Rotarian Ben Whiting introduced wife Erin Anderson Whiting, Executive Director of Parallel 45 as the lead-off speaker for the day’s program.
Whiting describes Parallel 45 (P45 - as it is commonly known around the city) as a Theatre that produces cutting-edge interpretations of classic plays, giving familiar stories new life – and fresh relevance – for the northwest Michigan audience. By producing a repertory of reinvented classics and imaginative adaptations, they seek to entertain, encourage critical thought, and inspire conversation in our community.
Over the eight years since their inaugural performance of Our Town, they have grown in stature and reputation throughout the region, state and country as an innovative professional theatre. Now they are on hiatus as they the reorganize in preparation to produce and present a 2019 summer repertory season in consort with the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation as they help to reconstitute and upgrade the outdoor Amphitheatre at the Civic Center. The rotating repertory will offer a number of shows performed in rotating repertory over a 4 week summer season offering numerous varied opportunities to experience the work this exciting theatre company continues to bring to our area.
Following is a link to a short video that expresses the vitality the company brings: https://vimeo.com/248020617
Following the short presentation, Whiting introduced Michael Norton, one of the many national and international artists who have appeared with the company over the past years, who had worked with a cast of three writer/performers who engaged us in comic sketches they prepared just for the Club appearance.
Featuring a series of hilarious sketches that put the unheralded, minor characters of our favorite stories in the limelight and in the most unusual of contemporary circumstances. “Stow your emotional baggage for the journey” our guide intoned, and imagine the tooth fairy defending herself for trying to pay parking tickets with teeth. Tickets received while picking up teeth in exchange for quarters…well, hopefully, you get the idea, ‘cause it was funnier than I could ever make it on paper! Then think of partners of adults who had life changing experiences as children. Think Wendy Darling (Peter Pan), Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz) or Alice Liddel’s (Adventures in Wonderland). Finally couples counseling with Santa and Carol Claus. Presented by Katherine Mangold, Mary Holland and Alex Coggin, three incredibly funny and talented performers. It was a tasty morsel of the kind of work that Parallel 45 does. Turning what we know on its head and asking us to see it with a new eye.
Can’t wait to see what they will bring us next summer in their new digs!
