Planet Ant Theatre's 2014-2015 Season to Include THE BIG STORY OF LAZARUS SMALL, WE HAVE YOUR SON & More

Planet Ant Theatre will kick off its 2014-2015 season September 5 with the world premiere of The Big Story of Lazarus Small by local playwright Linda Ramsey-Detherage. In addition the theatre is excited to announce its full 2014-2015 season of shows. Complete performance and season schedules follow this release.

As it has done for more than 20 years, Planet Ant continues to highlight local writers, directors and performers this season. The theatre's Main Stage Series features full-length original and published works with an 8:00 pm show time Friday and Saturday and 2:00 pm Sunday. Late Night Series presentations feature one-act original and experimental material with a 9:00 pm show time Friday and Saturday evening. Tickets are $20 for Main Stage performances and $10 for Late Night performances and can be reserved or purchased online at www.planetant.com or in person at the theatre on the night of the performance based on availability.

"As audiences have come to expect from us, our new season comes with a broad range of styles and themes," stated Artistic Director Shawn Handlon. "The shows we've selected draw from a well of some of the finest talents in Detroit."

Planet Ant kicks off its 2014 - 2015 season with the world premiere of local playwright Linda Ramsay-Detherage's hilarious comedy, The Big Story of Lazarus Small September 5 - 27. Having been featured in a local television commercial, Lazarus Small dreams of being a big star. While his wife struggles to pay the bills, his father-in-law strains to keep sane, and his best friend strives to help, fate has other plans for Lazarus. Now he's getting exactly what he's always wanted... just not exactly how he wanted it. Directed by Dave Davies (Warren) with stage management by David Woitulewicz (Farmington Hills), The Big Story of Lazarus Small features Dyan Bailey (Warren), Joe Hamid (Dearborn), Dan Jaroslaw (Mt. Clemens), Lisa Melinn (Berkley) Joel Mitchell (Berkley) and Patrick O'Connor Cronin (Bloomfield Hills). Performance times are at 8:00 pm Friday and Saturday nights September 5 - 27 and at 2:00 pm Sunday afternoons September 14 & 21. Tickets ($10-$20) are on sale now at www.planetant.com.

The complete 2014 - 2015 Planet Ant season also includes:

October 10 - 25, 2014
An original one-act by We Have Your Son
Directed by Michael Hovitch
Late Night Series

Winners of the 2014 Planet Ant Colony Fest, We Have Your Son, will write and appear in an original one-act comedy under the direction of Planet Ant Home Team member Michael Hovitch.

October 31 - November 8, 2014
An original one-act by Planet Ant improv students
Directed by Shawn Handlon
Late Night Series

Students from Planet Ant's improv class, The Ant Process, will write and appear in their own original one-act comedy under the direction of Planet Ant Artistic Director Shawn Handlon.

November 28 - December 20, 2014
Invasion! by Jonas Hassen Khemiri
Directed by Molly McMahon
Main Stage Series

Winner of the 2014 Obie Award, Invasion! is a tornado of words, images and ideas, all centered around a magical name: Abulkasem. The play assaults our deepest prejudices about identity, race and language. At once hilarious, disturbing and poignant, this deeply subversive play deconstructs a threatening identity - the Arabic male - and forces us to confront our own cultural identity.

December 26, 27, 29 & 31, 2014
Encore presentation: Bringing Up Baby New Year!
Directed by Shawn Handlon
Late Night Series

It's never easy to live life in the spotlight, always being fodder for the tabloids and the subject of public scrutiny. It's all the more complicated when your life is only 12 months long. Bringing Up Baby New Year is a one act comedy that chronicles the life and often tumultuous times of a typical Baby New Year, as he yearns to put his mark on time, all while struggling with puberty, a mid-life crisis and old age--each within months of the other. Directed by Shawn Handlon, Bringing Up Baby New Year was written by members of the Planet Ant Improv Colony Home Team; Dyan Bailey, Lauren Bickers, Dave Davies, Shawn Handlon and Mike McGettigan.

January 30 - February 14, 2015
Armchair Dating by Margaret Edwatowski
Late Night Series

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Planet Ant offers an original romantic comedy by award-winning playwright Margaret Edwartowski. As Peter and Liz try to maneuver through the game of love, they find they can both benefit from a little side-coaching when their best friends--Chuck and Anita--do a little Monday morning quarterbacking of the couple's recent match-up.

March 6 - 28, 2015
A Shakespearean Sequel by Marty Shea and Ian Bonner
Directed by Sara Wolf Molnar
Main Stage Series

A Shakespearean Sequel will represent Planet Ant in the Detroit Shakespeare Festival. Based on minor characters from the plays of William Shakespeare, local filmmakers and authors, Marty Shea and Ian Bonner, explore the world beyond Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and others.

April 10 - May 2, 2015
An original comedy written by and starring Mike McGettigan & Shawn Handlon
Directed by Lauren Bickers
Main Stage Series

The Planet Ant has a rich history of hilarious original comedy plays. This year the theatre will bring some of its favorite comedic minds from the Planet Ant family together to create another surefire hit using the Ant Process.

May 15 - 30, 2015
Fish Dinner: Enough Already! by Quintin Hicks
Directed by Dave Davies
Late Night Series

The Wilde-Award winning one-man show, Fish Dinner returns to Planet Ant Theatre for the third and final chapter: Fish Dinner: Enough Already! Detroit Second City alum Quintin Hicks stretches the limits of character performance and improv to introduce you to a world of unique and unforgettable characters. Side-splittingly hysterical, with pockets of poignant tragedy, expect to see some familiar faces and perhaps a few new ones!

Late Night Saturdays & Improv Mondays

Throughout this season on select Saturday evenings, Planet Ant will present a late night show featuring a rotating schedule of improvisation. Tickets are $5 at the door.

To post a comment, you must register and login.