SummerStage and "The Seat of Justice"
This week Charleston Stage’s SummerStage Musical Theatre Camp will present "Disney’s Aladdin JR." at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Having founded Charleston Stage 38 years ago as a youth theatre, it’s appropriate we begin each season with a show for young people. Education Director Marybeth Clark and Director of Music Education Sam Henderson and their staff of 9 actor/teachers have created a major, fully staged production with 90+ student-actors aged 8-18. While our education program continues to be robust (more than 15,000 students take part each season), Charleston Stage’s programming has now expanded to include a wide range of productions. Mel Brook’s "The Producers" goes into rehearsal next week.
On the writing front, I’m currently re-reading all of the source materials for "The Seat of Justice" and working on revisions for the show for its new production next February. In light of the recent tragedy at Mother Emmanuel Church here is Charleston, this story now has even greater resonance for me, and I’m sure when it is remounted next year, it will have great resonance for the community as well. I hope to gather the cast together early in the fall for a staged reading in order to hear the new version out loud.