PURE Theatre is proud to announce the launch of its First Annual Playwrights Festival, taking place September 12–13, 2025, at the Cannon Street Arts Center. This dynamic new weekend event celebrates the power of new plays, the playwrights who shape them, and the creative community that brings them to life.
Anchoring the weekend is the Charleston premiere of Dan Hoyle’s acclaimed solo show Takes All Kinds, a riveting piece of journalistic theatre that captures the diverse voices of American democracy. From the far corners of the country to stories rooted here at home, including those of Mother Emanuel survivor Polly Sheppard and Charlestonian Margaret Seidler, whose recent memoir Payne-ful Business explores family, legacy, and racial reckoning, Hoyle delivers a poignant and surprising portrait of who we are.
The Festival weekend also features exclusive events with the nationally recognized playwrights of PURE’s 23rd Season, including workshops, panels, catered meals, and a champagne toast and birthday celebration for PURE Co-Founder and Artistic Director Sharon Graci.
“PURE Theatre is a nationally recognized home for new plays in the American South. This weekend is not only a celebration of the writers we love, it’s a fundraiser, a community builder, and an invitation to deepen Charleston’s connection to the artists shaping our cultural moment,” says Graci. “This is PURE’s way of saying: Charleston is a literary city. Theatre belongs in the conversation. It’s also, selfishly, the exact way I want to spend my birthday: in collaboration and conversation with incredible artists.”
Festival guests and workshop leaders include Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder(Zelda in the Backyard), York Walker (Covenant), Steven Dietz (Gaslight),Brad Erickson (The Ocean We Swim In), and Jonathan Spector (Eureka Day) will join virtually for a playwrights panel moderated by PURE Co-Founder Rodney Lee Rogers.
“You don’t need to be a playwright, or even a writer, to participate,” says Rogers. “This is a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain of the playwriting process and engage with the creative journey from initial idea to final performance. It’s an inspiring weekend for anyone who loves Story.”
Festival Passes are $205 and include:
A Friday evening reception with the playwrights
A full day of programming on Saturday, including workshops, panels, and meals
A private performance of Takes All Kinds with post-show talkback
A public performance of Takes All Kinds will be held Friday, September 12 at 7:00 PM, with tickets starting at $53. Tickets and Festival passes are available now at puretheatre.org. For additional information, call the PURE Theatre Box Office at 843.723.4444 (Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM).