It’s back—and better than ever. The 2022 season lineup for Northern Michigan’s Parallel 45 Theatre is inspired, as its popular Play Reading Series and Summer Theatre Festival returns with exciting new events.
“Looking back just a few short months ago, I feel so much pride in our community,” says Parallel 45 Artistic Director Kit McKay. “After a year inside, we ventured out together! We gathered on the Civic Center lawn in record numbers, enjoying the summer nights, each other’s company and the invigorating talents of our summer company. More than four thousand community members joined us in fellowship to celebrate the healing properties of live theatre. I can’t wait to welcome our community back to Civic Center Park for a summer of provocation and delight.”
As the season kicks off next month with the reading series, tickets can be reserved at MyNorthTickets.com—advance reservations are always recommended.
This year’s Summer Theatre Festival will feature reimagined classics, Cabaret, The Crucible, and Alice: A Rock Musical—running from June 30 through July 31 at the P45 Amphitheatre at Civic Center Park.
Related Read: Searching for current local events? View our Northern Michigan Events page or visit us on our MyNorth Tickets page.
Play Reading Series
This year, Parallel 45 invites audiences to sit back and relax at its series of play readings, featuring the work of daring playwrights with voices in important, ongoing conversations around race, religion, gender and more.
The season will feature the following shows:
- The Inheritance (Selections) | February 10
- Passage | February 24
- Everybody | March 3
- Dance Nation | April 14
- Lungs | May 5-6
- Gary, a Sequel to Titus Andronicus | May 19
Summer Theatre Festival
Photo by Parallel 45 Theater
Grab a drink and sing along to your favorite jazzy tunes. P45 opens the 2022 summer festival with a radiantly contemporary theatrical experience of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, bursting at the seams with sparkle, feathers, brilliance and heart. A powerful story, Cabaret will show you that sometimes the best way to fit in is to stand out.
Photo by Parallel 45 Theater
UK-based Director Michael Burditt Norton brings Arther Miller’s The Crucible to life in a compelling, iconoclastic and irreverent spin on this central work in the American canon. Norton’s The Crucible, featuring a lean ensemble playing all 22 characters, is a gutsy examination of history and current events.
Photo by Parallel 45 Theater
Join us for ALICE: A Rock Musical, an original parody production created and performed by P45’s Youthquake Company and directed by Daniel Lendzian. A twisted take on a beloved tale, ALICE brings new life into Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with a Queen of Hearts origin story for the ages. Through pop-rock hits from the ‘90s and 2000s, ALICE is a rebellious tale of discovering the strength in one’s heart.
Parallel 45 Theatre Ticket Packages
Looking to purchase tickets for upcoming shows? See what bundles are available for the summer season.
Get Involved with Parallel 45
For 2022, Parallel 45 is providing educational opportunities for youth to get involved with the theater. Weekly classes and private lessons will be held for grades K-12 from March 7 through May 6.
In addition, Parallel 45 will host summer camps for students in grades K-6, from June 20 through August 5. Students have the option of a half-day camp where they will explore the art of storytelling and performance while participating in summer camp activities, or a full-day camp option, where students will create and rehearse a brand new play with professional directors.
Registration begins on January 10.
