BY LEIGHANNE MARTIN

 

Must-see shows of this year's Spoleto Festival, selected by Charlotte Tiencken, Spoleto enthusiast and arts managament professor at the College of Charleston.

 

Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater

June 2-7

College of Charleston Stern Center Garden

“Something I am really excited for, and something the whole family can go to. This is a traditional puppetry art form from Vietnam. They don't come to the U.S. very often, so getting to see them perform  will be pretty spectacular.”

 

Lil Buck and Ashley Bathgate

May 29-31

Woolfe Street Playhouse

“He's amazing. If you can find tickets for this show, then go!”

 

Casus Circus

June 2–7

Memminger Auditorium

“If you are not much of a theater person but want to see something that's theatre but circus and physical theatre all combined, they're going to be doing some really interesting stuff.”

 

For the Shakespeare lovers, Romeo and Juliet

May 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31, June 1, 3, 4, 6, & 7

Dock Street Theatre

 

Shen Wei Dance Arts

June 5-7

College of Charleston Sottile Theatre

Hailed as “. . . a brilliant, mesmerizing flow of invention” by The Boston Globe

 

Quarter Tone Shredding

May 27

Woolfe Street Playhouse

“If you like nontraditional, cutting-edge music, go to see these guys.”

 

Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music: Songs of the American Right

June 3–6

Woolfe Street Playhouse

“He's a drag queen, satirist, and I think he's going to be great”

 

Musica Nuda

May 21-22

College of Charleston Cistern Yard

“I didn’t know who they were until I started watching them on YouTube. A stunning voice and a double base.”

 

Monica Salmaso

May 23-24

College of Charleston Cistern Yard

“Shes wonderful, sings a lot of salsa and Brazilian tunes. The cool things about these performances in the Cistern is that you can take a blanket and a picnic while you enjoy the shows.”

 

Kate Davis

June 4

College of Charleston Cistern Yard

“Whether she’s crooning rootsy ballads or plucking bright riffs from her bass, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kate Davis puts a fresh spin on the standards and brings a canonical sensibility to her own lush creations.”

 

The Finale

June 7th

Middleton Place Gardens

“All kinds of great stuff going on during the day, then the evening with a performance. This year is St Paul and the Broken bones and they are incredible. It's a really fun all-day festival. You pay one price and spend the day out in this beautiful plantation. There's a biergarten, and the firework show at the end is always amazing.”

 

If you are looking for more affordable or family friendly shows, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival is put on by the City of Charleston and offers reduced prices for students and free exhibits.