Page 44=Thursday, September 7, 1978-The Michigan Daily

All of Ann Arbor's a stage

By STEPHEN PICKOVER
So, you're finally in Ann Arbor, the
mecca of the Midwest, as it is affec-
tionately known, and you've got nothing
to do. Bored with the tube, the trashy
movies, and pedestrian pursuits like
pinball, you decide that it's time to try
something new, something live, ex-
citing, spontaneous, fresh and fun. You
are obviously hungry for some theatre.
And Ann Arbor is the place for it.
The major source of theatre is the
Professional Theatre Program (PTP),
which is responsible for the majority of
large productions which grace Ann Ar-
bor. These include touring companies
like The Young Vic and John
Houseman's Acting Company, as well
as the Best of Broadway series and the
local Guest Artist and Showcase series.
THE BROADWAY series is generally
comprised of one or two-year-old shows
which have begun touring the country.
The quality of these productions depen-
ds upon the company that is touring,
and the shows range from superb to
those that make one rush to the box of-
fice demanding a refund. If you see a
show that you didn't have time to cat-
ch on the aborted trip to New York, it's
a safe bet that you'll see a decent
production.
Then there are the locals. The Guest
Artist series imports an artist,
sometimes of reknown, other times not,
to act in or direct each production. The
remainder of the cast is made up of
local talent, so that although the
productions are of a high technical
quality, the acting quality will vary
considerably.
The Showcase series productions are
most often directed by graduate
students in the theatre department. The
plays are generally not too well-known,
but span a number of days and are
frequently excellent.
ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATRE,
comprised of residents of the Ann Arbor
community, is another organization to
hunt down, especially if one is in-
terested in "those famous musicals,"
which they perform every year along
with a few non-musicals. The Civic
Theatre is marked by a wide spectrum
of talent, consequently, the quality of
its productions varies tremendously.
University Activities Center's (UAC)
Musket does one musical per term, and
it is completely made up of students,
including everyone from director to
prop master. Big name shows, like last
year's West Side Story, make up the
repertoire, and are often fine. These
usually sell out fairly quickly, as dorms
and frats buy blocks of tickets.

TO
tai
S
$2
+r
thi
iuest Artist Series
INSPECTOR GENERAL
SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
RICHARD II
RIVER NIGER
in "ha Po er Center

u will smile too when you
ke advantage of PTP"s
tudent Discount Book
22.00 Ticket Value for only
$10.00
receive additional discounts
iroughout the year to other
rTP ATTRACTIONS
University Showcase
4 productions
to be announced
in Trueblood A-ena

Daily Photo by JOHN KNOX
Anxious students concentrate on their dance try-out during auditions for UAC MUSKET'S West Side Story.

Coupon Books may be purchased at the Professional Theatre Program,
Michigan League after Labor Day, Monday-Friday 10-1, 2-5

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