Slipstream Theatre Initiative Announces Season 5

Slipstream Theatre Initiative has done four seasons of high-concept classics, original local works, and shows off the beaten path. For season 5, they are putting it all together for their most ambitious season yet. Classics meet contemporaries, musicals meet myths, and comedies meet tragedy in the company's next big endeavor. Here's what's in store:

January - A Doll's House 2 by Lucas Hnath.

Henrik Ibsen shocked audiences with his original take on early feminism. Slipstream produced his A Doll's House in their first season, and has been waiting with bated breath for a chance to stage the "completely unauthorized sequel." It's 15 years after that fateful moment when Nora Helmer walked out on her husband, Torvald, and their child. She has become an established author, encouraging women to leave their husbands and free themselves as she did. She must return to the house she left so many years ago to finalize her divorce, which Torvald never legally agreed to. With the original nurse maid, Nora's (former) husband, and her now-grown daughter, Nora must again navigate the churning waters of marriage, patriarchy, and family in this Tony-Nominated follow-up to Ibsen's remarkable classic.

March - The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe.

Slipstream has become known for fostering young artists and this season is no different. The Wolves is a play about a girl's high school indoor soccer team. The action all takes place on the field, and the nine teammates warm up as they discuss world events, their middle- class lives, and the use (or lack thereof) of feminine products. Playwright Sarah DeLappe was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for this exploration of female adolescence, with no hindrance of a romantic crush or any need for boys to come to the rescue. When an unforeseen event forces the team to question their convictions, what will be the cost?

April - The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare.

April showers bring May flowers...and some hot Miami mamas. Shakespeare's classic tale of hysterical deception between married couples is played out to the tune: "Miami, Miami, you've got style. Blue sky, sunshine, white sand by the mile." If you're wondered why you recognized those lyrics (or if you didn't) - they are sung by Dorothy Zbornak and Rose Nylund of the Golden Girls, the inspiration for Slipstream's production of secure, fabulous, lusty women of a certain age and the silly boy toys (and men) they outsmart, out-sass, and (probably) out live.

June - Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moises Kaufman. Sponsored by Usman Choudhry

In Slipstream's traditional Pride slot, the company tackles some of the early reasons for the festive month in June we all know and love. Gross Indecency examines the history between Wilde, his sexuality, his family, his lover, and the society that persecuted him for all those things. Using text from original transcripts of Wilde's three trials, the reality of a time "oh so long ago" is called into sharp focus, and we honor one of the millions of lives that fought for our right to be proud.

July - The House of Yes by Wendy MacLeod.

The fan favorite Indie-film adapted black comedy focuses on a set of twins, their mother, brother, and one surprise Thanksgiving Dinner guest. In the true style of the Borgias and Lannisters, this "royal family" (the twins believe they are the Kennedys) does everything together. Literally, everything. And when that sacred bond is tested, no one is safe. Zany comedy marries serious themes of mental illness and class warfare, giving birth to this poignant, hilarious, and daaarrrkkkk script.

September - The Frogs (Play by Aristophanes, Freely adapted by Burt Shevelove, Even more freely adapted by Nathan Lane, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim)

What happens when Sondheim takes on the Greeks? There's only one way to find out. A poignant commentary on theater, death, and the state of the world, The Frogs travels to the underworld and back again. When Dionysus decides a play is the only thing to save a crumbling society, he sets out on an adventure that tests his wit, humor, and resolve as only a Greek Epic can. Life vs Death. Shaw vs Shakespeare. A bunch of dancing frogs. It's a meta musical for the ages right in your lap.

Slipstream's season runs Janaury 2019 - September 2019. The company is located at 460 Hilton in Ferndale. For more information, visit www.slipstreamti.com , email insidetheslipstream@gmail.com, or call (313) 986-9156. Slipstream is a 501c3 business, which means that all donations are tax-deductible.