Performing Arts Season Schedule

Heart the Arts in Hartsville

2023-2024 Performing Arts Schedule

Season Ticket Events

John Holiday, guest vocalist* – September 28, 7:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater; $15 Students/Seniors, $30 General Admission

Countertenor John Holiday is among the opera world’s fastest-rising stars, deftly bridging genres from baroque to contemporary classical, jazz to spirituals, and bringing his unique voice and charisma to every performance. An acclaimed concert singer, Holiday has performed at world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and others. Holiday also excels in jazz, gospel, R&B and pop music having opened for Grammy award winner Jason Mraz in concert. 

Deathtrap by Ira Levin – October 12-14, 7:30pm at the Watson Theater; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

A comic thriller originally produced in 1978 when it became the longest running comedy-thriller in Broadway history after 4 years and 1800 performances. It was nominated for 4 Tony awards including Best Play. This two act play has numerous plot twists and might bring to mind modern works like the film Knives Out. Directed by Brian Guidry LeTraunik.

Letters Home, Griffin Theatre Company* – October 19th, 7:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater; $15 Students/Seniors, $30 General Admission, Veterans Free

Letters Home puts the recent wars in Afghanistan & Iraq front and center by bringing to life actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East. The production is inspired by the New York Times Op-Ed Article “The Things They Wrote” and the subsequent HBO documentary “Last Letters Home,” and additionally uses letters and correspondences from Frank Schaeffer’s books, Voices From the Front: Letters Home From America’s Military Family, Faith of Our Sons, and Keeping Faith. The play, without politicizing, gives audiences a powerful portrait of the soldier’s experience in the ongoing war. The initial production in 2007 was critically acclaimed and was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for “Outstanding New Play.” Presented by the Griffin Theatre Company.

Student Choreography Showcase – November 2-3, 7:30 p.m., November 4, 2:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater or Livestream; $10 students/seniors/livestream, $20 General Admission

This concert features choreography by Coker Dance majors exploring themes of love, community, and history. Various styles of dance including contemporary, jazz, and modern will be presented.

Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Scenes – November 11, 7:30 p.m. and November 12, 2:30 p.m. at the Drengaelen House; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

Join us for a “topsy-turvy” good time as Coker’s Opera Workshop presents scenes by Gilbert & Sullivan! Coker’s own English musicologist, Dr. Graham Wood, will share entertaining historical tidbits to round out a charming program of Victorian operetta. Themed refreshments will be served after the performance. 

Holiday Pops Concert – November 29, 7:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

The Coker University Choirs and Concert Band will present a fun-filled evening of holiday and seasonal favorites. Join us as we light the tree and usher in
the season with holiday cheer.

Giordano Dance Company – January 25th, 7:30pm at the Watson Theater; $15 Students/Seniors, $30 General Admission

Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) illuminates beauty and invigorates the world with deep connections. They create and present innovative jazz dance choreography, often redefining and expanding the very definition of jazz dance, and bring this invaluable American art form to audiences and students of all ages and from all ethnic backgrounds. GDC is dedicated, also, to the preservation and promotion of the Giordano Technique.  Whether on the stage or in the classroom, they strive to enrich lives through dance, and this solid mission and organizational vision inform the organization’s artistic programming. Stated simply, Giordano Dance Chicago offers to all the universal and life-affirming experience of witnessing dance that is powerful, passionate, elegant, and celebratory.  

3rd Annual Black History Month Celebration (Winter Play) – February 16-17, 7:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

Coker University Theatre celebrates Black History Month in collaboration with students from a variety of academic programs, through a combination of previously staged plays and original work including music, dance, and art. Directed by Phyllis Fields

Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert – February 22-23, 7:30 p.m. and February 24, 2:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

This concert will feature choreography by faculty Angela Gallo, Adjetey Klufio, Natalia Schradle, and Meredith Sims along with choreography by Guest Company, Giordano Dance Chicago performed by the Coker Dance Program.

Band Spring Masterworks Concert – March 13, 7:30 p.m. at the Watson Theater; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

The Coker University Concert Band will present a concert of music including classic favorites, recently composed pieces, and the premiere of a newly composed piece.

Legally Blonde, Music and Lyrics by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe, Book by Heather Hach – April 4-6, 7:30 p.m. at the Watson Theatre; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

A musical comedy based off of the hit 2001 film of the same name. It follows the adventures of Elle Woods from sorority to Harvard Law school as she attempts to win back her college boyfriend and finds a greater purpose in the law. Legally Blonde was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and 10 Drama Desk Awards and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical for its West End production. Directed by Brian Guidry LeTraunik

Raison d’être, Spring Choral Concert, April 20, 7:30 p.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church; $10 students/seniors, $20 General Admission

The Coker University Choral Ensembles will perform a collection of music that is dear to our heart from around the world! Our treble ensemble, Coker Cantilena will perform a variety of musical styles from Spiritual to Art Songs and the Coker Singers will be joined by outstanding guest artists and virtuosic
instrumentalists. Join us in celebrating the beautiful choral repertoire with the Coker University Choral Ensembles and experience the Raison d’être, reasons for our singing!

* Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts

Free Events

Fall 2023

August 21 – September 15: Kristen Letts Kovak’s Out of Order at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
Kovak’s paintings investigate connections between visual, perceptual and cognitive patterning. Kovak’s exhibition titled Out of Order will be on display in the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery at Coker University from August 21 through September 15, 2023.

September 8-9: Standard Practice Musical Theatre Showcase at the Hannah Coker Lide Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.

September 18 – October 13: Eric Reinemann’s Lifeworld at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
Intrigued by complexities of the mind and inspired by the richness of the visual world, Reinemann approaches pictorial space as a fragmented and multilayered experience. Reinemann’s exhibition titled Lifeworld will be on display at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery at Coker University from September 18 through October 13, 2023.

October 16 – November 10: Michaela Pilar Brown’s Materteral* at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
Brown’s practice explores the body through the prisms of age, gender, race, sexuality and history. Brown’s exhibition titled Materteral will be on display at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery at Coker University from October 16 through November 10, 2023.

October 25: Music Student Recital at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery, 7:30 p.m.
Join Coker University voice and instrumental students as they perform in a collage recital showcasing repertoire prepared as part of their applied music studies. Selections encompass a wide range of music from many historical musical eras (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc.) and often include contemporary works as well as selections from musical theatre repertoire.

November 10: Palimpsest at the Watson Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Palimpsest is a (mostly) single-voiced audio drama about memory, identity, and the things that haunt us. Each ten-episode season is a unique and self-contained story, exploring the spaces between horror, fantasy, and psychological realism.

November 13-24: 51st Annual Student Art Exhibition at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
Stop by the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery between November 13 and November 24 and see the 51st Annual Student Art Competition! This year’s exhibition is adjudicated by artist Michaela Pilar Brown. Come by and see what the juror has selected for this year’s exhibition!

November 27 – December 8: BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition (Art) at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
The Coker University Art Program will display the thesis exhibitions for our graduating BFA seniors. The one week exhibitions begin on November 27 and continue through December 8, 2023. Stop by and see the work of our talented art students!

November 28: Informal Dance Concert at the Watson Theater, 7:30 p.m.
This concert will feature performances by students in various dance classes such as modern, jazz, or musical theatre as well as student choreography. Venomous Hip Hop Dance Club and Coker Repertory Dance Company will also perform.

December 2: Choral Holiday Concert at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 7:30 p.m
Get in the holiday spirit! Bring your friends and family to join the Coker Singers and Coker Cantilena for a concert full of spirited holiday music and all-time favorite popular music. This non-stop concert experience is sure to grow the heart of any grinch to three times its size!

Spring 2024

January 16-26: 51st Annual Faculty Art Exhibition at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery and the Coker University Art Program presents the 51st Annual Faculty Exhibition. This year’s exhibition features the work of Professor Nate Gulledge, Professor Austin Sheppard, and the newest addition to the Coker Art Program, Professor Chen Gao. This group of faculty plans to exhibit mediums such as paintings, graphic design, and sculpture. This exhibition runs from January 16 through the 26, 2024.

January 29 – February 23: Laura De Valencia-Kirk’s Unravel at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
Valencia-Kirk is the creative director of NY-based apparel brand Commune and Memoir. Valencia-Kirk’s exhibition titled Unravel will be on display at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery at Coker University from January 29 through February 23, 2024.

February 11, 2024: “Amore, A Celebration of Love” Choral Concert at Drengaelen Hall, 2:30 p.m.
Come join us for a sweet and lovely matinée Chamber choral concert performed by Coker Singers, Coker Cantilena, and guest artists! Build in a little extra time to join and meet our singers and guest artists for an after-concert reception with snacks and alcohol-free drinks.

February 26 – March 22: Gwenyth Chao’s plastic: five orbits around the sun at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
Chao’s research praxis asks: How can art be a portal to potential futures that offer alternate ways of knowing through material engagements. Chao’s exhibition titled plastic: five orbits around the sun will be on display at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery at Coker University from February 26 through March 22, 2024.

February 27: Music Student Recital at the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Join Coker University voice and instrumental students as they perform in a collage recital showcasing repertoire prepared as part of their applied music studies. Selections encompass a wide range of music from many historical musical eras (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc.) and often include contemporary works as well as selections from musical theatre repertoire.

March 20: Faculty Chamber Music Concert at the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Members of the Coker Music Faculty and special guests present an evening of chamber music for a variety of instrumental combinations including Woodwind Quintet. The recital is free and open to the public. 

March 25 – May 3: B.F.A. and B.A. Thesis Exhibitions (Art) at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery
The Coker University Art Program will display the thesis exhibitions for our graduating BFA and BA seniors. The one week exhibitions begin on March 25 and continue through May 3, 2024. Stop by and see the work of our talented art students.

April 11-13: Senior Thesis Concert at the Watson Theater*, TH/F at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

April 18: SVPA Faculty Showcase* at the Watson Theater, 7:30 p.m.
One Act will feature the faculty presenting their professional work in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. The other Act will be filled with interdisciplinary collaborations across genres.

April 22: Band Outdoor Pops Concert on Davidson Lawn, 7:00 p.m.
Join the Coker University Band in front of the iconic Davidson Hall for an outdoor concert featuring the music of renowned film composer John Williams! This cheerful event takes place on Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. on the lawn in front of Davidson Hall. In the event of inclement weather, this recital will move indoors to the Watson Theater. All are welcome!

April 23: Informal Dance Concert at the Watson Theater, 7:30 p.m.
This concert will feature performances by students in various dance classes such as modern, jazz, or musical theatre as well as student choreography. Venomous Hip Hop Dance Club and Coker Repertory Dance Company will also perform.

*This event is not free, the concert is $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and free with a Coker University I.D.