HAND TO GOD, FALSETTOS & More Set for The Ringwald Theatre's 2016-17 Season

Over the past 9 seasons, The Ringwald Theatre has gained a reputation for producing irreverant, shocking, bloody, funny, searing works. As they prepare to embark on Season 10, the theme will be Essential Ringwald, producing new shows that extend and magnify the type of shows Detroit has come to expect from the tiny theatre in the heart of Ferndale.

Artistic Director Joe Bailey said, "It's exciting to be presenting our tenth season! We're coming off a successful ninth season and we can't wait to see what's ahead and to share this slate of great shows! So many premieres, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, two musicals...yeah, we're excited!"

With that in mind, let's get to the shows!

October 7-October 31, 2016
Campfire
by Joseph Zettelmaier

Marcus Carver has brought his niece and nephew back home, one year since the death of his brother and their father. In the woods behind his farm, around a campfire, the Carvers will tell stories as they have for many generations. But a stranger has entered the dimly-lit circle. Their tales take on a darker tone as the night grows long, and family secrets draw the stranger closer to the Carvers.

But these secrets come with a dangerous price. (World Premiere)

November 18-December 12, 2016
3C
by David Adjmi

A dark and twisted take on beloved '70s sitcom Three's Company, David Adjmi's pitch black comedy makes it's Michigan premiere! The war in Vietnam is over and Brad, an ex-serviceman, winds up trashed in Connie and Linda's kitchen after a wild night of partying. The three come up with a plan for Brad to move in that has hilarious and devastating consequences for everyone. Inspired by that infamous sitcom, 1950s existentialist comedy, Chekhov, and Disco anthems, 3C is a terrifying (yet hysterical!) look at a culture that likes to amuse itself, even as it teeters on the brink of ruin.

(Michigan Premiere)

December 16-22, 2016
The SantaLand Diaries and Season's Greetings

The David Sedaris anti-holiday treat makes its annual visit to The Ringwald for Christmas 2016.

January 6-January 30, 2017
Falsettos
Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by William Finn and James Lapine

In advance of an impending Broadway revival, The Ringwald is thrilled to present William Finn's groundbreaking musical. Falsettos won 1992 Tony Awards for best book and musical score and tells the tale of Marvin who leaves his wife and young son to live with another man. His ex-wife marries his psychiatrist, and Marvin ends up alone. Two years later, Marvin is reunited with his lover on the eve of his son's bar mitzvah, just as AIDS is beginning its insidious spread. Brave and hilarious, exhillarating and heartbreaking, Falsettos is not to be missed! (Ferndale Premeire)

February 17-March 13, 2017
Hand to God
by Robert Askins
Fresh from a Broadway run, Hand to God comes to Ferndale!

After the death of his father, meek Jason finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry, in the devoutly religious, relatively quiet small town of Cypress, Texas. Jason's complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door, and-most especially-his mother are thrown into upheaval when Jason's puppet, Tyrone, takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality all its own. Hand to God explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality, and the ties that bind us. (Detroit Premiere)

March 31-April 24, 2017
The Flick
by Annie Baker
Winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize!

In a run-down movie theater in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees sweep the floors and attend to one of the last 35 millimeter film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the lackluster, second-run movies on screen. With keen insight and a finely-tuned comic eye, The Flick is a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world. (Michigan Premiere)

May 5-June 5, 2017
Silence! The Musical
Music and Lyrics by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan, Book by Hunter Bell

Rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling matches wits with the brilliant but insane cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter in order to catch the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. This laugh-out-loud naughty satire features a singing chorus of floppy eared lambs, a mildly speech-impaired heroine, a poodle named Precious, and lots of lotion and baskets. Fueled by a rabid cult following, Silence!shattered every box-office record at the 2005 FringeNYC Festival. Winner of the NYCFringe's Best Musical Award, Silence! The Musical combines whip-smart dialogue and hilarious songs to make a musical parody of The Silence of the Lambs that's sure to pair well with a bottle of Chianti. (Michigan Premiere)

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