Join some of TPT's favorite actors on their 2012-13 "staycation" journey. Photo credit: Howard and Charlotte Meyer

Pack your bags and let's hit the road for Tipping Point's 2012-13 season

NORTHVILLE - There's no need to worry about ever-changing gas prices, long car rides, unexpected construction on Michigan roads, and overcrowding at your favorite vacation spot. All you need to do this season is pack your tickets and head over to The Point! Where are we going? Tipping Point Theatre is speeding into its sixth season, and it's full of suspense, surprises and laughter.

The 2012-13 season includes a musical and four comedies from Connecticut to Ohio to a few stops in-between in New York City. TPT has also added a sixth show, "This Wonderful Life," as a fun way to share the holiday season with friends and family.

Tickets for each production go on sale approximately one month prior to the first performance. Tickets can be ordered by calling 248-347-0003 or stopping by the theater Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. To keep your trip affordable, consider purchasing a SeasonPASS. Each SeasonPASS is good for one ticket to each of the five shows in the 2012-13 season. You can join TPT for its "staycation" close to home for as little as $120. Individual ticket prices range from $25 to $32.

Performances will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with matinees at 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. TPT will also offer one special Wednesday matinee for each of the five productions.

Tipping Point Theatre is located at 361 E. Cady Street, Northville, MI 48167.

Founded in 2007, Tipping Point Theatre is located in downtown Northville at 361 E. Cady St., only one block off of Main Street. For more information call 248-347-0003 or log on to www.tippingpointtheatre.com

2012-13 season: Tipping Point Theatre

Deathtrap
by Ira Levin
Sept. 6 – Oct. 7
Previews: Sept. 6-7
Sidney, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a "dry spell," which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his misfortunes occurs when he receives a brilliant manuscript from a student in a seminar he conducted at a nearby college — a thriller, which Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway hit. Sidney's plan, which he devises with his wife's help, is to offer collaboration to the student, an idea the younger man quickly accepts. Suspense mounts steadily as the plot twists and turns with cleverness and such an abundance of thrills and laughter that you will be on the edge of your seat until the final startling moments of the play.

Ordinary Days
music and lyrics by Adam Gwon
Nov. 1 – Dec. 9
Previews: Nov. 1-2
From the bustling streets and subways to the quiet rooftops, "Ordinary Days" tells the interwoven story of four New Yorkers on a desperate search for their futures. Warren, an idealistic aspiring artist and "professional cat-sitter," finds a notebook belonging to Deb, a stressed-out graduate student working frantically on her dissertation on Virginia Woolf. Jason and Claire are a couple navigating the rough terrain of their serious relationship and are wondering if moving in together is really pushing them apart. Although the two couples never meet, they alter each other's lives in this bittersweet musical centered around the city that never sleeps. Adam Gwon's score of vibrant music and crisp, fluid, and often funny lyrics, reflect the racing minds of the four characters as they try to appreciate the beauty found in an ordinary day.

Looking
by Norm Foster
Jan. 24 – March 3, 2013
Previews Jan. 24 – 25
What do a business owner, a nurse, a morning radio talk show host, and a police officer have in common? They're all looking! Norm Foster, author of "The Love List," brings together another beautiful comedy about four middle-aged characters and their desperately hilarious search for true love. Val is idealistic, looking for "Mr. Right." Her friend Nina is simply looking for "Mr. Right Now." Andy is struggling with selling his business, and Matt is a quick-witted disc jockey with plenty of fears and insecurities of his own. Andy ignores Matt's advice and places a personal ad to find true love. Val answers his ad and agrees to meet with Andy. Nina and Matt are coaxed into joining them on their blind date for support. The foursome rendezvous at a local pub, but as fate would have it, Matt and Nina immediately click, leaving Andy and Val alone together to make a connection. So begins the dating game — a game that includes past loves, pretense, insecurity, and lots of laughter.

Mrs. Mannerly
by Jeffrey Hatcher
April 4 – May 5
Previews April 4-5
Inspired by hilarious memories of a childhood etiquette class, this play introduces us to 10-year-old Jeffrey, who is not good at anything except being polite. Obsessed with good manners, he is determined to be the first student ever to achieve a perfect score on the challenging final exam. Mrs. Mannerly is a demanding teacher, and no student in her 36 years of etiquette classes has achieved that feat. After discovering a secret in Mrs. Mannerly's past, Jeffrey faces off with his classmates (all played by one actor) as he maneuvers his way toward the top to try to take the grand prize! This witty comedy of manners shows the difference between how we present ourselves and who we really are.

I Hate Hamlet
by Paul Rudnick
May 30 – June 30
Previews May 30-31
After earning his fame and fortune on a successful television show, Andrew returns to New York for the next step in his career. To his surprise and horror, he lands the role of Hamlet in the prestigious Shakespeare in the Park festival. To add to his anxiety, his real estate agent has rented him an apartment once inhabited by John Barrymore, who is considered to have given the best performance of Hamlet in the 20th century. However, the ghost of Barrymore still haunts the apartment and has set his sights on convincing reluctant Andrew to play the part. Now Andrew must decide between the easy money he could make with a new television series or the confidence to be gained by facing the world's most difficult acting challenge.