a World Premiere by Jeff Daniels
OCTOBER 14, 2010 – DECEMBER 18, 2010
Two middle-aged married couples — the Martins and the Porters — stand on the verge of becoming “the best of friends.” A perceived slight over dinner quickly devolves the blossoming relationship into an escalating game of one-upmanship to see which couple can devise a plan that will sever the relationship forever.
Directed by Guy Sanville
CAST:
PRESS QUOTES
”It takes good actors to make bad behavior believable, and Daniels and Sanville are well served by this able foursome.”
– Encore Michigan
”Daniels’ script certainly contains sharp moments of laugh-out-loud humor, and director Guy Sanville knows precisely how to stage them …”
– AnnArbor.com
”… Best of Friends certainly succeeded at blasting away my expectations. … Indeed, playwright Jeff Daniels’ new comedy is like putting bugs together in a jar and shaking it up to watch them fight.”
– Rogue Critic
”… Daniels demonstrates an unfailing ear for dialogue that is at once natural-sounding, hilariously clever, and borderline creepy. If we don’t personally know the Martins and the Porters, we know people very much like them.”
– Detroit Theatre Examiner
”Daniels’ quirky dialogue always delights …” -Terry Pow, Jackson Citizen Patriot”If this delightfully witty comedy is any indication of what the season will be like, I am very excited.”
– Chelsea Standard
a World Premiere by Michael Brian Ogden
JANUARY 20, 2011 – MARCH 5, 2011
In the dark underworld of modern-day Detroit, Joey — an Army veteran turned enforcer for the Irish Mob — struggles with a crisis of conscience about his work. He’s looking for a way out of “the life,” but ends up finding love in the very last place he expected to find it. Trouble is, his partner Laurence and his sadistic boss Cobb stand between him and a new beginning. Contains violence and strong language.
Directed by Guy Sanville
CAST:
PRESS QUOTES
“… one of the bloody-best times I’ve had in a theater so far this season.”
– Encore Michigan
“It’s bloody wonderful.”
– The Detroit News
“… 90 minutes of bloody mayhem and redemption interspersed with delicious moments of comic absurdity.”
– Jackson Citizen Patriot
“… a well-spun and eminently compelling tale of a good bad guy.”
– Rogue Critic
“… probably the most ambitious theatrical production I’ve seen …”
– Chelsea Standard
“Everything feels authentic. … the fight choreography, played in close proximity, is better than any we’ve seen anywhere; and according to our resident authority on armaments, ‘they got the guns right.’ ”
– Detroit Theatre Examiner
a World Premiere by Carey Crim
MARCH 24, 2011 – MAY 28, 2011
This edgy new comedy explores families: what it means to start one and to be a part of one. David and Emily are a conventional couple attempting parenthood through unconventional means. Along the way, they encounter misunderstandings, overbearing in-laws and a mysterious dominatrix. Will the greatest test of their marriage be a pregnancy test? Contains strong language and sexual situations.
Directed by Guy Sanville
CAST:
PRESS QUOTES
“… a laugh-out-loud original comedy that simultaneously warms and breaks your heart.”
– AnnArbor.com
“This is a funny, funny play … The cast creates dimensional characters who are as warm, as weak, and as loveable as those in our own lives.”
– Detroit Theater Examiner
“…sumptuously funny and emotional…”
– Heritage Media
“Director Guy Sanville took this great story and brought it to life with a cast that can only be described as outstanding.”
– Michigan Entertainment News
“… a distinctive, emotional tale …”
– Rogue Critic
“… a hilariously sophisticated comedy … conjuring up twists and turns that keep the audience on edge to the very end. To give away any of the details would be to spoil a skillfully woven plot.”
– New Monitor
a World Premiere by David MacGregor
JUNE 16, 2011 – SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
During the celebration of a Detroit Lions Super Bowl victory, Gene Walsh impulsively proposes marriage to the love of his life. When she joyously accepts, he tumbles over the coffee table. This chance fall begins a hilarious cascade of startling twists that turn the happy couples’ future upside down and inside out.Contains strong language and adult themes.
Directed by Guy Sanville
CAST:
PRESS QUOTES
“MacGregor’s script is a fine-crafted piece of comedy. It’s funny, sometimes outrageous, yet the humor is never forced and flows naturally from the plot. Consider the Oyster is a fresh, unique rendition of an ageless theme: love’s triumph over adversity.”
– Encore Michigan
“Mere explanations don’t do justice to Consider the Oyster, which must be seen to be believed. The script is fresh, curiously topical, and liberally funny, to say nothing of a production that complements the text with a spectacular environment, a grounded emotional undercurrent, sharp pacing, and even over-the-top, appreciably dangerous physical comedy. This accomplishment in storytelling has broad appeal for viewers in the mood for lighter entertainment as well as those craving a captivating, thought-provoking experience.”
– The Rogue Critic
“… Oyster will definitely get the gears in your head turning after tickling your funny bone and touching your heart.”
– Heritage Newspapers