Williamston Theatre Presents THE MAGNOLIA BALLET PART 1 Next Month

Mid-Michigan's award-winning professional theatre company, Williamston Theatre, located at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, kicks off its 2022-2023 Season with a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of The Magnolia Ballet Part 1 by Terry Guest. Performances for this Southern Gothic fable begin Thursday, October 13 and run through Sunday, November 6. Tickets are now on sale.

Ezekiel is a Black teenager with a secret. Every day he finds himself haunted by ghosts, ghosts that have plagued men in Georgia for generations, ghosts of racism, homophobia, and toxic masculinity. Ghosts that show up in the other men in his life, including his emotionally distant father. But when Ezekiel discovers a trove of forbidden love letters among his late grandfather's belongings, he has a realization: perhaps the only way to exorcise these multigenerational ghosts is to burn everything to the ground. The Magnolia Ballet Part 1 melds high drama, dance, poetry, and spectacle to explore masculinity, racism, and the love between a queer kid and his father. (Contains mature content and language. Check our website for a note about trigger warnings.)

The Magnolia Ballet Part 1 features newcomers to the Williamston Theatre stage Jesse Boyd-Williams, Stefon Funderburke, and Timothy Hackbarth along with Scott Norman (New Releases, Flyover, U.S.A.: Voices from Men of the Midwest). The Director of The Magnolia Ballet Part 1 is Gary Anderson. The production team includes Scenic Design by Jennifer Maiseloff (9 Parts of Desire), Lighting Design by Becca Bedell (The Cake, 9 Parts of Desire), Costume Design by Krista Brown, Sound Design by Brian Cole (Tracy Jones), Props Design/ Set Dressing by Michelle Raymond (The Hat Box, Tracy Jones), Choreography by Marsai Mitchell, and Intimacy/Fight Choreography by Alexis Black (Tracy Jones). The Stage Manager is Stefanie Din (Tracy Jones, 9 Parts of Desire).

Performances for The Magnolia Ballet Part 1 will run from October 13 through November 6 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00PM and Sundays at 2:00PM. Starting October 22 there will be 3:00PM performances added to the remaining Saturdays of the run. The first four performances of The Magnolia Ballet Part 1, October 13 - 16, are Preview performances where audience members will have the opportunity to take part in the process of creating a show by participating in a talkback session with the director following each performance. The Official Opening Night is Friday, October 21 at 8:00PM. The Conversation Sunday for The Magnolia Ballet Part 1 is Sunday, October 30 immediately following the 2:00PM performance.