PRTC Opens 20th Anniversary Season With BEST OF FRIENDS 12/18

The Purple Rose Theatre Company is proud to present their 39th World Premiere to open the 20th anniversary season this fall: Best of Friends by Jeff Daniels. The production will enjoy a ten-week engagement from Thursday, October 14 through Saturday, December 18, 2010. Seven low-price previews of Best of Friends will be performed from Thursday, October 14, through Thursday, October 21, with Press Opening on Friday, October 22, 2010. Regular performances for the duration of the engagement are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3:00 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. (Editor's Note: A complete performance schedule including pricing and added performance dates can be found below.) All performances are held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118.

Daniels' 14th career play is a wicked comedy set in a small Midwestern town. Two middle-aged married couples - The Martins and the Porters - stand on the verge of becoming "the best of friends." A perceived slight over dinner quickly devolves the blossoming relationship into an escalating game of one-upmanship to see which couple can devise a plan that will sever the relationship forever. In the words of the characters themselves: "Say you've got a friend. ... The last thing you do is pull some stunt that undermines everything you have, right? But you could. You have the ability. ... And why? Because you can't help yourself. Because every single one of us is capable of doing anything."
 
PRTC artistic director Guy Sanville will direct Matthew David (Flint, MI), Alex Leydenfrost (Ann Arbor, MI), Michelle Mountain (Chelsea, MI) and Rhiannon Ragland (Flint, MI). (Editor's Note: Cast interviews and complete biographies are available by calling 734.433.7782).
 
Design for this production includes set by Vincent Mountain, properties by Danna Segrest, costumes by Sally L. Converse-Doucette, lighting by Dana White and sound by Quintessa Gallinat. Gregory Butka stage manages with Jessica Garrett as assistant stage manager.
 
Best of Friends is underwritten by Helppie Family Charitable Foundation, Ford Motor Company and Excelda and produced in media partnership with Michigan Radio.
 
Founded in 1991 by acclaimed actor and Chelsea-native Jeff Daniels, The Purple Rose Theatre Company is a leading American theatre dedicated to producing the new American play and creating opportunities for Midwest theatre professionals. The PRTC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre operating under a Small Professional Theatre agreement with the Actors' Equity Association. The PRTC promotes the development of new American theatre and its practitioners, provides valuable educational opportunities for young artists, and through consistently high quality production values has earned the respect of both local and National Theatre communities.
 
Tickets are available by phone at 734.433.7673; Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. Single tickets are also available for purchase at purplerosetheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.