Posted on Tue, Aug 2, 2011 : 9:39 a.m.
'Escanaba in Da Moonlight' returning to Purple Rose stage as part of next season's lineup
By AnnArbor.com Staff
Wayne David Parker in "Escanaba in Da Moonlight"
photo courtesy of the Purple Rose Theatre Co.
Set in an Upper Peninsula deer camp, "Escanaba in Da Moonlight" tells the tale of an unsuccessful deer hunter. First produced in 1995, it became a major hit for the Purple Rose, and the return engagement will include two original cast members, Wayne David Parker and Jim Porterfield.
The rest of the season includes "A Stone Carver" by William Mastrosimone, "White Buffalo" by Don Zolidis, and "On Golden Pond" by Ernest Thompson.
"Escanaba" advance ticket sales for donors began Monday; general ticket sales begin Aug. 15 via the box office at 734-433-ROSE (7673) or online. For more information, see the Purple Rose website.
Following is the full announcement from the theater:
The Purple Rose Theatre Company will begin its twenty-first season with a revival of "Escanaba In Da Moonlight" by Jeff Daniels, followed by "A Stone Carver" by William Mastrosimone, "White Buffalo" by Don Zolidis, and "On Golden Pond" by Ernest Thompson. Eight low-priced previews will start each run, followed by Press Opening Night during the second week of each engagement. Regular performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. with added performance dates to be announced. All performances will be held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118. The Ford Motor Company Fund is the 2011/2012 Season sponsor.
"Escanaba In Da Moonlight by Jeff Daniels premiered at the Purple Rose in 1995, and was subsequently produced in 1997, setting record attendance numbers for the company. The comedy will feature original cast members Wayne David Parker as Jimmer Negamanee and Jim Porterfield as Albert Soady. Set on the eve of the opening day of deer season, Reuben Soady is hoping to get his shot and shed the mantle of “the buckless yooper.” But before dawn approaches a series of weird occurrences and crazy locals will threaten Rueben’s ultimate goal. Will he bag the buck or go down in family history as a failure? Escanaba In Da Moonlight will run for thirteen weeks from Thursday, September 22 through Saturday, December 17, 2011.
"A Stone Carver," a comedy by William Mastrosimone, centers on Agostino, a retired stonemason who is being evicted from his home to make space for a highway. When he barricades himself in the house, his son Raff must convince him to leave the house and all the memories attached to it. A touching tribute to fathers and sons, "A Stone Carver" will feature Purple Rose artistic director Guy Sanville as Agostino in an eight-week engagement from Thursday, January 19 to Saturday, March 10, 2012.
"White Buffalo" by Don Zolidis is the recipient of a 2011 Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award and winner of the 2004 Princess Grace Award for Playwriting. Based on actual events, the play tells the story of a white buffalo calf born on a small farm in southern Wisconsin, heralding a Sioux prophesy of peace on earth and unity to all mankind. The farm quickly becomes a hotbed of spiritual outpouring beyond the scope of the Gelling family's small town life. When a mysterious businessman offers to buy the calf, Carol must decide whether the calf signals the end of her hardships or the beginning of her enrichment. "White Buffalo"’s professional world premiere will begin Thursday, March 29 and run through Saturday, June 2, 2012 for a ten-week run.
"On Golden Pond," by Ernest Thompson follows Ethel and Norman Thayer as they return to their summer home in Maine. Their respite is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of their estranged daughter, her fiancé, and his teenage son. Over the course of the summer, an unlikely friendship develops between Norman and the boy, which sparks a renewed zest for life in the Thayer family. In the twilight years of marriage, Ethel and Norman rediscover the joy and romance of everyday living. Featuring Jan Radcliff and former Artistic Director and founder of the Boarshead Theatre, John Peakes. On Golden Pond will run for eleven weeks from Thursday, June 21 through Saturday, September 1, 2012.
Founded in 1991 by acclaimed actor and Chelsea native Jeff Daniels, The Purple Rose Theatre Company (PRTC) 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 professional 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 local and national theatre communities.
Tickets for groups of 12 or more are available for the entire season now and donors can purchase tickets approximately two months before each show opens with tickets going on sale to the general public two weeks later. Ticket reservations can be made by calling The Purple Rose Theatre Company Box Office at (734) 433-ROSE (7673); tickets will also be available for sale at www.purplerosetheatre.org
Comments
patty
Sat, Aug 6, 2011 : 6:33 p.m.
I am looking forward to the line-up! My personal choice for a revival would have been "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel", but Escanaba will be good for a run of fun and humor. A2lover's monikor reveals his bias - enuff said!! To the PRTC and Jeff Daniels, thank you for the gift of ongoing live theater to a still small community hungry for a bit of entertainment and culture. We are not, and never will be Ann Arbor and that I'm aware, haven't tried to claim we were? Best wishes to the PRTC for a great 2011-12 season and a long and acclaimed run of bringing professional theater to a still small community! Well done.
A2lover
Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 12:11 p.m.
Well, if that's what Chelsea wants, community theatre putting on community theatre plays for the provincial community, then Chelsea has got what it wants.
A2lover
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 12:31 p.m.
Wow! What a disappointing season. Tired plays, Gin Game and especially the Escanaba piece (again?) and obscure works, seems to indicate that the theatre is not the innovative, hotbed of new and groundbreaking plays that it claims to be and once was. The Performance Network seems to have taken on that mantle, their upcoming season of superior plays from New York's Broadway and Off-Broadway far out-shadow this ramshackle Purple Rose season. Perhaps the big deficits the theatre has recently encountered is the reason for this mystifying selection of plays, but it sure doesn't seem like it's the way to attract or build a paying audience. I, for one, will not be going to the Purple Rose this coming season.
A2lover
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 7:10 p.m.
ooops! Not Gin Game, On Golden Pond. But pretty much the same thing, an old chestnut we've seen a million times.