Acclaimed author and columnist Mitch Albom and The Purple Rose Theatre Company Artistic Director Guy Sanville team up on their second World Premiere, a sleight-of-hand comedy titled And The Winner Is.

As the title suggests, it is awards season in Hollywood when movie star Tyler Johnes wakes up in a strange bar where time has no meaning and nothing is as it seems. All Johnes wants is to get to the Oscars so he can accept the Best Supporting Actor award he thinks he so richly deserves, but the odd bartender named Seamus keeps throwing a wrench in the works. Unexpected appearances by his agent, his old acting partner, his well-endowed escort and his soon-to-be ex-wife further complicate Johnes’ attempts to keep his date with destiny. Flavored with Albom’s signature introspection, And The Winner Is has all the charm of It’s A Wonderful Life for life in the fast lane.

And The Winner Is is directed by PRTC Artistic Director Guy Sanville. “It’s a quirky, heartfelt and slightly wicked tale of life, death and sacrifice,” Sanville says. About his second collaboration with the playwright, he continues, “Mitch uses humor as a window into the human heart.”

Originally scheduled for a 9-week run, And The Winner Is has been extended an additional four weeks, closing on September 24, 2005. The additional performances were added to accommodate record ticket sales. “Mitch has written a delightful pay full of humor and heart,” says director Guy Sanville. “We’re thrilled with the production and happy to see audiences embracing the play in such large numbers.”

The cast of this new comedy includes Paul Hopper, Sarab Kamoo, Grant R. Krause, and Wayne David Parker. Two actors will make their PRTC debut this summer in And The Winner Is: Eastern Michigan University graduate Jerri Doll and Chelsea-native Patrick Michael Kenney.

Critics' Quotes "I suppose it is always a worthwhile thing to be reminded about mending relationships and getting right with God before it is too late. But it is truly a rare and special thing to have such a reminder included in one of the funniest plays I’ve ever seen." Robert Delaney The Detroit Monitor It’s A Winner "Think It’s A Wonderful Life right down to the Seamus/Clarence character. But Albom’s version offers a fresh, funny twist. Look for plenty of digs at Hollywood, the movie business, lengthy awards shows and celebrity egos... Much of the humor is rooted in ridiculous truth... (Paul) Hopper especially finds the perfect blend of all-knowing helper and mischievous sidekick for Seamus." Judith Cookis-Rubens Oakland Press Albom play, cast win in the end Despite simple appearances, Winner has considerable ambitions "...takes on considerable emotional heft and poignancy, and Albom achieves a fitting end that is simultaneously inevitable and surprising. Albom also, throughout the play, offers up a good deal of bright, cynical humor... (Paul) Hopper in particular showcases excellent comic timing, but he also – along with (Sarab) Kamoo – injects a sense of grounded human decency that provides the play with a richer texture, and a greater resonance." Jenn McKee The Ann Arbor News "Picture this. You have just died, but you don’t realize it yet. What you are experiencing seems remarkably like sliding down the chute from the upstairs bedroom into a dirty laundry bin, except at the end you find yourself flying out a trap door onto the top of a skateboard ramp, then rolling down the ramp to a sliding stop. Congratulations, you have arrived at your destination, halfway between heaven and hell at a way station – the tiny stage of the Purple Rose Theatre..." Tom Helma Lansing City Pulse "Uniformly excellent performances are given by the show’s superb cast, especially 2005 Wilde Award nominees Paul Hopper, Sarab Kamoo and Grant R. Krause. Guy Sanville’s direction is inventive and fast-paced, and as always, all technical elements are top-notch." Donald V. Calamia Between The Lines

Photos by Danna Segrest