As the saying goes, “all the world is a stage,” and World Theatre Day started in 1962 to celebrate the value and importance of theater as an essential art form in our society.
In this age of digital media everywhere and rocketing screen time, taking in a live show is a great way to reconnect with your community and the roots of human communication. Whether you’re an avid theatergoer or a novice looking for your first experience, our local theater community has something for everyone.
When it comes to local theater offerings, the world is your oyster. To celebrate World Theatre Day, here are 14 local theater options in our area. The list includes professional and community theater, youth theater, dinner theater, and interesting options you may not have heard about. We explore them here so you can experience amazing entertainment within a short drive.
Main Stage Theaters
Locally, we have some great choices for professional and community theater. Each one offers different shows throughout the theater season.
Village Theater
50400 Cherry Hill Road, Canton, MI 48187
The Village Theater at Cherry Hill is a 400-seat theater offering performing and visual arts and an education center. It offers beautiful state-of-the-art facilities that are unique with a luxurious feel. Besides live theater, they also feature concerts, dance, magic performances and art exhibits.
For nearly a decade, the Village Theater has been home to the Spotlight Players, who put on traditional theater offerings, including Guys and Dolls earlier this year and an upcoming production of Something Rotten. They also have the Spotlight Junior Players, a youth theater. Three of the seven shows this season were produced by the Spotlight Junior Players.
Tipping Point Theatre
361 E. Cady St., Northville, MI 48167
Tipping Point is a small theater with over 100 seats in a black box space. It is located in downtown Northville and offers five to six plays each season, ranging from comedies to dramas. This season included two plays making their Michigan premieres. The theater also provides acting classes and jazz concerts.
Each year, Tipping Point employs about 90 local and upcoming artists, producing a wide range of high-quality, diverse and thought-provoking programming that is accessible and affordable. They also put on the Sandbox Play Festival as part of Northville’s Arts & Acts festival each year.
Farmington Players
“The Barn” at 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Located in a former dairy barn, the Farmington Players renovated “The Barn” to reflect a spacious yet intimate state-of-the-art facility. Since starting in 1953, they have produced hundreds of musicals, dramas, mysteries and comedies. Their upcoming slate includes Sister Act – The Musical.
Fun fact: As soon as you walk into The Barn, you’ll be greeted by a mummy tomb. There is an interesting story behind it. It was the last set piece created by founding member Don Briggs. It was custom-built to fit the actress in the ending scene of The Man Who Came to Dinner back in 1994. To get the full story, ask one of the Farmington Players next time you visit.
Inspire Theatre
33455 Warren Rd, Westland, MI 48185
This small, intimate theater is in the Westland Center for the Arts. With only 90 seats, the entire audience is close to the action. The theater's mission is to embrace the “community theater” spirit and provide high-quality theater to the community.
Their season consists of five plays each season. With limited seating, they tend to sell out quickly, so if you want to see a show, order your tickets early. The current offering is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and in June, they will be performing the comedy The Curious Savage.
Michael A. Quido Theater
15801 Michigan Ave Dearborn, MI 48126
This professional regional theater is located in the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. It offers family theater, musicals, classes and symphony orchestra performances. The 1,201-seat theater is outfitted with the latest lighting and sound systems and is fully supported by professional and modern scene and costume shops.
Earlier this year, it put on a production of the musical Into the Woods. Upcoming events include performances by the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra and Motor City Brass.
Youth Theaters
Our area also offers a wide and varied theater scene for young people. These venues are places to support local youth or give the young actors in your family a chance to shine.
50400 Cherry Hill Road, Canton, MI 48187
Within the Village Theater in Canton, the Spotlight Players have a youth theater group called the Spotlight Junior Players. Of the seven shows the Spotlight Players put on this year, three were youth theater productions.
This season, their offerings included two plays in the Biltmore Studio: Six the Musical: Teen Edition and Tut, Tut! A New Children’s Musical. Earlier this month, they put on a main stage production of The PROM School Edition.
Marquis Youth Theatre
135 E Main St Northville, MI 48167
A historic Northville landmark, the Marquis Theatre is a beautiful restored Victorian building. It was originally built as an opera house and later became a regular stop for vaudeville acts, including Charlie Chaplin. Now, it is a place where you can catch live on-stage children’s performances throughout the year.
They present happy-ending, musical “Fairy Tale” performances that are interactive, fun and suitable for kids ages 3 and up. They also offer special weekday school performances at a discount rate.
Park Players Theatre Company
46181 Joy Road, Canton, MI 48187
The Park Players are responsible for youth theater at Canton High School and Salem High School. Their mission is to provide students with a solid educational experience in all aspects of the theatrical process and provide the community with high-quality entertainment.
In early March, they wrapped up a production of The Dreamer at Canton High School and are working on presenting Brigadoon in April at Salem High School.
Forever After Productions
650 Church St, Plymouth, MI 48170
This is a youth theater located in Plymouth’s PARC and is for ages 6 through college students. Their goal is to provide quality performing arts education and family-friendly entertainment to the community. Through the performing arts, they strive to foster creativity, responsibility and confidence in their youth
Recent productions have included Lion King Jr. and Beauty and the Beast Jr. Forever After Productions also put on a series of summer theater camps, also in Plymouth’s PARC.
This group produces youth theater in collaboration with the Novi Youth Theatre and Farmington Hills Youth Theater, with productions for performers aged 4 through high school. In the Mitten Productions offer private vocal and piano lessons, workshops and summer theater camps—all taught by theater professionals with years of teaching experience.
Youth theater productions are divided into three groups. Little Stars allows children aged four through seven to get their first theater experience. The next group is FHYT Stars and NYT Kids, which put on 30- to 45-minute adaptations of productions like Disney’s Jungle Book specifically crafted for elementary-aged performers. Finally, there are Junior and Broadway Shows. These have included shows like Mean Girls High School Version and Disney Alice in Wonderland Jr.
Dinner Theater
If you like to be entertained while enjoying a good meal with family and friends, you’re in luck: here’s a local dinner theater option.
Genitti’s Little Theater at Genitti’s Hole-in-the-Wall
108 E Main St Northville, MI 48167
Genitti’s is an Italian eatery and dinner theater. The Little Theater is next door to the restaurant and accessible through another “hole-in-the-wall.” They offer lunch and dinner theater options featuring interactive comedy shows that have become their mainstay. Their goal is to offer something for everyone. As mentioned previously, they also offer children’s lunch theater.
And Now for Something Completely Different
For those who enjoy theater offerings that are slightly out of the ordinary, here are a few local experiences you might want to check out.
IN THE WORKS
361 E. Cady St., Northville, MI 48167
As part of the Tipping Point Theater’s commitment to uplifting local artists and finding new ways to do it, they created IN THE WORKS.
The new program focuses on the early process of going from page to stage. It gives local playwrights a chance to have their scripts read by actors and collaborate with a director for one week. Then, there is a staged reading in front of an audience. After the reading, you are invited to be a part of the artistic discussion concerning what you just experienced. Admission is free, although they do suggest a donation.
Farmington Players Audio Theater
Miss the old days of radio theater or want to experience it for the first time? The Farmington Players Audio Theater produces short radio plays featuring original scripts. Many of the scripts were created by local playwrights and the “Barnscribes” writing team and are performed by Farmington Players actors.
You can have this experience at home or anywhere you listen to podcasts. They are available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple podcasts, and they can be played directly from their website at the link above.
Riverside Arts Center
76 N. Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
While not as unique as the two offerings above, the Riverside Arts Center offers a wide variety of entertainment options. Its mission is to offer, promote and nurture dynamic arts and cultural programs through arts education, performing arts and visual/fine arts. The center has a theater, art galleries, a dance studio, and artist studios and classrooms. It is located in the former Masonic Temple in downtown Ypsilanti.
Now, On with the Show!
With so many great options to experience live performances, we invite you to choose one (or all) of these local theaters and take in a show. While this is a good list, there are plenty of other options out there. There are great professional offerings in the city of Detroit and great community theaters a little farther away. Don’t forget to support local high school productions, too.
However you choose to celebrate our local theater scene, we hope you find it enriching, enlightening and just plain fun!
Add a comment to: All the World’s a Stage: Celebrate World Theatre Day Locally