he Purple Rose Theatre Co Presents OUR TOWN 4/15-5/29

The Purple Rose Theatre Company is proud to present the American classic Our Town by Thornton Wilder this spring. The production will enjoy a limited seven-week engagement from Thursday, April 15 through Saturday, May 29, 2010. Seven low-price previews of Our Town will be performed from Thursday, April 15, through Thursday, April 22, with Press Opening on Friday, April 23, 2010. Regular performances for the duration of the engagement are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm with Saturday matinees at 3:00 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Special half-price student matinee performances are scheduled for Tuesday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 18 at 11:00 am. All performances are held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118.
 
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1938, this icon of American dramatic history spans thirteen years in the town of Grover's Corners, a quintessential small community with characters reflecting the hopes and dreams, the failures and successes, of people everywhere. Guided by the Stage Manager, Our Town playwright Thornton Wilder illustrates the universality of the simple, yet meaningful lives of all people in the world in order to demonstrate the value of appreciating life.
 
"Our Town celebrates the ordinary everyday moments in our lives. ‘The cottage, the go-cart, the Sunday afternoon drives in the Ford, the first rheumatism, the grandchildren, the second rheumatism, the deathbed, the reading of the will,' it's all there, all in Our Town, all the passages of life." says PRTC artistic director Guy Sanville. "It celebrates the small town that lives somewhere in the heart of every American and celebrates the way we were, with simplicity, humor, grace, style and passion. In these tough economic times, it is rare to see this play performed in a professional venue. We all feel very lucky and honored to be able to produce what many people feel is the greatest American play."
 
Sanville will direct one of the largest casts in PRTC history, including Will David Young (Milford, MI) as the Stage Manager with Heidi Bennett (Ann Arbor, MI), Andy Burt (Wyandotte, MI), Matthew David (Flint, MI), Julia Garlotte (Comstock Park, MI), Matthew Gwynn (Farmington Hills, MI), Stacie Hadgikosti (Roseville, MI), Angela Miller (Dearborn, MI), Nathan Mitchell (Novi, MI), Ty Mitchell (Chelsea, MI), Michelle Mountain (Chelsea, MI), Michael Brian Ogden (Berkley, MI), Jim Porterfield (Northville, MI), Rhiannon Ragland (Flint, MI), Bill Simmons (Indianapolis, IN) and Tom Whalen (Royal Oak, MI). (Editor's Note: Cast interviews and complete biographies are available by calling 734.433.7782).
 
Design for this production includes set by Vincent Mountain, properties by Danna Segrest, costumes by Sally L. Converse-Doucette, lighting by Daniel C. Walker and sound by Quintessa Gallinat. Stephanie Buck stage manages with Gregory Butka as assistant stage manager.
 
This production is exclusively underwritten by The Mosaic Foundation (of R. & P. Heydon).
 
Founded in 1991 by acclaimed actor and Chelsea-native Jeff Daniels, The Purple Rose Theatre Company is a leading American theatre dedicated to producing the new American play and creating opportunities for Midwest theatre professionals. The PRTC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre operating under a Small Professional Theatre agreement with the Actors' Equity Association. The PRTC promotes the development of new American theatre and its practitioners, provides valuable educational opportunities for young artists, and through consistently high quality production values has earned the respect of both local and national theatre communities.
 
Ticket reservations can be made by calling the Box Office at 734.433.7673; Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. Single tickets are also available for purchase at purplerosetheatre.org.