Theatre NOVA's 2016 Season
Chesapeake by Lee Blessing - Michigan Premiere!
When conservative candidate Therm Pooley’s criticism of performance artist Kerr’s government-sponsored performance lands him a Senate seat, the artist seeks revenge. The centerpiece of Pooley’s political career is his dog Lucky, whose tricks ingratiate Pooley to voters. Kerr seeks to kidnap and retrain Lucky as the ultimate performance-art piece, but his attempt is foiled by a mysterious and supernatural transformation that brings him closer to Pooley than he ever imagined.
Febuary 5-28, 2016
Irrational By David Wells and R. MacKenzie Lewis - Michigan Premiere!
Set in Ancient Greece, “Irrational” explores the original cult of personality - the Pythagoreans, led by the charismatic mathematician, philosopher and... rock star? This rockin’ musical is inspired by the true story of Pythagoras and his fervent followers, who believed that divinity was found in the harmony of ratios. When one of their own discovers irrational numbers, he blows a hole in their worldview and crosses the wrong mathematician.
April 22nd - May 15th
Katherine by Kim Carney - World Premiere!
Carney brings her signature blend of offbeat comedy and feminine insight as five generations of mothers and daughters tell their interconnected stories, consisting of monologues spanning the years 1905 to 2017, from the hilarious to the sublime. As the members of this line of indomitable – yet very different – women migrate from rural Georgia to suburban Detroit, each faces her own personal crisis, from abandonment to unemployment, to alcoholism. Will they forge ahead, or be compelled to repeat the patterns of the past? “Katherine” is a moving testament to the grit, endurance, and humor of five remarkable women.
May 20th - June 12th.
Spin by Emilio Rodriguez - World Premiere
Spoken word poetry and teen romance collide in this fast-paced and funny play set in a homeless shelter for LGBTQIA teens. When Angelo Mendez lands there, he just wants to be loved, his roommate Mila won’t let anyone close enough to try, and both boys struggle with the unfortunate realities of being a homeless, gay teen of color in present day America. As they grow closer the boy’s secrets draw them together, but will those same secrets eventually tear them apart? This modern day love story with hip-hop appeal will leave you rapping, laughing, and ultimately moved.
June 17th - July 10th.
Dear Elizabeth by Sarah Ruhl - Michigan Premiere
The New York Times calls Ruhl “one of the most adventurous playwrights working today” and “Dear Elizabeth” is a quietly rapturous twist on her signature style. Excerpted almost completely from the famed, decades-long correspondence between two of the twentieth century’s most brilliant poets – Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell – Ruhl proves herself brilliant even when using others’ words. The play chronicles the true story of the troubled poets’ platonic love affair spanning thirty years and more than 400 letters, with postmarks from Maine to Key West, from London to South America. Using the poets own letters, words, and poetry, Ruhl weaves a pastiche of genius, intimacy, mental illness, despair, and ultimately friendship, that is as uplifting as it is heartbreaking.
September 2nd - 25th.
Mr. Joy by Daniel Beaty - Michigan Premiere
The Boston Globe calls “Mr. Joy” a play that “exhorts us to pay attention: to racial and economic injustice, to a generation of young men who feel adrift and forgotten, and to our common humanity, too often overlooked in the struggle of daily life.” Developed at Lincoln Center and ArtsEmerson, it tells the story of a Harlem community that is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy’s customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa, to the savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, all played by one actor in a tour-de-force performance, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives, and the intricate and inextricable ways that each life affects so many others.
September 30th - October 23rd
Sugar Plum Panto by the Theatre Nova Ensemble with music by R. Mackenzie Lewis - World Premiere!
The Theatre Nova holiday Panto tradition continues for another year, complete with all the zany antics you’ve come to expect from this raucous family entertainment. When young Clara’s Christmas dream goes awry, an outrageous cast of characters appears to entertain her and save her from the Mouse King. Bring the whole family for this festive holiday tradition, with local celebrities, original songs, a Bee-oo-ti-ful Panto Dame, and of course, all of the candy you can eat!
Performances for this show start at 7:30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:00pm on Sundays
November 25th - December 23rd