What's On Stage - April 6th Edition

If you're interested in seeing some live theatre this week, here is a list of what on stage.

Professional Theatre:
The Performance Network has extended Venus In Fur through Sunday April 13th.  Shows are Thursday 7:30pm, Friday-Saturday 8pm, Saturday 3pm, Sunday 2pm, and tickets run $22-$41.  More information is available here.

Synopsis: Thomas, a beleaguered playwright/director, is desperate to find an actress to play Vanda, the female lead in his adaptation of the classic sadomasochist tale Venus in Fur. Into the audition room walks a vulgar and distraught actress—oddly enough, named Vanda. Though utterly wrong for the part, Vanda exhibits a strange command of the material. As the two work through the script, the lines between play and reality blur, entering into an increasingly serious battle of submission and domination that only one of them can win.

The Encore Musical Theatre Company opens The Foreigner, running April 10-May 4.  Shows will perform on weekends, please check with Encore for exact dates and times, as well as ticket prices here.

Synopsis: The scene is a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by "Froggy" LeSeuer, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This time "Froggy" has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy young man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. So "Froggy," before departing, tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. Once alone the fun really begins, as Charlie overhears more than he should-the evil plans of a sinister, two-faced minister and his redneck associate; the fact that the minister's pretty fiancée is pregnant; and many other damaging revelations made with the thought that Charlie doesn't understand a word being said. That he does fuels the nonstop hilarity of the play and sets up the wildly funny climax in which things go uproariously awry for the "bad guys," and the "good guys" emerge triumphant.

The Purple Rose is currently running the PRTC Spring Comedy Festival: Lovers, Liars & Lunatics.  The festival includes a collection of world premiere short comedies exploring the nature of love, loss, revenge and renewal. The evening includes new plays by Jeff Daniels, David MacGregor, Carey Crim, and other Purple Rose favorites. *Contains adult language and content. More information on times and tickets can be found here.

The Tipping Point Theatre opened Old Love, which will run through May 4.  Shows are Thursdays and Fridays a 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm or 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm.  Additional information on tickets can be found here.

Synopsis: Old Love is a touching comedy about persistence in the pursuit of happiness. The story spans three decades and several meetings between Bud, a salesman, and Molly, his boss’s wife. Over time, a growing fondness for Molly developed in Bud’s heart, but he never did anything about it until they meet again, for the third time in 25 years, at his old boss’ funeral. Molly isn’t interested, but Bud pursues her despite all odds. Together they tell stories of good times and bad, through 25 years of relationships. This lighthearted comedy will keep you believing in friendship and romance at any age.

Community Theatre:
Spotlight Players open The Drowsy Chaperone on April 10.  Performances are April 10, 11, 12 at 8pm, and April 12 and 13 at 2pm. Tickets are $10-$12.  More information on the production can be found here.  We would also like to say break a leg to Anton Koyton, who performed with us last year in As You Like It.

Synopsis: “A rare combination of unprecedented originality and blinding talent, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE boldly addresses a great unspoken desire in all of our hearts: to be entertained. If you’ve ever sat in a dark theater and thought, “Dear Lord in heaven, please let it be good,” this is the show for you! It all begins when a die-hard musical-theater fan plays his favorite cast album on his turntable, and the musical literally bursts to life in his living room, telling the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love.”

College Theatre:
Eastern Michigan University is performing To Kill A Mocking Bird April 10, 11, 12 at 7pm and April 13 at 2pm.  Tickets are $7-$15 and more information is available here.

Synopsis: Narrator Jean Louise Finch, the grown up Scout, returns us to her childhood in the deep South of the 1930's, a time permeated with racial and class conflict. Through Scout's memories we relive the innocence of her youth as it crashes headlong into the shocking reality of the adults around her. A black man has been accused of a terrible crime and Scout watches as her father, lawyer Atticus Finch, courageously takes a stand for what is right.

Michigan State University is performing Peter Pan, April 11-20. Ticket dates and times vary with ticket prices ranging from $8-$20.  More information is available here.

Synopsis:  Peter Pan is a high-flying fantasy that tells the story of the young boy who won’t grow up. This beloved musical promises a new twist on the old classic including the songs “I Won’t Grow Up,” Neverland,”  and “I’ve Gotta Crow.” Join Peter, Wendy, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook as they soar over the Pasant Theatre audiences. This production is a collaboration with the MSU Bhangra Team.

University of Michigan is currently running Marisol through April 13th.  Shows are April 10 at 7:30pm, April 11 and 12 at 8:00pm, and April 13 at 2:00pm.  Tickets are $28 and more information is available here.

Synopsis: A young Latina named Marisol leads an undistinguished life in Manhattan, copy editing for a textbook publisher. Everything changes abruptly when her guardian angel tells her the heavens are in an uproar. God has become senile and a celestial civil war is about to commence, starting in the streets of Brooklyn. The world is turned on its side: food turns to salt, men give birth, and the sun fails to rise. Marisol faces a decision: join the revolution or be swallowed up in the apocalypse.

The University of Toledo continues their run of Cabaret through April 19th.  Shows are April 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 7:30pm and April 13 at 4:00pm.  Tickets are $10-$15and more information is available here.

Synopsis: The story of CABARET centers on the employees and patrons of the Kit Kat Klub, a cabaret-style nightclub in Berlin. The characters in CABARET are searching for fame, love and sexual freedom, as the lurking shadow of Nazi Germany begins its ascent.

Western Michigan University finishes their run of King Stag with performance April 10, 11, 12 at 8pm and April 13 at 2pm.  Tickets are $5-$20 and more information is available here.  We would also like to congratulate That Theatre Co. actor Alexa Robbins on her performance in King Stag and has performed with us in The Importance of Being Earnest, As You Like It, and The Odd Couple: Female Version.

Synopsis: King Stag is a magically funny fable in which men transform into creatures and creatures transform into men. Through a sophisticated blend of live actors and puppets created and directed by guest artists from the Puppet Kitchen in NYC and Handspring (creators of War Horse) in South Africa, King Stag will challenge the boundaries of imagination and contemporary creativity. Lose yourself in a world of powerful magicians, heart-sick lovers, whimsical servants, and a giant bear—all in pursuit of true love. Appropriate for ages 10 to 110.