Williamston, MI
48895
517.655.SHOW
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We believe that theatre can enrich our lives and make a positive difference in our community, both culturally and economically.
We believe that theatre should be accessible and affordable to everyone, whether they live in a large coastal city or a small Midwestern town.
We believe that there are voices in the Midwest worth hearing, and our goal is to create moving, entertaining, professional theatre for and about this part of the world.
| Brief History | |
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The Williamston Theatre began as the Williamston Theatre Project in the spring of 2004 when four Michigan-based theatre professionals, actor John Lepard, director Tony Caselli, arts administrator Christine Purchis and actress and producer Emily Sutton-Smith, chose Williamston as a location to found a not-for-profit, small, professional live theatre company, modeled closely after the Purple Rose Theatre model in Chelsea. Williamston Theatre's mission is to produce professional theatre that excites and engages our audiences while challenging us all to explore our lives. This mission statement is supported by the following objectives: ~ To be an integral part of the cultural fabric of Michigan. ~ To pursue innovative collaboration in every aspect of our work. ~ To establish a home for Midwest artists. ~ To engage audiences of diverse ages, cultures and economic backgrounds. Throughout 2005, the four founders worked to develop their business plan, secure support for the project and raise awareness in the community. In late 2005, a local developer pledged to support the Theatre by underwriting its facility expenses. After a thorough evaluation, the property at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston was deemed suitable as a theatre space and was secured as the location of the Theater. The Theatre hosted a wildly successful Open House in January 2006 and invited the public to tour the facility and review its strategic plans. The Theatre mounted four staged readings of plays in early 2006, all of which were extremely well attended. Community volunteers rallied around the effort to open the Theatre and spent literally hundreds of man-hours building, painting and remodeling the former retail space to be a workable black box theatre seating 88. "Additional Particulars," a comedy by Ed Simpson, was the Theatre's first full production and opened in June 2006. This was a Midwest premiere for the work and garnered positive critical reviews across the board. With an Arts Project grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs in support of their first full season, the Williamston Theatre launched 2006-2007 with the Midwest premiere of "Rounding Third," a comedy by Richard Dresser. The Detroit Free Press named the production one of the Top Ten Shows of 2006. A co-production with Meadow Brook Theatre yielded "Every Christmas Story Ever Told!!," a wild romp through the pop culture and heritage of the holiday season. The success of this production will result in a re-mounting of the collaboration for the 2007-2008 season. "Fully Committed," a comedy by Becky Mode, featured a tour-de-force performance by Michigan actor Aral Gribble and received more rave reviews from audience and press alike. "Music From A Sparkling Planet" was a Midwest premiere of this bittersweet comedy by Douglas Carter Beane. Rounding up the 2006-2007 season is the world premiere of "Flap," from Michigan playwright Annie Martin. In 2007-2008, the Williamston Theatre is slated to produce their first musical "Guys On Ice", a collaborative production of the Tony Award winning play "Art" with the MSU Department of Theatre in addition to the collaboration with Meadow Brook Theatre, the Midwest premiere of "Hate Mail," the production of a new theatrical piece created entirely by talented Michigan theatre professionals, and the production of the Pulitzer Prize winning "Talley's Folly." Additional plans include the introduction of classes and seminars and the launch of a capital campaign. |
| John Lepard, Executive Director | |
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John has been acting professionally for 14 years. His credits range from film and television in Los Angeles, to live theatre off-Broadway. He is an Associate Artist at the Purple Rose Theatre Company and a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors' Guild. John received his BA in Theatre from Michigan State University and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Recent appearances on stage include Bus Stop, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Underpants and Leaving Iowa (Detroit Free Press Best Actor Award). |
| Tony Caselli, Artistic Director | |
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Tony has directed nearly 30 professional productions at Williamston Theatre, Performance Network in Ann Arbor, The Gem Theatre in Detroit, and Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre Company, where he worked for over 12 years (serving for his last 3 years there as Associate Artistic Director). Some favorite productions include Leaving Iowa, Rounding Third, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol and Guys On Ice. Recently he directed The Mystery Of Irma Vep at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, New York and at Urban Stages in New York City. Named Best Director by the Detroit Free Press in 2006, and by the Ann Arbor News in 2001 and 2005, Tony is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and Actors' Equity Association. He received his degree in Theatre from Eastern Michigan University, where he occasionally teaches in the Theatre Department. A native of New Boston, Michigan, Tony lives in Chelsea with his wife and two children. |
| Christine Purchis, Managing Director | |
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Christine has been involved with theatre since she was in elementary school and has experience as an actor, stage manager, backstage crew, box office manager, house manager and company manager. She received her BS in Arts Management from Eastern Michigan University and has worked for over 13 years as a theatre administrator in such varied places as the EMU Theatre Department, Cherry County Playhouse, Chelsea Area Players, Big Pickle Productions, Greenhouse Theatre Company and the Purple Rose Theatre Company. Chris has lived all over the country but found her home in Michigan in 1979 and has been here ever since. She now lives in Dexter with her husband and stepson. |
| Emily Sutton-Smith, Development Director | |
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Emily is an actress, singer, producer and arts administrator. She was on the staff of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor where she co-produced the 75th Anniversary production of FOLLIES and was instrumental in reuniting the original Broadway cast for the production. A New York City native, her recent local onstage appearances include FRANKENSTEIN, ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS (at the Williamston Theatre), KING O'THE MOON, INTIMATE APPAREL, THE UNDERPANTS and THE HOME TEAM. She is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors' Guild and serves on the board of the Williamston Area Chamber of Commerce. Emily has studied acting at the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City and holds a BA in Communication from the University of Delaware and a Grande Diploma in Pastry Arts from the French Culinary Institute. She is a resident of Williamston. |