He did — faster than many young actors could reasonably expect. Less than a year later, Richardson was on the road with the first national tour of “The Notebook,” performing a role he had quietly hoped might one day be his.

“I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, I would love to do that show someday,’” Richardson said, speaking by phone from a tour stop in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I definitely thank my lucky stars every single day.”

“The Notebook,” based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel and the popular 2004 film, comes to the Peace Concert Hall in Greenville June 9-14. The production marks the first national tour of the musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2024.

Related: Peace Center’s 2026-27 Broadway season preview

The music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson lean toward a folk-and-country music vibe rather than a traditional Broadway soundscape.

Richardson, 24, plays Johnny, a character created specifically for the musical and absent from the original novel. In a show known for emotional heft — Alzheimer’s disease sits at the center of the story — Johnny offers comic relief while also developing a meaningful relationship with older Noah.

“There’s a lot of comedy in this role,” Richardson said. “Johnny is there to help you turn on a dime when you’re wiping your tears away.”

For Richardson, the production carries personal resonance. His grandmother died from Alzheimer’s disease, making the story especially moving when he first saw the Broadway production shortly after moving to New York.

“It hit home in a lot of ways for me,” he said.

Becoming an actor

Unlike the film, which follows one pair of actors through much of the romance, the stage adaptation uses three actors each to portray Allie and Noah at different ages. Richardson said that approach deepens the show’s emotional impact.

“You see them choose each other at every single point in their life,” he said.

Richardson, originally from Nashville, found his way to Coastal Carolina through recommendations from others he knew. Once he met the faculty, he said, the decision became easy.

“I truly feel like I became an actor at Coastal,” he said. “When I was growing up, music was leading my love for theater. But when I got to Coastal, I really developed this love for acting.”

Now based in New York, Richardson has spent the past nine months traveling the country with the show, which recently celebrated its 250th performance.

Between eight shows a week, he still finds time to explore cities, often through golf or rock climbing.

He already knows Greenville, having visited while attending Coastal and stopping through on drives home.

“I love Greenville,” he said. “I’m so excited to return.”

Want to go?

What: “The Notebook: The Musical”

When: June 9-14

Where: Peace Concert Hall, 300 S. Main St., Greenville

Tickets: $71-$121.50

Info: 864-467-3000 or peacecenter.org

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Motte’s response became legend.

“Oh, burn it,” she reportedly told them, according to historical accounts. “I will watch it with delight.”

That moment of sacrifice sits at the heart of actor Chris Weatherhead’s portrayal of Motte during Greenville Chautauqua’s admission-free History Comes Alive Festival, where historical figures are brought to life through solo performances.

This year’s festival, June 12-23, celebrates the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with the theme of “Revolutionary Americans.”

Other featured figures — each transformative in his or her own way — include:

• Captain Henry Felder — South Carolina patriot and militia leader who authored an early Declaration of Separation from Britain.
• Edgar Allan Poe — Influential writer and pioneer of detective fiction and gothic literature.
• Mother Jones — Labor activist who fought for workers’ rights and against child labor.
• Paul Robeson — Renowned singer/actor, athlete, and civil rights advocate.

Weatherhead, co-founder of Actors Theatre of South Carolina, has spent 14 years researching and portraying Motte, the South Carolina Patriot remembered for agreeing to sacrifice her Congaree River home — later called Fort Motte — to help force a British surrender.

“She would probably say, ‘I just did what any freedom-fighting woman would have done,’” Weatherhead said in a recent interview. “But people really respect her willingness to sacrifice her house.”

Weatherhead’s husband, Clarence Felder, performs as his own ancestor, Captain Henry Felder, an important if perhaps little-known South Carolina Patriot leader.

Historical detective

For Weatherhead, portraying Motte has become something of a historical detective project. Since first developing the role in 2013, she has immersed herself in letters, military accounts and historical scholarship, piecing together details of a woman whose own voice survives mostly through the observations of others.

“I try to stay with what I feel was really accurate,” she said.

Motte, born into a prominent Charleston family, emerged as an important Patriot supporter during the war. By 1781, British troops had fortified her inland home, strategically positioned along military supply routes. When Patriot commanders Francis Marion and Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee sought to reclaim the position, Motte supported a risky plan to set fire to the roof and force the British surrender.

The story has made Motte one of South Carolina’s better-known Revolutionary War figures, though Weatherhead believes many people still know little about her life beyond that defining moment.

“She was very, very smart,” Weatherhead said. “I believe she largely educated herself.”

At Chautauqua, Weatherhead’s performance will place audiences face-to-face with Motte herself, blending scholarship and theater to illuminate a turbulent chapter of South Carolina history.

“This was war,” Weatherhead said. “There’s a lot that we know, and a lot we’re still trying to understand.”

At Chautauqua, audiences will encounter Motte not as a textbook figure but as a woman confronting an impossible wartime choice.

Following are the free Chautauqua performances in Greenville. Other performances take place in Spartanburg, Abbeville, Liberty, and Brevard. (For a full list of performances, visit HistoryComesAlive.org or call 864-244-1499.)

June 12, 7:30 p.m.: Edgar Allan Poe (Greenville Tech, bring lawn seating)

June 13, 2 p.m.: Mother Jones (Hartness Performing Arts Center on the Christ Church School Campus)

June 13, 7:30 p.m.: Captain Henry Felder (Greenville Tech, bring lawn seating)

June 14, 2 p.m.: Rebecca Motte (Hartness Performing Arts Center on the Christ Church School Campus)

June 14, 7:30 p.m.: Paul Robeson (Greenville Tech, bring lawn seating)

June 15, 10 a.m.: Discussion: Edgar Allan Poe, Senior Action, 3715 E. North St.

June 15, 7:30 p.m.: Mother Jones (Greenville Tech, bring lawn seating)

June 16, 10 a.m.: Discussion: Captain Henry Felder (Senior Action, 3715 E. North St.)

June 16, 11:30 a.m.: Edgar Allan Poe (Centre Stage, 501 River St.)

June 16, 7:30 p.m.: Rebecca Motte (Greenville Tech, bring lawn seating)

June 17, 10 a.m.: Discussion: Mother Jones (Senior Action, 3715 E. North St.)

June 18, 10 a.m.: Discussion: Paul Robeson (Senior Action, 3715 E. North St.)

June 19, 10 a.m.: Discussion: Rebecca Motte (Senior Action, 3715 E. North St.)

June 20, 2 p.m.: Paul Robeson (Hartness Performing Arts Center on the Christ Church School Campus)

June 21, 2 p.m.: Captain Henry Felder (Hartness Performing Arts Center on the Christ Church School Campus)

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Bryson’s family announced his passing in a statement, according to the Variety. Multiple media outlets reported on Sunday, May 31 that Bryson was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.

Born April 13, 1951, Bryson grew up living in both Greenville’s Southernside neighborhood and on his family farm in Mauldin. According to the city of Greenville, he started performing with Moses Dillard and the Tex Town Display at Mayberry Park when he was 14 years old.

Greenville City Councilmember Lillian Brock Flemming recalls growing up in Southernside with Bryson in a statement following his passing.

“I am saddened by his passing after his stroke,” Flemming said in a statement. “His presence and God given talent will be greatly missed by this world! I thank God for the opportunity to play together and share our lives as young people. I am praying for his family!”

The R&B singer was best known for recording the theme songs for two Disney films in the early 1990s. Bryson won two Grammys for his duet “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle. Both tracks won Academy Awards for Best Original Song. 

Bryson was given a key to the city by Greenville Mayor Knox White during his performance at The Peace Center in May 2023.  At the show, state Sen. Karl Allen also presented Bryson with a sign representing a section of North Academy Street that was named in his honor. A mural celebrating Bryson was also unveiled on the wall of The Commons at Unity Park in September 2024.

“Peabo Bryson had an unmistakable voice that touched people around the world and a deep sincerity on and off stage,” White said in a statement. “His many lifelong friends in Greenville are a testimony that his character was as genuine as his talent.”

Details will be announced at a later date for the celebration of life and memorial arrangements for Bryson.

The post Grammy-winning Greenville native Peabo Bryson dies at 75 appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

After all, both of these bands scored their biggest successes in the early-to-mid 1990s, most notably with Cracker’s “Low,” (“I’ll be with your girl/Like bein’ low”) and Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s “Build A Fire” (“Won’t you love, sing along/Won’t you come, to build a fire”). Those songs were released within two years of each other, and one might think that the bands crossed paths at some point during those years.

Nope. As Kevn Kinney, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for Drivin’ N’ Cryin,’ this tour, which includes that aforementioned stop at The Foundry on June 5, is the first time the bands have played together.

“I knew who Cracker was at the time,” Kinney said in a recent interview, “but we didn’t meet until a lot later. David (Lowery, singer, songwriter and guitarist for Cracker) is a married to my best friend. And within just the last decade, I’ve really become a fan and a good friend of David and the band. They’re great people.”

In fact, the bass player for Kevn’s solo band is currently playing with Cracker, so think of it as a game of “Six Degrees of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’.”

“I’m not sure how we put it together,” Kinney added about the tour, “but I think it’s a great pairing.”

Fans of guitar-heavy alternative rock will have a blast at The Foundry show, and both bands will certainly bring the hits. Cracker is pretty much legally obligated to play “Low,” but they’ll also hit highlights like “Get Off This” and “Folksinger.”

As for Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, you can count on the misfit anthem “Straight To Hell,” the smoldering “Build A Fire,” and the aching “Honeysuckle Blue.”

But this isn’t all about nostalgia. Kinney and company have a new album out called “Crushing Flowers,” and he’s excited about playing some of it for the band’s fans.

“We’re doing five songs off the album, almost the whole first side,” Kinney said.

Those five songs will be done in a hurry though, because none of them are more than three minutes and there’s only one guitar solo on the whole record. Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ has been a lean and mean trio for a while now, and that more concentrated approach left zero fat on “Crushing Flowers.” Other than a guest appearance from R.E.M’s Peter Buck and some touches by producer/guitarist Sadler Vaden, it’s just the band and the songs.

“I was trying to make the perfect Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ fan record,” Kinney said. “I’ve kind of given up on trying to be a global star, or even trying to get played on the radio. But the good news is that we created our own world, and I want to stick to the people we’ve brought into this world. We’re going to dance with the ones that brung us.”

If Kinney has given up on ever becoming an international sensation, he certainly still values those people who have become part of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s world over nearly 50 years.

“I really do love playing in clubs,” he said. “I know what my strengths are, and my strengths are listening to what the audience wants and throwing things out there that they might like to hear.”

“I don’t know how to be Bono or Springsteen,” he added with a laugh. “But I know how to play for Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ fans.”

Want to go?

Who: Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ and Cracker

When: Fri., June 5, 8:30 p.m.

Where: The Foundry at Judson Mill, 701 Easley Bridge Road, Greenville

Tickets and info: foundrygvl.com

The post Veteran rockers Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, Cracker bring ’90s nostalgia to The Foundry appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

This idea stands at the center of the experiential nonprofit organization’s new partnership with the Prisma Health Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital in Greenville. The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient care for those with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, amputation, multiple trauma, cancer and other neurological conditions. 

Premier Arts Collective began hosting bi-monthly therapeutic art workshops at the hospital in March. Elizabeth DuBose, administrator of Roger C. Peace, explained that the workshops offer patients, caregivers and staff an opportunity to connect, reflect and engage in recovery beyond traditional therapies.

“At Roger C. Peace, rehabilitation is more than physical recovery – it’s about supporting the whole person,” DuBose said. “Partnering with Premier Arts Collective allows us to integrate creativity and self-expression into the healing process in a meaningful way.”

The new therapeutic art workshops were inspired by Brad Carraway, a therapeutic art facilitator with Premier Arts Collective, and his daughter, Katarina. In 2021, Katarina Carraway became a patient at Roger C. Peace after being involved in a traumatic accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. 

She became involved in an outpatient support group program with the hospital for people with spinal injuries. Brad Carraway started offering therapeutic art-themed events for his daughter’s support group and expanded to working with other outpatients at Roger C. Peace. He later connected the hospital with Premier Arts Collective to create an inpatient therapeutic art program. 

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Katarina Carraway said. “I love to encourage others to explore their creativity in ways that feel accessible and empowering, while also advocating for more inclusion and accessibility.”

Therapeutic art workshops

Alison Hughey, a board-certified music therapist, led the most recent workshop at Roger C. Peace on May 29. During the workshop, patients sang along to classic songs like Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The workshop also allowed patients to work on their physical therapy goals while playing instruments.

One of the patients who participated in the music therapy workshop was Ken Hurt. Hurt has been undergoing rehabilitation at Roger C. Peace since early May after suffering a stroke. He enjoyed the camaraderie formed during the workshop with the other patients. 

“I wouldn’t typically sit in a room like that, but I would go out to a bar and do the exact same thing that we did,” Hurt said. “It helps remind you that this is semi-normal. It’s an odd location but a normal experience – interacting with people, singing some songs, laughing a little bit and telling some stories. That’s good – anything that can lift your spirits.”

Premier Arts Collective provides therapeutic art and music programs across Upstate South Carolina and beyond. Logan Rice, the organization’s vice president, said the patients at Roger C. Peace are one of the many populations that the Premier Arts Collective serves, from survivors of sexual assault to underserved children and youth.

“The arts are so versatile, and in environments like this at Roger C. Peace, there are just so many ways they can be beneficial to this population,” Rice said. “We’re looking to do five programs at the hospital over the course of 2026 and then – Lord willing – keep going in the years to come.”

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While crafting her story, Lester found inspiration from an article about the Golden Age of Hollywood at the city’s Chateau Marmont.

Set in 1957, the story follows Aria Jones, a newly orphaned young woman who is sent to live with her aunt, a fading star who hides away in the hotel. Once there, Aria connects with two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter.

However, Aria’s first few nights reveal an insidious secret that continues to haunt her as she grows up in the Marmont’s halls. If she can stay invisible as she saves money, then she can leave the hotel and live life on her own terms, alone but free. Her plans fall apart when it is bought by Theo Winchester, a reclusive rock star turned unexpected caretaker of his daughter, Adele, and unlike any man Aria has met before. To earn the last bit of money she needs to escape, Aria becomes Adele’s tutor, which brings Aria closer to Theo and ignites a passion she never expected.

“(The article) talked about then Columbia Pictures Studio boss Harry Cohn saying, ‘If you must get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont,’” said Lester. “That kind of line is like catnip to a novelist.”

Lester’s other inspiration for “The Chateau on Sunset” came from a book she loved as a child, Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre.” She said when she reread the book as an adult, she wondered if Jane regretted not venturing out into the world. With that idea in mind, Lester decided to reimagine the story to give her an ending that was romantically and personally satisfying.

As she researched the Chateau Marmont’s history, Lester also found fun anecdotes about its residents, such as Vivien Leigh, the actress best known as Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind,” who replaced the hotel’s art in her room with her own portraits. In addition, she discovered that events at the hotel during the 1950s and 1960s helped set the stage for the MeToo movement.

“I wanted to look at writing an alternative history of that because so many of those stories about what happened to those women who we see as amazing movie stars, a lot of their backstories are actually quite difficult and dark,” Lester said. “They struggled every day against that Hollywood casting couch.”

Lester will participate in M.Judson Booksellers’ Book Over Drinks series June 9 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is $35 per person and includes a cocktail or mocktail and a signed copy of “The Chateau on Sunset.” For more information, visit mjudsonbooks.com.

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You can marvel at the strength and power of Jason Bonham, the son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. No one’s ever hit harder than John, but Jason comes pretty damn close. He’s a beast behind the kit on roaring versions of “Whole Lotta Love,” “You Shook Me,” “Kashmir” and more.

But real music geeks will get a thrill out of Jason’s emphasis on the 1976 album “Presence,” probably the band’s most underrated release, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Which means fiery takes on lesser-known Zep epics like the 10-minute plus “Achilles Last Stand,” which opens “Presence.” It’s a song so complex that Jason has been trying not to play it for a while.

“The ‘Led Zeppelin Evening’ show is a 14-year project,” Bonham said in our interview, “and I’ve been avoiding it for 14 years. But we put it in this show, and once I was unafraid of it, it was so much fun to play.”

And on this edition of the tour, Bonham is diving into other complex “Presence” tracks like the sinister “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” the grinding, snake-hipped rocker “For Your Life” and the loose-limbed funk tune “Hots On For Nowhere.”

But the coolest part of the “Led Zeppelin Evening” show might just be the stories.

Tagging along with his dad, Jason actually saw Zeppelin recording “Presence” in the studio. Singer Robert Plant had been seriously injured in a car accident before recording had begun, so Bonham saw the mighty Robert Plant hobbled but howling.

“I remember falling asleep in the studio and then waking up and looking through the glass to see Robert in his wheelchair singing,” he said.

That’s what you’ll be seeing if you’re in the audience for the show. An evening of towering rock epics and a tribute to a band, and a man, who let the music do the talking.

“My Dad was confident, but shy in a certain way,” Bonham says. “He was very quiet unless he’d had a couple of drinks. He was a carpenter when he was very young, so when the band wasn’t working, he was building homes.”

I’ve loved Led Zeppelin since I was 15 and I didn’t know that. This show isn’t just a powerful musical experience; it’s a peek into music history.

Want to go?

What: Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening

When: Tues., June 3, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Peace Concert Hall, 300 S. Main St., Greenville

Tickets and info: peacecenter.org

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When Enloe sat down to write his story, he knew he wanted to feature two boys who were thrown into conflict, but he did not realize that his longing for a lifelong friendship would help fuel the story.

Set in 1961 in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, this thriller follows two 13-year-old best friends, Boyd and Roger.

Boyd is expected to spend his summer working on his grandfather’s farm and praying after a schoolyard fight, but he has other plans. Alongside Roger, he embarks on an adventure to find an abandoned trestle and explore a cave with personal significance. Their journey is fraught with obstacles, including Boyd’s overbearing grandfather, Roger’s violent alcoholic father, a corrupt sheriff and even a dangerous cougar that seems to be stalking them all summer.

As the adults and institutions around him fail, Boyd is pushed to lie, steal, and risk everything for Roger’s safety. When the boys finally escape to their secret haven — the trestle cave — Boyd discovers the truth about trust, betrayal and the painful cost of protecting those we love.

“About the middle of fifth grade, when my father was in the Navy, we moved a good bit and (I) never saw (my) really good friend Phillip Smith again,” Enloe said. “Because of us moving a good bit, I did not sustain a lifelong friendship that these two boys (did), so there’s kind of a longing in that that I’ve dealt with as an adult.”

Enloe will participate in a reading and signing event on June 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Hub City Bookshop. Admission is free. For more information, visit hubcity.org/bookshop.

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Can you guess which one?

The play explores what happens when football collides with brisk comedy, political satire and an all-female cast portraying more than 40 male characters.

Beginning June 5, the Warehouse Theatre will host the world premiere of Kristoffer Diaz’s gleefully offbeat comedy with the full title of “Football Football Football Football (or I Love Lave Dash).”

The fast-moving, roughly 90-minute one-act play not only examines football but gleefully pokes fun at everything surrounding it.

“It’s a straight-up hats-and-mustaches-and-silliness kind of comedy,” Diaz said, speaking by phone from his home in New Jersey.

Diaz, a Tony nominee (“Hell’s Kitchen”) and Pulitzer finalist (“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity”), leaves no laugh unturned as he shows how two top draft picks (one of whom is named Lave Dash) smash their way through offensive lines, the press room, politics, and their own heads.

Theatrical twist

Beneath the humor, Diaz said, lies a deeper fascination with football’s contradictions: the spectacle, tribalism and pageantry surrounding a deeply physical and sometimes-brutal sport.

Part of the inspiration for Diaz came while watching a football game several years ago when former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly suffered a concussion and tearfully left the field.

“It was a reminder of how intense and serious these things are,” Diaz said. “I was interested in all of the circus and pageantry that goes around this game that is sort of a fundamentally violent experiment.”

At the same time, Diaz — a football fan himself and a former long-suffering Buffalo Bills supporter — wanted to approach those questions through humor.

“Sometimes the best way to handle the bizarreness of everyday life is through comedy,” he said.

Developed over several years through workshops in New York and Chicago, the play has taken shape in collaboration with the Warehouse Theatre’s producing artistic director Mike Sablone and stage director Ashley Rodbro.

The production’s boldest theatrical twist may be its casting.

Though the play features more than 40 characters — all male — every role is played by a woman. A six-person female cast will portray coaches, players, commentators and assorted football personalities.

The unconventional choice also allows the play to explore football’s deeply masculine culture from an unexpected angle.

One thing audiences should expect is jokes. Lots of them.

Diaz said humor extends to nearly every aspect of the production — from costumes and sound design to hidden visual gags and theatrical Easter eggs.

“We’re pulling out all the stops,” he said.

Want to go?

What: “Football Football Football Football (or I Love Lave Dash),” a world premiere by Kristoffer Diaz

When: June 5-21

Where: Warehouse Theatre, 37 Augusta St., Greenville

Tickets: $25-$60

Info: 864-235-6948 or warehousetheatre.com

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The theater’s production of Disney’s “Frozen,” running June 5-28, promises snow effects, elaborate costumes, projections and plenty of theatrical magic — all created by local artists and performers, director Max Quinlan said.

“It’ll be a really lovely thing to have some snow effect in the heat of summer,” Quinlan said with a laugh. “We’ll have a snow-filled summer at Greenville Theatre.”

The stage musical, based on the beloved 2013 animated film, spotlights songs that have become Disney classics, including “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”, “For the First Time in Forever” and the Oscar-winning “Let It Go.”

The story centers on the relationship between sisters who are princesses, Elsa and Anna. Elsa has uncontrollable magical powers to freeze objects and people, forcing her into exile even as she inherits the throne.

Greenville Theatre’s local cast of more than two dozen, meanwhile, guarantees bountiful vocal heft for the musical’s showstopping ensemble numbers.

Quinlan describes the season-closing musical as one of Greenville Theatre’s most technically ambitious productions.

“This show really allows our staff to shine,” Quinlan said. “The set construction, all of our costumes are designed and built in-house. The wow factor of the outfits and the magical world is all done by local artists of the Upstate.”

Stage spectacle

Audiences familiar with Broadway or touring versions of “Frozen” can expect some of the spectacle that made the musical famous. Greenville Theatre uses projections, lighting effects and puppetry to bring beloved characters to life.

Olaf, the cheerful snowman, will appear through a blend of live performance and puppetry, played by familiar Greenville Theatre performer Neel Patrick Edwards. Sven, Kristoff’s loyal reindeer companion, also will be featured in a design Quinlan said has required weeks of preparation.

“The person doing that has been practicing with the mechanics of it for over a month now,” Quinlan said. “It’s going to be really wonderful to see that come to life.”

The production stars Erica Doran as Elsa and Kelsey Crews as Anna, whom Quinlan called “powerhouse” performers capable of handling the show’s demanding vocal roles.

Beyond the visual spectacle, Quinlan said the story’s emotional message remains at the center of the production.

“To me, the show is all about love,” he said. “Even though Elsa has all these powers and magic within her, the true magic comes from accepting love and giving love to others.”

For Quinlan, “Frozen” carries special personal meaning. His 4-year-old daughter, Sofie — “the biggest ‘Frozen’ fan there is,” he joked — inspired his connection to the show. He’s dedicating the production to her, though he hopes she resists the temptation to rush on stage during “Let It Go.”

The musical also marks Quinlan’s final production as Greenville Theatre’s producing artistic director before transitioning to an artistic consultant role.

“It feels very personal to me,” Quinlan said. “I’ve loved my time here, and I’m excited that my final show is all about love.”

Want to go?

What: “Disney’s Frozen: The Musical”

When: June 5-28

Where: Greenville Theatre, 444 College St.

Tickets: $45

Info: 864-233-6238 or greenvilletheatre.org

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The exhibition, which features works by painter Kate Schultz, will be at 1292 Pendleton St. through June 27.

She works with acrylic paint and mixed media to create vibrant compositions that celebrate the quiet beauty of the natural world, said the gallery in a news release.

“This collection explores the simplicity of shapes and color in the natural world while celebrating the unexpected joy found outside one’s typical daily route,” said Schultz. “When we slow down and take the scenic route — literally or metaphorically — we often discover moments of beauty that would otherwise go unnoticed.”

Spoonbill Gallery will hold a First Friday reception June 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. to celebrate the new collection.

For more information, visit spoonbillgallery.com.

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The exhibit brings to life the PBS KIDS TV series, “Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum,” which follows Xavier, his sister Yadina and best friend Brad as they tackle everyday problems by traveling back in time to learn from real life inspirational figures when they were kids.

“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit” allows families and children to sneak through a passage to the Secret Museum and use a hologram to unlock three different times in history to meet inspirational heroes, including paleontologist Mary Anning, botanist George Washington Carver and chemist Marie Curie. The exhibit also features a Hall of Heroes, where visitors can learn the traits of a hero and how they can be a hero today, said the museum in a news release.

The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 27. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit upcountryhistory.org.

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The exhibition, which features works by artists Allison James of Central, Georgia; Bethany Mabee of Peoria, Illinois; and Morgan Walker of Florence, South Carolina; will be on display virtually on the gallery’s website and in person at 16 Aiken St. in Greenville through June 27.

In “Natural Form,” the artists use abstraction to explore organic shapes and patterns found in nature. James finds inspiration for her abstract paintings in the messy, thrilling terrain of human experience and motherhood. Mabee is an abstract painter and textile designer who has spent over 20 years immersed in the interior design industry while simultaneously cultivating her painting and studio practice. Walker’s work reflects a personal relationship with control, rooted in her observations of life’s unpredictable nature. She drew inspiration from witnessing her late father’s frustrations with the loss of control over his penmanship due to Parkinson’s disease and her own struggles with mental health, as well as the broader realization that we truly control very little, said a news release from the gallery.

Art & Light Gallery will host an opening reception June 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the new collection. For more information, visit artandlightgallery.com.

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The nonprofit offers child development and family support services through its Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Comprehensive services include education, disabilities and special needs, mental health, nutrition, health, social services and family engagement.

Shannon Vaughn, director of children and family development, said SHARE operates 11 locations of Head Start and Early Head Start in Greenville County, serving 598 children from birth to age five.

“Head Start prepares children and their families for school readiness and the next steps. We encourage family engagement and goal setting,” Vaughn said. “It’s not just the child, it’s the whole family.”

In 2025, SHARE received a Margaret Linder Southern Endowment grant of $30,000 from Community Foundation of Greenville to support positive guidance towards self-regulation and resilience.

Southern, a former teacher, established the endowment with a bequest from her estate in 2012. She designated half its annual distributions to go to the Greenville Humane Society and the remaining 50% to organizations – like SHARE Head Start – that provide early childhood or special education services.

SHARE Head Start used the grant to purchase toys and equipment used in the classroom to help children regulate their behavior so they can better participate in group learning activities.

“Sometimes if a child is less attentive, and struggles to keep their hands to themself, a teaching assistant can give them a small, weighted animal – like a lizard, crocodile, or frog – to put on their shoulder or lap, or a weighted book in their hands to help them calm down so that they can be more attentive,” said Tracie Wilson, disabilities/special needs specialist.

Tobita Posley-McKinney, mental health specialist, said the materials purchased include equipment like sensory balls, weighted blankets and vests that help when a child is overstimulated and plush toys with pockets – calming cuddle bugs – that children with anxiety can use to soothe themselves.

Cherie Whitman, disabilities/special needs specialist, said all of the toys are designed to help children learn to self-regulate and build resilience.

“We all face things in our day that overwhelm or overstimulate us, signals from the environment that we don’t know how to process,” Whitman said. “The children we serve are in the age range where we can help them build those skills, to understand and cope with emotions.”

Wilson said SHARE Head Start works closely with families, Greenville County Schools and other community partners like CFG.

“They bring so many resources to our program,” Wilson said. “The extra funding from the Margaret Linder Southern grant is a tremendous asset.”

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