The Purple Rose theater in Chelsea, Michigan is a delightful surprise. Nestled near the Pinterest -Worthy downtown, the small performing group is a wonderfully creative organization that I had never heard until recently.
This is a bit of a shock to me, because I have lived in Michigan all my life—Spring Lake, Grand Rapids, Dearborn, and Ann Arbor and I love cultural experiences—art museums, galleries, theater, ballet, etc.
How did I not know of this gem?
If you are scratching your head wondering as well, do read on.
The 168-seat theater, a not-for-profit, is designed to feature emerging playwrights who create Midwest focused plays. It was founded in 1991 by Jeff Daniels, a well known actor, to fill his time in-between film acting jobs.
It is housed in a restored, historic building. Audience members are never more than five rows from the stage. It is named after the 1985 Woody Allen film The Purple Rose of Cairo in which Daniels starred. According to a google search, he selected this name because his role in the movie was “life changing.”
Daniels and his wife live in Chelsea, a former agricultural town 15 miles west of Ann Arbor, rather then subject their children to the challenges and pressures of growing up in Hollywood. They were both from the area.
Chelsea Michigan: a Destination
The town’s claim to fame is the octagonal water tower turned clock, the home of Jiffy Mix and a charming array of shops and restaurants that cater to the many people who come to Chelsea to attend a play.
We had time to browse a bit and saw some funny funky stuff. I’d love to go back.
Daniels has written 20 plays that have been performed at the Purple Rose. On a tube interview he says the goal is to make people laugh.
.
And laugh we did with a lively group of friends when we watched “The Classic King .” It was about a used car dealership. I wouldn’t have thought I would find a play about used cars to be funny, not having a particular interest in cars other than to hope mine runs when I need it.
But it was hysterical and had an underlying theme (in this case retirement) that generated a very good conversation at dinner with our ten person group.
Here’s the link to the theater.
