Williamston Theatre Celebrates Its 5th Season

The Williamston Theater, mid-Michigan's award winning professional theatre company located at 122 S. Putnam in downtown Williamston, celebrates its 5th Season starting in September. The 2010-2011 Season explores how we're defined by our history and place, and how we build and shape our homes, our lives and ourselves. The season will include: Blue Door by Tanya Barfield, Greater Tuna by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, Oedipus by Sophocles, the Michigan Premiere of While We Were Bowling by Carter W. Lewis, Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing and the World Premiere of And The Creek Don't Rise by Michigan playwright Joseph Zettelmaier.

Each of the six productions will begin with five Preview performances. 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. Preview performances are the first two Thursday performances of each production as well as the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8PM. The Sunday performance is at 2PM.

Blue Door is a vivid, exuberantly theatrical play about the African-American male experience. A tenured professor of mathematics is jolted from the rut of his life when his wife accuses him of denying his heritage. While experiencing a disorienting insomnia, he inadvertently conjures his ancestors. Three generations of men, from slavery through Black Power, challenge him to embark upon a journey combining the past and present. Directed by Suzi Regan. September 23 - October 17, 2010.

Greater Tuna is a love-letter to small town mores, qualities and quirks. Meet Arles Struvie, Thurston Wheelis, Aunt Pearl, Petey Fisk, Phineas Blye and Rev. Spikes, just some of the upstanding citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas. In this hilarious off-Broadway hit two actors take you through a typical day in the life of Tuna and its most whimsical denizens. Directed by Tony Caselli. November 11 - December 19, 2010.

Oedipus is the classic Greek tragedy about providence and destiny. Oedipus journeys through life, attempting to outrun a foretold prophesy only to land right in the hands of fate. Four stellar actors bring the story to life as the intimate Williamston Theatre space is theatrically expanded to hold this epic tale of the ages. Directed by Tony Caselli. January 27 - February 20, 2011.

While We Were Bowling takes us through the struggles a "typical" 1950s family faces as they try to hold themselves together through teenage marriage, paternal death, the integration of a young black boy into the family and the pressure-filled legacy of bowling. These trials and tribulations force them to redefine what family means as they love and laugh their way through this beautiful dance of a play. John Lepard will direct this Michigan Premiere. March 17 - April 17, 2011.

Eleemosynary is an evocative play about love, personal identity and the importance of family. Sensitive and probing, this bittersweet comedy examines the subtle and often perilous relationship between three remarkable women: a young girl, her mother, and her grandmother. A unique family blessed, and cursed, with supreme intelligence and eccentricity, this masterful play shows us a snapshot of the powerful familial love that defines our past, present and future. Directed by Lynn Lammers. May 12 - June 12, 2011.

And The Creek Don't Rise is a brand new comedic, heartwarming tale of survival, acceptance and embracing a new homeland. Rob and Maddie, longtime Michiganders and one of the many casualties of economic downsizing, find themselves experiencing a severe case of culture shock after they move to a small town in Georgia for a new job. When their friendly next-door neighbor invites Rob to join him in a Civil War reenactment, a simple and comical misunderstanding ignites a hilarious private civil war between the neighbors that threatens to demolish the couple's new life before it even begins. Joseph Albright will direct this World Premiere production. July 7 - August 14, 2011.

This season the Williamston Theatre will be making a slight change to their performance schedule. For each production there will be a limited number of Saturday matinee performances. Saturday matinees will be at 3PM and will occur during the second and fourth weeks of all productions. The third week of each production will now have a Thursday matinee at 3PM. Due to Thanksgiving, which occurs in the third week of the run, Greater Tuna will have a slightly different schedule. There will be no Thursday performances November 25 and instead that weekend there will be both a Friday and Saturday matinee at 3PM added to the schedule. Detailed performance schedules will be available on the Williamston Theatre website starting in August.

The Williamston Theatre is pleased to announce that they will not be raising ticket prices for the 2010-2011 Season. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can for the first performance of each production. Previews are $15.00. Starting Opening Night tickets prices are $24.00 Friday and Saturday evenings, $20.00 for all matinees and $18.00 on Thursday evening. Senior Citizens (65 and older) receive a $2.00 discount on all tickets. Students (will a valid ID) can get tickets for only $10 to any performance. Tickets for each production will go on sale approximately one month prior to the first performance. Tickets can be ordered by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469) or stopping by the theatre, Monday - Friday from 12 - 6pm.

Season Voucher Books are also going to be available for the 2010-2011 Season. Each book will contain 5 Vouchers that can be used in any combination for any of the productions in the 2010-2011 Season. Season Voucher Books will remain priced at $100 each and will go on sale in August.

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. Additional information about the company and its founding members is available online at www.williamstontheatre.org.

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