Free Readings of New Musical and New Play Tipping Point Theatre
Throughout this series, playwrights collaborate with Tipping Point Theatre’s artistic staff to develop and work through the process of “page to stage”.
By: Stephi Wild Dec. 30, 2025
Beginning next week, Tipping Point Theatre (TPT) in Downtown Northville will present free readings of a new play and new musical as part of its 2026 IN THE WORKS developmental theatre series.
Throughout this series, playwrights collaborate with Tipping Point Theatre’s artistic staff to develop and work through the process of “page to stage”. The audience plays a role in this process as well as the play is read in front of a live audience, the playwright can gauge the audience’s reactions, and after the reading the audience is asked to give their feedback and participate in the artistic discussion of the play.
General admission to these readings is free, but a $10-20 donation is suggested. Tickets are available now by visiting the Tipping Point Theatre website here.
KARA & EMMA & BARBARA & MIRANDA
First up in the series is a table reading of the award-winning play KARA & EMMA & BARBARA & MIRANDA by Ariel Stess on Monday, January 5th, 2026 at 7:00 P.M.
In this holiday-themed dark comedy, the lives of four women are intertwined when their major life crises collide on Christmas Eve, leading them to accidentally help each other find a way out. Kara wakes up to find her husband and children missing. Twenty-year-old Emma runs away with a married man. Barbara’s ex-lover breaks into her home in the middle of the night. And the pipes in Miranda’s house burst. KARA & EMMA & BARBARA & MIRANDA is an occasionally off-kilter, and deeply honest play about isolation, resilience, and the healing power of community. Recommended for ages 14+.
THE BREAK
The weekend following that reading will have two more readings of THE BREAK, written by the Emmy-nominated duo of Christopher Dimond (Book & Lyrics) and Michael Kooman (Music), on Friday, January 9, and Saturday, January 10 at 7:00 P.M.
THE BREAK is a comedy musical about a young couple at a crossroads in their relationship. Having met in college and never seriously dated anyone else, the pair realize what they need before they take the plunge into marital bliss: A thirty day break. At its heart, THE BREAK is a two-person musical about sex, love, and relationships. It’s about what sleeping with strangers can teach us about ourselves. It’s about the ways we grow together, and the ways we grow apart. Recommended for ages 18+.
Michigan Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
THE COLOR PURPLE (STAGECRAFTERS)
5.8% of votes
2.
TUCK EVERLASTING (STAGECRAFTERS)
5% of votes
3.
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Tibbits Opera House)
4.8% of votes
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