Meet
SOBTC
Our Mission
South of Broadway Theatre Company is on a mission to maintain the highest standard of professionalism in our art by delivering a dynamic program, fostering a diverse community of local artists, and providing sustainable education to the greater Charleston area.
Beyond producing prime performances, SOBTC will continue to expand our performing arts outreach and support programs that cultivate a passion for and commitment to the arts well outside our theatre walls. Partnering with fellow performing arts organizations and community influencers, we will provide education and opportunities for budding artists to train, learn and perform.
Will you join us in elevating experience through theatre and the performing arts?
Our Story
Following a prestigious operatic, performing and production career, Founder and Artistic Director Mary Gould formed the not-for-profit, Marigold Arts Development in 2000 with the mission to provide performing opportunities for aspiring Charleston artists.
After 18 joyous and prosperous years in trendy Park Circle, South of Broadway Theatre Company (SOBTC) has relocated to 3346 1A Rivers Avenue (between Cosgrove and Reynolds Avenues).
During its tenure, SOBTC has been hailed by The New York Times as: “A mainstay of the South Carolina Theatre Scene”. In 2016, the prestigious American Theatre Wing, creator and driving force behind the Tony Awards, bestowed our theatre with one of only 12 grants distributed to acclaimed production companies across the country.
Over the years, SOBTC has enjoyed the profound rewards of cultivating talent and polishing skills through educational programs, workshops and community collaborations, such as Summer in NYC where 130 graduates... and counting have experienced a month-long artistic residency where participants reside at The Julliard School in New York City. Our goal is to ignite the passion and fine tune the craft for actors who will go on to great success!
South of Broadway Theatre Company is a non-profit organization seeking to illuminate the human experience through theatre, cultivate talent, and uplift our community through the performing arts. For our patrons, we promise theatre that will intrigue, captivate and entrance with shows featuring the local faces you love. For our fellow artists, we serve as an incubator where you can explore and hone your craft. For our community, we are a resource for educational and outreach programs for all ages and populations.
A note from the Founding Artistic Director
“Every season begins with a simple question: What stories do we need right now?”
Not simply what will entertain us - although laughter and joy are essential - but what stories will remind us who we are, challenge us to see one another with greater compassion, and leave us just a little different than when we walked through the theatre doors?
That question has guided South of Broadway Theatre Company since the day we opened. It has led us to classics that continue to speak across generations, new works that ask difficult questions, and youth productions that inspire the next generation of artists and audiences alike.
This season feels especially meaningful because we are taking an exciting step forward. I am proud to introduce our very first Resident Acting Ensemble - Madison Latham, Shivam Patel, Emily Sherlock, Evan Wilson, Justin Verona, Lorraine Delgado, Nathan Alexander, Rachel Back, Rune Vaughan, and Matt Hasty. These gifted artists are more than performers; they are collaborators, creators, and the foundation of a vibrant artistic community that will continue to grow and evolve.
We are also launching MAD SOB (Marigold Arts Development, dba South of Broadway), a new artistic initiative dedicated to bold, adventurous theatre. Through MAD SOB, we'll create original works, nurture emerging voices, take creative risks, and invite our community into conversations that matter. Theatre should not only reflect the world around us - it should help us imagine what that world could become.
Our 2026–2027 season embraces that philosophy. You'll experience remarkable true stories, timeless classics, beloved musicals, daring new works, heartfelt holiday traditions, and opportunities to watch young performers discover the magic of live theatre. Some productions will make you laugh. Others may challenge you. A few may even make you a little uncomfortable. I hope every one of them leaves you thinking long after the curtain falls. Live theatre is unlike any other art form. For a few precious hours, strangers gather in one room to laugh together, cry together, and experience something that can never be exactly repeated. In a world that often keeps us separated by screens and headlines, that shared experience feels more important than ever.
Thank you for choosing to spend your time with us. Whether you've been with South of Broadway from the beginning or are joining us for the first time, you are an essential part of every performance. Without an audience, there is no theatre - only an empty stage waiting for a story.
I invite you to experience this season with open hearts and curious minds. Come often. Bring a friend. Introduce a child to the wonder of live theatre. Support the artists who pour their hearts into every rehearsal and every performance.
Together, we'll continue building a theatre that is fearless, welcoming, imaginative, and deeply connected to the community we call home.
Thank you for being part of the South of Broadway family. I can't wait to see you at the theatre.
With gratitude,
Mary Gould