Welcome to summer — well almost! With Memorial Day weekend upon us, you’ll see fewer listings in general here, as the summer is considered the off-season in the world of theater. However, in Ann Arbor, a theater town by any measure, there are a number of companies that produce year-round, as well as a number of seasonal offerings and outdoor performances that will be cropping up.

This summer watch for openings from The Purple Rose, Performance Network, Ann Arbor Civic, EMU Theater Department, The Blackbird Theatre’s Shakespeare West series, and another West Park producer, The Penny Seats Theatre Co.

All the theaters mentioned above (except West Park) feature air-conditioning, and while you might not need it now, as the summer heats up you definitely will!

Theater listings for the week of May 23 - May 29

Show: The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown, through June 5
Company: The Encore Musical Theatre Company
Type of Company: Equity Special Appearance Contract
Recommended ages: 16 +
Description: The Last Five Years is an emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The show's unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman telling her story backwards while Jamie, the man tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show. Watch the preview video
Fun fact: “The Last Five Years” has been produced at several major regional theaters in the US, and has been seen in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Italy, Canada, Spain and the U.K.

Show: “Seascape” by Edward Albee, through May 28
Company: The Blackbird Theatre
Type of Company: Professional Non-Equity
Recommended ages: 13+
Description: An aging couple is forced to rethink life as they know it, when they are ambushed by two human-sized lizards named Leslie and Sarah who speak and act like people. Read the AnnArbor.com preview story here
Fun fact: The Blackbird Theatre has considered both Seascape and Equus for production in every season since 1998. "We always kept these two in our back pocket," says Artistic Director Barton Bund. "We waited, for some reason. For the right directors, the right cast. They were dream shows, so we wanted to handle them with the utmost care. This season, things just lined up."
For tickets and information: Call 734-332-3848 or www.blackbirdtheatre.org.

Show: “Some Couples May” by Carey Crim, through May 28
Company: Purple Rose Theatre
Type of Company: Equity SPT
Recommended ages: Contains strong language and sexual situations
Description: An edgy new comedy that explores families: what it means to start one and to be a part of one. David and Emily are a conventional couple attempting parenthood through unconventional means. Along the way, they encounter misunderstandings, overbearing in-laws and a mysterious dominatrix. Will the greatest test of their marriage be a pregnancy test? Read the AnnArbor.com preview here
Fun fact: In the early 1900s, the building that houses the Purple Rose was a used car and bus garage owned by Jeff Daniels’ grandfather. In 1989, the building was purchased and renovated by Mr. Daniels and later donated to the Purple Rose.
For tickets and information: 734-433-7673, http://www.purplerosetheatre.org/

Show: The Dreamland Sunday Matinee Puppet Show, every Sunday
Company: Dreamland Theater Puppet Troupe
Type of Company: Children’s/Educational program
Recommended ages: All ages
Description: Dreamland Theater presents puppet shows for children every Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm. These original shows utilize a variety of types of puppetry including marionettes and shadow puppets.
Fun fact: Over the years, Ypsilanti has become a hot spot for the young and hip, with destination spots like Corner Brewery and The Sidetrack. In the proximity of Dreamland Theater, I recommend Beezy’s, with a comfort food menu featuring homemade bread and soups and fresh vegan alternatives.

Worth traveling for:
Show: Crimes of the Heart, by Beth Henley, through June 25
Company: Tipping Point Theatre Company, Northville
Type of Company: Equity SPT
Recommended ages: 16+
Description: Babe Magrath has shot her senator husband in the stomach and doesn’t want to tell her lawyer why in this black comedy of family strife. Sisters Meg and Lenny join Babe at Old Granddaddy’s home to cope with the latest incident disrupting their dysfunctional lives. Old resentments come out, quirky relatives appear and each sister is forced to face the consequences of the “crimes of the heart” she has committed.
Fun fact: Henley’s most famous play, it opened at the Actors Theatre of Louisville and then moved to New York, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as the award for Best American Play of 1981 from the New York Drama Critics' Circle. The play also earned Henley a Tony Award nomination, and her screenplay for the film version was nominated for an Oscar as Best Adapted Screenplay.

*Did you know that...?: The performance rights to most non-public domain plays are handled through a few licensing agencies in New York, which subdivide into amateur and professional rights departments. Acquiring the rights to hot shows involves a complex negotiation process examining criteria like seating capacity, potential box office sales, length of run, artistic acclaim, and proximity to other theaters with pending applications, among others.