From Carolina Morning News, 8 October 1998
Beaufort Repertory Company calling it quits
Thespian couple to produce one more show, then vacate historic church at end of three-year lease.
By Terri Jo Ryan
The show won't be going on much longer for the Beaufort Repertory Company.
The troupe co-founded by Suzanne Larson and Jon Sharp announced this week that it will dissolve after one final production next month in the theatrical venue it's called home for almost three years.
In letters to Port Royal Town Manager John Perry and Judge Ned Tupper of Beaufort -- who agreed to act as arbitrator in a dispute between the troupe and the Historic Port Royal Foundation -- Sharp and Larson say they will vacate the Port Royal Playhouse by Jan. 24, the end of a three-year lease.
They'd been occupying a structure at the corner of 11th Street and Paris Avenue, the old Union Church, that will become home to the foundation's offices. The troupe had to pay a mere $25 per production to the Town of Port Royal as rent on the facility. It produced more than a dozen dramas, most of an unconventional or experimental nature.
"Agnes of God," a controversial drama about a young nun and her illicit child, will ring down the final curtain after its production run on weekends from Nov. 20-Dec. 12, Sharp said Tuesday.
The Historic Port Royal Foundation hopes to transform the century-old church building into office space for its organization and a multi-purpose community meeting place. The foundation acts as an advisory commission to Town Council.
Anna Pinckney, foundation president, said Wednesday that the organization opposed the seven-year exclusive-use lease sought by the repertory company.
"We wish them the best," she said. "We're sorry they feel that way (having to quit). But they themselves said they were not willing to negotiate."
She'd lived only blocks from the Port Royal Playhouse, she added, and seen several shows, and the kinds of crowds they drew to the area. "They were an asset to the community."
The foundation wanted "to get around renting to just one company," Pinckney said, and use the building for lectures, recitals, art exhibits, community meetings and even change-of-command ceremonies.
If Beaufort Repertory Company was strong, she said, the troupe should have survived a change in venues.
Meanwhile, Pinckney said, on Wednesday she and Perry began reviewing bids on the renovation project, which will begin as soon as the building is vacated. They hope to have an architect selected soon to get the process under way. The foundation is also planning a gala in March, not only to raise funds for the renovation but also to educate the public on the history of the building itself.
Eric Holowacz, executive director of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, said he was saddened to learn that Sharp and Larson were close to packing up their tents.
"Over the past three years," he said, "the Beaufort Repertory Company has established itself as an innovative theater group, offering classes, challenging plays and unique supporting events. By turning the Union Church into a playhouse, Jon and Suzanne have created an interesting facet to the town of Port Royal."
People come to a place largely because of its cultural offerings, Holowacz added, and he hoped town leadership would continue to see the value of arts venues like the Port Royal Playhouse and continue to act as a municipal catalyst for the arts.
"If the Beaufort Repertory Company chooses to end its run here," Holowacz said, "audiences will be left with a void. Indeed, the entire community will miss the diverse and challenging programming that drive Jon and Suzanne onto the stage."
So what does the future hold for the dramatic duo?
"We'll hole up for a while and lick our wounds," Sharp said.
He's been asked to teach and direct in Charleston-area productions, he said, so he'll commute a few days each week. Larson, meanwhile, is a newscaster employed at WJWJ-TV, Beaufort's affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Corporation.
Thespian couple to produce one more show, then vacate historic church at end of three-year lease.
By Terri Jo Ryan
The show won't be going on much longer for the Beaufort Repertory Company.
The troupe co-founded by Suzanne Larson and Jon Sharp announced this week that it will dissolve after one final production next month in the theatrical venue it's called home for almost three years.
In letters to Port Royal Town Manager John Perry and Judge Ned Tupper of Beaufort -- who agreed to act as arbitrator in a dispute between the troupe and the Historic Port Royal Foundation -- Sharp and Larson say they will vacate the Port Royal Playhouse by Jan. 24, the end of a three-year lease.
They'd been occupying a structure at the corner of 11th Street and Paris Avenue, the old Union Church, that will become home to the foundation's offices. The troupe had to pay a mere $25 per production to the Town of Port Royal as rent on the facility. It produced more than a dozen dramas, most of an unconventional or experimental nature.
"Agnes of God," a controversial drama about a young nun and her illicit child, will ring down the final curtain after its production run on weekends from Nov. 20-Dec. 12, Sharp said Tuesday.
The Historic Port Royal Foundation hopes to transform the century-old church building into office space for its organization and a multi-purpose community meeting place. The foundation acts as an advisory commission to Town Council.
Anna Pinckney, foundation president, said Wednesday that the organization opposed the seven-year exclusive-use lease sought by the repertory company.
"We wish them the best," she said. "We're sorry they feel that way (having to quit). But they themselves said they were not willing to negotiate."
She'd lived only blocks from the Port Royal Playhouse, she added, and seen several shows, and the kinds of crowds they drew to the area. "They were an asset to the community."
The foundation wanted "to get around renting to just one company," Pinckney said, and use the building for lectures, recitals, art exhibits, community meetings and even change-of-command ceremonies.
If Beaufort Repertory Company was strong, she said, the troupe should have survived a change in venues.
Meanwhile, Pinckney said, on Wednesday she and Perry began reviewing bids on the renovation project, which will begin as soon as the building is vacated. They hope to have an architect selected soon to get the process under way. The foundation is also planning a gala in March, not only to raise funds for the renovation but also to educate the public on the history of the building itself.
Eric Holowacz, executive director of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, said he was saddened to learn that Sharp and Larson were close to packing up their tents.
"Over the past three years," he said, "the Beaufort Repertory Company has established itself as an innovative theater group, offering classes, challenging plays and unique supporting events. By turning the Union Church into a playhouse, Jon and Suzanne have created an interesting facet to the town of Port Royal."
People come to a place largely because of its cultural offerings, Holowacz added, and he hoped town leadership would continue to see the value of arts venues like the Port Royal Playhouse and continue to act as a municipal catalyst for the arts.
"If the Beaufort Repertory Company chooses to end its run here," Holowacz said, "audiences will be left with a void. Indeed, the entire community will miss the diverse and challenging programming that drive Jon and Suzanne onto the stage."
So what does the future hold for the dramatic duo?
"We'll hole up for a while and lick our wounds," Sharp said.
He's been asked to teach and direct in Charleston-area productions, he said, so he'll commute a few days each week. Larson, meanwhile, is a newscaster employed at WJWJ-TV, Beaufort's affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Corporation.