.H. Festival, we invite you to hear and tell stories about our shared future on this planet. Don't miss this extraordinary event, taking place in Downtown Conway and Downtown Myrtle Beach!

Discovery Series of Student-Led Projects for 2023-2024

Galatea

A Devised Work by Lizzy Arnold

In the Edwards Black Box Theater

Description:  This devised work turns the tale Pygmalion and Galatea on its head by keenly retelling it from Galatea’s perspective. It follows Galatea's gradual realization of imprisonment and abuse by her male creator, explores the limited freedom of expression she experiences while under his control, and dramatizes her triumphant fight for independence in the face of adversity. 

If Cherries Could Talk

A Reading of a New Play Written by Camryn Cox

In the Edwards Black Box Theater

Description:  If Cherries Could Talk tells the story of Quinn and Riley. The piece jumps between the past, where we see the ups and downs of their relationship, and the present, their first time seeing each other years after their breakup. This one act play intends to shed light on the many shapes and sizes that abuse comes in - and how difficult it is to break out.

A Mortician’s Family

A Staged Reading of a New Play by Avery Avellino

In the Edwards Black Box Theater

Description:  A Mortician’s Family is about the five stages of grief in conflict with each other, as it follows a family who is examining their virtues and vices in the wake of their father's death. Grief for their father wears on their relationships and brings their differences forth in a nature of contempt. Siblings become hateful and parents lash out, but they will explore their love for one another still.

Human

A Devised Dance Project by Trevor Terry

In the Edwards Blackbox Theater

Description:  Human tells the story of an alien who enters a human body and is thusly confronted with human emotion for the first time. Through the course of the performance, the alien discovers joy, rage, confusion, and even lust. As an allegorical story of queerness, this compelling devised dance project focuses on themes of feeling as if your body isn't your own, lack of control, and confronting our deepest emotions.

Signature Events for 2023-2024 

Dance Company – Fall Concert

In the Wheelwright Auditorium

Description:  Led by Arist-in-Residence, Alison Levenberg, students in the Dance Company apply practical studio work in dance technique to the creation of choreography for this concert performance. The Fall Concert will serve as an exciting showcase of danceworks and choreography from the Fall 2023 semester.

Senior Showcase

In the Edwards Recital Hall

Description:  See tomorrow’s Broadway stars onstage today! In a showcase format, this performance will highlight the talents and skills of our graduating BFA seniors who will be entering the professional theatre industry in May. All proceeds raised from this event will support the students’ trip to perform their Senior Showcase for casting agents, talent scouts, and industry professionals in New York City in March. Come and support our seniors as they pursue their dreams!

Dance Company – Spring Concert

In the Wheelwright Auditorium

Description:  Led by Arist-in-Residence, Alison Levenberg, students in the Dance Company apply practical studio work in dance technique to the creation of choreography for this concert performance. The Spring Concert will serve as an exciting showcase of danceworks and choreography from the Spring 2024 semester. 

New Works for 2023-2024 

Reading of a Commissioned Play by Cynthia Grace Robinson; Directed by Cezar Williams

In the Edwards Recital Hall

Description:  A newly-commissioned play by Cynthia Grace Robinson for Coastal Carolina University’s Department of Theatre will have its first public reading on our campus, in anticipation of a full production in an upcoming mainstage season. 

Reading of a New Musical - The Puzzle with music and lyrics by Alex Lefevre and book by Marybeth Berry

In the Edwards Blackbox Theatre

Description:  Taking place over the course of two decades, The Puzzle tells the story of a diverse family navigating the challenges and trials that life brings to us all: grief, loss, love, failure, success, and the personal truth we seek to recognize within ourselves.

Get Your Tickets Here.   

Ticket Prices for 2023-2024:

For PLAYS, we will charge:

• $19 for adults
• $15 for alumni, faculty/staff, OLLI, seniors, teens (aged 12-17), and groups of 10 or more
• $3 for any students (Horry County, HGTC, CCU)

For MUSICALS, we will charge:

• $25 for adults 
• $20 for alumni, faculty/staff, OLLI, seniors, teens (aged 12-17), and groups of 10 or more
• $5 for any students (Horry County, HGTC, CCU)

For the DISCOVERY SERIES and SIGNATURE EVENTS, we will charge:

• $10 for adults
• $7 for alumni, faculty/staff, OLLI, seniors, teens (aged 12-17), and groups of 10 or more
• $3 for any students (Horry County, HGTC, CCU)
• NOTE:  Senior Showcase ticket holders will have the option to donate money in addition to the ticket price to support students traveling to NYC! 

***There will be no charge to attend the NEW WORKS series.***

The Fabulous Five-Show Pass!

The CCU Theatre Department is proud to announce the launch of a ticket package for the 2023-2024 CCU Season!  Patrons can purchase a CCU Theatre 5-show pass, which will provide access to all of the following:

• one ticket in the appropriate audience category for 1 Mainstage musical
• one ticket in the appropriate audience category for 1 Mainstage play
• one ticket in the appropriate audience category for 2 Discovery Series productions
• one ticket in the appropriate audience category for 1 of the dance concerts 
• NOTE: Tickets for Senior Showcase and The E.A.R.T.H. Festival are not included in the 5-show package.

We will charge the following for a 5-show pass in each of the associated categories:

• $60 for adults ($74 value)
• $45 for alumni, faculty/staff, OLLI, seniors, and teens (aged 12-17) ($56 value)
• Not available for students 

Pass holders will be given priority seating for all selected events, as possible.  Pass holders will need to select their preferred performance dates in advance of attendance to ensure that seats will be available.  We recommend selecting their preferred performance dates at least 4 weeks ahead of the production.  
If ticket holders are not in attendance by two minutes before showtime and they do not contact the box office in advance, their seats may be sold to accommodate audience members who are waiting at the door.  
No refunds, credits, or exchanges are given if a pass holder does not attend a performance.