North Charleston planning to launch theatre company

June 19, 2002 – In a move showing North Charleston’s growing commitment to the performing arts, Mayor Keith Summey announced Tuesday that the city and The Noisette Co. will launch the South of Broadway Theatre Company in the fall of 2003.

The new theater was the idea of Mary Gould, an opera singer and actress who has performed internationally and served as executive director of The New York Virtuosi Chamber Symphony from 1997 to 1999. Gould, who will serve as producer of the theater company, contacted Summey and Noisette Co.

Summey said the theater company would be South Carolina’s first Broadway-quality, full-time professional theater company completely contracted through the Actor’s Equity Association.

The theater company’s initial productions will be held at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, with later productions scheduled for a planned arts center within the 3,000-acre Noisette urban redevelopment project.

“We are excited that the South of Broadway Theatre Company is locating in North Charleston,” Summey said. “This is a step forward in enhancing the quality of life for the people of our city and the entire Lowcountry. The company’s decision to locate within the Noisette Project zone is the beginning of locally based, world-class programs.”

The Noisette Project is a $1 billion, 20- to 30-year development and revitalization concern launched in North Charleston Noisette company owner John L. Knott Jr., who developed Dewees Island.Knott said Gould approached him about a year ago and that he thought the theater was an excellent idea. Although he did not name a dollar figure, he said that the Noisette Project was “substantially committed” to making sure the theater company came to fruition.

“This is an extremely important undertaking because plays developed here can go on to perform off Broadway and even (on) Broadway,” Knott said.

Knott and Summey referred to the five successful touring productions of the “Broadway Nights,” series and two special productions of “David Copperfield” and “Cinderella,” as evidence that theater can flourish in North Charleston.

According to North Charleston Performing Arts Center officials, a total of 33,000 people attended the seven productions, which included eight performances of “Les Miserables.”

Robert Ivey, who is the owner of Robert Ivey Ballet and a dance professor at the College of Charleston, will be artistic director. Ivey studied at the American Ballet Theatre School and has appeared in several Broadway musicals such as “West Side Story.” He was a member of the Swedish State Theatre and Royal Norwegian Ballet for seven years.

“We plan to bring in well-known actors from all over the country to perform,” Ivey said.

Gould said that the theater would be a member of the League of Resident Theatres, which requires a percentage of actors to be members of the Actors Equity Union. That means they’ve had experience performing in professional productions.

Gould said fund-raising for the new theater will have a statewide and even national scope and will seek help from major corporations.

Summey said he hopes to get state money since the theater eventually will offer educational classes. In a statement, Gov. Jim Hodges called the theater’s formation “an important part of our state’s continuing cultural, educational and economic expansion. … I believe projects like this invite new growth and development to South Carolina.”

The plan includes education initiatives through outreach programs and theater schools and eventually envisions seasons of six major productions, from musical theater to Shakespeare, each running an average of five weeks.

Gould said the theater’s initial fund-raiser would be held Oct. 12 at the Sottile Theatre and will feature performances by some of the area’s best-known singers, actors and actresses. The first performance scheduled for October 2003 will be Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” directed by Ivey.

Summey, Knott and Gould declined to say Tuesday how much money they hope to raise, but Summey said they are still hammering out an economic strategy.

“Our concern in starting this theater is not to make money,” he said. “Our goal is to break even and, most of all, to give local talent the chance to perform and work with professionals.”