Kristine Thatcher News

It was yet another Wilde night at West Bloomfield's Berman Center for the Performing Arts, as Michigan's professional theater community gathered for The 14th Annual Wilde Awards presented by EncoreMichigan.com. Established in 2002, The 2015 Wilde Awards honored the best productions, performances and technical accomplishments of the recently concluded 2014-15 season.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the next show of its 41st season, Never the Sinner by John Logan, directed by Gary Griffin.  Never the Sinner runs November 6 - December 6, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, November 13, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the first show of its 41st season, the Midwest Premiere of Sucker Punch by Roy Williams, directed by Dexter Bullard.  Sucker Punch runs September 18 - October 18, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, September 25, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater recently announced the cast of its 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including GREY'S ANATOMY star Sandra Oh and Broadway legend Andre De Shields.

For the first time ever, the Official Shakespeare Festival of the State of Michigan is offering workshops for professional actors, all taught by Michigan Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Janice L Blixt. The classes will be held at the Village Theatre of Cherry Hill in Canton, Michigan in July and August. For information or to book a slot, contact MSFCasting@aol.com. The classes include:

Victory Gardens Theater announces the final show of its 40th anniversary season, the Midwest Premiere of The Who and the What by Ayad Akhtar, directed by Ron OJ Parson.  The Who and the What runs June 12 - July 12, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, June 19, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Chicago Inclusion Project Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino announces the launch of The Chicago Inclusion Project, a collective dedicated to championing inclusion and diversity in Chicago theatre.

The World Premiere of An Issue of Blood by Marcus Gardley, directed by Chay Yew, was penned by Gardley in response to recent events and social injustices. An Issue of Blood runs tonight, April 3 - May 3, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, April 10, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Peninsula Players Theatre will present a reading of two one-act plays, 'I Shall Love You Forever' by Kathleen Thompson and 'Waiting for Tina Meyer' by Kristine Thatcher and Larry Shue at Bjorklunden (7590 Boynton Lane, Baileys Harbor) at 7p.m., Monday, April 6. Both comedies take a light-hearted look into the twists, turns and varying degrees of romance. Join the Players reading - free admission and general seating available.

Peninsula Players Theatre, America's oldest professional resident summer theater and Door County's theatrical icon, announces its 80th season, running June 16 through October 18, 2015. Nestled along Door County, Wisconsin's scenic shore, the Peninsula Players has been enthralling generations of audiences in its 600-plus seat, all-weather pavilion since 1935, presenting hundreds of pre-Broadway tryouts, world premieres, classic dramas, comedies and musicals.

Victory Gardens Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Christopher Mannelli, announces the lineup for its 2015-2016 Season.

Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Chris Mannelli announce a change to the 2014-2015 season: The World Premiere of An Issue of Blood by Marcus Gardley, directed by Chay Yew, will replace the previously announced World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul. An Issue of Blood was penned by Gardley in response to recent events and social injustices. An Issue of Blood runs April 3 - May 3, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, April 10, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Peninsula Players Theatre will present a reading of 'Go Back for Murder' by Agatha Christie, a thrilling whodunit from the Queen of Crime, at Bjorklunden, 7p.m., Monday, Feb. 2. This play reading is produced with support from and in coordination with Door County Reads and its exploration of 'Ordinary Grace' by William Kent Krueger. Join the Players reading and travel back in time with Carla Le Marchant as she tries to prove her mother's innocence in her father's death. Admission is free.

Continuing its 40th Anniversary Season, Victory Gardens Theater announces the World Premiere of Samsara by Lauren Yee, directed by Seth Bockley. Samsara runs February 6 - March 8, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, February 13, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the first play of its 40th Anniversary Season: the Midwest Premiere of Rest by Ensemble Playwright Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Joanie Schultz. Rest runs tonight, September 12-October 12, 2014, with the press performance on September 19, 2014, at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Continuing its 40th Anniversary Season, Victory Gardens Theater announces the Midwest Premiere of The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin, directed by Dennis Zacek and featuring Linda Reiter. The Testament of Mary runs November 14-December 14, 2014, with the press performance on Friday, November 21, 2014, at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Richard Strand's Civil War drama 'Butler' makes its Midwest Premiere August 20 at Peninsula Players Theatre, America's oldest professional resident summer theater and Door County's theatrical icon. 'Butler' is a winner of the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Program and made its world premiere in June at the New Jersey Repertory Company.

Victory Gardens Theater hosts Small Fish Radio Theatre and Thespinarium for a one-night-only performance of the radio adaptation of Mercury Considers the Last Layer, written and directed by Trina Kakacek. Mercury Considers the Last Layer is a melodramatic romp, set in the dualistic world of burlesque, which follows the age-old quest of finding one's heart and one's self. Mercury was developed in the Victory Gardens Access Project Artist Development Workshop, with the lead male role written for actor, writer and Thespinariam Michael Herzovi. This special performance, which includes open captioning and American Sign Language interpretation, is meant for a mature audience. The performance is Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 7:30PM in the Zacek-McVay Theater at the Victory Gardens Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park.

Peninsula Players Theatre, America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theater and Door County's theatrical icon, continues its 79th season July 9 with Agatha Christie's classic whodunit 'And Then There Were None.' While the Players have produced other Christie works 'And Then There Were None' makes its Players debut with this production.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the first play of its 40th Anniversary Season: the Midwest Premiere of Rest by Ensemble Playwright Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Joanie Schultz. Rest runs September 12-October 12, 2014, with the press performance on September 19, 2014, at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.