LIFESTYLE PROFILE
TAKING THE CHALLENGING PATH meet the co-founders of charleston’s pure theatre
BY BILL THOMPSON | PHOTOGRAPH BY HOLGER OBENAUS
director, and Rogers, a play- wright and screenwriter, have acted in numerous television and film productions in addi- tion to turning in memorable performances on PURE’s stage. Today, it is writing and directing that command the bulk of their energies, with Graci also at the administrative helm and Rogers, now an independent artist, having turned his focus to new projects.
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How does a married couple, no matter how loving and compatible, manage to keep their sanity spending so many of their waking hours in each other’s company? It’s funny, we don’t really think about it being challeng- ing, we just really like each other and being around one another. We both genuinely feel that everything is more fun, ev- erything’s just better, when the other person is there, no matter what we’re doing.
Sharon Graci and Rodney Lee Rogers could not have chosen a more appropriate name for their company, PURE Theatre. It’s a name that reflects the best sort of ambition—a striving for pure excellence.
Since 2003, whether acting, writing or directing, they have helped establish a lofty standard
for theatrical productions in the Charleston area. Top-lining a group of 13 accomplished pro- fessional actors who compose the PURE Core Ensemble, they showcase five edgy plays each year between September and June, as well as an annual Summer Slam production. Graci, the company’s artistic
With so much competition has the challenge of sustaining a theater company gotten exponentially harder? We’re happy to say that it’s gotten easier over the past 13 seasons as we’ve continued to establish ourselves. Good the- ater in any community begets good theater, so the more com- panies there are in Charleston producing high-quality work
the better it is for PURE. We believe that consistency in programming and the resulting artistic product are the hallmark of PURE’s success. If we look back over 13 seasons, it is clear who and what PURE is and has always been: a story-driven, ensemble-based, contemporary theater with a commitment to new work.
You’ve rarely chosen the con- ventional or easy path in your choice of plays, including the ones you’ve written. You’ve challenged your audiences. We’ve rejected programming “the hits,” which has allowed us to remain true to ourselves and our audience while assembling a body of work that is a contem- porary theater artist’s dream. Producing new work and world premieres is exciting, challeng- ing and terrifying. We can’t imagine producing another type of theater. We believe that the Core Ensem- ble and audiences are equally engaged by this type of work.
What’s more exhilarating, having your own original work realized on stage or present- ing work by another gifted playwright?
Our work for sure. It’s just more satisfying.
What has you most enthused about the new season to come?
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