BOOM, TUNA DOES VEGAS and More Set for Williamston Theatre's 2012-13 Season

The Williamston Theatre, mid-Michigan's award winning professional theatre company located at 122 S. Putnam in downtown Williamston, kicks off its 2012-2013 Season in September. This season will have two World Premieres along with some familiar faces in familiar roles. The season will include: boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, the World Premiere Ebenezer by Michigan playwright Joseph Zettelmaier, End Days by Deborah Zoe Laufer, Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell, the World Premiere of 10:53 by Michigan playwright Annie Martin and Tuna Does Vegas by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard.

Each of the six productions this season will begin with five Preview performances. During the first four Previews audience members will have the opportunity to take part in the process of creating a show by participating in a talkback session with the director following each performance. For five of the six productions preview performances are the first two Thursday performances of each production as well as the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8PM. The Sunday performance is at 2PM. Due to Thanksgiving the final Preview for Ebenezer will be the Friday after Thanksgiving at 3PM.

boom - Something is about to explode. A grad student's online personal ad lures a mysterious journalism student to his subterranean research lab for a "casual encounter", but there's nothing casual about this particular evening! She discovers that he actually fears the end of the world is at hand… and from there things get weird! Will they survive? Will their casual encounter lead to another big bang? What's going on in the fishbowl? What's our place in the universe? And who is that woman playing the timpani!? This epic and intimate comedy spans billions of years and will keep you laughing 'til the unexpected end! Contains mature language and themes. Directed by Tony Caselli. September 20 – October 21, 2012.

Ebenezer - It's a cold Christmas Eve in London, and Ebenezer Scrooge sits in a hospital room. 15 years have passed since his miraculous transformation by the Ghosts of Christmas. Now renowned for his generosity and selflessness, his spirit still yearns to bring cheer to the world, but his flesh is weak. Such a little thing isn't likely to stop the old man, though, for he has a plan up his sleeve that he hasn't shared with his two troubled companions – Miss Poole, the nurse assigned to his care, and Tim Cratchit, recently returned from war in America. Over the course of the evening, these two lost souls bear witness to events they do not fully understand as the spirit of Christmas descends on Ebenezer once again. Directed by John Lepard. November 15 – December 23, 2012.

End Days - It's 2003, and sixteen-year-old Rachel Stein is having a bad year. Her father hasn't changed out of his pajamas since 9/11. Her mother has begun a close, personal relationship with Jesus. Her new neighbor, a sixteen-year-old Elvis impersonator, has fallen for her hard. And the Apocalypse is coming Wednesday. Her only hope is that Stephen Hawking will save them all. Hilariously funny and achingly poignant, End Days takes us on a wonderful journey exploring love, loss and the healing power of family. Contains mature language and themes. A co-production with the Jewish Ensemble Theatre and Michigan State University. Directed by Tony Caselli. January 24 – February 24, 2013.

Shirley Valentine - What can you do when you realize that you've hit middle age, and your life has been shaped by choices made by everyone except you? The heroine in this actor's tour-de-force is an ordinary middle class English housewife. As she prepares chips and egg for dinner, she ruminates on her life and tells the wall about her husband, her children, her past, and an invitation from a girlfriend to join her on holiday in Greece to search for romance and adventure. Ultimately, Shirley does escape … and begins the process of shaping her life into something wonderful. This one-woman play became an instant classic the minute it premiered! Contains mature themes. Directed by Lynn Lammers. March 21 - April 21, 2013

10:53 - The worst part of a hospital waiting room is normally the waiting but, in the midst of a prolonged family medical crisis, Kathryn Fuller regards the waiting room as a welcome refuge from her increasingly chaotic life. However, the real world quickly invades her new home away from home, and she's surrounded with her over-the-top family life, rebellious, love-struck daughter and a mysterious stranger who, oddly, shows up at the same time every night. What happens when the universe decides our lives need a shaking up, whether we like it or not? Will Kathryn get drawn into the ridiculous comedy, drama, and potential romance swirling around her beloved waiting room, or will she burrow deeper into her seclusion from the world? Contains mature language. Directed by Tony Caselli. May 16 - June 16, 2012

Tuna Does Vegas - Aral Gribble and Wayne David Parker reunite for the finale of our "Tuna Trilogy". Join the lovable and eccentric characters from the 'third smallest town in Texas' as they take a rambling romp in Sin City. The hilarity begins when oddball-conservative radio host Arles Struvie announces on air that he and his wife Bertha Bumiller are heading to Vegas to renew their wedding vows…but everyone in Tuna, Texas goes along for the ride! Tuna Does Vegas is both an affectionate comment on small-town life as well as a hilarious satire of the same. The eclectic band of citizens that make up this town are portrayed by only two actors, making this send-up on life in rural America even more delightful as they depict the men and women of Tuna, Vegas showgirls, Elvis impersonators and more! Directed by Quintessa Gallinat. July 11 – August 18, 2013.

Performances this season will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM with Sunday matinees at 2PM. For each production there will be a limited number of Saturday matinee performances. Saturday matinees will be at 3PM and begin the second week of the run of each production. Due to Thanksgiving Ebenezer will have a slightly different schedule the week of November 19th. Performances that week will be 3PM and 8PM performances both Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 23 and 2PM on Sunday, November 24. Detailed performance schedules are available on the Williamston Theatre website.

The Williamston Theatre has announced they will not be raising ticket prices this season. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can for the first Preview performance of each production and the remaining Previews are $15.00. Starting the Opening Night of each production Friday and Saturday evenings are still $25.00, Saturday and Sunday matinees are still $22.00 and Thursday evenings are still $20.00. Senior Citizens (65 and older) still receive a $2.00 discount on all tickets. Students (will a valid ID) can continue to get tickets for only $10 to any performance. Tickets for each production will go on sale approximately one month prior to the first performance. Tickets can be ordered by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469) or stopping by the theatre, Tuesday – Friday from 12 – 6pm.

For a real deal consider the Season Voucher Books. Each book will contain 6 Vouchers that can be used in any combination for any of the productions in the 2012-2013 Season. Season Voucher Books are priced at $120 each and go on sale the end of July.

The Williamston Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional live theatre company, dedicated to producing plays that excite, engage and entertain our audiences. The theatre opened its doors in 2006 and has received a number of local awards including the 2008 Robert Busby Award for extraordinary overall contribution to theatre in the Greater Lansing Area. Additional information about the company and its founding members is available online at www.williamstontheatre.org.

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