Centre Stage

Centre Stage is a performing arts theater in Greenville, SC. The theatre produces a full season of musicals, contemporary plays, comedies, and dramas, alongside new work developed through its annual New Play Festival and other initiatives. It draws audiences from across the region with a year-round calendar of music, comedy, and drama, and holds a rating of 4.80 from 433 reviews.

Founded in 1983 by Douglas P. McCoy (1937-2005), Centre Stage is SC's only professional thrust-stage theatre, a 275-seat regional venue. In December 1996, ground was broken for its current home at 501 River Street, and the theatre has occupied roughly 10,000 square feet of the Morgan Stanley Building since October 1997. The company is a Constituent Member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and a member of the Professional Division of the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), and members in good standing of Actors' Equity Association have performed there under the AEA Guest Artist contract. The early identity of the company was shaped in part by original revue shows like 1957 Diva Heaven and Boots, Beer & Country Music, and that spirit of original work continues today through the New Play Festival and projects such as the in-development original musical La Zafra by local playwright Mario Suarez and local composer and arranger Iliana Rose. Leadership has passed through several hands: BJ Koonce succeeded McCoy in 2005, followed by Glenda ManWaring in 2010 and Thom Seymour in 2019. In June 2020, Laura Nicholas, previously the theatre's Associate Artistic Director, became Executive Artistic Director, a role she continues to hold. Nicholas holds an MFA in Directing from Baylor University, was recognized by the Upstate Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Award, has directed productions including A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Next to Normal, Clue, and Singin' in the Rain, designs the sets for nearly all productions, and helped establish what has grown into the current Fringe Festival format.

The theatre sits on River Street in downtown Greenville, about 0.1 miles from South Academy Street, Linky Stone Park, the Greenlink Transit Center, Reedy River, and Peace Concert Hall, within easy walking distance of Falls Park on the Reedy.

With four decades of continuous operation, a sustained production of original and contemporary work, and a 4.80 rating across 433 reviews, Centre Stage stands as Greenville's only professional thrust-stage theatre and a longstanding fixture of the downtown arts scene.

Services:

• Corporate Sponsorship
• Education Programs
• Live Performances
• Ticket Sales
• Venue Rentals