South Carolina native Greg London boasts a jaw-dropping resume in the theater world. He was the founding artistic director of the Richmond Art Theatre and the Richmond Free Shakespeare Festival and served in artistic and operational directorships with many other performing arts organizations around the U.S. He has also directed numerous shows across the country. 

As an actor, London appeared in national and international tours and off-Broadway productions – in staples like “Hairspray,” “West Side Story,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and so many more – including a performance alongside actor Stacy Keach in Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” 

Closer to home, London was a professor of theatre at Coastal Carolina University for seven years and was artistic director for the now-defunct Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach. He is also the founder and executive artistic director of Long Bay Theatre, a professional and community-focused theater company in Myrtle Beach – an enterprise he started at the Palace Theatre in 2007. 

“We did several shows at the Palace under the name Long Bay Theatre,” London says. “It was a partnership at first.” 

When London left the Palace, he says Long Bay went dormant for a time as he pursued some of the other opportunities mentioned above. During the pandemic, London started looking for performance spaces so that the company could be ready by the time folks were ready to attend shows. 

But then an idea hit him that he quickly refined. 

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a drive-in movie theater during COVID?’ But then I thought there must be a way to do a show in a parking lot. People could stay in their cars and come to see a show safely.”

After some deliberation, the result was a production of “Godspell” in a parking lot at Broadway at the Beach. 

“We raised about $30,000 and built a giant outdoor stage,” he says, adding that the car idea was abandoned because of sight lines. “We painted barriers on the parking lot and put people in eight-foot zones. I hired actors from across the country who drove in – and we isolated. It was the widest-spread production of “Godspell” that’s ever been done,” he says. 

Long Bay Theatre has put on shows at spots like the now-shuttered OZ Nightlife at Broadway at the Beach, the former First Presbyterian Church building in downtown Myrtle Beach and currently the Dream House Theatre at the Myrtle Beach Mall.

“Dream House is a community theater that rents us their space,” he says.  

Being a professional theater, London hires local talent as well as from New York and regionally. Long Bay Theatre is also a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

“We have been very lucky,” he says. “A lot of people said we couldn’t do a small, professional theater in Myrtle Beach – but we have grown and grown. But whether you come to us or any of the other local organizations, go and support local theater and theater education. It puts more heart in our communities.”

To find out more about Long Bay Theatre, visit www.longbaytheatre.com 

Joe Ford arrived in Georgetown in January 1988 – a newly-minted engineer ready to start his job at the bygone Georgetown Steel Mill [later called the Liberty Steel Mill].  It wasn’t long before he found out that the HR/personnel assistant, Jo Camlin, was a founding member of a performing arts group called the Swamp Fox Players. 

In the summer of 1988, Camlin invited Ford to an upcoming show at the Strand Theater on Front Street in Georgetown. That production was “The Octet Bridge Club,” a play by P.J. Barry about eight women who meet every couple of weeks to play bridge and gossip.

“I remember it very well,” says Ford. “They were extremely hilarious. I just moved to Georgetown, and I thought this little town had a talented bunch of people here.”

Inge Ebert, another founding member of the group, also worked at the steel mill as sales manager.  Both women are still active with the Swamp Fox Players – with over fifty years each of volunteer service under their belts. 

Ford grew up in Southern California and later, Charlotte, N.C. – and got a taste of theater when his parents took him to productions in both places. 

A year later, Ebert asked Ford if he would help build a set for another production, which he did – and so began his journey. His first acting part consisted of one line. The rest of the time was spent lying on the floor. 

“I started getting out to the shows and started directing, and I guess you could say the rest is history,” says Ford, who is now the chairman of the production board. Wife Foy Ford is theater manager, the only paid position with the Swamp Fox Players. 

The Swamp Fox Players bought the Strand Theater in 1986. Before that, Ford says the group performed anywhere they could. 

“That was before my time, but they played at the armories or in the clubhouse at the Wedgefield Country Club and places like that.” 

When it comes to the Swamp Fox Players – it’s all community theater – all volunteer – ensuring that revenue goes back into theater operations and that keeping ticket pricing at a reasonable level. 

“We have a board that meets once a month to discuss the shows that are coming up, what needs to be done around the building and fundraising opportunities,” says Ford. 

Auditions are always open to the public. 

In this age of increased screen time and shortened attention spans, Ford is adamant that live theater isn’t going anywhere. 

“Theater survives, and there’s a reason for this,” he says. “There is nothing quite like a live performance – especially when you know that the performers are not professionals and that they have given of their time to put on a show. They have come together to make that performance that was written by somebody else, and there’s nothing you can get off the internet or social media that will quite live up to that”

For complete details about the Swamp Fox Players, visit www.swampfoxplayers.com. 

In September, the Theatre of the Republic in Conway will present three nights of song, dance and comedy to celebrate 25 years under the leadership of Tim McGhee, its stalwart executive and artistic director. 

Originally from Ohio, McGhee says he has always been involved with community theater. From performing cantatas in churches, to joining the International Thespian Society in high school and participating in college theater, McGhee has long held a place in his heart for the medium. 

McGhee became a buyer for JCPenney, but over time began to see the writing on the wall.

“Once you get into retail, you sort of get stuck there,” he says.

“I decided that I didn’t want to do retail,” he says. “I packed my bags and moved to Myrtle Beach.”

Among other things, McGhee worked the box office at the Carolina Opry Theater. Eventually, he saw an advertisement calling for a guest director at Theatre of the Republic. 

“They turned me down at first, but then they called me back and asked me to direct for them,” McGhee says.

That show was “Two By Two,” a Broadway musical based on a Clifford Odets play called “The Flowering Peach.” 

But they wanted him to direct “Cabaret.”

“I told them I didn’t think I wanted to introduce myself to Conway, South Carolina with ‘Cabaret.’ It’s a very dark, sexy show, so I opted for ‘Two By Two,’” he said. 

McGhee says he did “Cabaret” two years later – once the community got an idea about who he was and what he could do. 

The first time he visited the Main Street Theatre, there was a sign outside that read, “Future home of Theatre of the Republic.” The group had been performing shows at various venues since 1969, but without a proper home. He says the building was just walls because the structure had burned. 

The Main Street Theatre has been home to the Theatre of the Republic since 1999. 

“The first show they did to raise money was “Dracula” – in that building with no roof, at night, with folding chairs. I wasn’t there for that, but I thought it was a brilliant idea.”

McGhee says this is a theater for the people by the people.

“We’re a community theater that has grown immensely, but it was started by people who believed in the arts. Believed in theater. Believed in community,” he says.

Auditions are always open to the public, and details can be found on the theater’s website. McGhee says the organization is now doing upwards of 12 shows per year – and he’s always on the lookout for fresh trends. 

“Every time something new comes aboard, I try to make it happen,” he said. “The only way to survive in theater now is to keep up with the times. I don’t know that everyone wants to see “Hello Dolly” 4,000 times.”

For McGhee, supporting the performing arts is paramount. 

“Money is getting cut, and people must realize how important the arts are in our society,” he says. “I don’t care if it’s a theater in a room that holds ten people. I’m there for it. People interacting  with each other, learning from each other and having a positive experience is something that’s good for the community.” 

Discover more about the Theatre of the Republic at www.theatreoftherepublic.com. 

Patrice Reynolds never wanted to run a theater. 

Reynolds, a playwright and recording artist, wanted to write and direct shows but soon found that there was a real need for a space for local artists to create culture and expand the entertainment scene in Myrtle Beach. 

“I didn’t see a platform for people like me here,” says Reynolds, a Myrtle Beach Resident since 2012. She owned and operated the P. Reynolds Jazz Club in Myrtle Beach. In addition to jazz performances, the club had a back room that was perfect for small theatrical performances – and an ideal way for her to test the waters with her plan for the aforementioned platform. 

That back room became the Dream House Theatre in 2018 and operated there until COVID hit and Reyolds ultimately shut down the club. 

Reynolds  took a year off but was doubly motivated to find a suitable venue.  She says she eagerly sought help from the City of Myrtle Beach for help in finding a space, but to no avail.

“I decided not to get angry but to channel that emotion into creating a platform for people like myself,” Reynolds says. 

One day, she got a call from Mindi Penn, co-owner [with husband Thom Penn] of Atlantic Stage, a small, black box theater inside the Myrtle Beach Mall which had just shut down – another casualty of the pandemic. But the space was still intact and available. 

“Mindi convinced me to go down there and talk to them about my vision. I did that and thanks to [Myrtle Beach Mall GM] Joe Perl. I got this theater space just like that,” she says. “He gets it.”

Since it opened at its new location in 2021, the Dream House Theatre has become a thriving music and performing arts venue – and true to Reynolds’ vision, an outreach performing arts platform. 

“That means we reach out to individuals who would not normally have the opportunity to grow up with theater,” she says. 

Dream House hosts visiting musical acts and mounts at least five theatrical productions per year, not including productions from Long Bay Theatre, which rents out the space for its own productions. 

“I am the grassroots of community theater. We depend on local artists – people that have careers and people who are working toward that goal. We open the doors to the community to come and audition every single time we have a show.”

When it comes to this age of hyperconnectivity and social media, Reynolds has said that theater has already become something else. She is working on an app to stream performances, and has recently brought on a social media manager. 

“My dream for this outreach community theater has just started,” Reynolds said, “It’s still young in growth but we are finally getting there with the help of the community. I’m a community type of girl.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/DREAMHOUSEPLAYERS