THE WHALE, MR. BURNS, HEATHERS and More Set for The Ringwald's 2015-16 Season

The Ringwald Theatre dips into the "Classics" well for their 9th Season!

All of these shows either are classics themselves or touch on a classic; from Moby-Dick to Barbra Streisand to The Simpsons to Alfred Hitchcock, there's something for everyone!

This season also includes two firsts for The Ringwald: an artistic co-production and a commissioned piece. The season will commence in October with a co-production with The University of Detroit-Mercy's Theatre Company. And April will bring us the world premiere of a new Ian Bonner/Marty Shea piece. Fresh off of last season's hit Good Men and True, this new play promises to become a classic in its own right.

All productions are to be performed at The Ringwald Theatre, located at 22742 Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale. For more information and to find out about ticket reservations, call 248-545-5545 or visit us online at: www.TheRingwald.com.

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· October 2-26, 2015

The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter

A co-production with the UDM Theatre Company.

On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a six hundred pound recluse hides away in his apartment, teaching Moby-Dick to students online and slowly eating himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. Big-hearted and fiercely funny, The Whale tells the story of a man's last chance at redemption, and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places

· November 13-December 7, 2015

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Streetcar reveals to the very depths the character of Blanche du Bois, a woman whose life has been undermined by her romantic illusions, which lead her to reject-so far as possible-the realities of life with which she is faced and which she consistently ignores. The pressure brought to bear upon her by her sister, with whom she goes to live in New Orleans, intensified by the earthy and extremely "normal" young husband of the latter, leads to a revelation of her tragic self-delusion and, in the end, to madness.

· December 17-21, 2015

The SantaLand Diaries & Season's Greetings

by David Sedaris, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello

The delightful anti-holiday treat makes its annual return to the Ringwald stage for another round of twisted holiday fun!

· January 8-February 1, 2016

I'll Eat You Last by John Logan AND

Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tollins

The Barbra Streisand plays!

In I'll Eat You Last, Sue Mengers' clients were the biggest names in show business: Barbra Streisand, Faye Dunaway, Burt Reynolds, Ali MacGraw, Gene Hackman, Cher...if her clients were the talk of the town, she WAS the town. Now, you're invited into her glamorous Beverly Hills home (while she waits for a phone call from La Streisand) for an evening of dish, dirty secrets, and all the inside showbiz details only Sue can tell you.

And in Buyer & Cellar, Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., he takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar (guess who?). One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.

· February 19-March 14, 2016

Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn

Anne Washburn's imaginative dark comedy propels us forward nearly a century, following a new civilization stumbling into its future.

After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and begin to piece together the plot of The Simpsons episode "Cape Feare" entirely from memory.

7 years later, this and other snippets of pop culture (sitcom plots, commercials, jingles, and pop songs) have become the live entertainment of a post-apocalyptic society, sincerely trying to hold onto its past. 75 years later, these are the myths and legends from which new forms of performance are created. A paean to live theater and the resilience of Bart Simpson through the ages, Mr. Burns is an animated exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another.

· April 1-April 25, 2016

The Hung Man by Ian Bonner and Marty Shea

The Ringwald's hottest new play is "The Hung Man." It has everything: murder, suspense, handsome New York bachelors hosting a dinner party, an icy blonde who may not be what she seems, a psycho in a house dress, a rear window, and of course a cameo by Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock. Based on Hitchcock's gayest film, Rope, the plot revolves around a steamer trunk that may or may not be hiding a dead body.

· May 13-June 13, 2016

Heathers: The Musical by Lawrence O'Keefe, Kevin Murphy, and Andy Fickman

Heathers: The Musical is the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D. When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather's aerobicized ass... but J.D. has another plan for that bullet. With its moving love story, laugh-out-loud comedy, and unflinching look at the joys and anguish of high school, Heathers will be The Ringwald's most popular new musical. Are you in, or are you out?

The Ringwald opened their doors eight years ago on May 11, 2007 with Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy. Quickly, The Ringwald became a mainstay of Detroit's theatre community. Past Productions include: Glengarry Glen Ross, Stupid f-ing Bird, Into the Woods, Angels in America, The Motherfucker with the Hat, August: Osage County, When the Rain Stops Falling,, The Bad Seed, The Book of Liz, and Rent. The Ringwald was named 2009, 2012 and 2013 Best Theatrical Troupe by Real Detroit and Best Place to See Local Theatre in 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the readers of Metro Times.

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