Check out the promotional videos for MAKING PORN below!

For tickets to the winter's hottest show, click here!

The Ringwald and Olympia Entertainment are thrilled to be bringing the hilariously, bloody Evil Dead: The Musical back to Detroit for its third annual engagement. In honor of the cult classic’s Detroit world premiere in October 1981, the musical will perform a four week engagement starting Thursday, October 4 through Saturday, October 27 at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at Detroit’s City Theatre; located inside Hockeytown Café at 2301 Woodward Avenue.

Tickets ($15 for opening night* and $26 general admission) go on sale Friday, September 24 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at OlympiaEntertainment.com, The Fox Theatre, Joe Louis Arena and the City Theatre box office, located inside Hockeytown Cafe box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge) at all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. For additional information, call (313) 471-6611 or go to TheRingwald.com. Please note, the Splatter Zone seats, where the bold really flows, are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Based on Sam Raimi’s 80’s cult classic films, Evil Dead: The Musical unearths the old familiar story: boy and friends take a weekend getaway at abandoned cabin, boy expects to get lucky, boy unleashes ancient evil spirit, friends turn into Candarian Demons, boy fights until dawn to survive. As musical mayhem descends upon this sleepover in the woods, "camp" takes on a whole new meaning with uproarious numbers like "All the Men in my Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons", "What the
F&%* Was That?" and "Do the Necronomicon".

With the approval of both Sam Raimi and the film’s star, Bruce Campbell, the first musical version of the film was staged and enjoyed a successful workshop in Toronto and subsequent performances at the Just for Laughs Festival 2004. The Off-Broadway production opened on November 1, 2006 and ran through September 6, 2008.

Evil Dead: The Musical has Book & Lyrics by George Reinblatt and Music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Boyd, Melissa Morris, and George Reinblatt.

For reservations click HERE.

Saturday, August 25, 2012
11am-3pm
at
The Ringwald Theatre
22742 Woodward Ave
Ferndale, MI 48220

Looking for men and women of all ages for two of our upcoming productions.

Sign up here for an audition time. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.

Please bring a headshot/photo and resume. Also please have all your known conflicts from November - February and March - May.

Performances for When the Rain Stops Falling are January 11-28, 2013 - Fri/Sat/Mon at 8pm, Sun at 3pm.
Performances for August: Osage County are May 10-June 3, 2013 - Fri/Sat/Mon at 8pm (possibly 7:30), Sun at 3pm.

All roles are paid although there are no equity contracts available.

Any questions?  EMAIL US

When the Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell
It's raining. Gabriel York is awaiting the arrival of his grown son whom he hasn't seen since he was 7. "I know what he wants. He wants what all young men want from their fathers. He wants to know who he is. Where he comes from. Where he belongs. And for the life of me I don't know what to tell him." That's the beginning of this compelling family saga that takes us back and forth in time from one generation to another, from 1959 to 2039, from London to Australia. With four generations of fathers and sons, their mothers, lovers and wives, the play is epic in its scope, yet at the same time extraordinarily intimate. Directed by Jamie Warrow.

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
A vanished father. A pill-popping mother. Three sisters harboring shady little secrets. When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. Mix in Violet, the drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you've got a major new play that unflinchingly — and uproariously — exposes the dark side of the Midwestern American family. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award, "August: Osage County" comes to The Ringwald in a dynamic, re-imagined production directed by Joe Bailey. 

It’s all “Relative” as Who Wants Cake? is put to bed and
The Ringwald explores a season of Family

The Ringwald Theatre just celebrated its fifth birthday, and what better time is there for the founders and managers to take stock and think about where they've come from and where the theater is headed? It is with those questions of existence forefront in their minds that they decided to retire its original production company, Who Wants Cake?, and to move forward solely as The Ringwald! And with this cleaner, more cohesive brand, The Ringwald is are thrilled to announce its line-up of productions for the upcoming 2012-2013 season.

The Ringwald's sixth full season explores all manners of family – both blood relatives as well as the families we choose. It's an exciting mix of some popular genres, new territory, and guest directors that promises to take The Ringwald to new, artistic heights!

The Ringwald: 2012-13 season

Sept. 8-24
Shopping and F***ing by Mark Ravenhill
Mark Ravenhill's groundbreaking play follows a crowd of drifters and sex traders in a seedy area of London. Five main characters comprise an unlikely family at whose center is an ever-changing love triangle of petty criminals. It is a gritty, grimy urban society, a microcosm of drugs, shoplifting, prostitution, and sexual adventure. The characters have shunned morality and conduct hedonistic and destructive lives in this shocking, humorous, nihilistic play that examines a completely corrupted society. Directed by Joe Bailey.

Oct. 13-29
Flowers Up Her Attic by Marke Sobolewski & Joe Bailey
This unauthorized parody of V.C. Andrews landmark novel "Flowers in the Attic" explores a tale of ultimate family betrayal and secrets! A young widow is forced to keep her four children locked in the attic of her sadistic mother's mansion while she tries to get her act together. Christopher and Cathy are the eldest siblings, poor little Cory and Carrie are the hapless twins. Little does the children's mother know the extent of what happens up in that attic! Directed by Marke Sobolewski.

Nov. 16-Dec. 10
The Homosexuals by Philip Dawkins
"The Homosexuals" is a comedic and heartwarming work for anyone who's ever fallen in love with a friend. The play follows Evan, a young gay man who moves to the Midwest with nothing but the shirt on his back. When a kind man invites him to a party his first night in town, the circle of friends he meets that night have impact on his life that he (nor we) could ever imagine. Chicago playwright Dawkins' epic play examines the fears, doubts and hopes facing the gay community in the 21st century in this modern-day riff on the queer classic "The Boys In The Band." Directed by Annette Madias.

Dec. 13-23
The SantaLand Diaries and Season's Greetings by David Sedaris, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
The delightful anti-holiday treat makes its annual return to the Ringwald stage for two weekends of twisted holiday fun! Directed by Jamie Richards.

Jan. 11-28, 2013
When the Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell
It's raining. Gabriel York is awaiting the arrival of his grown son whom he hasn't seen since he was 7. "I know what he wants. He wants what all young men want from their fathers. He wants to know who he is. Where he comes from. Where he belongs. And for the life of me I don't know what to tell him." That's the beginning of this compelling family saga that takes us back and forth in time from one generation to another, from 1959 to 2039, from London to Australia. With four generations of fathers and sons, their mothers, lovers and wives, the play is epic in its scope, yet at the same time extraordinarily intimate. Directed by Jamie Warrow.

February-March
TBA
We're cooking up something spectacular for this slot. We haven’t quite nailed it down, but we're sure it will be music to your ears! As soon as we know, you'll know!

April 5-29
Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam
If to live is to suffer, then Joseph Douaihy is more alive than most. With unexplained chronic pain and the fate of his reeling family on his shoulders, Joseph's health, sanity, and insurance premium are on the line. With a wacky book editor seeking to exploit Joseph's distant family connection to Kahlil Gibran, author of the bestselling "The Prophet," the Douaihy’s lives will never be the same. Shortlisted for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize, Karam's wise and moving play is also the funniest play about human suffering you're likely to see. Guest director TBA.

May 10-June 3
August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
A vanished father. A pill-popping mother. Three sisters harboring shady little secrets. When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. Mix in Violet, the drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you've got a major new play that unflinchingly — and uproariously — exposes the dark side of the Midwestern American family. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award, "August: Osage County" comes to The Ringwald in a dynamic, re-imagined production directed by Joe Bailey.

The Ringwald Theatre in partnership with the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact announce a one-night-only reading of “8,” on Friday, July 20, 2012. “8” chronicles the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8 and is written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black.

“8” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental right to marry.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama, and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

“8” had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. A star-studded Los Angeles production occurred on March 3, 2012 featuring Academy Award-winner George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John C. Reilly and others. The productions brought in over one million dollars to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality. The play is set for multi-city performances in 2012.

The Ringwald performance of “8” takes place on Friday, July 20th, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at 22742 Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale. The production will be directed by Jamie Warrow – who is not only a theatre artist, but also a lawyer. Tickets are a suggested donation of $10 and reservations can be made online at www.TheRingwald.com. All ticket sales and donations will benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the organizational sponsor of the federal lawsuit for marriage equality. An optional community talk-back will follow the reading. For more information please call The Ringwald Theatre at 248-545-5545.

A Talk Back conversation will be held immediately following the production of “8” on July 20. The conversation will be facilitated by Jay Kaplan, LGBT Legal Project Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Michigan. Jay Kaplan has been the staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project since its founding in 2001. He has worked on cases including fighting Michigan’s constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying, defending the validity of second parent adoptions granted in Michigan, and recently advocating for a transgender high school student to be able to run for prom court. Jay was honored with the 2006 Unsung Hero Award from the Michigan State Bar and the 2010 Virginia Uribe Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association (NEA).

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black. “The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

In addition to its Broadway and Los Angeles productions, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact are helping produce these staged readings across the country with a full slate set for 2012.

The story for “8” is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments of the trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

Proposition 8 was struck down by the Federal District Court in August 2010. That ruling was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8. AFER's legal team was at the Ninth Circuit in December 2011 for a hearing to urge that court to unseal the trial video. The American public was not given a chance to witness the historic trial because the proponents launched a desperate attempt to forever hide the video recording of the trial.

On February 7, 2012, in a 2–1 decision, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel affirmed Judge Walker's decision declaring the Proposition 8 ban onsame-sex marriageto be unconstitutional. The Perry case is widely anticipated to end up in the United States Supreme Court.

For information on how your local theater can produce “8,” visit: www.8theplay.com. Follow “8”on Twitter: @8theplay or on Facebook.

The third annual GPS (Gay Play Series) completed its most successful year last night at Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre. The Audience Award for Best Script this year went to Fanny Packs and Hanky Codes by San Francisco playwright Kristian O’Hare. Fanny Packs and Hanky Codes was directed by Matthew Turner Shelton and featured Shelton, Patrick O’Connor Cronin, Frannie Shepherd-Bates, and Josh Campos. The short play will be featured in a full run with last year’s winner A Few Survivors by Jason Sebacher during the upcoming 2012/13 season at The Ringwald.

An Audience Award for Best Actor went to Patrick O’Connor Cronin for his performance in Fanny Packs and Hanky Codes. Best Actress honors went to Genevieve Jona for her turn in Mark Harvey Levine’s Ten Picnics, directed by Joe Plambeck. The Best Director award went to Gary Lehman for helming Queer/Trek by Brian Walker.

For the third consecutive year, the Ringwald Theatre offers sizzling hot summer fun with its wildly popular Gay Play Series (GPS).

The Ringwald, located in Ferndale’s “Times Square", is showcasing 11 new, one act LGBT plays.
This year’s festival – attended by hundreds of people last year – continues through June 25.

Artistic director Joe Bailey said they were excited and overwhelmed with this year’s submissions of 175 one act plays some from places as far flung as Australia and the UK. “We have enough fun stuff on deck to wet everyone’s whistle.”

Joe Plambeck, marketing director, added that his marketing strategy paid off. Having grown from 44 submissions last year and 17 the first year, Plambeck said, “It is a good mixture; a potpourri of plays.”

Just a team of three - Bailey, Plambeck and Matthew Shelton, literary manager - plowed through the submissions in about 8 weeks which was no easy feat since the team was dedicated to respecting each playwright by reading though the submissions in its entirety.

According to Bailey, Detroit-area’s only GLBT short play festival made a huge splash with last weekend’s nearly sold out special opening night performance of Ronnie Larsen’s rollicking, classic play "Making Porn”.

The one act plays, split into two performance blocks, examine themes ranging from courage, to friendship, rejection, unrequited love, bullying and more.

Block A consists of six performances. Opening this set is Tony Foster’s “Defrost” which is a unique comedy about personal sacrifice. “Turnaround” by Ringwald’s artistic director Joe Bailey is a comedy about two Hollywood underlings. “Queer/Trek” by Brian Walker is a comical, mad romp with a Star Trek bent. Stereotypes are battled in “Mate Trade” by Laura Witkowski and Cara Trautman. Kristian O’Hare’s insightful “Fanny Packs & Hanky Codes” explores what others need. “Homochondria” by Brad Baron is a funny, magical piece.

Block B consists of five performances. “Ask Me! Tell Me!” by Andrew Charles Lark is an O’ Henry take on a modern theme. A shy scientist creates a make your own world in “Pocket Universe” by Duncan Pflaster. “Ten Picnics” by Mark Harvey Levine is a heartfelt story that chronicles a family of two mothers and their son. “A Streetcar Named Viagra” by Daniel Curzon is a historical retelling of the origins of one of America’s greatest dramas.

Block B’s finale “Break My Face on Your Hand” by Daniel Talbott, examines the interactions between a high school bully named Bear played by Jeffrey Vincent Howson of Chesterfield and his victim played by Christopher Burns of Northville.

The most difficult script in the collection, Bailey said he fell in love with it the moment he read it and was gratified to direct it.

Audience members will be voting for their favorite script. The winning script will receive an additional performance at the closing ceremonies on June 25 and will subsequently receive a full production at the Ringwald Theatre. In addition, audience members will also be asked to vote for a favorite actor and director.

The GPS concludes on June 25 complete with closing ceremonies, encore of winning production, and Motor City MisCast Cabaret, an audience favorite.

Making her GPS directing debut with “Pocket Universe”, Berkley resident Lisa Melinn mused, “The stories are universal. There is something for everybody and the characters could be any of us.”

SHOW DETAILS: Gay Play Series continues at the Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, through June 25. Block A June 22 at 8 pm and June 24 at 2 pm. Block B: June 23 at 8 pm and June 24 at 5 pm. June 18 at 8 pm “Vince Kelley Does Judy at Carnegie Hall”. June 25 at 8 pm: Closing Ceremonies, encore of winning production, and “Motown MisCast Cabaret”. Tickets: $10 per event. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. For information please contact 248-545-5545 or www.theringwald.com

The Ringwald Theatre is proud to announce the 3rd installment of its wildly popular Gay Play Series (GPS). Last year’s outing was attended by hundreds of people over a ten day festival period. This year the program will run over two consecutive weekends that will feature a one-time only event, music shows and, at the centerpiece, performances of 11 new, one act LGBT plays.

GPS will run June 15th-June 25th, 2012 at The Ringwald Theatre in beautiful downtown Ferndale.

The 2012 GPS will kick off on Friday, June 15 at 8:00 PM with a special one-night only performance of Ronnie Larsen’s classic play, Making Porn. The rollicking, side-splittingly funny comedy roared onto the scene in 1995 and took off-Broadway by storm and has starred such renowned gay porn stars Matthew Rush, Blake Harper, Chris Steele, and many others. Shortly after its New York production it’s played around the world (including stints in Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Diego starring Ringwald artistic director Joe Bailey). The Ringwald production will feature Bailey, Michael Lopetrone (Southern Baptist Sissies), Lisa Melinn, Richard Payton, Joe Plambeck, and Jamie Richards. Please Note: Making Porn contains nudity and adult situations.

The original One Act Festival will commence on Saturday, June 16 at 8pm with Block A and continue on Sunday, June 17 at 3pm with Block B.

Block A (Preview Video) will feature:
· Defrost by Tony Foster; Directed by PJ Jacokes
· Turnaround by Joe Bailey; Directed by Jamie Richards
· Queer/Trek by Brian Walker; Directed by Gary Lehman
· Mate Trade by Laura Witkowski & Cara Trautman; Directed by Topher Payne
· Fanny Packs & Hanky Codes by Kristian O’Hare; Directed Matthew Turner Shelton
· Homochondria by Brad Baron; Directed by Michelle Leroy

Block B (Preview Video) features:
· Ask Me! Tell Me! by Andrew Charles Lark; Directed by Nancy Arnfield
· Pocket Universe by Duncan Pflaster; Directed by Lisa Melinn
· Ten Picnics by Mark Harvey Levine; Directed by Joe Plambeck
· A Streetcar Named Viagra by Daniel Curzon; Directed by Sean McClellan
· Break My Face on Your Hand by Daniel Talbott; Directed by Joe Bailey

Block A will perform subsequently Friday, June 22 at 8PM and Sunday, June 24 at 2PM.
Block B will perform subsequently Saturday, June 23 at 8PM and Sunday, June 24 at 5PM.

As always, audience members will be voting for their favorite script. The winning script will receive an additional performance at the closing ceremonies on Monday, June 25 at 8PM and will subsequently receive a full production at The Ringwald Theatre. Audience members will also be asked to vote for a favorite actor and director.

On Monday, June 18, Vince Kelley will recreate Judy Garland’s Carnegie Hall Concert at 8:00PM. Judy’s concert appearance, on the night of April 23, 1961, has been called "the greatest night in show business history.” Garland's live performances were big successes at the time and her record company wanted to capture that energy onto a recording. The double album became a hit, both critically and commercially. Powerhouse vocalist Vince Kelley will lend his considerable talents to recreating the immensely popular Carnegie Hall concert in what is sure to be an electrifying, unforgettable evening!

GPS will come to a close on Monday, June 25. In addition to the encore presentation of the winning script, the audience favorite Motor City MisCast Cabaret returns with men singing songs traditionally sung by women and vice versa. This year’s theme is MisCast Goes to the Movies and we’ll have a fun bunch of folks on hand for what is always a thoroughly entertaining evening!

Buy your passes and tickets below!

Friday, June 15, 2012 at 8pm
Opening Night Ceremonies - Making Porn
$20.00 - Buy Tickets

Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 8pm
Friday, June 22, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 2pm
Block A of the One Act Festival
$10.00 for each day - Buy Tickets

Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 3pm
Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 5pm
Block B of the One Act Festival
$10.00 for each day - Buy Tickets

Monday, June 18, 2012 at 8pm
Vince Kelley Does Judy at Carnegie Hall
$10.00 - Buy Tickets

Monday, June 25, 2012 at 8pm
Closing Ceremonies, Encore of Winning Production, Motown MisCast Cabaret
$10.00 - Buy Tickets

Auditions will be held from 5:30-10:00 p.m. each evening. Appointments are required and may be made by e-mailing frannie@magentagiraffe.org.

Theatres attending auditions will be Abreact Performance Space (Detroit), The AKT Theatre Project (Wyandotte), Blackbird Theatre (Ann Arbor), The Box Theater (Mount Clemens), Epicenter Theatre Group (Lake Orion), Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company (Detroit), Matrix Theatre Company (Detroit), The New Theatre Project (Ypsilanti), The Ringwald Theatre (Ferndale),Threefold Productions (Ypsilanti) and Two Muses Theatre (West Bloomfield).

Male and female actors over the age of 18 from all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Appointments are required; walk-ins are welcome but are not guaranteed a slot. Actors must make appointments by e-mailing frannie@magentagiraffe.org, including in the body of the e-mail full name, desired appointment date and time, and phone number. Headshots and résumés should not be attached to the e-mail. No appointments will be made by phone. There will be a first-come, first-served waiting list at the theatre each night of auditions; we will do our best to see everyone.

Actors should prepare two contrasting contemporary monologues no longer than three minutes altogether. Auditions will be timed. Actors should bring eleven sets of headshot/résumé and all schedule conflicts for the season (one set for each attending company).

All roles offered will be paid. Most theatres may offer Guest Artist Equity contracts.

Information about the companies:

THE ABREACT PERFORMANCE SPACE (Detroit)
www.theabreact.com
The Abreact is Detroit's most dynamic and exciting FREE performance spaces! We are dedicated to creating an open forum/venue for Detroit performing artists and audiences. The Abreact, formerly the Abreact Playhouse was founded in 2000 by two Detroit actors whose goal was initially to hone their craft by creating their own artistic dojo of sorts. What blossomed as a result was a theatrical venue unparalleled in its freedoms and resourcefulness. Seven shows later the venue changed hands and the mantle has been passed on to the next generation. We pledge to do our best, to do our worst, to cut our teeth, to share our wit and skills, and learn together. Come join us!

THE AKT THEATRE PROJECT (Wyandotte)
www.akttheatre.com
The AKT Theatre Project is a theatre organization based in Wyandotte, MI. It began in 2008 as an educational summer workshop for high school students and has since grown into a professional theatre organization. AKT offers both professional and educational productions, as well as workshops throughout the year. The AKT Theatre Project strives to create an artistic home, spark new ideas, and bring affordable, professional-quality theatre to the downriver area.

BLACKBIRD THEATRE (Ann Arbor)
www.blackbirdtheatre.org
Ann Arbor's daredevil professional theatre. Also home of the Blackbird Theatre Academy, a free theatre arts program for youth. More intimate. More exciting. More fun.

THE BOX THEATER (Mount Clemens)
http://www.theboxtheater.com/
The Box Theater is an intimate 70 seat black box theatre featuring the finest in performing arts entertainment. "The Box" offers an intimate viewing experience, where every seat is a good seat, and the minimalist "black box" approach truly prevails, setting the stage for the art of theatre itself to be explored, pure and unadorned.

EPICENTER THEATRE GROUP (Lake Orion)
http://www.epicentertheatregroup.org/
Epicenter Theatre Group shares a vision of creating theatre that stages powerful and enjoyable entertainment by simultaneously providing Michigan’s top theatrical talent from all walks of life with the opportunity to create moving theatrical experiences for the viewers and performers alike. This diverse group brings multiple perspectives and experiences to live theatre that will be tapped, drawn into and provide opportunities in Michigan and beyond.

MAGENTA GIRAFFE THEATRE COMPANY (Detroit)
www.magentagiraffe.org
The Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company acts to eliminate apathy, violence, prejudice and barriers to education through theatre productions, projects and programs; and further acts to reestablish and expand Detroit’s theatre district.

MATRIX THEATRE COMPANY (Detroit)
www.matrixtheatre.org
Matrix Theatre Company uses the transformative power of theatre to change lives, build community, and foster social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those in isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers, and audience of original theatre.

THE NEW THEATRE PROJECT (Ypsilanti)
www.thenewtheatreproject.org
The New Theatre Project was founded in Ann Arbor in January 2010 with the mission to produce original work and reinventions of classical text for a modern audience. TNTP has grown into an ensemble of artists committed to producing high quality, professional theatre produced in collaborative and non-hierarchical ways and giving young artists professional work. Recently, the company has moved into the Mix Studio Theater, a storefront space in downtown Ypsilanti where they continue to produce new work in new ways with new artists. As part of Season 3: Reinvention, TNTP will strive for opportunities to strengthen the community of Ypsilanti and look for educational opportunities through the beauty of theatre and new work development.

THE RINGWALD THEATRE (Ferndale)
www.TheRingwald.com
The Ringwald produces work that will blur the lines between race, income, religion, and sexuality. Seasons to include productions focusing primarily on newer works, previously un-produced scripts, and fresh interpretations of seasoned classics. The Ringwald opened their doors in May of 2007 with Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy and quickly became a mainstay of Detroit’s theatre community. The Ringwald is dedicated to providing a creative environment for local artists to produce works that challenge, confront, and entertain.

THREE FOLD PRODUCTIONS (Ypsilanti)
www.threefoldproductions.org
Threefold Productions is a theatre collaborative committed to:
-Creating theatre that provokes genuine emotion within our audience.
-Contributing to the thriving artistic community of the Metro-Detroit area.
-Testing the boundaries of the traditional theatrical experience through bold, individual choices in scripts, design elements and performance.
-Providing a platform where both professional artists and emerging talents are able to express and develop a distinct viewpoint.
-The idea that theatre is a mercurial art form that continues to evolve long after show has opened.
We are determined to build a company that will be an essential, authentic and representative voice of art in Michigan.

TWO MUSES THEATRE (West Bloomfield)
www.twomusestheatre.org
Two Muses Theatre is West Bloomfield’s newest, non-profit professional theatre whose mission is to provide opportunities for women in theatre and promote female artists and artisans. Soon to be completing its inaugural year of four productions, this year it will embark upon a five-show season, including three plays, a musical and a children’s theatre production. Each year, Two Muses will do a benefit performance for which all proceeds will be donated to an at-risk women’s or children’s charitable organization.

For more information about Joint General Auditions or to make an appointment, please e-mail frannie@magentagiraffe.org.

Auditions are on Sunday, May 13
6-9pm

at

The Ringwald Theatre
22742 Woodward
Ferndale, MI 48220

Auditions will consist of cold readings from selected scripts.

No sign-up time is necessary. Please arrive between 6pm and 8:45pm. 

Please bring headshot and resume. Also please know your conflicts between now and June 25, 2012.

The festival runs June 15-25, 2012. The one act portion of the festival will perform on Saturday and Sunday of the opening weekend and Friday-Sunday the closing weekend. The winning play will also perform on the closing night, Monday, June 25th at 8pm.

If you have any questions or cannot make the audition but are interested, please email us at info@TheRingwald.com

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at The Ringwald on May 13th!

Check out the write up below and see all this year's winners here.

Best Place to See Local Theater

Five years ago, Joe Plambeck and Joe Bailey moved their Who Wants Cake? theater company into the Ringwald Theatre, near the corner of Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale. Known for gender-bending performances of madcap subversive farce, the company has mounted productions of Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy, Evil Dead: The Musical, The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From, Ronnie Larsen's Making Porn, Del Shores' Southern Baptist Sissies and many more plays that a typical theater company wouldn't touch. Next month, the company will perform The Divine Sister, with mother superior, naturally, played by Plambeck.

And of course, The Ringwald is not just The Joes, but also the amazing Jamie Warrow, Melissa Beckwith, Vince Kelley, and Matthew Turner Shelton. And in case you're wondering, there has been no casting update: Joe Bailey is still playing Mother Superior. :)

Check out the write up below and see all this year's winners here.

Best Place to See Local Theater

Five years ago, Joe Plambeck and Joe Bailey moved their Who Wants Cake? theater company into the Ringwald Theatre, near the corner of Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale. Known for gender-bending performances of madcap subversive farce, the company has mounted productions of Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy, Evil Dead: The Musical, The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From, Ronnie Larsen's Making Porn, Del Shores' Southern Baptist Sissies and many more plays that a typical theater company wouldn't touch. Next month, the company will perform The Divine Sister, with mother superior, naturally, played by Plambeck.

And of course, The Ringwald is not just The Joes, but also the amazing Jamie Warrow, Melissa Beckwith, Vince Kelley, and Matthew Turner Shelton. And in case you're wondering, there has been no casting update: Joe Bailey is still playing Mother Superior. :)

The production, originally set to close April 23, will now close Monday, April 9.

Producer Bobby Gould (Jamie Warrow) must decide whether to give the go ahead to yet another bad action flick, scored by best friend Charlie Fox (Leah Smith), guaranteed to be a blockbuster or produce an earnest, apocalyptic novel, championed by sexy temp Karen (Kelly Rossi), that can greatly effect change but will almost certainly flop. A masterwork skewering of the film industry, Speed-the-Plow is a hilarious close-up of art being sacrificed to commerce in a market where, as Gould puts it, "it's our business to make what everyone else was making last year."

Saturday, March 24. 12:00 p.m – 3:00 p.m.
Sign up for an audition time here.

This outrageous comedy pays homage to nearly every Hollywood film involving nuns. Evoking such films as The Song of Bernadette, The Bells of St. Mary’s, The Singing Nun and Agnes of God, The Divine Sister tells the story of St. Veronica’s indomitable Mother Superior (played by Joe Bailey) who is determined to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. Along the way, she has to deal with a young postulant who is experiencing “visions,” sexual hysteria among her nuns, a sensitive schoolboy in need of mentoring, a mysterious nun visiting from the Mother House in Berlin, and a former suitor intent on luring her away from her vows. This madcap trip through Hollywood religiosity evokes the wildly comic but affectionately observed theatrical style of the creator of Die! Mommie! Die! and Psycho Beach Party.

CASTING THE FOLLOWING ROLES:

Agnes (late teens/early 20s): Agnes is a young, naïve postulate at St. Veronica’s. Agnes believes that she is the Immaculate Conception and thus possesses spiritual powers.

Mrs. Levinson/Timothy (60+/12): Mrs. Levinson, a widowed society matron, believes in designer clothes, all the finer accouterments that life has to offer, and that the idea of a god, in any form, is ridiculous. Timothy is a rather effeminate young boy who desires counsel from Mother Superior.

Jeremy/Brother Venerius (40+): Jeremy is a good friend of Mrs. Levinson and the long-lost love of Mother Superior. Although he’s returned to Pittsburgh to follow a lead on a story, he’s also interested in reuniting with Mother Superior. Brother Venerius is an albino monk connected to Mother Walburga.

Performances are from May 11-June 4, 2012 on Friday, Saturday, Mondays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm.

Readings will be from the script. All positions are paid.

Please contact Director Jamie Richards with any questions at jamrich2@gmail.com

Featuring: Joel Mitchell, Rob Pantano, David Herbst, Bryan Lark, Mike McGettigan, Wayne David Parker, Stephen Blackwell, Dave Davies, Tina Gloss-Finnell, Lise Lacasse, Chris Smith, Patrick O’Connor Cronin, Mark Finnell.

The reading will be at 2pm on Sunday, March 18th at The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale, MI. There is no admission, but donations at the door will be accepted and are appreciated.

The reading will be on Friday, July 20th, 2012. Performance begins at 8:00 PM. $10 suggested donation.  Proceeds from the evening will be donated to American Foudnation for Equal Rights, the organizational sponsor of the federal lawsuit for marriage equality.  

Donations will be accepted at the Ringwald box office, which will open at 7:15 on the night of the performance. Tickets may not be reserved in advance so arrive early.

For more information on "8", click the logo to the right or here.

They do it all at the Ringwald Theatre – from sidesplitting Yuletide comedies to dystopian dramas like Mercury Fur. They also do it with a spirit that reminds one of the "Hey, kids! Let's put on a show!" enthusiasm of Mickey and Judy ... or Gomez & Morticia. It's hard to tell at times. What isn't difficult to understand is your continued enthusiasm for this Ferndale troupe and the two way-above-average Joes (Plambeck and Bailey) who guide it to excellence year after year. 

Check out all the winners here.

Last year’s expanded festival proved to be wildly successful, with Jason Sebacher’s play, A Few Survivors, winning the top prize. The 2011 Festival also saw more prizes handed out with Christa Coulter winning the Audience Award for Favorite Performance and Matthew Turner Shelton winning the Audience Award for Best Director, both for Rich Orloff’s play Vowed and Wowed. Artistic Director Joe Bailey says, “The GPS Festivals have continually exceeded our expectations and we have no doubt that the 3rd annual one will be no different. We are incredibly excited to get to planning the 2012 festivities.”

The plays submitted should have a performance time of 30 minutes or less and deal directly with issues or characters that are identified as gay/lesbian/transgender, or contain a gay sensibility. From the initial submission pool, a final line up will be chosen by a panel of judges to be performed at The Ringwald Theatre in June, 2012. From those performed, an audience poll will be conducted to select one script that will receive a full production at The Ringwald Theatre during the 2012/2013 season.

All submissions must be submitted electronically to: submissions@theringwald.com

• The submitted script must be the script proposed for presentation, with no major alterations necessary.
• Please provide an approximate running time and a one sentence synopsis in the body of the email.
• Neither fax nor paper submissions will be accepted.
• Submission materials will not be returned.
• Previously submitted scripts will not be eligible.
• The deadline for submissions is March 16, 2012.
• The final line-up will be announced in May, 2012.

SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER Performance Schedule

In commemoration of what would have been Elizabeth Taylor’s 80th birthday on February 27, The Ringwald Theatre is set to celebrate her life and one of her bestknown roles in February! You’ve never seen Elizabeth Taylor celebrated until you see how The Ringwald celebrates her!

First up: In the World Premiere of Elizabeth the Beautiful by Kim Carney, we find Elizabeth recovering from back surgery in an elegant Virginia hotel in 1978. After a near-fatal encounter with a chicken bone, she is visited by her ex-ex-husband Richard Burton-or is she? Is he merely a figment of her unconscious mind? During this visit, Burton ushers in notable figures from her past, all with the purpose of teaching her a very valuable lesson about where her life is headed. Elizabeth the Beautiful is a funny, outlandish, and ultimately touching valentine to Ms. Taylor’s life. Starring Joe Bailey as Elizabeth Taylor, Mike McGettigan as Richard Burton, and Patrick O’Connor Cronin as Everybody Else. Directed by Bryan Lark, Elizabeth the Beautiful will open Friday, February 17, 2012 at 8:00PM.

Opening one week later will be a campy rendition of Tennessee Williams masterpiece, Suddenly, Last Summer. The sordid tale of Catharine Holly (famously played by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1959 movie adaptation, here played by Marke Sobolewski) and her cousin Sebastian whose life meets an unseemly end when they are vacationing together in Cabeza de Lobo. Will Catharine get to tell what really happened before Sebastian’s mother (played by Lauren Bickers) follows through with her threats to have Catharine lobotomized? Suddenly, Last Summer also features Mikey Brown, Carrie Lynn Hall, Vince Kelley, Genevieve Jona, Anne Faba and is directed by Joe Plambeck. It will open Friday, February 24, 2012 at 8:00PM.

The two shows will run in repertory through March 12. Ticket prices are $20.00 for 8pm Friday and Saturday performances, $15 for 3pm Sunday shows, and Monday nights at 8pm are HALF OFF the original ticket price at only $10 a ticket. Tickets can be purchased at www.TheRingwald.com or at the theatr

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We are looking forward to an amazing 2012 and we couldn't do it without you! Thank you for your support and we hope to see you soon at The Ringwald!