Planet Ant Celebrates 25 Years with Ant-iversary Show

This fall marks Planet Ant Theatre's 25th year as a fixture within the community from their corner of Caniff. On Saturday, September 8, 2018, join the entire colony of creativity for a blowout of ant-tastic proportions at the Ant Hall! The evening kicks off with an early social hour, followed by live entertainment from Planet Ant favorites; including Hamtramck's fourth-best local news program, "Hello, Hamtramck!" with special guests, video segments, and music. Afterglow with cocktails following the show leads into live music at the Ghost Light bar, with performances from local legend Don Duprie & the Inside Outlaws, Ryan Dillaha & the Miracle Men, and solo artist Nathan Kalish.

Planet Ant's new season officially launches the day before the anniversary show, on September 7, 2018 with The Sketch Double Feature: "(Thankfully) Love Is Blind," directed by the company's Artistic Director Shawn Handlon + "Totally Recalled," directed by Tony Augusty. The double feature starts at 8pmwith the Sketch 5 Showcase: a collection of the group's favorite scenes from those that they generated over the 24 week sketch writing program; revue followed at 9pm with "Totally Recalled," a best-of collection of sketches, remixes and deep cuts from the Planet Ant Sketch Writing program.

In honor of Planet Ant's 25-year-history and with hopeful eyes toward a bright future, the upcoming theatrical season at Planet Ant is the company's most ambitious one, yet: 25 productions for the 25th year. This aggressive schedule triples the number of performances the Black Box normally produces in a single season, and thus, triples the number of opportunities for local artists to create and showcase their talents.

Planet Ant is proud to provide a sanctuary for the artistic expression of hundreds of established and emerging Michigan artists. Throughout Planet Ant's 25 years in Hamtramck, the non-profit has evolved into an epicenter for the arts in Southeast Michigan. Opening originally as a coffee house in a small Hamtramck storefront space in 1993, Planet Ant quickly became known for its open mic nights and poetry readings. Today, it spans four venues, offering a vast array of entertainment spanning all genres and mediums:

• Planet Ant Black Box - original flagship space on the now resurgent Caniff Street; intimate theater/performance space. Recent productions include BoxFest Detroit (one-act play festival); Speak Up, Speak Out (spoken-word cabaret from The DATC); Detroit Women of Comedy Festival; Appropriate (three-act drama); Tonight vs. Everybody (stand-up showcase); Planet Ant's weekly Monday Night Improv show w/ the Planet Ant Home Team.
• Planet Ant Hall - across the street from the Black Box; hosts large-scale performances and special events. Recent productions include weekend tour of Shark Tank: the Musical from Annoyance Theatre (Chicago); the Daedalus 2 Mission (live rock opera); Detroit Women of Comedy Festival; Yes Weed Can (Planet Ant original musical); Detroit School of Burlesque Showcase; Girls Rock Detroit Showcase.
• Ghost Light Bar - adjacent to the Ant Hall; offers live music of all genres & styles, stand-up & improv comedy, karaoke, spoken-word & songwriter open-mics.
• Planet Ant Studio - evolving behind-the-scenes space, where the non-profit just launched a new podcast network and anticipates producing significantly more video web content.

For the last quarter of a century, Planet Ant's mission has been to cultivate and spotlight local artists, creating opportunities for metro Detroit's creative community to hone, develop, and showcase their talents in an open, inclusive environment. Committed to expanding their impact beyond one zip code, the non-profit has recently introduced The Planet Ant Podcast Network and is currently developing The Planet Ant Studio, a space for community members to develop and execute audio/video recording projects. Planet Ant is also excited to be introducing a new scholarship program in its mission to offer more accessibility to those who wish to learn. Dedicated to providing professional opportunities to active members of the creative community, the company's theatrical season prioritizes highlighting local writers, actors, and directors.

www.planetant.com/events/25