The Long Room Approaches Artistic Diversity With a Purpose

The Long Room opened in the fall of 2023 with lots of fanfare and a slate of performances from established names in Charlotte’s underground scene; early shows included work by modern dance troupe Baran Dance, freak folk royalty Andy the Doorbum, and local musical theatre juggernaut QC Concerts.

Located at the corner of Central and Hawthorne avenues, the venue is technically located in Belmont where it borders Plaza Midwood and Elizabeth, all the businesses along that stretch of Central are considered to be part of Plaza Midwood in most outbound travelers’ minds.

As the brainchild of founders Sarah Hayes Harkins and Matthew Seneca, The Long Room has proved to be a welcome addition to the area’s entertainment ecosystem, remaining true to the area’s past as an essential artistic hub while feeling of a piece with the small business ethos managing to hang on in the face of the city’s continued late-capitalist expansion and aggressive beigeification.

I spoke with Harkins and Seneca two years ago as they embarked on this effort and was struck at the time by the duo’s clear-eyed focus on creating a business model that would serve the soul of the city while keeping the doors open.

This is no mean feat and should be considered wildly ambitious in a business climate where the majority of real estate is owned by private equity and soul is an abstraction evoked to raise property values.

At the time Seneca told me, “Creative people in Charlotte struggle to find space, and we are often at the mercy of those who own space, be it corporate developers who want to see a profit, breweries who need to sell alcohol, churches which are unlikely to host, say, an LGBTQ ecstatic dance party … I wanted to take one big swing in my life and open a space where my value system, one that prioritizes the arts, holds sway.”

In the two years since, they’ve made good on the promise of its premise; the spot is a cozy and breezily elegant home for drag performances and “sultry” floorwork dance classes led by Lydia Heidt, along with perhaps more staid affairs: a chamber concert put on by WDAV and an evening with an opera soloist singing accompanied by two pianists.

An Oct. 18 Joe’s Cafe fundraiser for the Joseph M. Fannell Memorial Foundation will feature performances from local soul singer Ray Singleton, spoken-word poet Derick “Justdamessenger” Lee and performing artist and singer Aniyah Young, with comic Gari “Funk” Fields hosting the festivities.

Most exciting for me recently have been the presentations of hybrid engagements like contemporary tango-fusion performance Una Noche Entre Sueños and Mariah Van Kleef’s mytho-poetic music and dance ritual INFAELITH.

I caught up with Hayes and Seneca recently to find out how the work progresses, what they are most proud of and what the future holds for The Long Room. Enamored as I am with the inherent unpredictability of performance, I was keen to find out where the unexpected had emerged for Harkins and Seneca — what had surprised them.

For Harkins it’s been the role The Long Room has played for emerging artists, those who in Harkins’ words “want to express themselves or start something new and need a place to do it.

“I have given so many tours to people who are yearning to show a part of themselves to their community that they never have before,” she explained.

Both Seneca and Harkins note the diversity of performers, mediums and genres that have sought refuge in their space. Musicians and dancers, theatre creators and chefs are among the various creators who have been lured to The Long Room by the prospect of having the perfect venue for their project.

Seneca lists the variety of musical genres that have been performed at The Long Room and it’s clear that the identity the venue is developing is at the very least eclectic.

The Long Room has presented performances by artists working in country, rap, classical, jazz, New Age, folk, electronica, EDM, opera, art song, indie singer-songwriter, Broadway musicals, a capella groups, blues, R&B, Latin music and more. Much of the work has been curated by choreographer and filmmaker Megan Payne.

In terms of what’s missing, or rather, what Hawkins and Seneca would like to see more of at The Long Room, there is once again the familiar balance between culture and commerce.

While Seneca waxes poetic about wanting to see more theatre productions in the space, especially Shakespeare, Harkins says, “We would love the opportunity to host more corporate and larger nonprofit events. This would be of mutual benefit to us, of course, but also put us in front of people who I think would really appreciate what we are doing.”

This speaks to a truth that any cultural or artistic enterprise has to deal with if they want to be financially viable at this moment in history: In an economy designed by corporations and financiers to be accessible only to corporations and financiers, you are going to need to develop a client base whose tentpoles are — you guessed it — corporations and financiers.

This is true from the perspective of client revenue but also at the level of exposure and brand building. (Wow, I literally threw up in my mouth a little writing about the need to build a brand.)

The plain truth is that the class of people initially and most urgently drawn to arts spaces are not the class of people who can fund arts spaces. You have to invite the barbarians in.

It should probably be noted that it is entirely my own opinion. Both Seneca and Harkins strike me as eminently reasonable people who bear no ill will toward the ruling class.

So, Brad from International Arms Sales and Tina who is Senior VP of platitudes and blatant falsehoods should not feel discouraged from booking the venue for their upcoming seminar, “It’s not crime if you do it from the c-suite.”

In all seriousness, I think The Long Room is doing a good job with good intentions in what is quite frankly an apocalyptic scenario. It’s heartening to see them hosting programming like their recent Una Noche Entre Sueños.

Like their regular Tango Wednesday’s events, Una Noche does something critical to the longevity of The Long Room; it expresses clearly and effectively the inner life and taste of the proprietors. Programming is passion, programming is purpose. Anyone who says that they are neutral about their programming is either dishonest or too vapid to be in a position of power.

And don’t get me started on the folks who say they have to program “what the people want.” It’s 2025 and we’re in Charlotte, Mr. REDACTED. There’s no such thing as some mythical discerning theatre audience demanding specific work. If they are demanding anything it’s the stuff you advertise to them, dammit.

Anyway, putting work into productions like Una Noche is smart in the long term because it actively resists the monoculture. It is a statement of purpose and proof of life. Like one of those “I am not a robot” check boxes you see online, but for a performance space.

If we are what we do, then putting your passions and preferences on the stage as a producer and presenter lets your audience know who you are.

That’s why I want The Long Room to book those sweet, sweet corporate events. This kind of programming may or may not be a home run for the immediate bottom line, but it reaffirms the humanity of the enterprise.

And where we’re headed as a culture, affirmed and bona fide humanity is going to be in short supply and worth a pretty penny to those who know.