122 South Putnam
Williamston, MI
48895
517.655.SHOW
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Rehearsal Blog
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Williamston Theatre Founders
The Williamston Theatre was founded in 2004 by four theatre professionals who desired to create theatre for, by and about people in this part of the world. In 2008, Tony Caselli, John Lepard, Christine Purchis and Emily Sutton-Smith received the prestigious Robert Busby Award from the Lansing State Journal for extraordinary overall contributions to theatre in the Greater Lansing area.
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John Lepard, Executive Director
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John has been acting professionally for 19 years. His credits range from film and television in Los Angeles, to live theatre off-Broadway. He is 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 Flyover, USA, Art and Rounding Third at the Williamston Theatre, Sea of Fools, Same Time Next Year, Bus Stop, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Underpants and Leaving Iowa (Detroit Free Press Best Actor Award) at the Purple Rose Theatre. In the 2008-2009 Season, John directed The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds and reprised his role as Don in the Williamston Theatre's production of Leaving Iowa for which he won the Lansing State Journal 2009 Best Actor Thespie Award. John is an adjuct professor at Lansing Community College and was a guest professor at Michigan State University, where he also directs. He lives in Williamston with his wife and daughter.
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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.
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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.
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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. This season, Emily will appear in The Smell of the Kill, the WT's co-production with the Tipping Point Theatre. Last season, Emily played Beatrice in the WT's production of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds and was awarded the 2009 Best Actress Thespie Award from the Lansing State Journal. A New York City native, her recent local onstage appearances include Maidens, Mothers and Crones and Additional Particulars at the WT, A Picasso, Forbidden Broadway, Moonlight & Magnolias, The Baker's Wife, Frankenstein, King O' The Moon, Intimate Apparel, The Underpants and The Home Team. Emily is a proud member of the Actors' Equity Association, the Screen Actors' Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Film and TV credits include: Gifted Hands, Butterfly Effect: Revelation, The Prince of Motor City and Nevermore. 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 lives in Williamston with her husband, step-daughter and dog.
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