During my first days as a Purple Rose Apprentice back in August 2013, I spent a lot of time learning about The Rose; its mission, values, acting philosophies, and the daily operations that make the place go ‘round. A lot of what I learned came from conversations with Resident Artist and Apprentice Chief Michelle Mountain.…
By: Paul Stroili “So there’s this theatre in Michigan that’s doing one of my plays,” my friend Michael Grady said to me. Michael is an amazing writer, a brilliant playwright and the funniest person I’ve ever met. We were roommates in Chicago in the early ‘90s, but it was now 1996 and my wife Monica…
In a Purple Rose production, no choice is made unintentionally, including the chime of the doorbell or the ring of a cellphone in the PRTC’s current show, “Vino Veritas.” “It all has to serve the play,” explains sound designer Tom Whalen. “If something isn’t moving the story forward, we take it out.” A PRTC Resident…
Having been a Properties Designer at The Purple Rose for more than 25 years, Danna Segrest is well accustomed to the challenge of finding obscure objects for productions. Since beginning her work on “Smart Love,” a world premiere by Michigan playwright Brian Letscher now being staged at The Rose, her latest quests have sent her in…