CityStage: Charleston Stage in the Community

 

Charleston Stage's Community Engagement Team

 

I. The CityStage Team

CityStage, Charleston Stage’s new Community Engagement team, will be made up of a full-time Community Engagement Coordinator and members of our Resident Professional Acting Company. The goal is to expand the work and mission of Charleston Stage beyond the walls of the Dock Street Theatre. The CityStage Team will focus on building partnerships with schools, religious and community groups in the Charleston area, especially underserved communities. We hope to become true community partners, not only to share our work, but to provide support and professional theatre resources to the important work schools and community groups are already undertaking.

 Molly Burris  Katelyn Crall Logan Edris   Knique Eichelberger  Jerquintez Gipson
 Molly
Burris		  Katelyn
Crall		  Logan
Edris		  K'nique
Eichelberger		 Jerquintez A
Gipson 
 Julia Kelly-Davis Roberto Mendez  Sierra Orr  Cedar Valdez  Drew H Wells 
 Julia
Kelly-Davis		 Roberto
Méndez
 Sierra
Orr 		 Cedar
Valdez 		 Drew H.
Wells

 

II. Initial Goals Include:

  • Building lasting partnerships and relationships with leaders and community groups in Charleston
  • To understand community needs and how, in time, we can provide support and resources to our new community partners
  • Through these initiatives we hope to encourage our partners and those we serve to become more engaged with Charleston Stage's productions, education and outreach programs.
  • To identify new programming that will better serve the worlds of our new community partners
  • To expand our Board of Directors to broaden community engagement and representation from all areas of our community

 

iii. expanded Inclusion and Outreach Programming

These programs will be implemented over the course of the coming year (2021-2022).

  • Community Tour (May 2022)
    Small, imaginative productions would be created by the CityStage Team to bring Charleston Stage programming directly into underserved communities and schools. Treasure Island Carolina, a new musical resetting Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic along the Carolina coast. With partners in the community, the CityStage Team will provide free performances for schools, houses of worship, parks, etc. to bring the magic of live theatre into every corner of the Charleston community.

  • Community Engagement
    To work with area houses of worship, schools, and community groups to develop enriching partnerships, classes and performance opportunities.

  • Community Nights
    Partnering with community groups to provide special low-cost community nights so more people may enjoy live theatre at the Historic Dock Street Theatre.

  • Enriching In-School Workshops
    Members of the Resident Professional Acting Company will work to expand on our Engaging Creative Minds in-school workshops and other school partnerships to reach underserved schools and students in our community.
     
  • High School Partnerships
    Members of the CityStage Team will work with high school drama productions each season to provide support for their classes and productions and serve as a recruiting tool for Charleston Stage’s free TheatreWings High School Apprentice program.
     
  • Outreach Afterschool Acting Classes
    CityStage teachers will expand drama classes in area afterschool programs. This program, which started at Orange Grove Elementary last year, will expand to include additional schools and students.

  • New Honor Pricing for Theatre School Tuition
    Implementing a new sliding scale for tuition to allow families to select tuition levels that meet their needs.