34 West Theater celebrates their tenth anniversary in downtown Charleston with FOOLS RUSH IN, a concert-comedy tribute to the 90’s rom-com, playing now through March 30. Incorporating a soundtrack made popular from classics like SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and YOU’VE GOT MAIL, the evening promises to be everything loyal followers of the troupe have come to expect over the years — innovative theater, great music and plenty of laughs.
With productions selling out regularly since 2016, co-founders-writers-actors-
Whether it’s last year’s sellout thriller HITCHCOCK or their popular 80’s series ARDEN HIGH, the result is always the same. “Your face will hurt from smiling so much,” states Wayne. Querin chimes in “And there’s something very special about watching a production that’s never been seen before. There’s an electricity in the air felt by everyone.” Wayne quips, “It’s probably the alcohol."
Part of the charm of the cozy setting is the selection of wines and champagne cocktails on hand. Querin and Wayne travel regularly to California’s wine country and other regions, forging partnerships with boutique vineyards not generally accessible to the public. Recently, they’ve joined forces with Angel Oak Wines, a Charleston-owned vintner based in Argentina. Querin adds “They produce sensational wines, truly the best of the best.”
Each night you can catch the duo slinging drinks or showing you to your seat before the performance begins. “We do it all here,” Querin says. “It’s very much like a sort of cocktail party every night.”
So what else is the duo creating for their 2024 Season? Both men smile broadly. "We’re exploring 70’s disco,” states Querin. “And a two-man comedy where Jeff and I play 25 characters,” says Wayne. “We’ll see about that,” quips Querin. “We’re already selling tickets for it.” “Oh boy”.
All performances are held at 200 Meeting Street (corner of Meeting and Pinckney) Thursday - Saturday at 8pm, with select Tuesdays at 7pm. For tickets and info, visit 34west.org
