We’ve finally got the rights secured to our 6th show for next season, so we can eliminate that pesky “TBA” from our 2014 Summer Slot!

So, here’s the COMPLETE Williamston Theatre 2013-2014 season.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Adapted by Stehen Mallatratt from the book by Susan Hill
October 3, 2013 to November 3, 2013

It was a dark and stormy night…
Join us for a spine tingling tale of things that go bump in the night. A neighborhood is held hostage by the shadowy figure of a woman who haunts the locale where her illegitimate child was killed years before. Legend holds that any soul encountering her will perish on the spot! Two men attempt to solve her mystery, and release their neighborhood from her spell, by recreating the events leading to her first sighting. But will they solve the mystery before they, too, fall victim to her deadly gaze?

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
By Joe DiPietro
November 29, 2013 to December 29, 2013

Meet Nick – a single guy from New Jersey with four adoring, and adorable, grandparents. Frank, Aida, Nunzio and Emma fold Nick into their warmth every Sunday for a traditional dinner with la famiglia, and try to impart to him the importance of family, a good meal and a good wife. When he tells them of his plans to move across the country for the job of his dreams, the news doesn’t sit so well. They go into full crisis mode and pull out every scheme in the book to get him to stay close to home – including baiting him with pretty Caitlin O’Hara, the girl next door. This is one to share with your family this holiday season.

THE LION IN WINTER
By James Goldman
January 23, 2014 to February 23, 2014

Uneasy is the head on which the crown lies, and uneasy the truce between a matchless king and queen. This is the legendary story of King Henry II of England, and the battle between his fiercely competitive sons to be chosen next in line for the thrown. Add in his banished Queen, the notorious Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of said sons and equally competitive, and King Louis of France, and two countries find themselves on the brink of bloody war at the whim of a temperamental and power hungry family. This classic tale of deception, manipulation and world dominance will draw you into its irresistible web, and might not let you go without a fight.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE
By Terrence McNally
March 20, 2014 to April 20, 2014

Frankie is a waitress at a second rate restaurant who gives in to the temptation of a one-night stand with her co-worker Johnny after a few weeks of working together. But Johnny has other ideas. A compulsive talker, and hopeless romantic, Johnny begins the process of wooing Frankie, hoping that she will return his proclamations of love. World-weary and battle-worn, Frankie needs a lot of convincing that this won’t be yet another disappointment in life. As their night together unfolds, they are surprised by the discoveries they make about each other, and themselves. Winner of the Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award, this bittersweet comedy combines poignancy and laughter as it traces the unlikely romance that begins to develop between two middle-aged “losers.”

OLD LOVE
By Norm Foster
May 15, 2014 to June 15, 2014

He’s recently divorced. She’s newly-widowed. He’s a man who won’t give up, and she’s a woman who won’t give in. In a story that spans three decades, we travel with two unlikely companions who encounter each other at strange and inopportune times. When the time is finally right, will they be able to give in to their desires for courtship? Find out if a trip to the circus is what it takes to start over, again.

THE BIG BANG
Book and Lyrics by Boyd Graham
Music by Jed Feuer
July 10, 2014 to August 17, 2014

Jed and Boyd need your cash!  Have you ever wanted to invest in a Broadway Musical?  In this outrageous musical comedy, two wanna-be tycoons are desperate to line up funding for their new project, “The Big Bang”, so they’ve set up a “backers’ audition” and you’re invited!  With a cast of hundreds, the overblown extravaganza they’ve written is the biggest thing Broadway has ever seen and depicts the entire history of the world – from the formation of the planets right through the most important events – Adam and Eve!  The Pyramids!  Cher!  Will Broadway ever be the same?  This zany song-and-dance romp will leave you breathless!

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I’m really excited about this season, some terrific pieces and some challenges for us.  I love the blend of the contemporary stuff and some classics, some heartwarming stuff and a lot of life affirming joy.  Plus, next season we’ll be bringing back our Dark Nights In Billtown festival, as well as announcing a few more special projects.  The future looks good!  🙂

The play boom, which starts previews at Williamston Theatre next week, is a ton of fun.  This week we’ve had a blast as we added the tech elements to the show – There’s a saltwater fish tank that just arrived!  Preuss Pets, of Lansing, is donating the use of the tank and fish, and assisting with care and maintenance!

Here’s the crew from Preuss Pets setting up the tank, along with Janine Woods Thoma, the set designer.

Here’s Steve from Preuss Pets, and Aral Gribble, the actor who will do the most with the fish, being VERY excited that the fish have arrived!

And then here’s a shot from a moment of the play, what a mess!  Good thing that tank is sturdy, this place is a mess!  🙂