Ava Adelman, once a suburban wife and mother, and Sir Farquhar, a claimant to English peerage, live in large cardboard boxes in Moonshine Alley, the sole occupants of what Ava refers to as “a highly desirable residential area” near several upscale restaurants. They dine on gourmet scraps left to them by patrons of the restaurants and compete with a rat named Ashley for the delicacies. However, the bane of their existence is Peggy Dinsmore, a social worker who is determined to rescue them by moving them to a homeless shelter.
Peter Campbell has written a masterful mockery of our society’s moral ambivalence, bureaucratic obsequiousness, and police state overkill.
Barbara Busby, last year’s winner of the Subscriber Best Play Award for her direction of Between Men and Cattle, is the director for Moonshine Alley. Her cast of independent misfits includes Hank Bennett as a self appointed alley aristocrat. Last season Hank won the Subscriber Best Supporting Actor Award for his gripping performance as a reporter struggling with his embedded racism in Between Men and Cattle.
After giving us a highly opinionated Judge coping with a sensual young daughter in love with a tree, in Arborophilia, Patsy Hudson comes back to the Rep stage to portray a bureaucratically honed social worker convinced that life in a homeless shelter is far superior to the alley life of her clients. Harold Hogan gave Rep fans a scare last season when one of their favorite actors had to leave the lead roll in Lapses on a medical emergency. Fans can be assured he is fully recovered and in fine fettle for his role in Moonshine Alley as a lonely drifter trying to find a place for himself in the alley family. Charlotte Leisinger rounds out Ms. Busby’s cast as Ava, the addled ex-suburban housewife protecting her cardboard house and alley neighborhood. Charlotte last performed at the Rep as one of a group of fiesty old ladies in a nursing home in one of the Rep’s all-time comic favorites Coming to Life,
Moonshine Alley has a Champagne Opening May 29th and runs every Thursday through Sunday until June 22, 2008. Curtain times are: 8:30pm Thursdays and Fridays; 3pm & 8:30pm Saturdays; 2pm & 7:30pm Sundays.
Tickets are on sale at the Repertory Box Office, 13103 Woodrow Wilson, Detroit 48238 or may be purchased by telephone, 313•868•1347, with MasterCard or Visa. General admission for all seats and all performances is $17 advance; $20 door. Office and Box Office Hours are 10am to 5pm Monday through Fridays; 10am to 1pm Saturdays and one hour before performances.
Repertory “Anytime, Multi-use” Subscriptions and 10-ticket Bargain Booklets are available throughout the year. To book money-making fundraisers contact Group Sales Manager, Annie Cross, during regular business hours.
Moonshine Alley ends the Rep’s 50th Anniversary Season and marks the beginning of our 51st season. The 50th season was a great celebration. Awards, accolades, praise and support crowded each day and proved once again that Detroit Repertory Theatre patrons and fans are unmatched for generosity and loyalty.
The new season will be officially announced in June. Be assured that the our next season will appropriately launch the Rep’s next 50 years. Plan ahead. The Rep is. Join us once again.
Maps and directions to the Repertory may be obtained on the website by clicking on Get to The Rep.
