Jingle Bells Rock the Bonstelle Theatre this Holiday Season!
The Bonstelle Theatre decks the halls with the iconic story, A Christmas Carol adapted by Dennis Powers and Laird Williamson from the story by Charles Dickens running December 4 through December 13. Follow Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors to Christmas past, present, and future in this timeless classic.
Originally written by Charles Dickens in 1843, A Christmas Carol is arguably one of the most recognizable theatrical productions in the world. Dickens compared the success of his other works to this show. Redemption, compassion and social injustice are the themes behind A Christmas Carol as well as most other works by Dickens. An almost immediate success upon publication, the story of A Christmas Carol continues to entertain theatergoers around the world 166 years after its creation.
Director Dennis E. North brings the audience to the present day on the streets of London. Costume designer Jessica Van Essen creates a punk rock ambience, combining leather, fringe and traditional Christmas concepts throughout her creations. Benjamin Williams (Detroit, MI), who was last seen in The Talented Tenth, takes the lead as the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge with six-year-old Joseph Frederick Plieth from Troy, MI as Tiny Tim. Scenic Designer Pegi Marshall-Amundsen’s ambitious set will mark her first production at the Bonstelle Theatre since being hired on as a Scenic Design faculty member at Wayne State University. All of these elements present a unique twist on an old tale about discovering the meaning of Christmas. 
Other cast members include Alex Trice (Dickens/Detroit, MI), Dave Cowan (Bob Crachit/Grosse Ile, MI), Ted Neda (Fred/St. Clair Shores, MI), Patrick Loos (Marley/Highland, MI), Kyle Holton (Christmas Past/Detroit, MI), Kara Frizzell (Mrs. Christmas Past/Garden City, MI), Colin Mallory (Boy Scrooge/East Lansing, MI), Justin Wagner (Young Scrooge/New Baltimore, MI), Caitlin Morrison (Belle/Romeo, MI), Andrew Sheldon (Mr. Fezziwig/Redford, MI), Megan Fuller (Mrs. Fezziwig/Warren, MI), Justin Crutchfield (Christmas Present/Detroit, MI), Brittany Peele (Mary/Detroit, MI), Siena Hassett (Martha/Grosse Pointe Park, MI), Molly Waggamon (Mrs. Cratchit/Sterling Heights, MI), Alyssa Lukas (Dilber/Wayne, MN), Jacquie Michnuk (Flicher/Dearborn, MI), Joe Hamid (Old Joe/Coral Springs, FL), Kelly Klopocinski (Chorus/Sterling Heights, MI), Samantha Moltmaker (Chorus Angel/Harrison Twp, MI), Erin Hildebrandt (Chrous Angel/Walled Lake, MI), Elizabeth Bricker (Chorus Angel/Detroit, MI), Aeisha Reese (Chorus Angel/Flint, MI), Ashley Shamoon (Chorus/Northville, MI), Steve Xander Carson (Chrosu/New Baltimore, MI), George Abud (Chorus/Grosse Pointe, MI), Andre DeJuan (Chrosu/Detroit, MI) and William Turbett (Chorus/Dearborn, MI).
The production team includes Mercedes Coley (Stage Manager), Jessica Van Essen (Costume Designer), Christopher Wade (Lighting Designer), Wendy Wojciehowski (Sound Designer), Fred Florkowski (Technical Director) and Jeffrey Cotnoir (Publicist).
A Christmas Carol plays at the Bonstelle Theatre December 4, 2009 to December 13, 2009. Advance ticket sales are available at the Wayne State Theatre Box Office, located at 4743 Cass (corner of Hancock), or by phone at (313) 577-2960. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wsushows.com. The box office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door at the Bonstelle Theatre (3424 Woodward Ave.) one hour prior to performances. Regular tickets are available for $15, and $12 discounted tickets are available to seniors ages 62+, and Wayne State University faculty, staff, and Alumni Association members. Student rush tickets are available for $10 the night of the performance. Group discounts are also available. For more information, please visit the theatre’s website at www.bonstelle.com.
The show maybe over, but the memories are fresh! Enjoy reliving the experience of the Talented Tenth again;
THE LARAMIE PROJECT: TEN YEARS LATER, at the Hilberry Theatre, will be directed and produced by Wayne State faculty member Dr. Mary Anderson and will include cast members James Kuhl (Hilberry alumni), Brian Ogden (Hilberry alumni), Caroline Price (Hilberry alumni), Jordan Whalen (Hilberry actor), Justin Vanden Heuvel (Hilberry actor), Peter Prouty (Hilberry actor), Lorelei Sturm (Hilberry actor), Sara Hymes (Hilberry actor), Kyle Holton (WSU Theatre), Rachel Porter (WSU Theatre), Erin Hildebrandt (WSU Theatre), Jesse Merz (WSU Theatre faculty), Michael Barnes (WSU Theatre faculty), Peggy Thorp (local Equity actor), Steve Peters (Associate Dean of CFPCA), Laurel Merz (WSU Theatre), Jeremy Kucharek (WSU alumni).
WHEN: The performance will begin at 8 p.m. on Monday October 12, 2009.
Where: The Hilberry Theatre
Tickets: Are on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations will be taken in advance.
More Info: A pre-glow event beginning at 7 p.m. in the Hilberry Theatre lobby, will feature organizations such as Between the Lines; the Tipping Point Theatre; Michigan AIDS Coalition; Art for Artillery; Magenta Giraffe; Wayne State University student organizations Student Union, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GLBTA); President’s Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) and Sexual Aggression Student Educators and Advocates (SASEA); and many others. These organizations will offer networking and volunteer opportunities for patrons. A networking after-glow sponsored by Wayne State University’s College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts (CFPCA) will follow the performance.
Want to read some more? Click Here for the NYTimes.
Click here for the Online Community for Laramie Project.
Check out the press release here.
Follow the Tectonic Theater Project on Twitter: Here.
Need more information? Contact: (313) 577-5126.
The Talented Tenth, written by Richard Wesley, chronicles the life of Howard University graduates as they grow into middle age and beyond. Now successful leaders in the corporate world of the 90s, this group reflects on the lives they left behind and the choices they made that have molded them into what they have become.
Image, Jeffrey Cotnoir
“These graduates, once social activists, find their personal struggles involve family life, corporate takeovers and deep questioning of the significance of the civil rights movement,” says director Aku Kadogo. The play captures the struggle these successful African-Americans experience as they redefine themselves in this new phase of life.
Richard Wesley simplifies the essence of The Talented Tenth by saying, “…one day you cut your hair, shave your beard, put away your sandals, go from yippie to yuppie, nationalists to buppie. Everyone tells you you’ve done the right thing. And you wonder if you really have.”
Image, Jeffrey Cotnoir
The Talented Tenth is directed by Aku Kadogo with stage manager Eva Bushong.
The cast includes WSU undergraduate students Victoria Rose Weatherspoon (Pam), Christopher Lamar Edmonds (Bernard), Justin Crutchfield (Marvin), Christopher L. Tucker (Griggs), Erica Fuller (Rowena), Ciarah Mosley (Tanya) and Chris Johnson (Young Man).
The production team includes WSU theatre professor Fred Florkowski (Technical Director), graduate students Chris Otwell (Scenic Designer), Cara Ward (Costume Designer), Jim Costello (Lighting Designer), Jeffrey Cotnoir (Publicist) and undergraduate Bobby Tacoma (Sound Designer).
When:The Talented Tenth plays at the Bonstelle Theatre October 16, 2009 to October 25, 2009.
Tickets: Advance ticket sales are available at the Wayne State Theatre Box Office, located at 4743 Cass (corner of Hancock), or by phone at (313) 577-2960. Or online at www.wsushows.com.
Prices: Regular tickets are available for $15, and $12 discounted tickets are available.Please call the box office for more information.
For more information, please visit the theatre’s website at www.bonstelle.com.
The Mad Anthony Paranormal Society.
What did they find?
[Check back for updates.]
Why should the Hilberry blog get all the fun?
Here’s another set of photos from Moscow:
Interested? I know I am! Check out This Link for more information.
I think it’s all safe to say, the Bonstelle company knows how to work up a sweat!
A great many of the company members showed up this past Saturday to show the ’stelle the love it deserved! The Hilberry Managers even showed up! (Well, some brought cupcakes, while some rolled up their sleeves…)
Keep up the great work guys!
…a first peak at the image for the show:
Did you know?
The Hilberry Theatre is destination 2 on the Detroit Passport to the Arts!
What is the Passport to the Arts?
MISSION STATEMENT:
The mission of Detroit Passport to the Arts is to cultivate the next generation of arts and culture enthusiasts in Metro Detroit through increased awareness of and access to the arts community.
HOW THE PASSPORT WORKS:
With a single passport, you will have access to six performances presented by seven metro Detroit cultural organizations. Each will be accompanied by an evening of insider events, such as wine or beer tastings, dance lessons or guest speakers, along with after parties and access to world class artists.
Enjoy all the VIP benefits you would normally receive when purchasing a season pass to a single organization’s series. But now, instead of committing to just one series, you will enjoy a sampling of offerings by some of metro Detroit’s world-class arts organizations.
PASSPORT DESTINATIONS INCLUDE:
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, The Hilberry Theatre, The Detroit Film Theatre, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Michigan Opera Theatre and Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.
Interested in Buying a Passport? Check out dp2a.org. We suggest hurrying! The initial 200 passports offered (at a special introductory price of $89) have been sold!
An additional 100 passports have been released for a price of $109. But hurry! As of Sept 20th, the price will increase to $119.
As they explain on the dp2a.org website: “Demand for such performances often increases as the events draw near…”
