AMAZING DAVE Launches Planet Ant Theatre's 2017-18 Season This Week

Planet Ant Theatre opens it 2017-18 season September 15 with Amazing Dave, an original one-act comedy directed by Shawn Handlon featuring several members from the new Improv Colony Farm Team. Amazing Dave will continue Friday and Saturday evenings through September 30. Tickets ($10) are on sale now at www.planetant.com and in person at the Planet Ant Box Office starting 30 minutes prior to show time.

The complete Planet Ant 2017-18 Season also includes several original productions, a presentation by the winning director of this year's Box Fest Detroit, and a production of The Realistic Joneses by Will Eno.

Amazing Dave tells the stories of a con man who starts a doomsday cult and the group of followers who are gullible enough to believe that he is a modern prophet who happens to know the exact date of society's impending collapse. This original one-act opens Friday, September 15 at 8:00pm with performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm through Saturday, September 30.

In a first for Planet Ant, this presentation of Amazing Dave is the pilot episode for what will be a 6-episode weekly, live sitcom running on Thursday nights in Ant Hall, starting in October. Each subsequent episode will chronicle the misadventures of Amazing Dave and his band of misfit followers.

Amazing Dave is directed by Shawn Handlon (Harper Woods), written by Handlon, and stars Tony Augusty (Huntington Woods), Jaclynn Cherry (Madison Heights), Michael Duprey (Plymouth), Andi Maziarz (Brimingham), Jason Petterson (Madison Heights) and Sarah Wilder (Sterling Heights).

Tickets ($10) are on sale now at www.planetant.com and in person at the Planet Ant Theater box office beginning 30 minutes prior to show time while tickets are available. Performances are at Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff, Hamtramck MI 48212.

The complete performance schedule for Amazing Dave-The Pilot is as follows:

Friday, September 15 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 16 at 8:00pm
Friday, September 22 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 23 at 8:00pm
Friday, September 29 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 30 at 8:00pm
Planet Ant Improv Colony Farm Team

Planet Ant's first show of the 2017-18 season is also the first production from The Improv Colony Farm Team.

The venerable theatre assembled The Improv Colony Farm Team through an audition process. The 12 members of the Farm Team will work with Planet Ant veterans to develop their skills as writers and performers providing an assembly of talented artists available for the growing number of performance opportunities at the expanding Planet Ant Theatre complex.

"The concept of the Farm Team is right in line with Planet Ant's mission, which is to foster the growth of local talent," said Shawn Handlon, Artistic Director.

"This weekly live sitcom (Amazing Dave) is the kind of ambitious project that our audiences can expect to see more of as we continue to evolve as an entertainment destination in Detroit," said Darren Shelton, newly installed Executive Director of the non-profit theater.

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Planet Ant 2017-18 Season:

ColonyFest Winner
October 27 - November 11
Written & Performed by The Gay Agenda, directed by Travis Pelto

This original one-act comedy will be written and performed by the winners of ColonyFest, Planet Ant's annual improv competition. This year's winner, The Gay Agenda, features Anthony Douglas and Sam Meier. Home Team member Travis Pelto will direct.

Christmas Impossible
November 22 - December 16
Adapted by Shawn Handlon, directed by Dave Davies

Long-time Home Team member, Dave Davies, directs this holiday comedy that follows a rogue Guardian Angel, who has to race against time to prevent a tragedy that she, herself, has drunkenly set in motion. The show is an adaptation of the 2002 Home Team Original Comedy, 25.

BoxFest Winner (TBA)
February 9 - February 24, 2018
Directed by Charity Clark-Anderson

In August, Planet Ant hosted BoxFest, a theater festival celebrating female directors. One of the prizes awarded at the festival is an opportunity to choose and direct a one act play for Planet Ant's season. This year's play will be directed by BoxFest winner Charity Clark-Anderson.

Original Home Team Sketch Show (TBA)
March 9 - March 31, 2018
Planet Ant's Home Team will bring an original comedy to the stage, directed by Lauren Bickers.

The Realistic Joneses
April 27 - May 19, 2018
By Will Eno, directed by Joe Bailey

Ringwald Theater founder, Joe Bailey, will direct this award-winning dramatic comedy that will close the 2017-18 season at Planet Ant. As their relationships begin to irrevocably intertwine, the Joneses must decide between their idyllic fantasies and their imperfect realities.

Monday Night & Saturday Night Improv
Each Monday night at 8:00pm, Planet Ant hosts Detroit's longest running improv show at Ant Hall (2320 Caniff). The evening begins with a guest improv troupe followed by the Planet Ant Home Team, and then the Ant Jam at 10:00pm where anyone can sign up to improvise short form and long form games. Saturday evenings at 10:00pm Planet Ant presents an improv show at the Planet Ant Theatre (2357 Caniff) featuring an opening troupe and a headliner consisting of members of the Planet Ant Home Team and Planet Ant Improv Colony Farm Team. Tickets are $5.

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Planet Ant Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre founded 24 years ago on the principle of artistic freedom and artistic experimentation leading to the growth of community, artistic fulfillment, and artistic success. The theatre has presented more than 90 high quality professional productions to southeastern Michigan with a commitment to providing the best in theatrical productions that has brought it critical acclaim and awards from across the region. More information on Planet Ant Theatre is available online at www.planetant.com.