Leadership

Julian Wiles
Founder and Producing Artistic Director

Director, designer and playwright Julian Wiles founded Charleston Stage, Charleston's resident professional theatre company, in1978. It has since grown into South Carolina's largest professional theatre and one of the state's largest arts institutions. Over the past 38 years, Wiles has directed and designed more than 200 productions and penned 27 original plays and musicals for the company. Wiles continues to serve as the company's Producing Artistic Director, heading a staff of 25 full-time theatre professionals.

Wiles, a South Carolina native, grew up on a cotton farm in Ft. Motte, South Carolina. He attended Clemson University, received a history degree from the College of Charleston in 1974 and an MFA in Dramatic Art from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976.

Wiles has written or adapted 27 original plays and musicals for the company including the boy who stole the stars, Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe, the Final Mystery, The Seat of Justice, Denmark Vesey: Insurrection, Gershwin at Folly, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, Helium and most recently, Inga Binga.

Julian Wiles is a recipient of the 2010 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award, the highest honor in the arts awarded by the South Carolina Arts Commission. Wiles is also a member of the Dramatists Guild. 
 

Marybeth Clark
Associate Artistic Director and Director of Education

Marybeth is Charleston Stage's Associate Artistic Director and Director of Education. Clark has a degree in theatre/performance from the University of South Florida. She worked as an actor in professional theatres throughout the Southeast. She taught at the University of South Florida, Ruth Eckerd Hall Performing Arts, Berkeley Preparatory School and Greenbrier Valley Theatre before settling in Charleston in 1994 where she was a member of the theatre faculty at Charleston County's School of the Arts for middle and high school students.

Marybeth started acting, teaching and directing for the Charleston Stage in Season 20 and joined the staff full-time in Season 22.  She created and oversees Charleston Stage's Resident Acting Intern Program which has employed almost 90 young professional actors to date. She directs multiple shows each season, favorites include Young Frankenstein and Mary Poppins. She has appeared on stage in multiple shows including The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Moon Over Buffalo, A Christmas Carol and most recently You Can't Take It With You. In addition to overseeing the TheatreSchool classes and TheatreWings High School Apprentice Program at Charleston Stage, she also creates the curriculum for Charleston Stage's in school residencies and is a popular presenter at teacher inservices and arts education conferences. Ms. Clark holds a B.A. in Acting from the University of South Florida.