Student Workshop Highlights from Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army

For the first time ever, Greenville Symphony Orchestra is developing a new narrated orchestral work inspired by a South Carolina Revolutionary War heroine Dicey Langston—who, as a teenager, successfully warned local Patriots of an impending Loyalist attack, helping save hundreds of lives right outside Travelers Rest. Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army (music by Peter B. Kay; original text by South Carolina native and Broadway director/lyricist Mark Waldrop) will premiere April 25–26, 2026 at the Peace Center’s Gunter Theatre.

As part of the creative process, GSO hosted a one-time workshop in Harper Hall at Furman University. Ten middle and high school students—roughly Dicey’s age when she performed her heroic act—joined GSO executive director Jessica Satava, partner cohort lead Kristin LaRoy, composer Peter B. Kay, and GSO’s Principal Strings to share specific ideas about the musical storytelling. Their input helped inform the pacing and emotional arc of the developing score.

Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army
Music: Peter B. Kay
Original text: Mark Waldrop
Narrator: To be announced

World premiere: April 25–26, 2026

Peace Center — Gunter Theatre (Greenville, SC)

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