Charleston Gaillard Center to Premiere Its First Theater Commission: Finding Freedom: The Journey of Robert Smalls
Play developed by an all-Southern creative team tells the story of Robert Smalls, An American Hero
Charleston, SC – May 15, 2023 – Building upon a commitment to commissioning and producing ambitious, multidisciplinary performances and programming that uplifts stories of underappreciated heroes from the South, today the Charleston Gaillard Center announced details for its world premiere of Finding Freedom: The Journey of Robert Smalls written by Teralyn Reiter, the performing arts center’s first theatrical commission which will be performed in Charleston, SC this coming October for the public and thousands of students. Combining music, media, and movement, the new work tells the story of South Carolinian Robert Smalls, a formerly enslaved man who engineered a daring sea-escape during the Civil War and spent the rest of his life including five terms serving in the U.S. House of Representatives working for equality in the postwar South. Through this production, the Gaillard will once again open its doors to the Charleston community to acknowledge America’s difficult history of race and slavery using the arts to bridge divides and build dialogue in a city that historically saw some of the first enslaved men, women, and children enter through its port
“The Charleston Gaillard Center has made it our mission to convene, elevate, and reflect the voices and issues that matter most to our community and resonate across the region and nationally through the arts, and we are excited to work with the tremendous all-Southern creative team to recognize and honor Robert Smalls a true hero who didn’t let anything stand in his way as he dedicated his life to fighting for equality,” said Lissa Frenkel, CEO of the Charleston Gaillard Center “Because his story is not widely taught, I am particularly excited that Finding Freedom will introduce Robert Smalls to thousands of students from across the Lowcountry, offering a role model and inspiration for them to find their own voices and find their own ways to make a difference within their communities ”
Commissioned and produced by the Gaillard Center, Finding Freedom is being developed by an all-Southern creative team anchored by award-winning director JaMeeka Holloway and written by Teralyn Reiter, with musical direction by Grammy Award-winning artist Charlton Singleton. They are joined by Broadway and regional theater lighting designer, professor and theatrical consultant Kathy A. Perkins, and a cross-generational group of theater artists including Tristan André Parks (Movement Director), Brandi Alexander (Scenic Design), Celeste Jennings (Costume Design), Joseph Amodei (Media Design), and author, professor and historian Damon Fordham (Historian/Dramaturge). Full casting will be announced at a later date.
“In Finding Freedom, we get to illuminate this underappreciated history and center Robert Smalls’ enormous feats and the trajectory of his life in rich and compelling ways,” said JaMeeka Holloway. “The work is being realized by a group of amazing collaborators from the South who can authenticate the Southern lived experience Students and families will immediately recognize the sights, sounds, and feel of the Lowcountry and Smalls’ Gullah heritage, even though this story began more than 150 years ago "
Added Teralyn Reiter, “Theater at its core is storytelling, it lets us walk in one another's shoes and connects us all. What excites me so much about Finding Freedom is that we get to tell this amazing, real-life story of a true American hero who is much less known than he should be, and in a way that will both be representative of the community in which it is staged and inspire students from the Lowcountry to find their own ways of making an impact.”
Finding Freedom tells of the early years of Robert Smalls’ life enslaved in Beaufort, learning the land, waters, and Gullah traditions of his mother and his daring and heroic commandeering of the Confederate USS Planter where he was a deckhand during the Civil War. On May 13, 1862, he successfully commandeered the ship and steered it into the Union Blockade off the coast of Charleston Harbor, freeing the crew and offering the ship to the Union He then traveled to Washington to persuade President Lincoln to accept Black men into the Union Army and subsequently served five terms in the U S House of Representatives, where he passed legislation for the creation of the public school system in South Carolina, which later became the model for the nation
This production is the first show in a larger pilot program the Gaillard Center is launching that will develop and distribute new family theatrical productions that highlight Southern stories often missing from the state curriculum, present productions across the Southeast with the goal of touring nationally, and further provide a home for local and regional untold stories on the Gaillard Center’s stage
Finding Freedom: The Journey of Robert Smalls is part of the Charleston Gaillard Center’s 2023-24 season. Find a full schedule of the season at gaillardcenter.org.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Finding Freedom: The Journey of Robert Smalls
Friday, October 6, 2023 at 7:30pm Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 2:00pm
TICKETS
Ticket prices range from $10-$40.
The Charleston Gaillard Center’s Education & Community Program is pleased to announce $10 community tickets are available for this performance Limited availability
The Gaillard is committed to creating inclusionary and equitable opportunities for all audiences The Gaillard provides opportunities that enhance access to the arts locally and across the state of South Carolina, amplify a variety of artistic voices that reflect the city’s vibrant diversity, and create an environment where everyone feels valued and welcome
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright: Teralyn Reiter
Director: JaMeeka Holloway
Music Director: Charlton Singleton
Choreographer: Tristan André Parks
Costume Design: Celeste Jennings
Lighting Design: Kathy A. Perkins
Media Design: Joseph Amodei
Dramaturgy: Damon Fordham
Producer: Sara Bennett
Director of Education: Sterling deVries
SPONSORSHIP
Support for this program is made possible by Mr. Jeffrey M. Weingarten, Deborah Kennedy Kennard & William E. Kennard, The Chalmers Fund – Lee Bell and Fotios Pantazis, Arts, Etc., Brenda Lauderback & Dr. Boyd Wright, Dr. Daniel J. Smith & Dr. James F. Mellichamp, Dr. Renée Dobbins Anderson, J. Scott Bauer & Anne Bavier, Jennifer Chestnut Comer.
ABOUT THE CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER
A leader in the performing arts in the Southeast, the Charleston Gaillard Center commissions, supports, and presents ambitious, multidisciplinary cultural programming and provides access to the best local, national, and global artists and companies on its stage Deeply rooted in the community, the Gaillard Center is committed to elevating local and regional voices and partnering with Charleston institutions to reflect the city’s diversity, both on stage and off Through programming on its public campus and extensive arts education initiatives, the Gaillard Center serves as a platform to participate in community building and essential dialogue
The Gaillard Center is located in the heart of an inspiration corridor of cultural institutions on the Charleston peninsula, across the street from Mother Emanuel AME Church and half a mile from the soon-to-open International African American Museum (IAAM) Established as a nonprofit in 2015, its campus includes the 1,818-seat Martha and John M Rivers Performance Hall, a 16,000 square-foot Exhibition Hall, and an adjacent park space that was recently activated for artistic presentations Find more information and upcoming programming at gaillardcenter.org.
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For more information, please contact:
National Press: Josh Balber / Destanie Martin-Johnson Resnicow and Associates gaillard@resnicow.com
Local press: Kellie Lawson Charleston Gaillard Center klawson@gaillardcenter.org