Theater audiences of today aren’t any different from the audiences of 2,000 years ago, says Guy Sanville, artistic director of the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Mich., located just west of Ann Arbor. They want to feel something, to explore a little bit more of what it means to be human — and they want to be entertained and have a good time.

People want good stories, and the professional theater company has been in the business of presenting captivating new ones for 25 years, original American plays that appeal to the diverse people of the Midwest. The company’s new season opens Thursday.

The Purple Rose likes comedy, Sanville said in a phone interview, plays that use humor to explore the heart — “man, woman, and problem” is one way to sum it up. “We’re not interested in issues as much as we are people,” with a balance of comedy, drama, new plays, and classics.

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