Performance Network announces new director of development

ANN ARBOR - Performance Network Theatre's board of directors and executive director Carla Milarch are pleased to announce the appointment of Janet E. Torno as director of development.

"We are just so thrilled to have Janet on staff," Milarch said of the appointment. "Her dynamism, gusto and go-get 'em attitude are the perfect compliment to round out our charismatic, energetic staff."

Torno received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Michigan, with post-graduate study in the History of Art, Architecture and Visual Arts. She began her career at The University of Michigan Museum of Art as assistant director, and subsequently took the position of executive director at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center.

Her next position was in Washington DC at Corcoran College of Art and Design where she was director of continuing education. In 2006 she returned to Ann Arbor as vice president for programming at the Ann Arbor Art Center and program director and chief operating officer at Artrain USA.

Torno's goal at Performance Network is to substantially increase the non-earned portion of the organization's budget. "I am continually amazed at the high quality and cutting edge performances that take place daily at Performance Network Theatre," Torno said. "I look forward to working with individual donors as well as corporate partners in this challenging economy to continue the vision and mission of the Network."

"In the short time since she has come on board, I can already see that her impact on PNT will be huge," Milarch said. "She brings incredible talent to our staff, as our artists bring incredible talent to our stage. I have no doubt that she, like them, will win many awards!"

In addition to her professional work, Torno is an active volunteer in the arts community, and this year she serves as co-chair of the University Musical Society's auction, On the Road with UMS. The performing and visual arts are her passion, as well as her profession.

"I believe that the commitment of the Ann Arbor community and the Detroit Metropolitan region to the arts is strong," Torno said. "Despite the difficult economic conditions, I feel certain that we will be successful in meeting our new goals working together with a professional staff and a hard-working board of directors."

Torno can be reached at Performance Network Theatre by calling 734-663-0696.

Breathe Art Theatre Project announces fifth Windsor/Detroit season

DETROIT - Breathe Art Theatre Project's fifth Windsor/Detroit cross-border season buzzes with angst and anxiety. The ensemble's 3-play season radiates an electricity of hope as characters search for definitive answers in contemporary culture. The characters this season represent versions of American/Canadian life, where what is in our head is sometimes more intense than the outside world. This season's characters are funny, neurotic, sensitive and poetic; they are writers, artists, dancers, politicians, therapists, moms, dads, brothers and sisters.

Breathe Art Theatre Project's contribution this season includes Nocturne by Adam Rapp, Raised In Captivity by Nicky Silver, and for the first time, an original musical written by Breathe Art Theatre Project.

Nocturne
by Adam Rapp
Director: Demetri Vacratsis
Sept. 26-27 (Windsor)
Oct. 3-19 (Detroit)

An elegant and gripping dissection of the American Dream, in which a 32-year-old former piano prodigy makes a desperate search for redemption while manufacturing the tragic events that tore his family apart into a work of art. Adam Rapp's highly acclaimed play signals a brave new voice in American theater.

Featuring: Kevin T. Young, Audra Lord, Peter Coady, Rose Napoli. Designer: Aaron T. Moore; Assistant Director: Shannon Ferrante

Raised In Captivity
by Nicky Silver
Director: Demetri Vacratsis
Nov. 20-Dec. 7 (Detroit)
Jan. 23-24, 2009 (Windsor)

Wrapped up in a pretty bow of paranoia, with characters striving to break free of their emotional prisons, Raised In Captivity is a funny and imaginative story of two estranged siblings who reunite after their mother is killed by an errant shower head.

Featuring: Seth Amadei, Morgan Chard, Joel Mitchell, Kelly Komlen, Brian Thibault. Designers: Valerie Bonasso and Sergio Forest; Assistant Director: Katie Galazka

An Original Musical by Breathe Art Theatre Project
Director and cast: T.B.A.
March 6-7, 2009 (Windsor)
March 12-29, 2009 (Detroit)

Say Detroit - Think "Strawberry"

Ticket Information:

Detroit Performances at The Furniture Factory, 4126 3rd St., Box Office: 248-982-4121
Windsor Performances at Mackenzie Hall, 3277 Sandwich St., Box Office: 519-255-7600.
Tickets: $20 general admission, $15 student/senior

Show Schedules:

Thursday Previews at 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Sunday Matinees at 2 p.m.

OTHER VOICES - PREVIEWS: Fireside Festival of New Plays at Performance Network Theatre

Read JENN MCKEE's preview in The Ann Arbor News (Aug. 24, 2008)

Flint Youth Theatre hosts open house Sept. 4

FLINT - Flint Youth Theatre is hosting its second annual Open House on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Community members of all ages and interests are invited to experience the joy of a drama class, the thrill of an audition and the wonder of a backstage tour. This free event will take place at FYT, located at 1220 East Kearsley Street in the Flint Cultural Center.

Guests can participate in or observe activities such as auditions, improvisation performances, drama classes and backstage tours highlighting FYT's broad range of performance and education opportunities. Brochures and flyers about FYT programming will be available for guests to take home. The information will include details about productions in the 2008-2009 Signature Series, Razzle Dazzle Series, Off The Press Series, Learning Through Theatre Series and Special Events as well as FYT Drama School classes, the InterACT program and the new FYT membership program.

Prizes and special offers will be given to all guests. FYT staff, students and parents will talk with guests about the various programs and about their experiences at FYT. Refreshments will be provided.

Questions may be directed to FYT by calling 810-237-1530.

Meadow Brook Theatre announces 2008-2009 season

ROCHESTER - The stars will come out to play at Meadow Brook Theatre, thanks to an upcoming season that has something for everyone - drama, thriller, farce, family and multiple musicals.

The season opens with Murder by Poe, running Oct. 8 through Nov. 2. See what happens when the characters of Edgar Allen Poe converge on a woman in white to weave a new tale of terror. MBT artistic administrator and Oakland University graduate Travis Walter will direct this new thriller by Jeffrey Hatcher.

Next on the schedule, although not part of the season ticket package, is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Charles Nolte. This annual presentation of the story of Scrooge, Tiny Tim and three ghosts that make a difference runs Nov. 28 through Dec. 21. This year, Meadow Brook favorite Joe Reed takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Beyond the Rainbow by William Randall Beard runs Jan. 7 through Feb. 1, 2009. This musical, making its Michigan premiere, tells the story of Judy Garland's life from poverty to stardom. Favorite songs include The Trolley Song, Stormy Weather and, of course, Over the Rainbow.

Next up is Cindy Williams starring in Kong's Night Out, running Feb. 11 through March 8. This new farce, directed by the playwright, Jack Neary, tells the audience what was happening in the room when King Kong's hand reached in and grabbed Ann Darrow. MBT is excited to welcome Williams back for a second season. Williams, most recently seen in Nunsense, is best known as Shirley Feeney from television's Laverne & Shirley. Says Williams, "I am so honored to be asked back to work at this marvelous theater."

For drama lovers, The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote runs March 18 through April 12. Mrs. Watts, played by MBT veteran Mary Benson, runs away from the home she shares with her son's family to return to her hometown. Also starring is Joanna Cassidy, familiar to audiences from her recent roles on television's Heroes, Boston Legal and Six Feet Under, is still remembered by many for playing Zhora in Blade Runner. Dennis North, who directed last season's Moonlight and Magnolias, directs this American classic.

Rounding out the season is another musical, By Jeeves, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book and lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn. Based on the beloved Jeeves stories by P.G. Woodhouse, this day-in-the-life of Bertie Wooster and his manservant Jeeves includes mistaken identities, forbidden loves and a rollicking finale. By Jeeves runs April 22 through May 17.

As a bonus, Nunsense 2: The Second Coming runs May 27 through June 14. Directed by creator Dan Goggin, this return visit with the Little Sisters of Hoboken stars Marcia Wallace from The Bob Newhart Show, Match Game and The Simpsons.

Subscriptions for the five-play season are currently available. Packages range from $104 to $166. Subscribers receive priority seating, 20 percent discounts on additional tickets and the ability to purchase tickets to A Christmas Carol and Nunsense 2: The Second Coming before they go on sale to the general public.

Season tickets are available by calling the subscription office at 248-377-3300.

Individual tickets go on sale Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.

Meadow Brook Theatre, located on the campus of Oakland University, is a non-profit, cultural institution serving southeast Michigan for over 40 years.

For additional information on Meadow Brook Theatre, please visit www.mbtheatre.com.

Williamston Theatre and founders receive 2008 Robert Busby Award

WILLIAMSTON - The Lansing State Journal has named the Williamston Theatre and its four founders, Tony Caselli, John Lepard, Christine Purchis and Emily Sutton-Smith, the recipient of the 2008 Robert Busby Award.

The Thespie Award Committee, made up of theater critics and judges from the Lansing State Journal, chose the recipient of this award, created in 2007. "It was named in honor of the man who had done so much for the arts locally," said Bridgette Redman, a theater critic for the Lansing State Journal. "He was truly one of those supporters who made things happen, championing the underdog and being willing to try risky and new ventures."

Busby, often regarded as the unofficial Mayor of Old Town, worked tirelessly for 30 years to revive that area of the city, using art and music to create a destination location and vibrant business community. The Creole Gallery, launched in 1998 by Busby, was home to Icarus Falling and host of Riverwalk's Black Box and Ledges Community Players' holiday show, bringing theater to the Old Town area for the first time. Busby was the first recipient of the award, which was awarded posthumously in the summer of 2007.

The Williamston Theatre received the 2008 award for its extraordinary overall contribution to theater in the area. "They've provided work for Michigan actors, produced plays that are relevant to the people who live here, and brought outstanding theatrical art to a small-town community at a time when arts funding is tight and survival tough," said Redman. "The Williamston Theatre has demonstrated creativity in the way that it has reached out to the community and formed collaborations with other arts organizations."

The theater's founders are humbled and grateful for the honor that this award bestows. "As the second recipient of this honor, we feel as though a torch has been passed," said Williamston Theatre executive director John Lepard. "We are committed to preserving the true American voice in theater and creating a positive economic impact that will lift our region out of its financial malaise."

Since opening in June 2006, Williamston Theatre has mounted 12 full, professional productions in its space at 122 South Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, including two world premieres and several Michigan premieres. The company will launch its third season with a production of Leaving Iowa in October. Information on the 2008-2009 season is available on the theater's Web site at www.williamstontheatre.org.

OTHER VOICES - NEWS: GoComedy! to open this fall in Ferndale

Read STEPHANIE ANGELYN CASOLA's preview in the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers (Aug. 21, 2008)

UPDATED: Winners announced: The 2008 Wilde Awards

The seventh annual Wilde Awards again lived up to their reputation as "One Wilde Night," as more than 220 local thespians came together August 20 to honor their contemporaries. Sponsored by Between The Lines, Michigan's weekly newspaper serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied communities, some 19 awards were presented, celebrating the very best professional productions and performances of the 2007/2008 season. Three additional awards recognizing outstanding achievements were also bestowed.

"The Wilde Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate and honor the people and organizations that enrich our cultural lives here in Southeast and Mid Michigan," said Donald V. Calamia, BTL theater editor and the night's master of ceremonies.

The evening began with hors d'oeuvres and entertainment by Ian Finkelstein and Alex Levine, two thirds of the acclaimed Tony Lannen Trio. Following the social hour, guests adjourned to the beautiful Gem Theatre, where they were treated to a sequence of hilarious video productions. The first, created by Mikey Brown, featured area theater critics Martin F. Kohn, Robert Delaney, Jenn McKee, David A. Blackburn and Calamia, along with ceremony co-hosts Jaime Moyer and Suzie Jacokes, who provided audience members a comedic insight into what a critic's day really entails. The short production proved, as Calamia put it, "That when you can't do something, you can always write about it."

The second video, produced by Marc Evan Jackson of the Los Angeles based improv troupe The 313, offered guests a brief, but humorous retrospective of Between The Lines' 15-year history. Co-publishers Jan Stevenson and Susan Horowitz would later comment that the years had, in fact, flown by, but not quite so quickly. Later in the two-hour event, four additional videos provided by Andy Cobb and starring various members of The 313 were also screened - to much laughter and applause.

Following the introduction of Calamia and co-hosts Moyer and Jacokes, the serious business of the Wilde Awards began. Production and performance awards were dolled out in a variety of categories, and the evening's first half culminated with the presentation of the annual WILDE-r Awards, which honored unintentionally funny moments in the 2007/2008 season. This year, a number of the WILDER-r Awards went to anonymous audience members for performances that could never have been scripted. Also recognized was the stage crew of Meadow Brook Theatre's Biloxi Blues, for excellence in the face of disaster during the production's problem-plagued opening night.

As has become a Wilde Awards tradition, local troupe The Actors' Company staged an original comedic musical at the mid-point of the ceremony. This year's mini-production spoofed the play Doubt, which was independently staged by three of Michigan's professional theaters during the 2007/2008 season. All three productions were nominated for Wilde Awards, but it was Ann Arbor's Performance Network Theatre's Doubt that walked away a winner, taking home three well-deserved awards.

After the musical interlude, co-publishers Stevenson and Horowitz returned to the stage to present the Publishers' Award for Excellence to the Detroit Repertory Theatre, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Stevenson also discussed the success of EncoreMichigan.com, launched during the 2007/2008 season - and alluded to a large Encore-related announcement on the horizon.

Also presented was the recently renamed Jim Posante Community Pride Award. Presented by ACLU attorney Jay Kaplan, the award was given to Out 'N About Flint for using the arts to raise awareness of LGBT issues in Genesee County.

Posante, a highly regarded teacher, director and performer, passed away last year, leaving large holes in both the theater and LGBT communities. Calamia's announcement that the Community Pride Award had been renamed in Posante's honor drew the audience to its feet, as many had felt his impact on their careers and lives. They returned to their feet when Posante's production of Dirty Blonde won for Best Production with LGBT Themes. A tearful Carla Milarch, Performance Network's executive director and star of Dirty Blonde, accepted the award in his absence.

The final award of the night was Calamia's Critic's Choice Award, which went to Box Fest 2007, for creating opportunities for women in theater.

CLICK HERE for a complete list of winners

Fireside Festival of New Works returns at Performance Network

ANN ARBOR - Performance Network Theatre will present the Fireside Festival of New Works Aug. 24-27 at 8 p.m. Admission for all shows is a pay-what-you-can donation.

The Fireside Festival is an exciting, affordable way to see brand new plays produced by Performance Network, Ann Arbor's home for professional theater. See partially staged readings of new works from local playwrights, including Joseph Zettelmaier, Barton Bund and Kitty Dubin. Performances will take place on the Network's main stage as well as in the Network's Second Stage, an alternative black box performance space.

Performances include:

THE BLANK PAGE
By Kitty Dubin, concert reading directed by Tony Caselli. In collaboration with Williamston Theatre
Sunday, August 24 at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage

A frustrated creative writing professor is struggling to resurrect her once successful literary career. Threatened by a fearless and talented student, her anxiety about meeting the deadline for her new novel creates conflict in her marriage and tension with her best friend.

THE HORROR SHOW
By Joseph Zettelmaier, staged reading directed by David Wolber
Sunday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. on the Second Stage, and Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage

A group of radio actors set up for a rehearsal on Oct. 30, 1938. Things go from bad to worse as they lose their leading actress minutes before rehearsal, then discover that they might be losing their jobs as well. The company's director brings in his ex-wife as a last-minute replacement. And just when things seem at their worst, a terrifying news broadcast informs everyone that America is under attack...by something beyond their wildest imaginations.

CALYPSOBy Kelly Rossi, Staged reading directed by Shannon Ferrante. In collaboration with Planet Ant Theatre
Monday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage

If you had a choice to lead a revolution, would you? If you were given the opportunity to clothe, feed and teach a nation, would you? If answering yes meant unending persecution, would you still try? Calypso follows the story of two women who answered yes to these questions and never looked back. It reminisces on old fears, brings them to the present in a violent new way and teaches the ignorant that bliss is no longer an option.

SENATE INAPPROPRIATIONS
By Barton Bund. In collaboration with Blackbird Theatre
Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage

Four U.S. Democratic senators share a two-bedroom house in Washington. When a practical joke against their Republican neighbors goes horribly awry, a scandal is exposed that could rock the foundation of American politics. Funny and sharp, this is a play for our times.

BOY WONDERS
By Joseph Tracz, staged reading directed by Walouisa Hubbard
Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. on the Second Stage

Vic and Dorsey have never met, but every night they save the city together as Kid Flame and Dr. Fabulous - superheroes in a popular online role-playing game. Then an act of real-life violence brings them together in person. Boy Wonders turns the pages of our comic book-obsessed culture to find the line between superheroes and soldiers, victims and villains, justice and revenge.

There are also two TBA performances: Monday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. on the Second Stage.

Tickets are "Pay What You Can" and can be ordered at the Performance Network Box Office at 734-663-0681, online at www.performancenetwork.org or by coming to the Performance Network Theatre (120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor) Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or one hour before a performance.

OTHER VOICES - PREVIEWS: The Day Everything Went Wrong at Performance Network Theatre

Read REBECCA MAZZEI's preview in Metro Times (Aug. 13, 2008)

Read ROGER LELIEVRE's preview in The Ann Arbor News (Aug. 3, 2008)

Palmer Park revisits separate but equal

By D. A. Blackburn

From the Sweet trials of the 1920s to white flight and Malice Green, the city of Detroit has frequently found itself at the forefront in discussions of race relations in America. Though landmark events in the debate over separate but equal - Brown v. Board of Education and the Montgomery bus boycott - have played out on distant stages, the city has consistently served as a barometer for the national climate.

In her latest work, Palmer Park, which debuts at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival August 8 through September 21, playwright Joanna McClelland Glass revisits the issue of separate but equal education in a semi-autobiographical work, based on her experiences in Detroit's Palmer Park in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

"Basically it's about my family's fight to stay in a community where the battle was to keep it at 65 percent white and 35 percent black," said Glass. "I also, very badly wanted to write, as a white woman, about the plight of middle and upper middle class blacks who just keep moving around trying to find better schools, good schools. And it's really the plight of people who, at least on the surface, seem to have done everything that white society requires of them."

Canadian-born Glass, her ex-husband and their three children moved into Palmer Park in 1968. They were intimately aware of the realities of white flight, and that their decision to live within city limits was unpopular among their contemporaries. "In the year following the riots of '67, something like 300,000 names left the Detroit phone book, never to return."

Palmer Park chronicles the experiences of five couples, three white and two black, as they struggle to ensure that their children receive the best educational opportunities in a community where school budgets often failed to provide paper, pencils and quality text books. Disparities between the predominantly white Hampton and the largely black Bagley schools are exposed, and neighbors are forced to examine their beliefs and allegiances.

Though the play is set in Detroit, its story is a struggle that played out across the nation. Director Ron OJ Parson, a teenager in the late 1960s, has drawn on his own experience to bring the work to life. "The same thing was happening in other cities, Chicago, Cleveland. My neighborhood in Buffalo was no different," said Parson.

Parson, a University of Michigan alum and the first American black to direct at Stratford, has given the docu-drama a multi-media component, with video and period music to broaden its scope and add historical context.

Though the work is set 40 years in the past, both director and playwright see a significant relevance in today's American society. "Separate but equal is still being attempted. I think in a lot of cases, the schools are more segregated now than they were then," said Parson.

For her part, Glass points out that the very school at the center of Palmer Park is a prime example. "I think at last count, the 2006 census, Barbara Jordan (formerly Hampton) had two white kids out of about 750 kids in the school."

Such numbers ensure that Palmer Park will likely remain a thought-provoking look at race, class and public education for years to come.

Click here for additional information about Palmer Park

Click here for complete information about the Stratford Shakespeare Festival

SHOW DETAILS:

Palmer Park will play in repertory at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Studio Theatre, 34 George St. E., Stratford, Ontario. Previews begin Aug. 8; the show runs Aug. 16-Sept. 21. Tickets: $39-$69. For information: 1-800-567-1600 or www.stratford-festival.on.ca/plays/park.cfm.

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OTHER VOICES - PREVIEWS: Palmer Park at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival

Read JOHN MONAGHAN's preview in the Detroit Free Press (Aug. 3, 2008)

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