Planet Ant to Kick Off 2016-17 Season with REALLY REALLY

Planet Ant Theatre will kick off its 2016-17 season with Paul Downs Colaizzo's startlingly funny play Really Really September 9 - October 1.

The season will also include: The Fall, an original comedy by Colony Fest winners Natural Born Killaz October 14 -29; An encore presentation of Margaret Edwartowski's award winning play Hamtown Races November 23 - December 17; Riot Grrrl 90 directed by Box Fest 2016 winner Dyan Bailey January 13-28, 2017; Macdeth, an original comedy by Mikey Brown and Shawn Handlon February 17 - March 11, 2017; and Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins April 28 - May 20, 2017.

A complete performance schedule for Really Really, and Planet Ant season schedule follows below.

Really Really
The Planet Ant season begins September 9 with Really Really by Paul Downs Colaizzo. This startlingly funny play follows a group of Generation Me college students in the aftermath of a wild campus party. When morning after gossip turns ugly, self-interests collide with the truth resulting in a storm of ambiguity that makes it hard to discern who's a victim, who's a predator and who's a Future Leader of America. What is certain is that when the veneer of loyalty and friendship is stripped back, what's revealed is a vicious jungle of sexual politics, raw ambition and class warfare where only the strong could possibly survive.

Directed by Joe Plambeck (Ferndale), Really Really features Meredith Deighton (Ferndale), Brenton Herwat (Ferndale), Michael Lopetrone (Detroit), Lisa Melinn (Berkley), Andy Reid (Detroit), Jeffrey James Smyk (Roseville), and Kaitlyn Valor Bourque (Detroit) with stage management by Mandy Lodgson (Clinton Township), costumes by Vince Kelley (Ferndale), and set design by Darren Shelton (Hamtramck). Tickets ($10-$20) are on sale now at www.planetant.com and in person 30 minutes prior to showtime at the Planet Ant box office, based on availability. Really Really plays September 9 - October 1 with performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm and Sunday performances on September 18 at 2:00pm and September 25 at 6:00pm.

The complete performance schedule for Really Really is as follows. Unless otherwise stated tickets are $20.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Friday, September 9 @ 8:00 pm (Opening weekend tickets: $10)
Saturday, September 10 @ 8:00 pm (Opening weekend tickets: $10)

Friday, September 16 @ 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 17 @ 8:00 pm
Sunday, September 18 @ 2:00 pm

Friday, September 23 @ 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 24 @ 8:00 pm
Sunday, September 25 @ 6:00 pm

Friday, September 30 @ 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 1 @ 8:00 pm

Planet Ant 2014 - 2015 Season
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 8:00pm show time Friday and Saturday and various performances on select Sundays. One Act Series presentations feature one-act original and experimental material with an 8:00pm show time Friday and Saturday evening. Tickets are $20 for Main Stage performances and $10 for One Act 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.

"With the excitement surrounding the opening of our new space (Planet Ant Hall) mounting, the mood around Planet Ant has been electrified as we begin our 21st season. We're looking forward to our biggest season yet." States Planet Ant Artistic Director Shawn Handlon.

Planet Ant continues its online fundraising campaign for Ant Hall renovations at www.indiegogo.com/projects/planet-ant-hall# through Sunday, September 11.

The complete 2016 - 2017 Planet Ant season also includes:

October 14 - 29, 2016
The Fall
An original one-act comedy by Planet Ant Colony Fest winners Natural Born Killaz
Directed by Lauren Bickers
One Act Series

An original one act comedy created by Natural Born Killaz, the improv team that won the 2016 ColonyFest improv competition. Natural Born Killaz consists of Jaclynn Cherry and Michael Owen Smith.

November 23 - December 17, 2016
Hamtown Races by Margaret Edwartowski
Directed by Amanda Grace Ewing
Main Stage Series
Planet Ant brings back an encore presentation of Margaret Edwartowski's Wilde Award winning play, Hamtown Races. Originally staged in Fall 2012, the play is set inside the Al Ameer Cafe, a family business belonging to Lebanese immigrants, which hosts a colorful and diverse collection of characters, each representative of the varied and shifting cultures in Hamtramck.

January 13 - 28, 2017
Planet Ant presents Riot Grrrl 90 directed by the winner of Box Fest 2016, Dyan Bailey.
One Act Series
After winning Detroit's annual Box Fest festival, Dyan Bailey will direct a longer version of Riot Grrrl 90 at Planet Ant.
February 17 - March 11, 2017
Macdeth by Mikey Brown and Shawn Handlon
Directed by Shawn Handlon
Main Stage Series

Set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, this punk rock musical is a new adaptation of Shakespeare's Scottish play.

April 28 - May 20, 2017
Failure: A Love Story, by Philip Dawkins
Directed by Jill Dion and Molly McMahon
Main Stage Series

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 select Saturday evenings, Planet Ant will present a late night show featuring a rotating schedule of improvisation. 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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