Performance Network Theatre

Performance Network Theatre
Address120 E Huron
Ann Arbor, Michigan
USA
Capacity140 seats
Typeblack box/proscenium
Construction
Opened1981
Closed2015
Years active
35

Performance Network Theatre, founded in 1981, was Ann Arbor, Michigan's premiere professional Equity theatre. It produced a wide variety of dramas, classics, comedies, Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winners, many of which were World or Michigan Premieres. Its professional season included five to seven main stage productions. Other programming included seasonal productions that ran in repertory over the holiday season, the Northern Writers' Project—a week-long playwriting intensive, children's programming, the Fireside Festival of New Plays, the Open Table Series, the Open Stage series, music and more.

On December 18, 2015, the Theatre announced that it would close at the conclusion of the year.

Overview

Performance Network was a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that began its tenure in Ann Arbor in 1981. Performance Network became Ann Arbor's professional theatre in September 1997 and built an elegant theatre in the heart of downtown in September 2000.

Performance Network's primary stage, the Shure Theater, was an intimate space that seated 139 patrons.

History

David Bernstein and Jim Moran founded the Performance Network Theatre in 1981 as an arts collective. In addition to Bernstein and Moran, active collective members in the playwriting group included Lyn Coffin, Davi Napoleon, Judith Ottmar, Al Sjoerdsma and Rochel Urist. The theatre evolved into a nonprofit corporation in the mid-eighties. After the departure of the original founders, the organization continued to produce and present experimental, original and socially relevant work under the cooperative direction of Linda Kendall, Annemarie Stoll, Johanna Broughton, (and in time, Peter Knox). Eventually, the early 1990s saw departures from the artistic staff leave the artistic direction in the hands of Johanna Broughton, who (with her husband Dan Walker, along with Carla Milarch and David Wolber) led the theatre from the 'Warehouse Years' to professional status and in 2000 moved it from Ann Arbor's Washington Street location to the corner of 4th and Huron, near the Kerrytown district. In 1997, Performance Network secured a contract with Actors’ Equity and established itself as Ann Arbor's professional theatre. In doing so, it was able to

In 2003, direction of the theatre was turned over to Milarch and Wolber. Under Milarch and Wolber, Performance Network excelled at choosing a wide range of artistically challenging shows and began receiving multiple awards for artistic quality. In order to continue producing high quality work Milarch decided to join Wolber in the Artistic department. In 2012, Performance Network switched to a dual leadership structure and hired Erin Sabo to partner with Wolber. In May 2014, the Board of Directors suspended all operations, as the theater did not have resources to pay its staff, actors and vendors in a timely manner, and to make debt payments. In July 2014, the Board announced that the theatre would reopen under the management of local actor-directors John Manfredi and Suzi Regan. Under the new management team, the Network produced one and a half seasons. Despite excellent reviews for some of the productions, both ticket sales and donations dropped precipitously. In October 2015, the theatre announced that unless it could raise $50,000 before Thanksgiving, it would need to close its doors permanently. The funding campaign failed to reach its goal. In December, the staff and Board of Directors announced that the theatre company was no longer sustainable.

Programs

Professional Season

The professional season included classic and contemporary plays under a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Performance Network strived to include a classic play, musical, and world premiere in each season. The season began in the fall and ran a full year.

Patrons could purchase a subscription to the professional season that gives them tickets at a discounted rate. Alternatively, patrons could purchase "Flex Tickets" or anytime tickets to use in any combination for any number of shows they pleased over the course of the season.

Apprenticeships and Internships

Performance Network's Apprenticeship program offered a year-long paid position. It offered hands-on training in the areas of stage management, house management, development, marketing, and technical theatre. Apprentices developed experience in every aspect of theatre management.

Internships provided applicants a comprehensive experience in all elements of professional theatre, including box office, house management, and technical and clerical skills. Unlike the apprenticeship, which allowed apprentices to experience multiple areas of theatre, interns selected which field they would like to focus on.

Staff, Board of Directors, and Associate Artists

In the Theatre's final 18 months, its staff members included:

Past staff members include:

Production history

The 1997 Productions:

The 1997 Guest Presentations:

The 1997–98 Season (PNT's first Equity season):
(Johanna Broughton, executive director)

The 1997-98 Guest Presentations:

The 1998–99 Season:
(Johanna Broughton, executive director)

The 1998 Guest presentations:

1999 TreeTown Performance Festival Guest presentations June - August 1999:

The 1999–2000 Season:
(Daniel C. Walker, artistic director)

The 2000–2001 Season:
(Daniel C. Walker, artistic director)

The 2001–2002 Season:
(Daniel C. Walker, artistic director)

2002 TreeTown Performance Festival (June-Aug 2002):

The 2002–2003 Season:
(Daniel C. Walker, artistic director)

2003 TreeTown Performance Festival (June-Aug 2003)

The 2003–2004 Season:
(Carla Milarch, artistic director)

The 2004–2005 Season:
(Carla Milarch, artistic director)

The 2005–2006 season:
(Carla Milarch, artistic director)

The 2006–2007 season:
(Carla Milarch, artistic director)

The 2007–2008 season:
(Carla Milarch/David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2008–2009 season:
(David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2009–2010 season:
(David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2010–2011 season:
(David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2011–2012 season:
(David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2012–2013 Season:
(David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2013–2014 season:
(David Wolber, artistic director)

The 2014–2015 season
(Suzi Regan, artistic director)

The 2015–2016 season
(Suzi Regan, artistic director)

Affiliations

Performance Network Theatre was a member of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the National New Play Network (NNPN), Americans for the Arts, the Cultural Alliance of Southeast Michigan (CASM), the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau (AACVB), and the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce. The Theatre's activities were supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Awards

National Awards:

Organizational Awards::

Wilde Awards:

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

Rogue's Gallery Award Winners

2013 Winners

2012 Winners

2011 Winners

Rogue's Gallery Award Nominees:

2013 Nominees

2012 Nominees

2011 Nominees

AnnArbor.com::

Ann Arbor News:

Detroit Free Press Awards:

References

  1. ↑ "Backstage Dramas - the life and death of the Performance Network". 28 April 2016.
  2. ↑ After 34 years, Performance Network Theatre will close its doors, mlive.com, December 18, 2015
  3. ↑ Ann Arbor Chronicle, June 6, 2014
  4. ↑ Detroit Free Press, July 16, 2014
  5. ↑ "Backstage Drama - What happened at the Performance Network Theatre?".
  6. ↑ Theater review: Performance Network's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' is a must-see, mLive, October 10, 2015 ; Stage vets soar in Performance Network's 'Virginia Woolf', Detroit Free Press, October 14, 2015
  7. ↑ Crains Detroit, December 21, 2015
  8. ↑ Detroit Free Press December 18, 2015
  9. ↑ "Peter Mellencamp - Playwright". Archived from the original on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  10. ↑ "'Elizabeth Rex' rules the stage". freep.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2002. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "'Targets' hits bulls-eye". 14 February 2003.
  12. ↑ "Women tell universal stories of war". www.freep.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "The Day Everything Went Wrong - Malcolm Tulip channels Brecht and Weill".
  14. ↑ "Fugard celebrates life in the theater". 8 May 2008.
  15. ↑ "Ann Arbor area's theater highlights for the year".
  16. ↑ "Ann Arbor area's theater highlights for the year".
  17. ↑ Fences Review - Detroit News
  18. ↑ "Detroit-Area Dramatist Kim Carney to Hear Fresh Take on Her "Geoffrey & Jeffrey" at NYC's Queens Theatre". 7 May 2015.
  19. ↑ The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead Review - AnnArbor.com
  20. ↑ Christmas Carol'd Review - AnnArbor.com[dead link]
  21. ↑ Williamston Theatre's Mars page Archived 2011-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ K2 Review - Detroit News
  23. ↑ "Performance Network Theatre offers 'Woman Before a Glass'".
  24. ↑ "News @9 rebroadcast". 16 February 2012.
  25. ↑ "Playwright Details | Playscripts, Inc".
  26. ↑ "Comic play 'In the Next Room' deftly handles its provocative subject …".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  27. ↑ "Performance Network's outstanding production should make you want to see 'Red'".
  28. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - Home - Red".
  29. ↑ "Performance Network puts a shine on 'Little Night Music' | ENT05 | De…".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  30. ↑ "Performance Network's 'Glass Menagerie' will break your heart - in a good way".
  31. ↑ "Performance Network's 'Good People' is better than good".
  32. ↑ "Archived copy". www.freep.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  33. ↑ "Shakespeare play breaks 'our winter of discontent' - Encore Michigan". Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  34. ↑ "Performance Network makes a very different (And darker) 'Richard III'". 3 May 2014.
  35. ↑ "Funny and sometimes dark, 'Venus in Fur' cleverly explores sexual taboos | Detroit Free Press | freep.com". www.freep.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  36. ↑ Encore Michigan July 23, 2014 Archived August 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  37. ↑ "JET anniversary finale unveils family secrets in 'Other Desert Cities'". 14 May 2014.
  38. ↑ "Theater Review: Performance Network's 'Other Desert Cities' is a gripping family drama". 13 June 2015.
  39. ↑ "Home". tcg.org.
  40. ↑ National New Play Network website
  41. ↑ Americans for the Arts website
  42. ↑ CASM website
  43. ↑ AACVB website
  44. ↑ Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce website
  45. ↑ MCACA website
  46. ↑ "New Plays". www.tcg.org. Archived from the original on 2015-02-15.
  47. ↑ "Theatre Communications Group - New Plays". www.tcg.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-17.
  48. ↑ "Theatre Communications Group - New Plays". www.tcg.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-31.
  49. ↑ "The Cranky Critic".
  50. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - 2013 Rogue's Gallery".
  51. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - 2012 Rogue's Gallery".
  52. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - 2011 Rogue's Gallery".
  53. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - 2012 Rogue's Gallery".
  54. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - 2012 Rogue's Gallery".
  55. ↑ "The Rogue Critic - 2011 Rogue's Gallery".