The South Carolina New Play Festival will hold a special presentation and town hall event about the life of Josh White, famous musician and Greenville native, as part of their 2024 festival, scheduled for August 8 – 11, 2024. “The Josh White Project” will take place on Thursday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Centre Stage. SC Humanities supported this program with a Major Grant.
Josh White was a prominent blues and folk musician who rose to fame in the 1930s and 1940s performing with legends such as Billie Holiday, Woody Guthrie, and Lead Belly, and on Broadway and in Hollywood. He was a key figure in the civil rights movement before his career was negatively impacted by the House Un-American Activities Commission.
The Josh White Project was commissioned by the SC New Play Festival, and the presentation of excerpts will precede a public town hall on the impact of Greenville, SC on Josh White’s life and legacy. The play was created by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, an award-winning playwright and actor, whose work has been seen on Broadway and at theaters across the country. The panel discussion will include Gene Berger, founder and owner of Horizon Records; Ruth Ann Butler, civil rights activist and historian; Mary Duckett, activist and community leader; and David Sims, Executive Director of the Sigal Music Museum.
The New Play Festival is free and open to the public. Tickets to “The Josh White Project” are sold out; however, waiting list information is available here: https://www.southcarolinanewplayfestival.org/waiting-list.
The South Carolina New Play Festival curates a weekend of yet-to-be-produced plays and musicals by today’s hottest playwrights. Over a 4-day weekend, they will present readings of new plays, new musicals, new theatre for young audiences shows, an outdoor variety stage, and a closing night cabaret. Learn more and see the full event schedule for 2024: https://www.southcarolinanewplayfestival.org/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
