Is the Charlotte Region's Best Theater in Salisbury?
Y'all Weekly talks to one of the people making Lee St. Theatre a can't-miss destination; Matt at the Movies previews the year in cinema; Michael Cooper talks about his time with Jimmy Carter; & more!
One of the reasons we started Y’all Weekly was in response to the closing of a cultural institution: the Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte. Our reasoning was that if Charlotte’s only professional theatre for an adult audience can go under, no cultural institution is safe - and too often, the story of these institutions isn’t being told to a wide enough audience.
That’s why Y’all Weekly’s senior reporter & theatre critic, Jesse Boykin Kimmel, has been making the trek to Lee Street Theatre every couple of weeks, and their current season - the theatre’s 15th - has showcased a commitment to excellence you don’t expect from community theatre outside a major market.
When Y’all spoke to Cain Center Executive Director Justin Dionne in January, he told us about his time at Lee Street and how far the Salisbury-based organization has come.
“Lee Street Theatre began in Robert Jones’s living room with a group of friends that wanted to create a place where everyone could do great theater and enjoy time together while doing it,” he said.
Now with a dedicated space just steps away from the train station in the heart of Salisbury, Lee Street is producing some can’t miss productions.
Read Jesse’s interview with Lee Street’s Rod Oden here.
In this issue
Charlotte FC has “a good weekend” in this week’s Soccer Sheet, going undefeated in their last three matches.
Matt at the Movies previews the year in film in “Glitz, Glamour, and a Guide to 2023.”
Michael Cooper tells the story of the President from Plains, Georgia in a thoughtful piece about Jimmy Carter.
Jesse Boykin Kimmel talks to Lee Street Theatre’s Rod Oden about their successful 15th season, and what’s to come in the future.
Charlotte FC beats Orlando and draws a physical New York Red Bulls team in last week’s Soccer Sheet.
Free Tickets to the Open Cup
The league-leading Charlotte Independence play in their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match of 2023 on Wednesday, April 5 at 7:00 PM at Matthews Sportsplex. They face cult club Appalachian FC in what we’re calling the “321 Derby.”
Tickets are free, so it’s a great opportunity to come out and support the local soccer ecosystem.
Shoutout
Modern Moxie played a soon-to-be-legendary set at Petra’s last weekend. How do we know? Your Y’all Weekly reporters may or may not have crashed a wedding afterparty, which featured the band.
You can check out Modern Moxie here. From all of us at Y’all Weekly, congrats to Erin & Rusty!
This Week’s Stories
Final Thoughts
International Transgender Day of Visibility was Friday, March 31, and it comes at a moment when vitriol directed towards the trans, genderqueer, and non-binary communities is at an all-time high. Trans suicides are a real consequence of the invective.
Most trans people are just trying to live their lives, albeit in a increasingly hostile environment. Conservative legislators in states across the country have introduced legislation that has no basis in science, only in hatred and fear. These bills, some of which have already been signed in the law, will hurt trans kids and their families.
Hatred and scapegoating directed at a vulnerable minority group is wrong, and at Y’all Weekly we think more journalists and public figures should make that crystal clear.
If you think this isn’t important, or somehow don’t care, read trans journalist and media analyst Parker Malloy:
So, things have gotten pretty rough for trans people over the past couple of weeks. Or, I suppose I should say, things have gotten even rougher than they have been.
Recently, right-wing anti-trans rhetoric has hit new levels when influential fascist commentator Michael Knowles delivered a speech at CPAC in which he said, “For the good of society … transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely — the whole preposterous ideology, at every level.”
No group of people should hear the message that they should be eradicated. I know there is a lot going on in the world right now, and the decision to use one’s voice is more important than we think in the social media age.
Nevertheless, you should speak up. Don’t stand on the sidelines. Your trans friends, both in and out of the closet, are watching.