Guest Artist
By Jeff Daniels
THE
PURPLE ROSE THEATRE COMPANY PREMIERES TENTH JEFF DANIELS PLAY
Guest Artist Is A Deeply Personal Labor Of Love About Taking Risks And Playing It Safe
All photos by Danna Segrest, courtesy of the Purple Rose Theatre Company
The Purple Rose Theatre Company is proud to announce the World Premiere production of Jeff Daniels’ tenth play, Guest Artist. The winter production will run from Thursday, January 19 through Saturday, March 18, 2006.
Seven previews of Guest Artist will be performed from Thursday, January 19, through Thursday, January 26, with Press Opening Night on January 27, 2006. Regular performances for the duration of the engagement are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM with Saturday matinees at 3:00 PM and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. (Editor’s Note: Please find a daily performance calendar, including ticket prices and added performance dates, on page 3). All performances are held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan.
In the tradition of Across The Way and Boom Town, Guest Artist is a play about the arrogant use of power; a story about taking risks, playing it safe and the mixed blessing of getting exactly what you wish. In his most autobiographical work yet, Daniels weaves a funny and poignant story about a young man coming face to face with his hero and explores the tangled relationship between the dreams of youth and the wisdom of age.
Playwright Jeff Daniels has been writing for The Purple Rose Theatre Company since Shoe Man closed the company’s 
first season in 1991. Since then, four of his plays have been published by Dramatists Play Service and performed all over the country. In 2002, Across The Way was nominated for the American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award; Daniels shared this nomination with legendary playwright Arthur Miller and with the 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner, Anna In The Tropics by Nilo Cruz. Though Daniels been writing plays for a over ten years, Guest Artist is different than any of his previous work. “I’ve always wanted to write a play about the American Theatre,” he says. “I had no idea it would be so deeply personal. It’s a play I had to write.”
Directed by PRTC Artistic Director Guy Sanville, the cast of Guest Artist features Randall Godwin (The Underpants) as the Ticket Man, Patrick Michael Kenney (And The Winner Is) as the young man and Grant R. Krause (And The Winner Is) as his hero. (Editors’ Note: Cast biographies or interviews are available for hometown stories by calling 734.433.PRTC).
This production of Guest Artist includes set design by Bartley H. Bauer, lighting design by Dana White, costume design by Christianne Myers, prop design by Danna Segrest and sound design by Quintessa Gallinat. The stage manager is Katie M. Doral with Michelle DiDomenico and Amy Hickman as assistant stage managers.
This PRTC production is underwritten by the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund with additional funding-in-part provided by Charles Schwab, Chelsea Rhone L.L.C., Dow Automotive, Richard and Leslie Helppie, Marshall Fields and Meijer.
Ticket reservations can be made by calling The Purple Rose Theatre Company Box Office at 734-433-ROSE (7673). The PRTC Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES
* Talk back following performance REGULAR SCHEDULE Wednesday, March 8 8:00 PM $25.00
Wednesday, March 15 3:00 PM $25.00 Added Performance Meet the Playwright Jeff Daniels Meet the Director
Thursday, January 19* 8:00 PM $20.00
Friday January 20* 8:00 PM $25.00
Saturday, January 21* 3:00 PM $20.00
Saturday, January 21* 8:00 PM $25.00
Sunday, January 22* 2:00 PM $20.00
Wednesday, January 25 8:00 PM $20.00
Thursday, January 26 8:00 PM $20.00
Friday, January 27 8:00 PM $35.00 Press Opening Night
Saturday, January 28 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, January 28 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, January 29 2:00 PM $30.00
Wednesday, February 1 8:00 PM $25.00
Thursday February 2 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, February 3 8:00 PM` $35.00
Saturday, February 4 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, February 4 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, February 5 2:00 PM $30.00
Wednesday, February 8 8:00 PM $25.00
Thursday, February 9 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, February 10 8:00 PM` $35.00
Saturday, February 11 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, February 11 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, February 12 2:00 PM $30.00
Sunday, February 12 7:00 PM $25.00 Added Performance
Wednesday, February 15 3:00 PM $25.00 Added Performance
Wednesday, February 15 8:00 PM $25.00
Thursday, February 16 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, February 17 8:00 PM` $35.00
Saturday, February 18 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, February 18 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, February 19 2:00 PM $30.00
Wednesday, February 22 8:00 PM $25.00
Thursday, February 23 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, February 24 8:00 PM $35.00
Saturday, February 25 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, February 25 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, February 26 2:00 PM $30.00
Sunday, February 26 7:00 PM $25.00 Added Performance
Wednesday, March 1 3:00 PM $25.00 Added Performance
Wednesday, March 1 8:00 PM $25.00
Thursday, March 2 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, March 3 8:00 PM` $35.00
Saturday, March 4 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, March 4 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, March 5 2:00 PM $30.00
Thursday, March 9 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, March 10 8:00 PM` $35.00
Saturday, March 11 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, March 11 8:00 PM $35.00
Sunday, March 12 2:00 PM $30.00
Sunday, March 12 7:00 PM $25.00 Added Performance
Wednesday, March 15 8:00 PM $25.00
Thursday, March 16 8:00 PM $25.00
Friday, March 17 8:00 PM $35.00
Saturday, March 18 3:00 PM $30.00
Saturday, March 18 8:00 PM $35.00 Closing Night
Jeff Daniels has written ten plays for The Purple Rose Theatre Company: Shoe Man, The Tropical Pickle, The Vast Difference, Thy Kingdom’s Coming, Escanaba in da Moonlight, Apartment 3A, Boom Town, Across The Way (2002 Best New Play nomination by the American Theatre Critics Association), Norma & Wanda and Guest Artist. Jeff tripled as actor-writer-director on Purple Rose Films’ Escanaba in da Moonlight and Super Sucker (Best Feature at the 2002 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival). Upcoming films include The Squid and the Whale with Laura Linney, Good Night and Good Luck with George Clooney and RV with Robin Williams. Onstage & Unplugged, his live CD, is available in the PRTC lobby or online at jeffdaniels.com; all proceeds benefit the Purple Rose.
Guy Sanville
Guy Sanville celebrated his 11th anniversary as Artistic Director of The Purple Rose Theatre Company this May. He has directed over twenty productions for the Purple Rose. He has received the Detroit Free Press Excellence in Theatre Award for Best Director four times. He has appeared in seven plays for the Rose, most recently as Brock in Born Yesterday and Stu in Boomtown. He is a proud member of The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild; he also currently serves as Great Lakes Regional Vice President of the Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas. He resides in Chelsea with his wife Nancee and daughter Rose.