CHARLESTON, S.C.: PURE Theatre has announced three more plays to complete its ongoing 18th season. The three plays will take the place of previously announced productions that have been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
“Even under normal circumstances, I think that we’re always hopeful when planning a season, and this season is even called ‘Season of Hope,'” artistic director Sharon Graci said in a statement. “We’re very excited about these plays, and the programming also includes the South Carolina premiere of a one-person play that celebrates difference and acceptance.”
The remainder of the season will include Stages by David Lee Nelson, Constellations by Nick Payne, and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by James Lecesne.
Stages, by former PURE Core Ensemble member Nelson, will be available for streaming March 5-20. A co-production with Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, Stages is based on Nelson’s book Hope in the Time of Chemo, a biographical collection of humorist essays based on Nelson’s battle with colon cancer. Nelson passed in 2020, and the production is his last performance captured on film.
Constellations previously ran at PURE in 2016, and this production will feature PURE’s returning original cast, with an original score written and performed by Bill Carson. The play follows a couple as they explore the possibility that their lives are being lived in multiple universes. Constellations will stream in April.
Pending approval of performance rights, the season will conclude with The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey. The play follows inhabitants of a small Jersey Shore town as they unravel of teenage Leonard Pelkey when he goes missing.
Productions of Elaine Murphy’s Little Gem, Emily Mann’s Gloria: A Life, and The Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer have been postponed until in-person performances can resume.
PURE Theatre creates exceptional theatre experiences that enliven thought, ignite dialogue, and expand consciousness as a model for excellence in regional theatre.
