A story that began in 18th-century Europe now continues in Charleston—one watercolor, and one ornament, at a time.
Charleston’s beloved theater, Charleston Stage, is known for bold, high-quality productions, exceptional artists, and impactful arts education. After nearly 50 years based in Mt. Pleasant, Charleston Stage recently took the opportunity to move into a new home including a 155-seat theater now open in the heart of West Ashley at Ashley Landing Plaza.
The move places Charleston Stage within Ashley Landing, a redevelopment of the former Ashley Plaza Mall led by EDENS, a community-focused retail real estate developer transforming the site into a vibrant, neighborhood-centered destination.
Rylee Coppell, Director of Education and Engagement at Charleston Stage, said the organization was grateful to work with EDENS, whose vision centers on creating “community driven and family oriented” spaces for Ashley Landing.
“When they said they were going to have it done by January, we were like, ‘what?’ you know, commercial construction doesn’t always move very quickly. And they were like, nope. And they were true to the word,” Coppell said. “We actually moved in three weeks early.”
The new theater space, Coppell said, offers both familiarity and improvement.
“I think the new space is organized better than our other space was, in some ways. It’s got a beautiful theater that’s even bigger than the other one,” Coppell says. “We’re super happy.”
Arts education remains central to Charleston Stage’s mission, and Coppell shared that all existing education programs will continue in the new location—with room to grow. The West Ashley site includes an additional teaching space, allowing the organization to expand its offerings.
“We have one extra teaching space in this location, so we’re actually able to offer more classes to our junior company, which is our audition based program,” Coppell says.
“So we’ve kind of expanded that.”
While rentals will continue in the new space, the larger and more accessible theater also opens the door for future in-house family programming tailored to children and families.
Coppell said the move into West Ashley helps extend theater access beyond the Charleston’s downtown arts hub.
“I think it just expands it outside of downtown, and it gives people who — might not either want to go downtown or don’t have the means to do that — it gives them an opportunity to see something that’s a little closer to them,” Coppell says.
More specifically, Charleston Stage aims to continue to prioritize children’s access to the arts.
“Working with kids, we prioritize environments where kids can see theater and be exposed to theater in a way that is age appropriate and environmentally appropriate for them,” Coppell says.
What excites Coppell most is the opportunity to reach more students through expanded teaching spaces and to become part of a growing community hub as Ashley Landing continues to develop.
“The plans for the complex are really wonderful. There’s green space, there’s lots of shops and restaurants and more housing and things like that,” Coppell says. “I’m really excited about what I think this plaza is going to be in the coming years.”
If Coppell were to describe the new Charleston Stage using a single artistic value, it would be “collaboration,” noting that even from the earliest stages of construction, the City of Charleston and EDENS worked closely together to bring the new vision to life.
Coppell encourages families interested in theater to explore the new space and its offerings.
“We welcome families who have an interest in theater, musical theater, acting and dance, singing, to visit our website,” Coppell says “Come and check out the space and check out our classes.”
