Theatre NOVA's 2015 Season
Buyer and Cellar by Jonathan Tolins - Michigan Premiere
A terrific new comedy that The New York Times called, "Irresistible, delicious, and wickedly funny." It is the story of an unemployed actor who finds work manning the shopping mall in Barbara Streisand's basement (yes, that really is a thing). There's a whole cast of characters, including the actor, his boyfriend, Babs herself, all played by actor Sebastian Gerstner (Venus in Fur and The Glass Menagerie at Performance Network) in an outrageous, one-man, comic tour-de-force. This witty and cutting look at celebrity excess has been a hit on tour from coast to coast, and now Theatre Nova is proud to present one of the very first original productions in the country! Directed by Theatre Nova producing director Daniel C. Walker
March 6-29, 2015
I and You by Lauren Gunderson -Michigan Premiere
Winner of the 2014 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, and a finalist for the 2014 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. On the night before a class assignment is due, two high school students - sickly, oddball Caroline and jockish, popular Anthony - plumb the mysteries of Walt Whitman's poem "Leaves of Grass." Between poetry, teen angst and awkward overtures, a funny and warm relationship begins to form, until a shocking disclosure by Anthony reveals that all is not as it seems. Starring Katie Terpstra and Matthew Webb, and directed by David Wolber
May 1-17, 2015
Grounded by George Brant - Michigan Premiere
Winner of The Smith Prize for Political Theatre, Fringe First Award - Edinburg Fringe Festival, Off-West End Theatre Award for Best Production of 2013, Short-listed for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and named a Top 10 London Play of 2013 by both The Guardian and the London Evening Standard
This is the story of an ace fighter pilot whose career in the sky is ended early due to an unexpected pregnancy. Reassigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas, she hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.
June 12-28, 2015
Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes by Yussef El Guindi - Michigan Premiere
Ashraf is an actor who has just received rave reviews for his performance of Hamlet at a struggling theatre in Los Angeles. But he's only earning $200 a week and he's having trouble paying the bills. He needs his big break. And that's just what his smarmy agent is offering: a starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Big money, working for his favorite director, and playing opposite his favorite Tinsel Town starlet—All Ashraf has to do is play the most stereotypically evil, fanatical Islamic terrorist ever to grace the silver screen. JIHAD JONES follows Ashraf as he battles the infamous slippery slope, while hilariously balancing his personal ethics and cultural pride against his professional ambition.
July 24 - July 16, 2015
Bright Half Life by Tanya Barfield - Michigan Premiere
"This well-written portrayal of smart women finding, losing, and finding themselves and each other again, is profound...past, present, and future are contained in each moment, and every one of them feels full."
- The New Yorker. In this fast-paced and vibrant love story, Vicky and Erica have a romance for the ages, or at least it seems that way as they tackle marriage, kids, skydiving and Ferris wheels - not necessarily in that order.
Straight from its New York run, this play's unconventional storytelling jumps through time and space - from courtship to commitment, to family - not necessarily in that order. The effect is breathlessly romantic, swirling us through the moments of love that add up to a lifetime - middle, beginning, and... end?
October 1-25, 2015
An Almost British Christmas by the Theatre Nova Ensemble with music by R. Mackenzie Lewis - World Premiere
This holiday romp is inspired by the British tradition of Pantomime (or Panto) that takes children's stories and injects a bit of Vaudeville sensibility and a healthy dose of music, to create a raucous holiday family entertainment. We'll explore what happens when two unsophisticated Americans attempt a British pantomime, using American iconography and traditions. The result is an unusually American and hilarious Panto, with all of the traditional conventions, plus a rotating roster of local celebrities, pop culture references, and choirs of local schoolchildren - a truly unique way to celebrate the season. Directed by Theatre Nova artistic director Carla Milarch, with music direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis
Performances for this show start at 7:30 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2:00 pm on Sundays
November 27 - December 20, 2015
