CLYBOURNE PARK Approaches Opening at St. Dunstan's Theatre

St. Dunstan's Theatre is honored to present the Tony-Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play, Clybourne Park February 23 - March 11, 2018. February also happens to be Black History Month, which makes Clybourne Park a timely selection in St. Dunstan's season.

This provocative play, written by Bruce Norris, will be sure to spark debate on social issues- both past and present. Clybourne Park takes place in two acts set 50 years apart. Act 1 sets us in 1959 where we see Russ and Bev are selling their desirable 2-bedroom home at a bargain price, unknowingly bringing the first black family into the neighborhood and creating ripples of discontent among the white residents of Clybourne Park. Fifty years later, when a white couple buys the same property with plans to raze the house and build a mansion, the now predominantly African-American neighborhood battles to hold their ground in the face of gentrification. A razor-sharp satire that is both funny and thought provoking, the play was written as a companion piece to Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Although the play is set in a Chicago neighborhood, one can quite easily draw parallels to many neighborhoods in Detroit.

The talented ensemble of actors will play one set of characters in Act 1 and then switch to a new set of characters in Act 2. Gary Jones (Beverly Hills) will be playing the parts of Russ/Dan, Duffy Wineman (Bloomfield Hills) will be Bev/Kathy, Satitra Singelton (Pontiac) will be playing Francine/Lena, Kenyada Davis (Detroit) will be Albert/Kevin, Ken Overwater (Ann Arbor) will be Karl/Steve, Shauna Hitchcock (West Bloomfield) will be Betsy/Lindsey, and Michael Bell (Clarkston) will be playing Jim/Tom/Kenneth.

Director Alan Ellias (Farmington Hills) is thrilled to be making his St. Dunstan's debut with Clybourne Park and says, "Not only is it an amazing play which our team has been entrusted to bring to life, but it is unfortunately extremely relevant for the times we live in. Anyone who is willing to look at prejudice head on should make sure they see our show!"

Ellias is joined by an all-star production team. The set will be transformed in between acts from 1959 to 2009 and Set Designer/Assistant Director, Ross Grossman has taken on that task along with Master Carpenter, Michael Campion. Janie Minchella and Jake Zinke are working together on costuming these two separate time periods, and Stacia Gessner, Roberta and Michael Campion will be providing props. Sean Kecskes will be designing lights, and Chuck Goddeeris will be providing sound. Michelle Ankoviak will be serving as the stage manager, and producing this show is Jake Zinke and Roberta Campion.

At the Sunday matinee February 25, St. Dunstan's is honored to have Doug K. McCray, Museum Educator for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, as our guest. The audience is invited to remain following the performance for a talk-back with Mr. McCray, the cast and crew.

Performance dates are February 23, 24, and March 2, 3, 9, 10 at 8pm, and February 25, March 4, and 11 at 2pm.

Book your tickets by calling 1-844-DUNSTAN (1-844-386-7826) toll-free, or at www.stdunstanstheatre.com. You can also buy your tickets at the door. Tickets are $20 regular price; $18 seniors (62 & over); $18 teens (18 & under). Please note this show has mature content, including adult language & racially offensive language.

St. Dunstan's is located at 400 Lone Pine Road in Bloomfield Hills. Parking is available in front of the theatre or across the street at Christ Church Cranbrook.

St. Dunstan's Theatre Guild of Cranbrook is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to the ideal of excellence in local theatre, and offers theatrical productions open to the public between October and June each year.

Photo: Satitra Singelton (Pontiac), Kenyada Davis (Detroit), Shauna Hitchcock (West Bloomfield), Ken Overwater (Ann Arbor). Photo Credit: Ian McEwan