2024 Season of Sustainability

Ragtime

Book by Terrence McNally | Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens | Music by Stephen Flaherty

This sweeping musical portrait of early-twentieth-century America tells the story of three families in the pursuit of the American Dream.

At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future.

Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair and what it means to live in America..

For our 2024 Season, our 12th year, we at Savannah Stage Company asked ourselves, what happens when we spend a year making strategic decisions that ensure a long and healthy life for Savannah Stage Company? What happens when we do the harder things, like spend the time building a board, enriching our foundation, implementing programming, and growing a company ready and focused on serving audiences long past 2024? What happens when we grant ourselves a Season of Sustainability?

We thought we knew it all when we got to Savannah way back in 2012. That was until we met a Strategic Planner who broke the work down to a granular level and forced us to shift our dreams into a reality that truly served our new city.

Savannah is a very different place than it was in 2012. To ensure our future, we decided that we must once again evaluate our work down to that granular level and be ready to scrap everything we know to get to know this city and how to best serve it. What does this beautiful, rich, complicated, ever-evolving city need? In 2024, Savannah Stage Company will focus on balancing, strengthening, and nourishing our artistic home.

With the Season of Sustainability comes the appointment of our first Associate Artistic Director, Lexi Balaoing. Lexi has been an integral part of our journey, wearing many hats throughout the years. From her remarkable on-stage performances to her exceptional work behind the scenes as a choreographer and her role as Education Director.

Lexi is no stranger to creating roles in SSC; she served as our very first Advancement Director, securing the City of Savannah's Weave-a-Dream Grant, hosting fundraisers like the "Mis-Cast Cabaret," and fostering meaningful relationships with local Savannah businesses like The DeSoto Hotel, Bull Street Taco, and Service Brewing. Most recently, she co-directed last summer's sold-out run of "Spring Awakening."

"Lexi embodies the entire spirit of Savannah Stage Company and everything we stand for," said Jayme Tinti, our Artistic Director. "Her passion for action-driven storytelling coupled with her unwavering commitment to our mission of encouraging growth through imagination and bravery makes her the perfect fit for the next stage of Savannah Stage Company."

In true SSC fashion, Lexi's tenure as Associate Artistic Director will kick off with a partnership with Tybee Post Theater, directing our upcoming concert production of "The Music Man." This collaboration exemplifies Lexi's collaborative spirit and dedication to fostering connections within the artistic community.

"I am deeply honored and excited to take on this new role with Savannah Stage Company," said Lexi Balaoing. "I look forward to continuing to serve our audiences through the transformative power of theatre and to furthering SSC's mission of accessible professional storytelling that encourages growth through imagination and bravery."

Furthermore, we have announced that the 2024 Season of Sustainability will culminate in a two-weekend run of the timeless musical "Ragtime" in the fall. As part of the opening night festivities, we will host a party with food, drinks, auction items, and special announcements.