ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT Returns To Purple Rose Theater Co

The Purple Rose Theatre Company will kick off the 2011/12 Season with a revival of Escanaba in da Moonlight by Jeff Daniels. The production will enjoy a thirteen-week engagement from Thursday, September 22 - Saturday, December 17, 2011. Eight low-priced previews of Escanaba in da Moonlight will be performed Thursday, September 22 - Thursday, September 29, with Press Opening on Friday, September 30, 2011.

Regular performances for the duration of the run are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3:00 PM and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. 

The PRTC is also pleased to announce there will be two matinees performed for high school students at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25 and Tuesday, November 22. In addition to being the 2011/2012 Lead Season Sponsor, the Ford Motor Company Fund is providing half-prIce Tickets on two "Ford Fridays," October 21 and November 18. Additional support for this production comes from Excelda, The Helppie Family Charitable Foundation, WJR and Michigan Radio.

All performances will be held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118.

Set on the eve of the opening day of deer season 1989, Escanaba in da Moonlight tells the story of Reuben Soady, the only son in a family of U.P. hunters never to bag a buck. Joined by his pop Albert, brother Remnar and local oddball Jimmer Negamanee, Reuben is hoping to get his shot and shed the mantle of "the buckless yooper." But before dawn approaches the arrival of a strange DNR employee and a series of weird occurrences will threaten Reuben's ultimate goal. Will he bag the buck or go down in family history as a failure? Escanaba in da Moonlight by Jeff Daniels premiered at the Purple Rose in 1995, and was subsequently produced in 1997, setting record attendance numbers for the company. The play has also been produced locally at the Boarshead Theatre in Lansing and had a successful run at Detroit's Gem Theatre in 1999-2000. The fifth
play in Daniel's playwriting career, Escanaba in da Moonlight spawned a feature film version in 2001 shot on location in Escanaba, Michigan. The play has also become part of the "Escanaba trilogy", as Daniels has written the prequels Escanaba in Love, and Escanaba, all produced by the Purple Rose.

The production will be directed by PRTC Artistic Director and Escanaba native, Guy Sanville. The cast will feature Wayne David Parker (Dearborn, MI) in the role he originated, Jimmer Negamanee, Michael Brian Ogden (Berkley, MI) as Reuben Soady, Jim Porterfield (Northville, MI) as Albert Soady, Matthew David (Flint, MI) as Remnar Soady, Nate Mitchell (Novi, MI) as Ranger Tom Treado and Rhiannon Ragland (Flint, MI) as Wolf Moon Dance.

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