Players Past Performances

Here are some highlights from some of our past performances!

Addams Family
Spring 2015

Sidewalk Detroit 2017 flier — 2017 Sidewalk Detroit
August 5, 2017

Sister Act flier — Sister Act
Spring 2017

It's a Wonderful Life: Live on the Air
Fall 2016
Ain't Misbehavin
Spring 2016
Twilight: Los Angeles 1992
Fall 2015

Detroit Sidewalk 2017

It was a cooler than normal evening on August 5th when a group of Park Players took the stage at the 5th Annual Sidewalk Festival of the Performing Arts and delivered a staged reading of excerpts from To Be Young, Gifted and Black. This was the second year Players has participated in the festival, and it contained plenty of surprises. We were greeted by a contingent of fans and there was not an empty seat to be seen!

This year's Sidewalk theme was Radical Moment(um), and scenes from our fall show perfectly fit material to perform. Lorraine Hansberry's work deals with the many complex social/ racial issues of her time. If that weren't enough radical talk, there is the stark realization that most of the issues she wrote about are still unresolved today.

We are excited that a few Players who will be unavailable for the full show this fall were able to participate in the reading. We got to hear from Mary Davis, who has been absent from our stage during my time with Players. And Steve Spencer was there fresh off knee surgery (Get well Steve!). Thomas Philips was able to join us and he never gets to do anything with us due to work. Even Tamara Kamara found time in her busy schedule to lend her voice to the reading!

The full cast included Sadie Bernice, Stefan Lee, Karen Curtsinger, Mary Davis, Steve Spencer, Tamara Kamara, Thomas Philips and Archie Lynch. All coached and directed by Angela Riley and Roger Loeb.

Thank you to all that came out to Sidewalk to see us. For those who didn't make it out to the festival, there is always next year!

Mary and Sadie performing at the Sidewalk Festival.

Sadie and Stefan performing at the Sidewalk Festival.

Steve performing at the Sidewalk Festival.

Sister Act

WXYZ Interview

Carman spoke with WXYZ Detroit and sang "Sister Act" on TV to promote our show!

Sister Act was one of our most exciting shows to date! We had awesome turnouts, and did a weekend at the historic Redford Theatre! Kudos to everyone who played a role in bringing this show to two separate stages, and breakingnlegs all along the way.

It's a Wonderful Life: Live on The Air

Ain't Misbehavin

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Acclaimed as "an American masterpiece" (Newsweek), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is a stunning work of "documentary theatre" in which Anna Deavere Smith uses the verbatim words of people who experiences the Los Angeles riots to expose the devastating human impact of that event.

From nine months of interviews with more than two hundred people, Smith has chosen the voices that best reflect the diversity and tension of a city in turmoil: a disabled Korean man, a white male Hollywood talent agent, a Panamanian immigrant mother, a teenage black gang member, a macho Mexican American artists, Rodney King's aunt, beaten truck driver Reginald Denny, former Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates and other witnesses, participants and victims.

A work that goes directly to the heart of the issues of race and class, Twilight ruthlessly probes the language and the lives of its subjects. Offering stark insight into the complex and pressing social, economic and political issues that fueled the flames in the wake of the Rodney King verdict.

Bears theatrical witness to the barbarity not just of violence but of envy, which in Los Angeles drives both rich and poor crazy. Smith shows people struggling to make coherent sense of their rage and pain...Twilight goes some way toward reclaiming for the stage its crucial role as a leader in defining and acting out that ongoing experiment called the United States. -The New Yorker

Despite the media saturation of the riots and their aftermath, one leaves this show knowing more...sensitive and often touching. -Variety

Extraordinary...haunting -People Magazine

TK as Auntie Maxine Waters in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Clayton Closson as Reginald Denny in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

The Addams Family

Addams Family cast at the community house

Rehearsal

Performance

Shrek The Musical

Park Players' Spring 2018 musical is a big one! Travel with us to Duloc with Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, and the whole crew. Set in a mythical “once upon a time” sort of land, Shrek the Musical is the story of a hulking green ogre who, after being mocked and feared his entire life by anything that crosses his path, retreats to an ugly green swamp to exist in happy isolation. Suddenly, a gang of homeless fairy-tale characters (Pinocchio, Cinderella, the Three Pigs, you name it) raid his sanctuary, saying they’ve been evicted by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. So Shrek strikes a deal: I’ll get your homes back, if you give me my home back! But when Shrek and Farquaad meet, the Lord strikes a deal of his own: He’ll give the fairy-tale characters their homes back, if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona. Shrek obliges, yet finds something appealing–something strange and different–about this pretty princess. He likes her. A lot. But why does she always run off when the sun sets?

Show Dates

April 27 - 8pm

April 28 - 8pm

April 28 - 2pm

May 4 - 8pm

May 5 - 8pm

May 6 - 2pm

Park Players Blog

Guys and Dolls

Spring 2014

A Musical Fable of Broadway!

A Murder is Announced

Fall 2013

Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, adapted for the stage by Leslie Darbon

Much Ado About Nothing

Fall 2012

A modern interpretation of Shakespeare's classic comedy

Urinetown

Spring 2012

A brilliant satire modeled off the plays of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, Urinetown is a wickedly funny, fast-paced, and surprisingly intelligent comedic romp!

Our Town

Fall 2011

Our Town gently advises us to appreciate life while we are living it, particularly the uneventful, ordinary activities - smelling flowers, eating breakfast, looking out the window at the silent moon.

Hairspray

Spring 2011

Hairspray is fun, wacky and witty - and at the same time addresses issues of prejudice and discrimination.

Guys and Dolls

Nathan Detroit, the infamous New York City gambler, has bet Sky Masterson that he will not be able to make the next girl that he sees fall in love with him. That girl turns out to be Sarah Brown, a prim and proper Mission gal! Meanwhile, Miss Adelaide, Nathan's longtime fiancé, is desperate to get Nathan to the alter. The gamblers, the dancers, and the spunky do-gooders are thrown together in a charming, timeless story.

And now, the Park Players' revival will be performed in the North Rosedale Park Community House in Detroit. For ticket reservation and purchase for this Detroit community theater show, please call (313)835-1103 or e-mail us at parkplayersnrp@gmail.com.

A Murder is Announced

What better way to enjoy the Halloween season than with a murder mystery? The Park Players are proud to invite you for a night of suspense and surprises as they perform Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, adapted for the stage by Leslie Darbon.

Reflecting the lifestyle and morality of 1950s England, the play is set in the old Victorian home of Miss Letitia Blacklock, who has opened her house to several boarders. The occupants include Miss Blacklock's niece and nephew, her old school chum, and a single working mother. It should come as no surprise to fans of Christie that no one is exactly who they say they are. Soon enough, mixed motives and murder create the scene for an unforgettable evening of mystery. Come along as determined inspector Craddock doggedly traces the twists and turns of the surprising plot, and the indomitable Miss Marple steps in to provide the final, brilliant solution!

The cast and crew have been working hard to perfect this intriguing tale of suspense for theatergoers. Many regular Park Players performers, whom you may remember from Dreamgirls, are back, including Linda Witherspoon playing the part of Miss Marple, and Steven Spencer as Inspector Craddock. Jeannette Steinhauer, who last appeared in Our Town, is taking on the challenging role Miss Blacklock. Also returning to the stage are Theresa Chatman (playing the part of Bunny in her first major role), Thomas Phillips, Carley Matkovich, Jonathan Jones, Wendy Krekeler, and Maggie Tibus. Newcomers to The Park Players include Toni Hammond, Michael Newhouse and Leonard Zabawski.

SHOWTIMES:

Friday, November 15 - 8 PM Performance $17
Saturday, November 16 - 7 PM Wine and Cheese Performance $23
Sunday, November 17 - 2 PM Matinee Performance $17 (student/senior $15)
Friday, November 22 - 6:30 PM Dinner Theater Performance $29z
Saturday, November 23 - 8 PM Performance $17

For more information or Ticket Reservations Call (313)538-2336 Email: parkplayersnrp@gmail.com

Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is one of the most beloved and accessible of all his enduring comedies. Our version is a modern, relatable adaptation, with more approachable language, suitable for all ages.

The play promises to have a distinctive character and style under the talented direction of Carollette Phillips, long-time Park Players member and recent MFA graduate from Wayne's State's theater program.

This marks the second production of a Shakespearian play by the Park Players (the first being the hugely successful A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2000). We're very pleased to bring another timeless classic to life, right here in North Rosedale Park!

A Note from the Director

Hero is devastated when Claudio threatens to call off their nuptials in the chaotic wedding scene in Act IV

We're so excited about our November production of Much Ado About Nothing, and can't wait to bring our rendition to the stage! Here's a note from out talented director, Carolette Phillips, to give more insight into our enthusiasm for this show.

People often think of Shakespeare as rigid or inaccessible but as audiences will soon see, it is quite the opposite! The incorporation of music and dance styles that span a variety of decades gives our production of Much Ado About Nothing an engaging, contemporary twist. Our cast includes actors of diverse ages, backgrounds and levels of training, which really gives the show a great amount of color and a fresh outlook on the Bard's classic.

Throughout the rehearsal process actors have worked diligently to develop unique characters and master this story in a way that allows them to bring the language to life and present a production that is creative and exciting! Our actors boldly attack the combination of comedy, drama, love, hate, jealousy and redemption illustrated throughout this production. One of the best elements of Shakespeare's plays is the fact that they always deal with these types of universal themes and situations. Recognizing this closeness to our present society and circumstances makes Much Ado resonate all the more with the cast and is sure to have the same impact on the audience.

Also, this production features several actors who are new to Park Players and bring with them an incredible amount of talent and energy. It is exciting to have them on board and witness the spirit they infuse into this production. Don't miss what is certain to be a Shakespearian sensation!

The Park Players

Detroit's Oldest & Longest-Running
Community Theatre

Current Show

Angels in America

Players Past Performances

Addams Family

2017 Sidewalk Detroit

Sister Act

It's a Wonderful Life: Live on the Air

Ain't Misbehavin

Twilight: Los Angeles 1992

Show Dates