Planet Ant Takes on Shakespeare with Musical Adaptation MACDEATH

Planet Ant is set to present Macdeath, an original musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Scottish Play," Macbeth, February 24 - March 18. Tickets ($10-$20) are on sale now online at www.planetant.com. A complete schedule follows this release.

With dwindling resources in a rapidly warming world, ragtag bands of survivors are at war. On their return from squashing an uprising against Dunkin, King of Lakeside, Generals Macdeath and Bank encounter three strange witches, who prophesy that Macdeath will become king, setting into motion the bloody rise to power and tragic downfall of the once great warrior.

Written by Planet Ant Artistic Director Shawn Handlon and Mikey Brown, Macdeath features Brown, Karen Kron Dickson, Joel Douglass Gray, Katherin Kujala Cronin, Nicole Pascaretta, Sara Rose, and Dez Walker. " It's basically the story of Macbeth, but we have massaged some details to fit the futuristic plotline," says Shawn Handlon who is also directing. "The dialogue is in our modern vernacular but we rely on Shakespeare's poetic words for the lyrics of the songs." "There actually is historical precedent for presenting the piece as a comedy," added Mikey Brown who is serving as music director. "It was performed as one for the first hundred or so years after it was written."
Performances of Macdeath are Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm with a 2:00pm performance on Sunday March 5 and a 6:00pm performance on Sunday, March 12. Tickets are $10 for opening weekend and $20 for all other performances. They are on sale now at www.planetant.com. and in person at the Planet Ant box office 30 minutes prior to show time based on availability.

The performance schedule for Macdeath is as follows:

Fri, Feb 24 @ 8:00pm *Half Off Opening Weekend
Sat, Feb 25 @ 8:00pm *Half Off Opening Weekend

Fri, Mar 3 @ 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 4 @ 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 5 @ 2:00pm

Fri, Mar 10 @ 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 11 @ 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 12 @ 6:00pm
Fri, Mar 17 @ 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 18 @ 8:00pm

The complete 2016 - 2017 Planet Ant season also includes:
April 28 - May 20, 2017
Failure: A Love Story, by Philip Dawkins
Directed by Jill Dion and Molly McMahon

By the end of 1928, all three Fail sisters will be dead -- expiring in reverse order, youngest to oldest, from blunt object to the head, disappearance, and finally consumption. Tuneful songs, and a whimsical chorus follow the story of Nelly, Jenny June, and Gerty as they live out their lives above the family clock repair shop near the Chicago River, before their time unexpectedly runs out. A magical, musical fable where, in the end, the power of love is far greater than any individual's successes or failures.

Late Night Saturdays & Improv Mondays Throughout this season on Saturday evenings, Planet Ant will present a late night show at 11:00 pm featuring a rotating schedule of improvisation. Select Saturday evenings will feature "The Bonus Hour" starting at 10:00 pm. Tickets are $5 at the door.

The Planet Ant Improv Colony has generated over twenty original comedies and continues to perform every Monday night in Michigan's longest-running improv comedy show - Improv Mondays. At 8:00 pm the show kicks off with a guest improv troupe followed by a performance by Planet Ant's resident Home Team. The night closes with The Ant Jam, an opportunity for anyone to improvise on the Planet Ant stage. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Planet Ant Theatre is located at 2357 Caniff in Hamtramck, MI 48212. It is a non-profit professional theatre founded 23 years ago on the principle of artistic freedom and artistic experimentation leading to the growth of community, artistic fulfillment, and artistic success. The theatre has presented more than 80 high quality professional productions to southeastern Michigan with a commitment to providing the best in theatrical productions that has brought it critical acclaim and awards from across the region. More information on Planet Ant Theatre is available online at www.planetant.com.

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