Williamston Theater Premieres NEW RELEASES

Mid-Michigan's award winning professional theatre company, Williamston Theatre, located at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, presents New Releases, its 10th World Premiere by Joseph Zettelmaier. Performances begin Thursday, May 9 and run through Sunday, June 9. Tickets are now on sale.

Jen is going down with the sinking ship. That ship is Avid Video, a small-time video rental store that is circling the drain. One night, a strange woman comes in to rent a video that has never been rented...one that Jen didn't even know the store carried. The two of them strike a bizarre deal, and as the months go on, Jen struggles to unravel the mystery of this woman, even as the store she loves marches towards extinction. A warm comedy that'll tickle your funny bone and touch your heart.

Contains adult language

Joseph Zettelmaier is a Michigan playwright and four-time nominee for the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association Award for best new play for All Childish Things in 2006, Language Lessons in 2007, It Came From Mars in 2010 and Dead Man's Shoes in 2012. He returns to Williamston, which premiered his productions of Flyover USA, It Came from Mars, And the Creek Don't Rise, Ebenezer, Dead Man's Shoes, The Gravedigger, The Decade Dance, Pulp and Our Lady of Poison. His plays The Stillness Between Breaths and It Came From Mars were selected to appear in the National New Play Network's Festival of New Plays. He received the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award in 2009 for It Came From Mars and in 2011 for Dead Man's Shoes. Joseph is an Artistic Associate and Resident Playwright at First Folio Theatre, an At Large Ambassador to the National New Play Network and an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University and Schoolcraft College, where he teaches Dramatic Composition, Play Production, Stage Management, Stage Combat, and Fundamentals of Acting. He also serves as Executive Director for Roustabout Theatre Troupe.

The cast of New Releases consists of newcomer to the Williamston stage, Jamie Lien, along with Sandra Birch (A Hunting Shack Christmas, Beau Jest) and Scott Norman (Flyover, USA: Voice from Men of the Midwest). Paige Conway makes her Williamston Theatre directing debut. The production team includes Scenic Design by Bartley H. Bauer (A Hunting Shack Christmas, Memoir), Lighting Design by Shannon Schweitzer (The Gin Game, Our Lady of Poison), Costume Design by Karen Kangas-Preston (Silent Sky, Memoir), Sound Design by Quintessa Gallinat (Silent Sky, Doublewide) and Props Design by Michelle Raymond (The Gin Game, To Quiet The Quiet). The Stage Managers are Stephanie Din (The Gin Game, To Quiet The Quiet) and Nan Luchini (Memoir, Our Lady of Poison).

Performances for New Releases will run from May 9 through June 9 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at eight o'clock and Sunday afternoons at two o'clock. Starting May 18th three o'clock performance will be added to the remaining Saturdays of the run. The first four performances of New Releases, May 9 -12, are Preview performances where 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, May 17th and the Conversation Sunday for New Releases is Sunday, June 2nd.

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can for the Preview on Thursday, May 9th. Remaining Preview tickets are $19.00. Starting Thursday, May 18th ticket prices are $28.00 for Thursday evenings, $33.00 for Friday and Saturday evenings and $30.00 for Saturday and Sunday matinees. Senior citizens (65 and older) and members of the Military receive a $2 discount on all tickets. Student tickets (with a valid student ID) are $10 for all performances. Flex Passes for the 2018-2019 Season are $176 and provide you with 6 Passes that can be used in any combination for any of the 6 shows in the 2018-2019 Season. Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more (booked at least 1 week in advance through the Box Office). Tickets can be purchased Tuesday - Friday from 12-6pm by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469) or by visiting the Box Office and ordered on-line up until 1 1/2 hours prior to the performance by visiting our website www.williamstontheatre.org. Payment is required at the time the reservation is made.

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