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Posted on Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 6:37 a.m.

'The Meaning of Almost Everything' at AADL, 'Jamie and Jordan' at Performance Network

By Carla Milarch

This week Washtenaw’s Equity theaters take center stage, with two offerings from each, showcasing the diversity of our professional theater scene. The Purple Rose continues its successful run of “White Buffalo” while also featuring a staged reading of a new script at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Meanwhile Performance Network Theatre will officially open of the Tony-winning “Red” this weekend, plus a Saturday matinee for the kids on Saturday, April 28.

As with most of the shows both theaters produce, every single actor, director, designer, set painter, carpenter, electrician and even a few of the playwrights are Michigan residents. So, virtually every dollar you spend on a ticket to these Michigan theaters stays right here at home.

Show: “Jamie and Jordan” Book and Lyrics by Kim Carney, Music by Gene Gaunt, one-time event, April 28, 1 p.m.
Company: Performance Network Theatre
Type of Company: Children’s Theater
Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 3+
Description: Born in the same hospital on the same day, neighbors Jamie and Jordan are lifelong best friends until a twist of fate (and ankle!) separates them. This hilarious musical tale teaches children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and healthy friendship - both important for long lasting happiness.
Fun Fact: Performance Network’s Saturday Matinees are followed by a milk (or juice) and cookie reception.
For tickets and information: 734-663-0696, www.performancenetwork.org/

Show: Concert reading of “The Meaning of Almost Everything” by Jeff Daniels, one-time event, May 1, 6:30 p.m.
Company: Purple Rose Theater Company
Type of Company: Professional Equity
Venue/location: Ann Arbor District Library - Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 13+
Description: This play is scheduled for its world premiere at the Purple Rose Theatre in the 2012-2013 season. Two men exist in nothingness. One wants to remain. The other isn't so sure. Jeff Daniels' newest play explores the questions, the fear, and the joy of being alive in a thought-provoking and theatrical way. The concert reading will feature Matt Gwynn ("Our Town"; "Bleeding Red"; "Growing Pretty") and Nate Mitchell ("White Buffalo"; "Boeing Boeing").
Fun fact: Purple Rose Artistic Director Guy Sanville will lead an audience talk-back session after the reading. Come see the cast and director in action, then stay and offer your opinions on this new work by Michigan’s most famous playwright.
For tickets and information: aadl.org

Show: “Red” by John Logan, through May 27
Company: Performance Network Theatre
Type of Company: Professional Equity
Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 16+, Contains adult themes and language.
Description: For two years from 1956-58, the abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko worked feverishly in his Bowery St. studio on Manhattan's lower East side, on what was at the time the highest paid commission since the Sistine Chapel. A Russian immigrant from humble beginnings, he worked on a series of enormous murals that would adorn that bastion of capitalism—the famous Four Seasons Restaurant in Mies Van der Rohe's Seagram Building. John Logan's Tony-winning play paints a picture of the fiery artist as he works intensely on the paintings, with the help of his apprentice Ken, and struggles with his personal demons to bring forth what would ultimately be his life's greatest achievement.
Preview from AnnArbor.com
Fun fact: Michigan actor Mark Rademacher, who plays Mark Rothko in the PNT production, is also featured in the locally filmed "The Five Year Engagement," which opens the same day as the play.
For tickets and information: 734-663-0681, www.performancenetwork.org/

Show: “White Buffalo” by Don Zolidis, through June 2
Company: The Purple Rose Theatre Company
Type of Company: Professional Equity (SPT)
Venue/location: The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea
Recommended ages: 14+ (contains some adult language and content)
Description: When Carol Gelling discovers that a buffalo born on her farm is pure white, she thinks it’s nothing more than a curiosity. She soon learns that the birth of the white buffalo fulfills an ancient Sioux prophecy -- the coming of peace on earth and unity of mankind. Almost overnight, her small farm becomes a hotbed of spiritual outpouring -- from Native American pilgrims to the Dalai Lama. When a mysterious businessman offers to buy the calf, Carol must decide whether the white buffalo signals the end of her financial hardships or the beginning of her own spiritual enrichment.
Review from AnnArbor.com
Fun fact: Students from Chelsea High School's Art Class created paintings, drawings and crafts inspired by the myth of the White Buffalo Woman for the PRTC Lobby.
For tickets and information: 734-433-7673, www.purplerosetheatre.org