Spoleto Festival USA – Charleston Landmarks Host World-Class Performances

By Leize Gaillard

It’s late May, and the countdown to the 2016 Spoleto Festival USA is on!

On top of world-class performances, Spoleto brings an energy and buzz to the city unlike any other time of year. And, a big part of the joy of the Festival is attending performances and lectures in some of Charleston’s most beautiful settings.

Here is a look at some of the Charleston landmarks that will come alive as Spoleto Festival venues between May 27-June 12, 2016.

Dock Street Theatre

135 Church Street (French Quarter)

Today’s Dock Street Theatre stands in the location that once housed one of the first designated theatre performance venues in colonial America, originally opened in 1736. By 1809, the building had been converted to a hotel and later to tenement apartments; however, the building was restored to a Theatre in 1936-37. In 2010, the Theatre underwent a major renovation. The Dock Street Theatre is owned by the City of Charleston and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Source: City of Charleston

Upcoming 2016 Spoleto performances at the Dock Street include:

• La Double Coquette
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Bank of America Chamber Music

The College of Charleston Cistern Yard

66 George Street (Harleston Village)

The Cistern Yard at the College of Charleston is widely considered the center of campus for this centuries-old institution. Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is one of the oldest in the United States. In 1850, the City of Charleston (which, at that time, supported the institution), provided funds to fence in the Cistern Yard, the name referencing the 19th century round Cistern (now filled) that sits in the middle of the grass, oak tree, and brick lined grounds. Source: College of Charleston

Upcoming 2016 Spoleto performances at the Cistern Yard include:

• Old Crow Medicine Show
• Jason Moran Fats Waller Dance Party
• Cecile McLorin Salvant
• Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

The Charleston Gaillard Center

95 Calhoun Street (Ansonborough)

The original Charleston Municipal Auditorium was opened in July 1968. It was later dedicated J. Palmer Gaillard, who had been Mayor of City of Charleston during the auditorium’s construction and became affectionately known as “The Gaillard.” At the time it was built, it was a modern space suitable for the size and cultural atmosphere of Charleston; however, as Charleston has grown, particularly in the last two decades, the need for a larger and more sophisticated venue became apparent.  After years of planning and private-public partnership fundraising, the new Gaillard Center broke ground in 2012 with the official ribbon cutting in fall of 2015. The new Center features a state of the art performance hall, 16,000 square feet of meeting, exhibition, and convention space and 7,300 square feet of directly accessible outdoor terrace lawn space. This Spoleto Festival season will be the first to make use of the new Center.  Source: The Charleston Gaillard Center

Upcoming 2016 Spoleto performances at The Gaillard Center include:

• Porgy and Bess
• L.A. Dance Project
• Havana Rakatan
• 40th Season Celebration Concert
• Choral Fantasy
• Randy Weston African Rhythms Sextet
• Rene Marie

To view the full Spoleto calendar and learn more about the Festival’s other venues, visit www.spoletousa.org.