Tempo

  Whether you’re looking for laughter, Halloween scares, or stories with social relevance, local theaters are adapting offerings to an online environment, as well as expanding live and outdoor socially distanced options. RINGWALD THEATRE PRESENTS ‘THE FACTS OF LIFE: A QUARAN-TEENY PARODY’ The Ringwald Theatre is offering “Camp Ringwald Summer Shorts,” a series of streaming shows designed to engage audiences while helping to support its shuttered theater. The first summer short, “The Facts of Life: A Quaran-Teeny … [Read more...] about From parody to scary, virtual and socially distanced theater options aim to entertain

Southgate Community Players will present an online staged dramatic reading of the powerful play “The Laramie Project” Oct.17, which will be online for one day only, as a fundraiser for the community theater. The access fee is $15, and is available here. “The Laramie Project,” by Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project, is based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, who was savagely beaten and later died, which drew attention to the lack of hate crime laws in some states, including … [Read more...] about Southgate Community Players present online version of ‘The Laramie Project’

  From adversity comes opportunity, as Trenton’s Open Book Theatre Company team discovered with its recent addition to its driveway theater program, playwright Sean Paraventi’s “2020: The Year They Cancelled Everything.” The show joins the improvisational “Off Book with Open Book” and the satirical “Complete Canon of Post-Apocalyptic Fiction and Film (Abridged).” The improvisational show encourages audience members to suggest themes, lines and more as the actors make up stories and play improv games for the audience’s … [Read more...] about ‘2020: The Year They Cancelled Everything’ expands OBTC driveway theater offerings

From a star of the stage and screen, to a choreographer who taught high school students the magic of dancing on stage, two Dearborn High School graduates are the 2020 inductees into the Dearborn Theater Hall of Fame: Actor Wayne David Parker and choreographer Jennifer McPherson. JENNIFER McPHERSON Jennifer McPherson, a 1997 graduate of Dearborn High School, started dancing at the age of 3 and hasn’t stopped since. Her introduction to theater happened as a freshman at DHS, where she appeared in “Bye, Bye, Birdie,” “Our … [Read more...] about Two DHS grads inducted into Dearborn Theater Hall of Fame

Whether it’s Shakespeare or modern musicals, high school theater programs provide students with a chance to become better thespians, whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes. However, with the pandemic, live theater, an experience best shared in a dark house with a crowd of intimate strangers, is unsafe. While actors and technicians can enjoy their memories of past shows, creating a future for live theater presents unique challenges in an environment where the intimacy of the art form is now its greatest liability. Four … [Read more...] about Curtain call: High school theater directors offer pre- and post-pandemic notes

  While no COVID-crystal ball exists, Broadway in Detroit hopes 2021 will light up the stages once more for theater-goers at both the Fisher Theater and Detroit Opera House. “SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical” is slated to open the new year Jan. 12 to 24 at the Fisher Theater, while “Ain’t Too Proud – the Life and Times of the Temptations” is scheduled to run Jan. 27 to Feb. 7 at the Detroit Opera House. Half a year from now, at the Fisher, “Hairspray” is scheduled for February, followed by “Mean Girls” in February and … [Read more...] about Broadway in Detroit hopes to bring ‘Hairspray,’ ‘Mean Girls,’ ‘Hamilton’ to Fisher in the new year

  From slapstick comedy to drama dealing with loss, YardTheatre Detroit’s premiere of three new one-act plays at an outdoor venue offers playgoers a respite from the pandemic’s theatrical drought. The outdoor performance, at 8 p.m. Aug. 1, at 640 Horton St., in Detroit, is free. Attendees are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. The three one-acts, by playwright Roman D’Ambrosio, 22, of South Lyon, include “Air Tokyo,” “Reunion” and “Rapunzel and Sisyphus.” Directed by Michael Lapp, 35, of Detroit, the … [Read more...] about Dearborn actor performs with YardTheatre Detroit in premiere of 3 new one-acts

  Fisher sets the stage for a January reopening While Broadway in Detroit hopes to light up the stage at the Fisher Theater and the Detroit Opera House next January as it reschedules Broadway tours, local theaters are opening on a limited basis with outdoor performances. SCP HOSTS OUTSIDE COMEDY SHOW Southgate Community Players have scheduled the “Lighten Up! Comedy Show” for 8 p.m. Aug. 15 at Market Center Park, 13631 Eureka Road in Southgate. The show, which features the talent of comedians Billy Reno, Steve … [Read more...] about Local theaters stage outdoor shows

Audiences love to laugh, and two comedies, Edsel Ford High School’s “Noises Off” and Crestwood High School’s musical, “Avenue Q,” were adjudicator favorites as well, with each play receiving seven 2020 Dearborn Area Theatre Association Awards. Divine Child High School received four awards for its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” while EFHS earned two awards for its production of the musical “Mary Poppins.” DATA also inducted two new members into the Dearborn Theater Hall of Fame: choreographer Jennifer McPherson and … [Read more...] about Crestwood’s ‘Avenue Q,’ Edsel Ford’s ‘Noises Off’ earn laughter and DATA Awards

With stages dark and actors idle, even the annual awards ceremony for the Dearborn Area Theatre Association will move online this year. The annual event honors high school thespians and their adult support staff from Dearborn Heights Crestwood, and Dearborn, Divine Child and Edsel Ford high schools in Dearborn, whose performances and productions were adjudicated by DATA members. The adult entries, from the Random Acts of Theater group, were judged separately from the youth productions. The DATA awards ceremony, typically held … [Read more...] about DATA announces theater award nominees for a COVID-shortened season