Welcome
Bold. Intentional. Provocative.
Creating live professional theatre that entertains and enlightens for the Lake Norman and Charlotte communities!
Summer 2024 Season
Fat Ham
Award-winning playwright Ijames reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece Hamlet as a delectable comedic tragedy. The lead character Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. It feels like a familiar story to Juicy, who is well-versed in Hamlet’s woes. What’s different is Juicy himself, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man trying to break the cycles of trauma and violence in service of his own liberation. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy. [From Concord Theatricals]
Please be advised that this production contains descriptions of murder, intimate partner violence, incarceration, military PTSD, and suicidal ideation. It contains uses of the n-word as a term of affection; homophobic language and attitudes; simulated intoxication; audio of pornographic video; and several acts of onstage violence. Suitable for ages 16 and up.
2024 Intern Company Production
Once Upon a Trial
Following the attempted porkicide of Thad Porker, and the hospitalization of Brad Porker, Poindexter Wolf is interrogated and arrested by none other than Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum. While awaiting his trial, Poindexter befriends and confides in his cellmate, The Evil Queen. The trial, highly publicized by the Peter Pan Press, introduces Princess B, Humpty Dumpty, Honorable Judge Fairy Godmother, and chief witness Chad Porker. Facing one count of pork endangerment and another count of attempted porkicide, Poindexter’s fate lies in the hands of the jury (the audience). A twist on classic storybook tales, The Trial confronts face-value stereotypes that have condemned Poindexter and many like him.
About Us
Who We Are
Common Thread Theatre Collective was founded by theatre faculty members at Davidson College and North Carolina A&T State University. Our goal is to create professional, engaging productions that focus on voices and stories that have traditionally been underrepresented in American mainstream theatre.
What We Do
We want to create a new kind of summer-stock theatre: one that balances inventive entertainment with thoughtful content, that knits together disparate elements of our local artistic community, that fosters a humane consent-based rehearsal approach for our artists, that prioritizes community engagement around issues of contemporary relevance. Our goal is to grow our little start-up over the next several years into a welcoming home for like-minded artists, while delivering diverse, provocative productions to OUR community.
Why We Do It
Despite the differences between our respective institutions, the four of us and our students were bound together by the “common thread” of our commitment to theatre as a force that can influence change, in individuals and across society. We want to bring professional theatre to the Lake Norman/Charlotte community that is exciting and challenging.
Support Common Thread
We need your support!
Please help us support local artists (truly that is the bulk of our budget)! Fill out the form and designate Common Thread. Thank you for coming to shows and supporting local theatre!