NEXT MONTH: The Park Bar presents: William Shakespeare's "The Tempest"

The Park Bar presents

William Shakespeare's

The Tempest

Park Bar
2040 Park Ave.Detroit, MI 48226


Showdates:
Friday, December 2, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 3, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, 2011 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 16, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 17, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 6, 2012 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 7, 2012 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 13, 2012 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 20, 2012 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 21, 2012 7:30 p.m.

Park Bar will be launching its first theatre production with William Shakespeare’s last known production, The Tempest on December 2, 2011. 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the only known performance by Shakespeare’s company, believed to have taken place on November 1, 2011. Jerry Belanger will direct the Park Bar’s inaugural production, The Tempest.

The Tempest is the story of a father and daughter (Prospero and Miranda) who were exiled to sea and twelve years later come face to face with the men that expelled them. The story begins when Prospero conjures a storm to bring his enemies to the island he has occupied with his daughter, Miranda in the time since his exile. With the help of his faithful spirit Ariel he carefully manipulates a plan to restore order.

The Park Bar was originally an abandoned storefront in the city of Detroit and purchased in 2004 by then recent Wayne State University Theatre alum Jerry Belanger. He spent the next two years renovating 2040 Park Avenue and the neighboring 1930s era Cliff Bells at 2030 Park Ave. The Park Bar (which is also home to the Bucharest Grill, a Detroit dining favorite) opened its doors in December of 2006. Since then the Park Bar has become home for visiting Tiger Fans, Lions Fans, Downtown Locals, Fillmore Theatre patrons, Fox Theatre patrons and local musicians who have either played in the upstairs or been to a show in the constantly developing upstairs venue.

On December 2, 2011, five years after the Park Bar opened, Jerry Belanger’s vision of a flexible performance venue, which was originally conceived while he was a Theatre student on the foot steps of Old Main on Wayne State University’s campus located near-by, will open with its first theatre production, The Tempest. In addition to being the home for the theatre company the theatre will also be available to rent for private events as well as continue to host Detroit’s local music, dance and other performing arts events.

The cast of The Tempest includes: Dax Anderson (local actor from Hamtramck, MI as Sebastian), Phil Bolden (Executive Director of Abreact Theatre from Detroit, MI as Adrian), Mikey Brown (Local Filmmaker from Hamtramck, MI as Stephano), Jill Dion (founding member of Studio Six Theatre Company as a spirit), Chris Korte (recent Wilde Award winner for his work in the Abreact Theatre’s production of True West from Detroit, MI as Trinculo), Patrick Loos (studied his BFA at Wayne State University from Detroit, MI as Prospero), Mike McGettigan (Supervising Producer and Director of The Ed and Moe Show from Dearborn, MI as Caliban), Molly McMahon (Artistic Director of BoxFest Detroit from Detroit, MI as a Spirit), Ted Neda (graduate of the Moscow Art Theatre School Summer Program from Detroit, MI as Ferdinand), Sarah Radtke (Doctor of Chiropractic from Detroit, MI as a spirit), Rollo (Technical Director of Park Bar from Detroit, MI as Boatswaine), Mat Simonian (recent cast member of Haram Iran in Chicago, IL from Detroit, MI as Gonzalo), Sarah Switanowski (Co-creator and co-star of web series Ced ‘n’ Teri from Detroit, MI as Ariel), Katie Terpstra (recent cast member of Water Works production of The Tempest from Zeeland, MI as Miranda) and Jordan Whalen (2011 Hilberry graduate from Ames, Iowa as Francisco).

Tickets are $40 and are available by calling the Park Bar Box Office at 313-444-2294. The box office is open Friday through Tuesday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.

For more information, please call 313-444-2294 or visit the Park Bar web site at www.parkbardetroit.com.