When the lights go up on the stage of Seahawk Cultural Center at Hilton Head Island High School each summer, the audience beholds a production that is far beyond the modest trappings of a typical student performance.
Instead, what unfolds is something much grander. The audience sees an astonishingly polished theatrical production complete with Broadway-quality sets, lush orchestration, professional lighting and sound design, and a cast that commands the stage with remarkable poise and power. It’s a show that would feel right at home in any major metropolitan theatre.
This exceptional performance is the work of the Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute (SSTI), which has been redefining what’s possible in musical theatre production since its founding in 2008. Under the vision of founder and executive director Ben Wolfe, SSTI has grown into a powerhouse experience that mounts full-scale musicals in just 17 days of rehearsal.
Yes, you read that correctly: 17 days.
The 9 to 5 sign hangs in the proscenium. It was designed and built in a scene shop just a few steps from the stage.
SSTI productions are intentionally ambitious, taking on shows that are typically attempted only by professionals, because the director, cast, and crew approach the challenge as if they are a professional company.
The notable difference is that SSTI casts are not professionals, but experienced performers from across the country who share a passion for musical theatre and their exceptional talent for singing, dancing, and acting.
Audrey S. learns the perfect blush placement for her character, “Violet.”
The SSTI performance program selects approximately 25 young performers from a national pool of applicants each year. The artists arrive on Hilton Head Island for a four-week intensive that culminates in a full-scale production. They rehearse six days a week, eight hours a day, learning blocking, choreography, music, and scene work at a relentless but rewarding pace. It’s boot camp for aspiring Broadway stars – and an unforgettable, transformational experience.
“It’s not just about putting on a great show,” Wolfe said. “It’s about preparing these students for what life in professional theatre actually looks like. That means discipline, stamina, focus, and the ability to collaborate at a high level. When they leave SSTI, they’ll be able to take those skills and apply them towards any job or project for the rest of their lives.”
Director and choreographer, Jelani Remy discusses the set with SSTI founder & producer Ben Wolfe. This is Remy’s first summer with SSTI. He recently graced the Broadway stage in Back To The Future.
A custom mustache is carefully applied, transforming Chip D. into “Mr Hart.”
Wolfe’s approach to theatre is rooted in one fundamental belief: When you raise the bar, young people will rise to meet it. And rise they do. Every detail of an SSTI production is executed with the polish and professionalism one would expect from a national tour.
Wolfe brings in designers and technicians from Broadway and the wider professional theatre world, building each production from the ground up with the same rigor as an equity house. Everything is custom-built. The sets are fabricated by professionals who also design for major theatres across the country. Costumes are created by experienced designers and brought to life by a team of artistic technicians. Lighting and sound are orchestrated to match the mood and movement of each scene with cinematic precision. The orchestra pit isn’t an afterthought. It’s a crucial piece of the whole puzzle, with SSTI flying in professional pit musicians from across the country for two-week stints.
“It’s real, I swear!” Lily Aldrich and the “Doralee” wig, styled after the famous locks of Dolly Parton herself.
SSTI’s productions can involve upward of 75 people working behind the scenes – carpenters, costumers, electricians, stagehands, and production assistants – all collaborating to mount a fully realized, professional-quality show.
“We’re not just putting on a musical,” Wolfe said. “We’re delivering an experience, for the audience and for the performers.”
Tyler Ely, a scenic team member, spray paints filing cabinet handles for the 9 to 5 set.
Summer season
This July, the SSTI team is producing Anything Goes, Cole Porter’s madcap tale of romance, mistaken identity, and high-seas hijinks aboard the S.S. American. With showstopping dance numbers and one of the most beloved scores in Broadway history, including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” and “Anything Goes,” this production promises to be a dazzling, family-friendly escape.
Directing this high-energy comedy is Broadway’s Jacob Brent, an SSTI favorite whose previous directorial credits here include last summer’s production of Gypsy, as well as acclaimed runs of A Chorus Line, The Music Man, and Hello, Dolly! Brent, perhaps best known to Broadway audiences for starring as Mistoffelees in Cats, brings a keen eye for movement, storytelling, and theatrical flair. His return to SSTI is always a highlight for performers and audiences alike.
Elle W. gets into character while her custom wig is styled and secured.
“Jacob’s productions are always electric,” Wolfe said. “He brings a contagious energy to the room, and our actors thrive under his direction. This show is the perfect match for his skillset – big choreography, bold characters, and nonstop fun.”
Anything Goes is SSTI’s second show for this season, following 9 To 5, which ran in June with a different cast, directed by Broadway’s Jelani Remy.
Students of the technical program mix the perfect hue to bring the early 80s to the stage.
Growth through excellence
Wolfe, who launched SSTI as a 22-year-old theatre teacher, has turned what began as a small summer enrichment program into a nationally respected training ground for young performers. SSTI alumni have gone on to study at some of the most prestigious performing arts programs in the country, including Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, NYU Tisch, and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Many have appeared on Broadway, national tours, and in major film and television roles.
But SSTI’s focus isn’t just on what students can achieve. It’s about who they become in the process.
Anything Goes at SSTI is fast paced, funny, and full of talent!
“One of the things I tell students all the time is, ‘You don’t have to be the best. Just be better than you were yesterday,’” Wolfe said. “We create an environment where growth is constant, and excellence is expected. And the students thrive in that atmosphere.”
That environment is supported by a staff of professionals who work as mentors, not just instructors. SSTI brings in Broadway veterans, choreographers, vocal coaches, and working actors to lead masterclasses and provide individualized coaching throughout the program. The level of access and attention students receive is, in a word, extraordinary.
So is the level of trust. Wolfe places the full weight of the production on the shoulders of these student performers, and they carry it with remarkable grace.
The production is supported by several wardrobe staff, who ensure that each and every sailor is suited correctly.
“By the time opening night arrives, these young artists have poured everything they have into the show,” he said. “They’ve earned the right to be up there. And the audience can feel that.”
That audience has grown exponentially in recent years. SSTI’s summer productions draw theatregoers from across the Lowcountry and beyond. Many return year after year, marveling not only at the quality of the shows but also at the depth of emotion and commitment displayed by such young performers.
Marlena Trudnak (left) of the wigs and makeup team, instructs the students on achieving the makeup look created for them by the designer.
For Wolfe, the magic lies in the blend of the professional and the youthful, the polish and the passion.
“There’s something incredibly powerful about watching a young person wholeheartedly commit to their passion – whether it’s musical theatre, sports, or science,” he said. “The dedication and discipline it takes to pursue excellence at that age is nothing short of inspiring. That passion radiates from our stage, and it’s exactly what keeps audiences coming back to SSTI productions.”
It’s a very tight schedule for the scene shop! Madisen Frazier applies wood grain to a set piece, about an hour before it’s going to be used.
That joy is something Wolfe himself felt as a teenager growing up in Georgia, where opportunities for high-level theatre training were few and far between. SSTI, in many ways, is his answer to that lack – a chance to provide the kind of experience he once dreamed of having.
“It’s about opening doors,” Wolfe said. “We’re giving kids a glimpse of what’s possible, and the tools to get there.”
After the students are instructed on their makeup look, they are expected to apply it themselves for every performance. Just like Broadway.
Now in its 18th season, SSTI continues to evolve. What began years ago with a single musical and a few dozen students has expanded to include multiple sessions, including a tech-intensive program for students interested in specialties like stage management, lighting, and set design.
Through it all, Wolfe remains the driving force – visionary, mentor, producer, and believer.
A wardrobe team member with a sketch created by the costume designer and the correlating costume piece.
“SSTI is a community effort,” he said. “We start every day gathered together in a giant, company-wide circle. What began as a simple attempt to reinforce names and jobs on the campus has become a metaphor for the community we build. Without each person in that circle, there is a gap, a missing link. It takes each person to make this complicated SSTI world spin, and it’s a group effort. ‘That’s not my job’ is a banned phrase on the SSTI campus.”
Wig and makeup designer Madison Weber (middle) demonstrates correct makeup application techniques to performing students.
Backstage, just before the curtain rises, Wolfe always takes a moment to look around and appreciate the moment. He watches the tech crew making final adjustments, the orchestra tuning their instruments, the cast warming up in nervous excitement. It’s a flurry of activity, a symphony of purpose. In that moment, everything comes together.
“When the curtain finally rises,” Wolfe said, “it’s the result of countless dreams, hundreds of hours, and thousands of tiny decisions, all converging in a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
Anything Goes
July 25 – August 3
Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 1 p.m.
Seahawk Cultural Center
26 School Road, Hilton Head Island
Tickets and info: hhisummermusicals.com
