WILLIAMSTON, MI–Mid-Michigan’s award-winning professional theatre company, Williamston Theatre, located at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, finishes out the 2021-2022 Season with the World Premiere of The Hat Box by Eric Coble.  Performances for this fun play about family secrets begin Thursday, July 14 and run through Sunday, August 14. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 21.

Two sisters discover a hat box hidden in the back of their recently deceased father’s closet.  What sits inside sends them off to visit eccentric Aunt Esther and on an increasingly wild ride down memory lane. With surprising twists and hilarious turns, Cleveland playwright Eric Coble’s brand-new comedy of family lore revels in the bizarre and beautiful mysteries that make up life.  (Contains adult language.  Please see our website for a note about trigger warnings.).

The cast of The Hat Box features Sandra Birch (A Hunting Shack Christmas, Beau Jest), Brenda Lane (To Quiet The Quiet, Doublewide), Suzi Regan (Outside Mullingar, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune), Karen Sheridan (900 Miles to International Falls, The Safe House) and Rico Bruce Wade (The Blue Door).  The show’s Director is Williamston Theatre co-founder John Lepard (A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show, The Gin Game).  The production team includes Scenic Design by Williamston Theatre’s Technical Director Aaron Delnay, Lighting Design by Brian M. Scruggs (The Taming, Over the River and Through the Woods), Costume Design by Holly Iler (These Mortal Hosts, The Safe House), Sound Design by Julia Garlotte (The Cake, These Mortal Hosts) and Props Design/Set Dressing by Michelle Raymond (Tracy Jones, 9 Parts of Desire).  The Stage Manager Maria Tejada.

Performances for The Hat Box will run from July 14 through August 14 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00PM and Sunday afternoons at 2:00PM.  Starting July 23 there will be 3:00PM performances added to the remaining Saturdays of the run.  The first four performances of The Hat Box, July 14 – July 17, 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, July 22 at 8:00PM and the Conversation Sunday for The Hat Box is Sunday, August 7. 

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Wish for the Preview on Thursday, July 14.  Remaining Preview tickets are $19.00.  Starting Thursday, July 21 tickets are $28.00 for Thursday evenings, $37.00 for Friday and Saturday evenings and $34.00 for Saturday and Sunday matinees.  Senior citizens (65 and older) and members of the Military (active and retired) receive a $2 discount on all tickets.  Student tickets (with a valid student ID) are $10 for all performances.  Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more (booked at least 1 week in advance through the Box Office).  Tickets can be purchased Tuesday – Friday from 12-6pm by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469) or ordered on-line up until 1 hour prior to the performance by visiting our website www.williamstontheatre.org.  There is now a $1 per ticket processing fee on all tickets.  Payment is required at the time the reservation is made. 

Williamston Theatre in continuing with the following Covid Safety Precautions for The Hat Box. 

• All patrons must always wear masks over their nose and mouth while inside the Williamston Theatre building.
• We do not use social distanced seating automatically. However, if you have need of social distanced seating, you may call the box office to arrange for accommodations. You must make that need clear to our box office staff. There will be no added charge for this accommodation. Social distanced seating is not available with online reservations.

If on the day of the performance you are experiencing any COVID symptoms, please stay home and contact our box office to release your seat. Because of our limited seating, it’s important that we have all seats available to patrons who can attend. We would be happy to book you into a different performance when you are feeling better.

The Hat Box is made possible in part through the generous support of Plante Morane.  An award from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts and additional support from the Williamston Sunrise Rotary also helped make this production possible.

The Williamston Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional live theatre company, dedicated to producing plays that excite, engage, and entertain our audiences.  The theatre opened its doors in 2006, is the winner of a 2014 National Theatre Company Grant from The American Theatre Wing and has received numerous local awards including the 2008 Robert Busby Award for extraordinary overall contribution to theatre in the Greater Lansing Area.

Williamston Theatre patrons will find ample parking on the street and in several municipal lots throughout the city.  The theatre is located in downtown Williamston (exit 117 off I-96) just south of Grand River Avenue.  Additional information about the company and the 2021-2022 Season is available online at www.williamstontheatre.org or by calling (517) 655-SHOW (7469).