May 5, 2015 – This week our club was fortunate to receive an update on the annual Spoleto Festival USA from Nigel Redden. Redden, who graduated from Yale in 1972, has been associated with the festival for 25 of its 39 year history, serving for many years as the general manager of the festival and currently serving as General Director. As general director, Redden is responsible for all aspects of Spoleto USA from production and program decisions to fundraising and marketing. Redden joked that his wife often wonders how curious he is since he has held a position with the festival for such a long time, but he says the festival truly re-invents itself every year with the result that every year brings new and different challenges to his job. This year was no different as Spoleto learned just two weeks before the program was to be finalized that Gaillard Auditorium would not be available necessitating quick, last minute changes many aspects of the program.
This year’s Spoleto has experienced both an increase in ticket sales and an increase in the number of buyers showing how important this event is to the Charleston economy. It is one of the only festivals in the country which is able not only to present programs, but to produce events from the ground up, so to speak. As always Spoleto 2015 will feature many programs spanning numerous artistic genres and multiple venues across the Lowcountry. Redden did mention a few of particular note.
Memminger Auditorium will host Paradise Interrupted – a brand new opera. This opera is centered on a Chinese woman who, in a dream meets her lover in a garden. The set, which is the dreamscape garden, is built in stark black and white. In the Dock Street Theatre is featured an opera which has not been performed since 1653. Set in the court of Spain as the last Moorish holdouts are vanquished, this opera contrasts greatly with Paradise Interrupted with its vibrantly colorful set.
The Scottish National Ballet takes Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” and transforms dialogue into dance at the Sottile Theatre. Amazingly without words the company is able to depict the Blanche DuBois’ descent exclusively through motion. Just as there is contrast in the opera selections in this year’s festival, Redden noted the contrast in dance offerings. Lil Buck is a Memphis jooker – a performer of street dance from that city along the Mississippi. Lil Buck’s moves are incredible according to Redden and he noted that the performer goes through a pair of sneakers every two weeks! Lil Buck’s performance will be in the newly completed Woolfe Street Playhouse.
Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London is a 1990’s reconstruction of the bard’s original playhouse and this year the troupe will present “Romeo and Juliet.” This production, the first for this theatre at Spoleto will be at the Dock Street Theatre.
This year’s festival presents not one, but two marionette productions. “Sleeping Beauty” is a perfect production for children and the whole family presented at the Emmett Robinson Theatre. The Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre tells the story, unique to Vietnam, of ancient heroism in a truly singular fashion. Presented in the garden behind the Stern Student Center at the College of Charleston, the characters are all dancing in the water.
Redden noted that these programs were just a sampling of the many events and venues available at Spoleto Festival USA 2015 – a sampling of productions to meet every taste and exceed all expectations. How fitting then that one of the events Redden was most excited about was the dedication in June of the plaza in front of Memminger Auditorium to our own Ted Stern.
— Alex Dallis, Keyway Committee