In this special four-part series, join Unpacked host Aislyn Greene as she travels to Charleston, South Carolina, to unpack the city's deeper currents.

For the series finale: Charleston's performing arts scene is nothing short of extraordinary. Aislyn explores the city's world-class venues—from America's first dedicated theater to a stunning apricot-colored concert hall—and meets the people bringing opera, dance, jazz, and theater to life in the Lowcountry.

In This Episode You'll Learn

• The remarkable 300-year history of the Dock Street Theater, where ghost stories and contemporary artists meet
• How the Spoleto Festival USA became an international arts destination that draws everyone from Yo-Yo Ma to Patti Smith

• Why the Gaillard Center is "the Carnegie Hall" of the South —and how it commissions new works that celebrate Lowcountry stories and landscapes

Don't Miss These Moments

• [02:00] Inside the Dock Street Theater's drawing room
• [06:00] The record for most light bulbs blown during a single performance
• [11:00] Spoleto's general director on why 125 concerts in 17 days creates festival magic
• [13:00] The two ghosts said to haunt Dock Street Theater
• [18:00] Aislyn visits Cistern Yard at the College of Charleston—one of the most beautiful outdoor venues in the city
• [21:00] How the Gaillard Center transformed from a brutalist municipal auditorium into a world-class performance hall
• [24:00] The moment Audra McDonald turned off her microphone and brought the house to tears

*Time stamps are estimated and may change due to programmatic advertising.

Featured in This Episode

Venues

• Dock Street Theater

• ⁠Gaillard Center⁠

Festivals & Organizations

• Spoleto Festival USA
• Piccolo Spoleto
• Charleston Stage (Dock Street's resident theater company)
• Chamber Music Charleston
• MOJA Arts Festival
• Charleston Literary Festival

Performers

• The Gullah Collective
• Step Afrika!
• Complexions Contemporary Ballet (upcoming)

Resources

• Plan your Charleston arts trip using our guides on afar.com

Catch Up on the Series

Missed any episodes? Here's the full Charleston series:

• Episode 1: To Understand the Soul of This Southern City, Head for the Water
• Episode 2: Charleston Serves Up More Than 300 Years of Flavor—and Every Bite Tells a Story
• Episode 3: The Artisans Keeping the Soul of Charleston's King Street Alive
• Episode 4: Opera, Punk Rock, and a 300-Year-Old Ghost: One City's Arts Scene

Stay Connected

• Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. 

• Explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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