Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2021

18 www. ReadMPM. com | www. VOICE forRea l Es tate. com | www.MountPl easantBu i lder s . com Charleston Cistern Yard: jazz, bluegrass and vocalists. There will be chamber music at the Dock Street Theatre. This year, dance comes to the Rivers Green, where sets were created to match existing elements for seamless decor. The Bus Shelter downtown will be transformed nightly for a performance of “The Woman in Black.” While transforming spaces is in the festival’s wheelhouse — think about past performances like the Peony Pavilion in the Festival Hall, complete with a moat filled with ducks — but of course this year, the parameters were thrust upon the festival organizers by a pandemic and their ability to meet the moment. Speaking of which, there’s plenty of introspection and illusion to engage those who aren’t ready to venture out just yet. Scott Silven’s “The Journey” is played out live via an internet platform from the artist’s home in Scotland, and “A Thousand Ways (Part One): A Phone Call” is a daringly intimate, interactive event created by 600 Highwaymen, who have performed at previous festivals. “I wanted to find events that wouldn’t exist on any other stage,” explained Redden. “I feel that we have seen enough streamed performances over the last year to last a lifetime. With the telephone piece, it’s like going to the theatre. You just have to give into it. It can be quite cathartic.” Perhaps the biggest disappointment — or greatest anticipation of 2022, depending on whether you are a glass half-empty or half-full person — is the postponement of the festival’s commissioned opera, “Omar.” “The hallmark of what we do in the arts is tell stories, and this one in particular, based upon the life and autobiography of Omar Ibn Said, a Muslim-African man who was captured in his mid-30s and brought to Charleston in 1807 where he was sold, is extraordinary.” To say that this story fits the times is an understatement, and Redden stood by the statement on the website that reads: Spoleto is a catalyst for cultural change in Charleston. “I agree that Spoleto has an immense opportunity to be a big part of the conversation, and this year, “Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration” is a telling example because you can’t really understand America without acknowledging the influence of this melting pot of people on the arts.” 2021 will mark Spoleto’s return and Redden’s exit after 35 years at the helm of Spoleto. As he contemplated his next moves and, dare we say, a bit of time off, one thing is for sure: he’s not planning on missing any one of those 17 glorious days this year. Preser vat i on Ha l l Jazz Band. The Journey. Photo by C . Go l eman . Photo by Dav i d Wi l k i nson , Emp i r i ca l Photography.