It was only a month ago that I sat down with guest critics D.A. Blackburn and Robert W. Bethune and wished them well for the summer, because with such a light theater schedule over the next few months, their services would not be needed.
I should have kept my big mouth shut!
For over the last few weeks, so many shows have popped up for mid July – at the same time, of course – that both are being pressed back into emergency service.
That's actually a good thing, of course, since that means theater is alive and well – or at least still struggling – in the state of Michigan.
So here's a sampling of what's happening on Michigan stages over the next few weeks – some of which will be reviewed, and some of which won't. (And don't forget: All these shows and more can be found in our weekly Theater Events listings!)
GOING BATTY IN WILLIAMSTON Local playwright Annie Martin's experience with a bat in her home has given wings to "Flap," a comedy that will have its world premiere July 13 at the Williamston Theatre.
Directed by Lynn Lammers and starring Teri Clark, Dana Brazil, Brian Harcourt and Jesse Miller, this humorous and heartfelt romp through divorce, new houses and flying rodents is the final show of Williamston's inaugural season.
So support local professional theater by calling 517-655-7469 and reserving your tickets today!
MICHIGAN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL The Official Shakespeare Festival of the State of Michigan, as Governor Jennifer M. Granholm proclaimed in 2003, returns July 17 to the indoor Michael Baughman Theater at the Potter Center on the campus of Jackson Community College for a three-week run.
This year's productions, which run in repertory through Aug. 5, are "Macbeth," directed by John Neville-Andrews, and "Henry V," helmed by Ed. Simone. And for the wee folk on July 28 and Aug. 4, there's "Clown's Play," a comedy that shows what happens when clowns fill in for actors who fail to show for a performance of "Jack and the Beanstalk."
If you're a Shakespeare lover – or if you just love good theater – the hike to the outlands of Jackson is well worth it!
For tickets and information, call the MSF at 517-796-8600.
'DELICIOUS' COMEDY Saugatuck's Mason Street Warehouse continues another season of excellence beginning July 13 with "Food Chain," a hilarious comedy centered on the actions of a neurotically thin poet, her closed-mouth husband, a "delicious" male model, his food-junkie stalker and a wacky crisis hotline volunteer.
It sounds tasty to me!
For complete details, call MSW at 269-857-4898.
PLANET ANT BUSTS OUT ALL OVER There's plenty of action this month at Hamtramck's Planet Ant Theatre, beginning Sunday nights when two of Ann Arbor's hottest shows at Improv Inferno, "Uncoupled" and "Eye Candy" move east, preceded by the improv troupe Simply Coney, winner of the 2006 Colony Fest.
Monday and Thursday improv fun continues, but late nights will become a whole lot funnier beginning July 13 when multiple Wilde Award nominee Mike McGettigan and Mike Eshaq storm the stage with their original three-part comedy, "Everything Is Not Okay." And from what I keep hearing, this is a show that should NOT be missed!
Call 313-365-4948 for complete information!
RAINY DAYS IN FERNDALE Metro Detroit's newest professional theater, Who Wants Cake? Theatre, continues its sizzlin' summer at The Ringwald with Richard Greenberg's "Three Days of Rain."
A 1998 Pulitzer Prize finalist, the story centers on a brother and sister who, with a childhood friend, meet to divide the legacy of their late father. The result is a bittersweet elegy about beautiful buildings, unspeakable secrets and family fault lines.
The show opens – when else? – July 13.
Reservations and information can be obtained by calling 248-556-8581.
