A Night Out at the Oldest Theatre in America: The Dock Street, Charleston, South Carolina
When planning your Charleston itinerary, consider adding the Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina's oldest theatre—and arguably the oldest theatre in America—to your list!
The Dock Street Theatre is hidden in plain sight off of two of the busiest thoroughfares in downtown Charleston, and it is located in one of the prettiest buildings in the French Quarter.
Do yourself a favor and pop inside to see what's playing during your visit.
While it's community theatre, the standard of acting is exceptional compared to what you typically expect out of local theatre groups.
There are even a few professional actors serving as the cornerstone of the group!
Read on to discover more about the history of this Charleston theatre and why you should add it to your next Charleston trip.
This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Updated 5/2022 | Written 9/2016
<! data-preserve-html-node="true"-- Anything inside will go away once widget is loaded. --> Booking.com
Best Place for Plays in Charleston SC
As a Charleston local, I often forget to appreciate the things that bring visitors from around the world to this city. However, every once in a while, I’ll get to experience that thrill.
I got to have one of those Charleston moments recently when my husband and I went to the Dock Street Theatre to see a production of The Producers.
He'd surprised me with season tickets for my birthday, and I was ready to break them in!
I grew up going to school performances at the Dock Street, so the fact that I'm now a season ticket holder makes me feel impossibly fancy and grown-up.
Even though it's only a few blocks from East Bay and Meeting Streets, the theatre feels tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the usual downtown chaos.
The French Quarter, where the theatre's located, is a residential area that's slowly becoming more commercial, so you've got a great mixture of old churches, art galleries, and stately homes surrounding the Dock Street.
While the Dock Street Theatre isn’t the only place for live theatre in Charleston, I think it has the perfect combination of location, history, and talent to keep you coming back for another performance.
NOTE: Other great locations around the Lowcountry for live theatre include Theatre 99 for comedy improv, Flowertowne Players for family friendly nights out, and the Woolfe Street Playhouse for intimate productions.
A History of the Oldest Theatre in America
Postcard c. 1940 of Dock Street Theatre, courtesy of Boston Public Library
The Dock Street Theatre is America's oldest theatre and dates back to 1736.
It was the first structure in the country to be built solely for theatrical performances.
While the Dock Street Theatre isn't the site of the first play in America, it's a cornerstone in the history of arts and culture in Charleston and beyond.
Sadly, the original structure didn't last long. It was the combination of wood building materials and open flame indoor lighting that was the poor combination.
The city records are a little cloudy about when the original theatre was destroyed, but most think that it was a victim of the 1740 fire that took out a large portion of the city.
The Planter’s Hotel
The Planter's Hotel was built over the ruins in the early 1800s, and the distinctive balcony and columns were added in 1835.
For those who like a bit of cocktail history, planter's punch was supposedly born at this hotel!
Sadly, the Civil War caused the hotel to be abandoned, and it rotted for years.
Restoration of Dock Street Theatre
In 1935, concerned citizens and the mayor petitioned to have the property restored through the WPA, or the Works Progress Administration.
The current theatre was built inside what was left of the Planter's Hotel.
With DuBose Heyward (author of Porgy, the inspiration behind George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess) as the writer-in-residence, the Dock Street Theatre was breathed back into life for the second time in 1937.
Today, you can find it on the corner of Church Street—so named for the imposing St. Philips Church just down the way—and Queen Street. You might wonder what's up with the name since the Dock Street Theatre isn't on Dock Street.
Well, the answer to that is that it used to be. Queen Street was once called Dock Street!
What to Expect at the Dock Street Theatre
Dock Street Theatre Season
The Dock Street Theatre shows pull from a wide range of traditions and tastes: in any given season, you’ll have a holiday play, a kids-centric show, a few comedies and a drama or two. There’s usually a musical mixed in there as well.
The season typically runs from around the end of July until about April.
If you’re taking your family to a mid-day kid-centric play Monday-Friday, know that there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be watching the show alongside a group of local school kids.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the kids are typically well behaved and no less unruly than any other group of playgoers.
You will want to plan ahead to ensure tickets are available for your dates since the school groups can be large.
Performance Day
If you’ve gotten your heart set on a particular day and time, book ahead on their website.
If you’re more flexible, you can stop by the box office to see what’s available during your Charleston visit and then plan accordingly.
Walk-up hours are Tuesday-Friday 1:00-4:30 PM.
Your best bet for parking is at the Cumberland Street Garage, a huge lot about a block north of the Dock Street Theatre, or the Queen Street garage, a smaller lot about a block west of the theatre.
For evening plays, there is typically an intermission, most of which come with a beverage and snacks break in the small courtyard out back.
Best seating in the Dock Street Theatre
One of my favorite parts of going to the Dock Street when I was little was sitting in the balcony seats.
The railing is impossibly low for adults, but it's perfect when you're 8!
The current theatre was built as close as possible to the original 18th century design, so the seats all over the theatre are fairly small and the aisle are quite tight.
If you can swing them, the middle balcony seats will give you the best view of the entire stage. However, I don’t recommend the balcony if you’re scared of heights as the railings really are so, so low.
If you’d prefer to sit on the ground floor, opt for an aisle seat about halfway back. The seats at the front of the theatre are below stage level, which means you’ll be staring up at the actors the entire time.
By heading halfway up the aisle, you’re at a great level to the stage.
The Dock Street Theatre Ghost
In true Charleston fashion, the Dock Street Theatre is supposedly haunted!
A young woman named Nettie, who fell from her once predominant position in the town to become a prostitute, is often seen gliding around the theatre in her bright red gown.
Strangely, sightings of her only include her body from the knees upwards.
I've heard people explain this away by saying that the Planter's Hotel floor on which she would've walked in life was a good foot lower than the present day Dock Street Theatre floor.
I guess she hasn't gotten the memo that some renovations have occurred in the last century and a half.
For even more suggestions on what to do in my hometown, check out my first time visitors guide to Charleston SC!
Do you like going to the theatre? Would you like to add the oldest theatre in America to your next visit to Charleston, South Carolina?
Let’s explore 3 of my favorite spooky church ruins in South Carolina! All of these ruins are open to the public and free, making this a low cost day trip from Charleston.