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Trustus Theatre remembers beloved co-founder Kay Thigpen

Kay Thigpen is recognized as a "brutally honest" storyteller who pushed the envelope, and Trustus Theatre vows to keep her memory alive.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Trustus Theatre is remembering the life of its beloved co-founder Kay Thigpen, who died of cancer on Monday.

“Kay was everything to me in a lot of ways. A role model, very much a mother figure, I’ll get choked up, she was a really wonderful friend,” said Trustus Board Vice President Robin Gottlieb.

Kay Thigpen, along with her late husband Jim, founded the Trustus Theatre in 1985. The theatre became a staple in the Columbia arts scene. However, Thigpen’s impact went far beyond the stage.

“Jim and Kay, by creating Trustus, had a vision of bringing progressive, thought-provoking theater, professional theater to Columbia, South Carolina, when no one else was doing that work,” said board president Sumner Bender.

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Thigpen has been recognized as a ‘brutally honest’ storyteller who centered stories on race, class, and sexuality.

“You’re telling stories that people might not be necessarily interested in hearing at first or comfortable hearing. But that’s why it was called Trustus -- because Jim and Kay said we’re gonna tell these stories and we’re gonna tell them well, so trust us that you will wanna hear them in the end,” said Bender.

One of the most controversial shows the theatre showcased was the 1990’s play “Angels in America' that tackled the AIDS epidemic in the gay community. This same play was boycotted in Charlotte for its subject matter.

“I think Jim and Kay had built up this trust from our community, that they can come here and sit in really comfy chairs and eat free popcorn and bring their drinks to the table and they’re gonna be in a safe, comfortable space to watch maybe some uncomfortable subject matter at times, but then we can stay after and talk about it,” said Trustus interim artistic director Dewey-Scott Wiley.

Trustus Theatre is saddened by the loss of co-founder Kay Thigpen. Kay loved fiercely, never pulled any punches, and...

Posted by Trustus Theatre on Monday, September 20, 2021

Those close to Thigpen say she advocated for stories that pushed boundaries even though sometimes, it came at a cost.

“There were always struggles for money like any arts nonprofit. There were always struggles to get people in the door and to get people to support the organization throughout the years, especially when there were challenging works,” said Bender.

Wiley said Trustus plans on continuing the work that Kay started within the theater.

“I want to keep building and fostering new communities in Columbia, try to reach audiences perhaps that we haven’t been able to reach before and I want to give artists a chance to try new things, as well.” 

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