News Release

UDM Theatre Company’s 2009-2010 Season - Great Theatre: Close to Home

The University of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company is presenting their 2009 - 2010 season of award-winning theatrical excellence in the Metro Detroit community. The 39th season will feature The Winning Streak, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Recent Tragic Events, Unheard Voices and Bleacher Bums.

The UDM Theatre Company opens the season with Lee Blessing’s The Winning Streak on September 25.. The play is the story of a retired baseball umpire, Omar (David Regal) who suddenly receives a phone call from Ry,the son he’s never seen. In a series of humorous yet upsetting events, these men find themselves discussing every inch of their lives while trying to make sense of their past and future. Meanwhile, Omar’s local major-league baseball team has a winning streak going. Will the baseball team turn around their losing season and break baseballs all time winning streak? Can baseball and a winning streak help Omar and Ry’s relationship? Directed by Dr. Arthur Beer, Lee Blessing’s The Winning Streak is a bittersweet comedy about the need for family in us all. Performances are Sept. 25, 26, 27 Oct. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11.

The UDM Theatre Company and Marygrove College’s Music Department are fortunate to be one of the first universities to produce The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in November. Just coming off a national tour, this musical tells the story of six over-achieving adolescents that are the finalists in their county's spelling bee. It will directed by Greg Grobis, The musical will be performed Nov. 13, 14, 15, 20, 21.

Opening in February is Craig Wright’s Recent Tragic Events. This unique play takes on the morning after September 11, 2001 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The play is about a young advertising executive hasn’t heard from her twin sister in New York City and while watching the tv coverage, is questioning life and love Recent Tragic Events is a dizzying, thought-provoking and amusing piece about life and its free will or its fate. The play will be performed on Feb. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21.

Closing the 39th UDM Theatre Company season is Bleacher Bums directed by David Regal. Theatre and baseball collide head-on in this hilarious comedy about the fans in the bleacher section at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Eating hotdogs, drinking beer and making wagers on the game brings these bleacher bums together as they watch their hometown team play the game they love so much. Conceived by Joe Mantegna and written by The Organic Theatre Company, Bleacher Bums is a show that every baseball and theatre fan should relate to in some way. Bleacher Bums will run on April 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25.

As a bonue to the season, The UDM Theatre Company performing a special benefit production of Unheard Voices. Conceived and directed by Yolanda Fleischer and written by the UDM Theatre Community, Unheard Voices is a play that will address the issues and problems of the overwhelming epidemic of homelessness in Southeast Michigan. The stories behind the homeless are as varied and surprising as the population. The Theatre Company’s goal is to present the voices, lives, visions, hopes, dreams, pains and spirits of the local homeless community on stage for the audience to recognize and acknowledge through financial support. All donations raised will go to the Homeless Action Network of Detroit (H.A.N.D.) whose help has made this program possible. Unheard Voices will be presented on the University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus on February 26, 27 and 28, 2010. This event is a limited free ticket event with donations encouraged. Subscribers to the 2009-2010 UDM Theatre Company season will receive a reserved seat on the night of their choice.

The University of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company wants GREAT Theatre: Close To Home for you. Take advantage of the Theatre Company’s best offer on tickets by getting your season tickets to all four shows for only $46.00. That is a savings of 30% off the regular ticket prices. Season tickets are on sale now through October 11, 2008.

The UDM Theatre Company is proud to annouce a new Student Flex Pass. Any full-time high school, college or university student can purchase a Student Flex Pass for $20.00. This pass saves students over 50% off the regular student ticket price and the service fees and allows them to see each UDM Theatre Company production. For more information check out our UDM Theatre Company Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/udmtheatre

The Theatre Company’s performances are held Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Marygrove Theatre on the campus of Marygrove College, 8425 W. McNichols Rd. The Theatre Company’s box office is located in Reno Hall on the University of Detroit Mercy campus. Hours of operation are noon through 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. For tickets, call the theatre box office at 313-993-3270 or reserve your tickets online at theatre.udmercy.edu.

Release date: January 12, 2010

# # #