Peace Center, downtown Greenville resound with artists

 

Many people who visit the Upstate on business fall in love with downtown Greenville. Performers such as Robin Williams and James Taylor are no different. “All of the artists that come through here never want to leave,” says Charles McAfee, house manager at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. “A lot of people come here early because they want to spend time in Greenville.” McAfee led a tour of the Peace Center campus Aug. 6 as part of Dynamic Realty Inc.'s Community Connection series. The $42 million facility opened in 1990 and features a 2,111-seat main concert hall and 434-seat Gunter Theater. It sits on a former textile manufacturing site and incorporates some of the 1800s-era buildings into the campus. Reclaimed mill wood is used for its sound-projecting properties and a devotion to acoustics has the Peace Center rated among the world's best venues. “We have a lot of people that (perform) and don't even use amplification,” McAfee says. “Wicked” highlights this season's schedule and information is available at www.peacecenter.org.