The Williamston Theatre Starts Off 2012 With DEAD MAN'S SHOES

Mid-Michigan's professional theatre company, Williamston Theatre, located at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, brings the World Premiere of Dead Man's Shoes by Joseph Zettelmaier to its stage this winter. Tickets for this hilarious new comedy are on sale starting Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Dead Man's Shoes begins with five Preview performances starting Thursday, January 26. During the first four Previews audience members will have the opportunity to take part in the process of creating a show by participating in a talkback session with the director following each performance. The Official Opening Night is Friday, February 3 with the show scheduled to run through Sunday, February 26. Performances will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at eight o'clock and Sunday matinees at two o'clock with additional three o'clock matinees on Saturdays starting February 4.

The year is 1883. The notorious outlaw Injun Bill Pecote has escaped from prison, along with a hard-luck drunk named Froggy. The unlikely partners endure trials and bizarre misadventures as they set out to right a terrible wrong in this outrageous new dark comedy about life, friendship and vengeance in the Wild West. As Bill's past catches up with him, and Froggy helps him discover his long-ignored conscience, a question arises: Is the hope of a better life stronger than the need to avenge the death of a friend? What starts out as a sweeping epic tale boils down to an incredibly funny, insightful and deeply personal journey for two men . . . and a pair of shoes. Dead Man's Shoes is a co- production with the Performance Network in Ann Arbor. Please be aware this show does contain adult language and themes.

Michigan playwright Joseph Zettelmaier received his second Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award for Dead Man's Shoes. His first Edgerton Award was for It Came From Mars, which was also a co-production between the Williamston Theatre and the Performance Network and had its world premiere at both theatres in the winter and early spring of 2010. He is a three-time nominee for the American Theatre Critics Award for Best New Play (All Childish Things in 2006, Language Lessons in 2007 and It Came From Mars in 2010). His work has also won awards for the Best Locally Created Script and Best New Play (Ann Arbor News), Best New Play (Oakland Press), and has been selected as a part of the National New Play Network's Festival of New Plays. This past summer his play And The Creek Don't Rise became the best selling show in the Williamston Theatre's five-year history.

The cast of Dead Man's Shoes consists of Aral Gribble (Greater Tuna, An Infinite Ache), Paul Hopper (Art), Maggie Meyer (Home: Voices from Families of the Midwest, Panache) and Drew Parker. The Director is Performance Network's Artistic Director David Wolber. The production team includes Set Design by Kirk Domer (The Effect of Gamma Rays, Art), Lighting Design by Daniel C. Walker (Greater Tuna, It Came From Mars), Costume Design by Amber Marisa Cook (Home: From Families of the Midwest), Sound Design by Will Myers (And The Creek Don't Rise, It Came From Mars) and Prop Design by Stefanie Din. The Stage Manager is Rochelle P. Clark.
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can for Thursday, January 26. Remaining Preview tickets are $15.00! Starting Opening Night, tickets prices are $25.00 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $22.00 for Saturday and Sunday matinees and $20.00 for Thursday evenings. Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more for most performances. Tickets can be ordered by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469), Tuesday – Friday from 12 – 6pm.

The Williamston Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional live theatre company, dedicated to producing plays that excite, engage and entertain our audiences. The theatre opened its doors in 2006 and has received a number of local awards including the 2008 Robert Busby Award for extraordinary overall contribution to theatre in the Greater Lansing Area.

Williamston Theatre patrons will find ample parking on the street and in several municipal lots throughout the city. The theatre is located in downtown Williamston (exit 117 off of I-96) just south of Grand River Avenue. Additional information about the company and the rest of the shows in the 2011-2012 Season is available online at www.williamstontheatre.org or by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469).

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