The OPIES



Last night I attended the Oakland Press Theatre awards, The Opies. It's always an interesting event when so many people from the Detroit theatre community get together. And it's equally great to give recognition to people who do great work.



There is a theme that comes from every award ceremony: we are lucky to have such a great theatre community & there is so much talent here in Detroit. I often wonder how true those theories are. I mean, of course we have great talent, and of course we love our communities, but how much better are we really? I mean is Detroit so lucky to have as much professional theatre as it has?



I don't know. What I do know is that we have a lot of very talented people that have a hard time getting work. And we have theaters that have a very hard time getting audiences.



But here is a glimpse at what we have:



(This list does not include community theatre)



Abreact Theatre

- Downtown, edgy/new/experimental



African Renaissance Theatre

- Downtown, Black Theatre Co. Original / Edgy / Traditional

-- Red Apple Gallery & 1515 Broadway



Gem & Century Theatres

- Downtown, Long running Mainstream popular musicals & plays, Large traditional theatres.



Plowshares Theatre Co.

- Detroit, Black Theatre Co. Edgy - Traditional

-- Variety of spaces



Planet Ant Theatre

- Hamtramck, traditional to experimental. Small blackbox theatre. Award-winning original comedies.



Detroit Rep

- Detroit, Traditional theatre that deals with the struggle between races.

- Detroit's oldest



Matrix Theatre

- SW Detroit, mostly theatre as therapy, but occasionally produces professional shows.



Hilberry & Wayne State

- Detroit, Graduate & undergrad students at Wayne State.



Univ of Detroit Mercy

- Detroit - same as Hillberry - mostly undergrad.



Zeitgeist

- Detroit - Rarely producing now. Experimental & very edgy.

-- Hastings Street Ballroom



Phases Theatre Co.

- Detroit, Black theatre Co. occasionally produces shows that deal with AA culture or history

-- variety of spaces



Waterworks Theatre Co.

- Royal Oak, Summer Shakespeare

-- Starr Jaycee Park



Meadow Brook Theatre

- Rochester Hills, Traditional big musicals, largest local theatre.



The Actor's Company

- Suburbs, Mosty Children's theatre, but occasionally traditional.

-- Variety of places



Detroit Ensemble Theatre

- Roseville, new company, small theatre, traditional



Broadway on Stage

- Eastpointe, small theatre, traditional



Jewish Ensemble Theatre

- West Bloomfield, works by Jewish playwrights. Traditional to edgy.



Second City Detroit

- Novi, Original Comedies & improvisation - opening soon.



Performance Network

Ann Arbor, Large Theatre with a very busy schedule. Traditional to edgy. Blackbox space for new works.



Blackbird Theatre

- Ann Arbor, new company, traditional.



Improv Inferno

- Ann Arbor, new company, improvisation & original comedies, edgy.



Motoprism

- Ann Arbor, new company, original non-traditional works.



Purple Rose

- Chelsea, Award winning original shows, Traditional.



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Well that's 23 local theatres.



Wow, I didn't realize we had that many. And I'm sure there are some I'm missing.