The Southgate Community Players upcoming season includes “The Crucible,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and “Calendar Girls.” For more information, go to SCPonstage.com.
Southgate Community Players has announced a tempting season of drama, comedy and musicals, while the Ringwald will host a series of productions featuring new playwrights, beginning with the work of a Detroit area writer, with both groups offering fascinating options for local theater aficionados.
In addition, the Dearborn Youth Theater will offer a summer treat with a production of “Disney’s High School Musical” Aug. 15 to 17 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.
SOUTHGATE COMMUNITY PLAYERS ANNOUNCES NEW SEASON
The Southgate Community Players has announced its upcoming season, which includes “MTI’s Broadway Junior Revue: Pure Imagination” Aug. 14 to 17; “The Crucible” October 10 to 18; “Once Upon a Mattress,” a teen production, December 4 to 7; “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” February 21 to 28; and “Calendar Girls” April 24 to 26 and May 1 and 2.
The “MTI’s Broadway Junior Revue: Pure Imagination” features songs from “Seussical,” “Shrek,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Frozen” and more. It also includes the title song, “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka.”
Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” written during the height of McCarthyism in the United States, uses the Salem witch trials to explore themes of social injustice, mass hysteria and the dangers of unregulated political power. Auditions are at 7 p.m. Aug. 18 and 19 at the playhouse, 12671 Dix-Toledo Road in Southgate.
The teen production of the musical “Once Upon a Mattress,” based on the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Princess and the Pea,” takes place in a faraway land where the queen won’t let anyone marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, is wed – something she schemes to prevent.
“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” is based on the Charles Schultz comic strip “Peanuts.” In addition to Charlie Brown, characters like Linus, Lucy, Snoopy and Schroeder come to life during songs that include “My Blanket and Me,” “The Red Baron,” “Little Known Facts,” “Suppertime” and “Happiness.”
The season closes with “Calendar Girls,” which is based on a true story about a group of women who decide to pose nude for a calendar to raise money for leukemia research. They encounter both resistance and unexpected fame along the way, and learn about friendship, loss, and the ability of ordinary people to make a difference in the world.
For more information go to scponstage.com.
The Ringwald Theatre presents the premiere of Detroit playwright Joey Urreta’s “A Certain Kind of Light” Aug. 22 to 31 at Affirmations Community Center, 290 W. 9 Mile in Ferndale. For more information, go to theRingwald.com.
THE RINGWALD THEATRE PRESENTS PREMIERE OF ‘A CERTAIN KIND OF LIGHT’
The Ringwald Theatre is launching “From the Fringe” a series of original, thought-provoking plays by up-and-coming playwrights, beginning with the premiere of Detroit playwright Joey Urreta’s “A Certain Kind of Light.”
Set during a weekend in a college town, the story explores a group of young people whose carefree partying hides their deeper underlying personal struggles. When their inhibitions and their facades recede, they must face their own hard truths and the demons that they have tried to hide until they are forced to confront the truth of their own lives.
Directed by Asia Hicks, the cast includes Rashna Sarwar as Michelle, Siri Quist as Olivia, Hosanna Phillips as Jewel, Camden Maccagnone as Tyler and Detective Rollins, Joey Urreta as Steven, Jayshona Boxx as Vanessa, Daniel Santillana as Frank and Linda Rabin Hammell as Cassandra.
The show runs 7 p.m. Aug. 22, 23, 29 and 30, with 3 p.m. Aug. 24 and 31 matinees. Tickets are $30 and are available at TheRingwald.com.
The theater is located at Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center, 290 W. 9 Mile Road in Ferndale.
DEARBORN YOUTH THEATER PRESENTS ‘DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’
The Dearborn Youth Theater will present “Disney’s High School Musical” at 7 p.m. Aug. 15 and 16 and at 3 p.m. Aug. 17 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn.
Based on the popular movie, the stage musical follows the story of Troy, a basketball star, and Gabriella, a shy academic, as they navigate high school. Both love singing, and it follows them as they learn about identity, friendship and following one’s dreams.
The cast includes: Yoshua Jones as Troy, Sharon Adjanohoun as Gabriella, Maysa Abouzenni as Sharpay, Zack Barakat as Ryan, Chisomo Wilson as Chad and Austin Henry as Zeke.
Also, Autumn Herm as Kelsi, Navien Nasser as Ms. Darbus, James Hansen as Coach Bolton, Claire Finkbeiner as Ms. Tenny and Drake Moricz as Jack Scott.
In addition, Rokaya Martin as Taylor, Kennedy Hill as Martha Cox, Ana Yadira Sanchez as Ripper, Neveen Khatib as Mongo, Amelie Salame as James, Norma Dabaja as Susan, Nada Lazar as Cathy, Matthew Brown as Alan and Libby Turner as Cyndra.
The jocks are played by Oscar Francis, Drake Moricz, Hadi Bazzi, Kennedy Hill, Claire Finkbeiner, Neveen Khatib and Austin Henry.
The cheerleaders are played by Nada Lazar, Amelie Salame, Ava Baydoun, Wren Peck, Elena Maderani, Karen Lyons and Dominque Williams.
The brainiacs are played by Amir Hijazi, Lila Ballout, Neveah Harris and Zayna Atris, with the skater dudes played by Hadi Bazzi, Ana-Lucia Valez, Grace LaPointe and Madison Alfonsi.
For more information, go to DearbornTheater.com.