Here’s the latest list of Piccolo Spoleto shows that, according to the box office, are either sold out or have just a few seats left:

Remaining performance of Scheer and McBrayer is sold out.

Always Patsy Cline. Shows left: 6/5/2008 at 8:00pm; 6/6/2008 at 6:00pm ; 6/7/2008 at 2:30pm; and  6/8/2008 at 4:00pm. Footlight Players Theatre, 20 Queen Street.  Admission:  $29 adults, $27 seniors/students.

Mary Kay Has a Posse. Shows left: 6/1/2008 at 4:00pm; 6/2/2008 at 7:30pm; and  6/5/2008 at 5:00pm .  Theatre 99, 280 Meeting Street (Above The Bicycle Shoppe).  Admission:  $15

Louis Prima. The Wild One. Shows left: 6/1/2008 at 7:00pm; 6/4/2008 at 8:00pm; 6/7/2008 at 3:00pm.  Village Playhouse Theatre, 730 W. Coleman Blvd. Mt. Pleasant.  Admission:  $25.

God’s Trombones. Shows left: 6/1/2008 at 8:00pm and 6/7/2008 at 8:30pm. Footlight Players Theatre, 20 Queen Street.  Admission:  $25 adults, $20 seniors/students

A Complete History of Charleston For Morons. Only show with seats still available is 6/7/2008 at 3pm.  Theatre 99, 280 Meeting Street (Above The Bicycle Shoppe).  Admission:  $15.

St. Petersburg (Russia) String Quartet. Only show left is 6/2/2008 at 6:00pm. New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church, 22 Elizabeth Street.  Admission:  $10

Duda Lucena Quartet. Only show with seats still available is 6/2/2008 at 10:30pm. Upstairs at Mistral Restaurant, Festival Entrance at 180 Meeting Street.  Admission:  $15

Tommy Gill Trio. Only show with seats still available is 6/4/2008 at 10:30pm. Upstairs at Mistral Restaurant, Festival Entrance at 180 Meeting Street.  Admission:  $15

Piccolo Harbor Cruise. Rolling on the River Review. Only one with tickets still available is cruise featuring Rob Keiter and Friends on 6/5/2008 at 8pm.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph put on an impressive show over two dates at the Emmett Robinson last week. His poetic speech and movement was combined with hip-hop music, conversational “travel diary” monologues, video interviews shot by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi and a large moving lighting rig choreographed by James Clotfelter.

Yet for a really intense experience, I went to Bamuthi’s two hour workshop at the Avery Research Center, part of a free “Spoleto at the Avery” program” that ran last week.

At the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Bamuthi shared the stage with all those bells and whistles. In the workshop, there were no such distractions. The performer’s work was a lot more powerful in the intimate classroom environment, and he got to show another side to his work – he mentors teen writers through a “Youth Speaks” literary arts organization.

The workshop was part writing class, part dance-off. Bamuthi began with a demonstration of what he does, switching from hip-hop speech to regular talk about his partner’s pregnancy and a planned natural birth. As he spoke he moved, creating visual images with his physical being, his expressions and his breathing.

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Even though I am merely a poor young professional (heh), I have found that the greatest aspect of Piccolo has nothing to do with the various things one can do for free (although, yes an added plus). The greatest aspect is that Piccolo uses local venues for programs, in this case, City Gallery at Waterfront Park hosting the Sundown Poetry Series. Not only was I given an entrancing hour of “spoken word” poetry last night, but I was allowed to wander around afterwards and enjoy the present show in the gallery titled Vanishing Landscapes. How fantastic is it that the Arts always seems to flow into one another?

The poet last night was Barbara G.S. Hagerty. I would describe her work as being quite varied, covering a large spectrum of concepts and forms of poetry. Understanding this about herself, she gave the audience samples from each area of interest. Several of her works were based on Charleston, some so specific as being named after the streets themselves. We were also given poems based on word play (these were used as self explorations by Hagerty, such as the repetition of her initials forming words she associated with). She used her interest in the haiku to put together an entire stream of small poems describing her recent trip to Asia (appropriate…and also my favorite). What I most enjoyed about Hagerty was her use of the pause. Each word had its own meaning, like individuals holding hands to make up a circle, or as if after every word there had been placed a period.

Vanishing Landscapes had some very fine pieces in it. It was a juried art exhibition, so it was curious to see which pieces has been given ribbons and which ones had not…and whether or not I personally agreed. I recommend going to the gallery, and if you can manage to kill two birds with one stone, listen to some poetry as well. The next one is tonight, with Paul Allen at 6:30 pm.