Playhouse Creatures at Stage at the Corner

Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company presents April De Angelis' Playhouse Creatures, directed by Kristina McCloskey, at three Michigan venues from May 1–22, 2026. The play follows the backstage intrigues, rivalries, struggles, and triumphs of the first professional women actors in England in the 1660s, a period shortly after King Charles II decreed that female roles should be played by women rather than men. Based on the lives of historical figures, the script is by turns funny and poignant as these trailblazing women navigate the theatrical world, including performing female roles in Shakespeare's plays for the first time. The cast features Kathleen Bode, Kat Hermes, Samantha N. Luken, Katherine Mayberry, and Emma Oliver.