September 11, 2025 • 40 mins
With fall quickly approaching, Tipping Point Theater in Northville, Michigan, is preparing what is bound to be an exciting season of shows. Collecting five different plays connected by the feeling of nostalgia, Tipping Point is looking to explore the highs and lows of looking back on the past. From cozy feelings of holidays with family and friends, to the reality of living through unprecedented times, each show looks back while also reflecting on the present and future. As Tipping Point readies for its first performance, we sat down and spoke with the Artistic Director, Julia Glander, about what audiences can expect from season 18!
In this exclusive Box Seat Babes interview, Glander talks about her process for choosing shows, answering what comes first, good scripts or a theme for the season. Through the lens of nostalgia, she also explores each individual show, highlighting what drew her to choose the script for season 18. From shows such as The Shark is Broken, which tells the story of what happened behind the scenes during the making of Jaws, to the love story between two comedians in Gene & Gilda, there are some incredible shows arriving at Tipping Point Theatre!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Yes.
(00:00):
you so much for joining me today, Julia.
How are you doing?
I'm doing great and thank you, Brian, for inviting me.
We are so excited to talk about the upcoming season at Tipping Point, but before we getstarted on that, you had a busy summer at the theater.
We did, we did, we had, started.
um
We had summer sessions, our second summer trying this out.
(00:22):
So we had uh the Planet Ant home team led by Tipping Point Theater favorite Dave Davies.
And so Dave came and brought some of his members.
And so they did three evenings of improv, kind of in the line of whose line is it anyway.
So we had a lot of fun with that.
had um one of our participants came yesterday to our season pass party.
(00:46):
So we had a good laugh.
again over what happened.
And then we also had Michelle Murphy brought her one-person show uh Keeper about um heradventures um at summer camp from years ago, Camp Dearborn.
So that was exciting and also because it was uh personal and had a lot to do with ourpatrons identified a lot with you know her experiences.
(01:17):
and because it's a local reference, all of that good stuff.
was gonna say they're very different shows.
I got to attend both and like, Planet Ant, you're laughing and you're laughing and you'relaughing.
It's so much fun, the improv.
I've never been to an improv show before.
So that was super exciting.
And then Michelle Murphy's show, Keeper, part of it you're laughing, but a lot of it it'slike therapy on the stage as you're going through that.
(01:41):
It takes a turn there, like real life.
So, yeah.
And then you just had your season 18 subscriber party as well, so...
did, did, just yesterday from 4 to 8 p.m.
we sent a big email blast out inviting everyone and um some people, what was differentthis year is that we uh put our season passes for sale earlier than the party.
(02:07):
So a lot of times people said they went ahead because they're looking for the best seats.
So that happened and um then we also sold tickets.
um
We have a selection.
You can have a preview pass where you come to all of our previews.
Or you can do the...
the standard season pass, is you see uh one, you know, each production and you get tochoose when you want to come, what seat you would like and all that throughout the season.
(02:37):
Or we have the flex pass, which pretty much allows you to do anything.
It's any configuration.
If you want to buy one season pass and use it for all five tickets for one show, you cando that.
And that is a benefit for like we had a gentleman who um bought the season pass inparticular.
because of uh wanting to uh use the tickets for family that was coming in town.
(03:05):
So he bought two season passes that he always does and then bought another one for familymembers because it's a discount, you know, so that was a benefit to him having, um you
know, members come into town.
So he had a nice event to take them to.
And what a cool way to give a variation because sometimes when you have very strict seasonpasses, sometimes things come up, life happens, and you're giving a little bit of
(03:32):
variation.
We understand life happens and we still want you to come and enjoy the shows.
You know what?
Life continues to happen no matter what you plan.
And don't we know it?
Don't we know it?
yeah.
And the other thing is, you know, even if you have your tickets and dates already set andsomething does happen, you can always contact the box office and get that changed.
(03:56):
So, you know, depending on what's left.
crossed.
Yeah.
But now, so the next season is quickly approaching.
mean, we're entering into uh September 17th is the opening for the first show.
we're full steam.
How excited are you for that season?
We're super excited about it.
(04:17):
um There could not be a better time to open The Shark is Broken than now.
It's the 50th um anniversary of Jaws.
um starting, think it's, um don't quote me on these dates, let's see, October 28th or29th, um starts a two-week re-release of Jaws.
(04:38):
oh So if you are a younger person and have never seen it, it's the opportunity to see iton the big screen.
Or for those of us that have seen it many times, we'll go back.
We could go back and see it.
But the other opportunity is on, at least in the Livonia and Novi area, and ImagineTheaters and someplace else, we're going to have it on
(05:00):
we're going to advertise on the big screen for The Shark is Broken.
So that's very exciting.
So you can see the re-release and then say, hmm, I want to see what happened behind thescenes.
And that is what our play is about.
So it takes place in 1974 on the set on the Orca, the boat.
(05:22):
And it is...
Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss on stage.
And it's what goes on while Bruce, the mechanical shark is broken.
So it involves a lot of comic chaos is how I like to describe it.
And some of, know, shared stories and male bonding and camaraderie and gambling anddrinking and you know, all of that.
(05:52):
All of that.
is in the play.
And the cool thing is we get to construct the orca on our small tipping point stage.
Now I will admit the real orca is bigger than our stage.
So we may need a bigger stage.
oh
(06:12):
love a Jaws joke here
It's going to continue for the next month.
I know it.
So even taking a step back before we really dive into the shows is, you are playing, whenyou plan a season, because you have to plan this in advance, what's kind of your process
for like choosing a season?
I know that in a previous interview, you mentioned that like last season was kind of thetheme of family.
(06:36):
Do you start with a theme first and find shows to go with that or?
Okay.
Okay.
plays first.
That's what I do.
I read a lot of plays throughout the year.
Sometimes so much that I'm like, oh, I that play.
then I'm like, so I try and keep a list.
And I have things that, you know, I've got a lot of things under consideration.
(06:56):
How many actors?
At Tipping Point, we're pretty small.
an eight.
Eight members in a cast is very large for us.
I mean, we've done it for the squirrels and we've done it, em I know years ago I directedImportance of Being Earnest at Tipping Point, that has eight actors in it.
So we can do it, but we don't have much dressing room space, so we have to, and the costof having more actors as well.
(07:22):
So we have to always, we can only do that once in a season, if that.
So that's always a concern.
English was five.
Okay.
and five is a good number for us.
And then also it was followed by a two-hander, meaning two actors.
So I have to balance it out like that.
So I'm always looking for that.
(07:42):
Can we afford to do this play?
That's also, people always say, oh, why aren't you doing musicals?
We would love to do musicals, but we have to always look at the cost.
We can't help it.
That's part of it.
We have a budget and so it's, know, can we do it with what we have?
And things are tight.
as they are everywhere right now.
(08:04):
So um that's always a consideration.
And then, you know, it's what I'm always looking for what our patrons might enjoy.
But I'm always like, is it a good play?
That's is it a good play?
Does it have everything in it?
You know, I
(08:24):
I often will hear people, we want comedies.
Me too.
But I want to make sure it's a really good play and that it's got a lot to offer in it.
um Part of my mission is um making sure that we find something that our audiencerecognizes or can identify with.
(08:45):
But also, I'm always looking to take our audience someplace new.
I think it's really important.
And um you know, maybe a cliche, cliched things by saying, oh, people don't know what theywant until they see it.
But it's kind of true.
And that I take that to heart.
I feel that it's my job to introduce new material.
(09:08):
Not just, um not just that, new voices.
um meaning the playwright, as well as new structures, a different play structure that theymay not have seen, such as lungs, we do it, are finished up the season with.
So those considerations, I'm always looking for plays that I think are interesting um andthat I think maybe our audiences may get something out of as well.
(09:37):
a lot goes into it actually.
And then you want to balance the season with
having comedies, but also something that has some drama in it.
um Sometimes, some seasons, I like to put something that's got more of a classic bent toit, a play that we definitely has recognition, but some scenes, some seasons, I don't have
(10:00):
that.
It just depends, but I'm always looking to make sure it's a well-rounded season and thatum we have something for everyone.
It was...
of going along those lines you mentioned about recognizable.
Like last season you did Pretty Women, you know, which is Little Women, sorry, wrongmusical, Little Women.
Yeah, yes.
(10:20):
uh That a lot of people recognize that name, but the ones that stuck with me were the onesI didn't know.
Like Lungs, we just did a podcast, um RJ and I, for Beetlejuice the musical.
And part of the story that we're talking about is how it was kind of reminded us of lungsand how...
The message was, and that's the one that we talk about frequently, that one or English,those two really stuck.
(10:42):
Isn't that interesting?
Well, and you know, and you just brought up English.
That was like our biggest seller last season.
I didn't, you know, it was a, I knew it was a great play.
It's a 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner.
I knew I wanted to do it.
I knew we hadn't had that voice, an Iranian voice on our stage.
(11:05):
And I knew I wanted that.
But I did not know and look, people loved it.
Love that production.
So there you are.
So that's what I mean about we may not know what we want until it's in front of us.
And so that's what I'm gonna go with.
Well, I think that's a beautiful answer.
And I think you're 100 % right.
(11:25):
you know, this is our first season with Tipping Point, but truly the shows that likegobsmacked me were ones that I wouldn't even maybe have thought of going to check out
because you have like when you go to Broadway, you know, ah for those who don't know,English just closed on Broadway and it was up for a Tony, but like it may not be the one
that people are going to because they're going for the big musicals or the names that theyrecognize.
(11:47):
Right.
That story was absolutely incredible and I'm glad that it did so well at Tipping Pointbecause it deserved a lot of that recognition.
Thank you, and you hit it.
It's about storytelling.
And isn't that what we're looking for?
Great storytelling.
You know, a journey.
We want to go on a journey when we go to the theater.
um And I, you know, I'm not devaluing the need that we have to laugh right now.
(12:14):
I totally get it, and I want to include that.
But I think we can do it all.
I think we can find moments to laugh, can find moments to cry, can find moments toempathize, and moments where we're puzzled and we question.
So I think it's all part of it.
And what I love about this year, and I'm guessing the theme is nostalgia, because that'swhat's on the website, it's kind of circled, know?
(12:40):
And I noticed, I was like, you can get all of those different things.
You can laugh, you can cry, but you feel good in the end when you're thinking of simplertimes.
And right now, that's kind of what a lot of people need when you go to the theater.
want to, even if you're having an emotional reaction, something that reminds us of ourpast or something that felt good.
Well, and it's interesting you bring that up because like I said, I was putting somethings together and that's the theme that emerged from it.
(13:05):
So if that kind of helps you with the idea of how where it goes and that's kind of likewhat happens is that, so yes, I started, I knew we got uh Jaws, we got Shark pretty
quickly.
you know, knew we were gonna do that one.
And then we also knew we were gonna bring back A Very Northville Christmas And becauseit's a spoof on Hallmark holiday movies, there's nostalgia right there.
(13:32):
You know, we all have some reference point, right?
um And then there were a couple plays.
There was one that I did not get the rights to, that I was hoping for to fit in with thatalready.
um So went to, but still the play that um I ended up choosing,
(13:52):
fit as well.
So then it was like, okay, this is gonna all work.
And then of course, Gene and Gilda, that um was part of our reading series last year, andthat automatically fit in with it.
Our last one was a little trickier in the sense because we had the rights for somethingand then it went to a bigger commercial production.
(14:14):
So then I had to do a back pocket pit.
pick I call so I pulled it out of the back pocket and said, oh I've always wanted to dothis I was going to think about it for the following season.
So we ended up with the revolutionists.
Now it's 1780 1793 so it's a little bit hard for us to pull.
Sure
(14:35):
direct references to what we remember about 1793.
However, we've all seen Les Miserables and that is referenced in the script as well, notby title, but it's in there.
And it was such a wild, wacky, modern comedy set during the reign of terror um in theFrench Revolution with four badass women.
(15:02):
who are there to change the world during a time of extremist insanity.
um And Marie Antoinette is the character that is most recognizable.
At least people know something, they've heard that.
So they know something about Marie Antoinette.
So the play helps us kind of turn things up and I love it because it, it, um
(15:30):
it allows the playwright to take history and um imagination and collide the two together.
So that's what's really fun about it.
And then I didn't mention the title of the one that I added was Brokology um And that wasum interesting to me because it takes place in 2008 during the economic.
(15:54):
uh
crisis in our own country and in Kansas City, Kansas and it's about a black family that isstruggling with some of the hardships during that time period.
But it starts out, you also see flashbacks in the 1980s and then it goes to 2008.
So that also fit in with the nostalgic thing with what we remember from the 80s and then.
(16:20):
you know, And I loved it because it's about this, it's familial love.
It's a father and two sons.
And one who goes um off to get his PhD and then the other one, you know, stays aroundhome.
And so it's the struggle with the two brothers who's going to care for dad during hislater years and all of this.
(16:45):
So it's a real, it's a love story.
And that's why I loved it.
um but a different one than what we would expect.
was gonna say you don't usually see like that kind of dynamic in a play necessarily orlike a stage production.
So um it was a new voice.
the playwright is uh Nathan Lewis Jackson.
(17:05):
And our director for that one is uh Jesse Boyd Williams, who also um pitched the play tome.
And I was like, I'm intrigued.
So that's what happened.
yeah.
So with the shark is broken, like when you got that script, what automatically made itfeel like this is a must do for us?
(17:25):
Well, in all honesty, um I get sent plays all the time, new titles that are out andavailable.
And I kind of probably, I did like a, I bet our audiences would love that.
But then I didn't jump on it immediately.
But then, I know what it is, I ordered the script.
(17:46):
I ordered the script early, as soon as it was available, just to see.
But I hadn't read it yet.
And Brian, our company manager, read it first.
said, he was intrigued by it, and he said, Jew, I'm going to read that.
They called me Jew at the theater.
So I'm going to read that.
So he did, and he came back, take a look.
So he read that one first.
And usually it's the other way around.
(18:07):
I'm reading it, and then I pass it on.
So I read it, and I said,
You know, I was aware that the anniversary was coming up too and I thought, we didn't knowexactly when things were going to hit, when it was going to, you know, for the exact
anniversary.
So we were pleasantly surprised when it all kind of came together.
But I thought, yeah, let's do this.
(18:29):
Let's try this one.
So that's what happened.
It just sort of, you know, something intrigues us and then we jump on it.
So.
I don't know much about the behind the scenes of Jaws, but from what I understand, it waslike a very difficult movie to make.
yes.
And since that time that documentary has come out, since the time when I got the, before Ithe rights.
(18:54):
So now we have lots of research.
You know, we have lots of things at our fingertips.
There's Jaws everywhere right now.
And that documentary is really interesting if people haven't seen it.
So that's out there as well.
And then of course we found out they're re-releasing.
the film in big theaters.
(19:15):
of course that these were all the little perks that just we were like, oh, this isperfect.
So
nice when you have the goods, like the story that you want to tell and then alsoeverything else that falls in line with that.
Yeah.
And isn't it interesting to know the backstory?
has a lot to do with where we are now.
(19:37):
What's the backstory here?
You know, we're dealing a lot with...
ah
you know, in every day.
And that's the other interesting thing about nostalgia.
It has many benefits for us.
You know, I did my research on, you know, nostalgia, what does it mean and all that.
And it helps us with, you know, boost our own memories, you know, and it's a positivething because it, you know, it comforts us.
(20:03):
It gives us a lot.
You know, I even wrote about it.
I can't even remember everything I said about it, but at that particular time.
um
Yeah, you know, it's a positive emotion, social connectedness, um Improved mental health,oh stress relief.
Those are all things that they attribute to this idea of nostalgia when it takes us backin a memory.
(20:27):
But.
What was really important to me is that in producing a season that we talk about this,that we're not just remembering things from our past, but we're creating new memories.
And I'm hoping that we do that at the theater.
So it's not only based on the play you see, but that your experience at the theater isalso a new memory.
(20:50):
And that creates.
the next round of nostalgia, you can say, oh, I remember when we saw The Shark Is Brokenat Tipping Point Theater in 2025.
I remember that.
So.
was gonna say, when we were sitting there, and you give a little speech before the showsand you were talking about the season, and when you mentioned this next one, a very
(21:11):
Northville Christmas, people were actually excitedly muttering, I remember, we saw that afew years ago.
that also, what you're describing there connected right away, that people remember a veryNorthville Christmas and are already excited about that again.
yes, oh they want to, you know, it was so interesting because I heard along the way, theywant to see it.
They're so happy to see it, they loved it, but they want to know, are there going to besome different things?
(21:36):
Isn't that fun?
So I liked that message a lot that they were giving to me.
And it is, we've got a different cast this time around and a different director.
Dave is coming, Dave was in the cast last time, Dave Davies, and this time he's going todirect it.
So we are confident he will bring some, um you know.
(21:57):
his own specific humor um to the show as well.
So our local audiences will appreciate that.
And, you know, as I say, we poke fun at not only Hallmark holiday movies, but Northville.
because that's what we do with loads of humor and love.
(22:17):
So that's the point.
And we want businesses to get involved.
And there's so much opportunity to be a part of the play, whether it's in advertising orthere's even uh small little roles that could happen, extras as you will, within the play.
So there's possibilities.
(22:39):
Northfield's like the perfect place for that, because it's such a small little community,especially that downtown area, you know, like it's just so quaint and what a better way to
kind of celebrate like the small town movie feel of a Hallmark movie, you know?
Well, it's funny you should say that because Williamston's course, it's written by RobertHallmark and Williamston did it first, a very Williamston Christmas.
(23:01):
my first season as artistic director, had just closed, oh yeah, we were actually doingIt's a Wonderful Life, a live radio play.
And I was out with people after the performance or opening night or whatever night it was,and it was snowing.
And it was beautiful.
And the town with the lights and the Christmas tree and it all was so gorgeous.
(23:24):
And someone who was with said, this is like a Hallmark holiday movie.
And shortly after that, I got the message um from John Leppard at Williamston Theaterasking me if we would be interested in a very Northville Christmas.
And I went, my gosh, of course we would.
(23:44):
What a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season, you know?
so then it happened the following season.
And then we took a break ah and obviously produced Little Women this year and then areback this season with the very Northville Christmas.
So we're excited.
But even with Little Women, there was still that Christmas, so I could only imagine howmuch is gonna be enhanced with us.
(24:05):
I'm so excited to see it very Northville Christmas.
feel like that is, I mean, I'm somebody who every holiday season, my mom and I try towatch as many Hallmark Christmas films as we can.
So this fits into that nostalgia feeling of we've done this my entire life.
Exactly.
not just even what we remember um visually, but the smell of Christmas.
(24:29):
You know, that is, that's part of nostalgia.
The sounds that we hear.
um Or whatever holiday you celebrate.
It's all part of it.
It's what we remember about the festivities.
And using all of our senses.
So, that's interesting.
And people respond to that.
(24:49):
So, yeah.
And then when your next show would come so we go we have Christmas, know, we have a verynorth of Christmas and we go into Brokology which you know, you'd mentioned we kind of
talked about a little bit, but what's interesting about this one is it's like the theselike almost like a like a sadder more serious side of nostalgia, you know, you have the
light Christmas and then you have, know, you're talking about the 2008 granted I was onlywhat in high school but like that was a tough time, especially for adults and stuff of
(25:16):
what is life kind of kind of look like.
ah
unknown.
Yes.
The uncertainty.
And nostalgia, you know, it is generally, as research says, that it's generally a positiveemotion.
But it also stirs it up.
We remember certain time periods.
That is part of it as well.
And I wanted to include that.
(25:39):
But even though we may remember that
troubled times during 2008 and that economic crisis.
It's also um still infused with positive things as well.
And this play shows that because even though it is about the hardship and how are we gonnaget through this time period, the family love that comes out of that and the family
(26:07):
support um is what's really um
the most, well, the special part, right?
I I can't even, I can't think of how I wanted to articulate that, but it is.
That's what sticks with us, is.
times we tend to re-center towards what's important, and family usually is one of thosethings that we come back to.
(26:31):
And didn't the pandemic do that?
I know my daughter was sent home from college.
uh My husband and I are both working via Zoom.
um It was all very different, but...
You know, we knew people that died um during the pandemic, my father included.
So there, was a grieving time.
(26:51):
But I also have to say, it's also infused with all of those memories, such as the hikesthat we did.
And my gosh, we had family dinner every night.
So, you know, there was that sort of thing.
And I read a lot of
and it's before I had this job so I should have been reading more plays.
(27:11):
oh
it's funny you say that because I was just talking to somebody else recently and I said,you know, for all of the horrible things that happened with the pandemic, there was so
much that I also I almost miss now because it's like you don't now we're kind of back tolike you don't always have those family dinners and you don't you know, Christmas felt
even more special, you know, and the holidays felt more special when you could gettogether and um that there was there was such a like a family centered like there was a
(27:40):
love to that, even though
Right.
the world was kind of falling apart.
Right, right.
You kind of hit it on the nose right there.
um And yeah, and so I think it's nostalgia, but it's that reflection of these times.
um And how we move forward after taking the moments to look at it.
(28:07):
Yeah.
which kind of speaks to the next one too.
We have two more and this one is kind of, I felt when you mentioned this one, I didn'teven know that this was a play, but I was super excited because it's kind of got a
hometown connection with it, Gilda, Gene & Gilda.
So, uh local playwright, also he's a New York playwright as well, Kerry Gitter, um sent methis play and I kind of knew immediately that we...
(28:35):
should do this play.
knew it.
um And so we did a reading of it as part of our In the Work series last February we didit.
every seat was filled.
We filled it up and it was a free of charge reading.
And um it was with uh Kristen Shields and Kevin O'Callaghan.
(28:55):
And they were terrific.
The audience loved it.
And I knew we were doing this.
I just knew and contacted, of course, Carrie and um
his agent and put things in the works.
um So yeah, that one was, we knew we were gonna do this.
And yes, in regard to Gilda Radner, um she still has family members in the area.
(29:18):
And so this was really important.
We wanted to bring this and so, and they are aware that we are doing this play.
I also will add that the play just had an off-Broadway run.
It's running right now, off-Broadway.
Yes.
And my daughter just saw it last couple weeks ago and loved it.
So ah we're pretty excited about that.
And Kristen and Kevin are going to be spectacular.
(29:40):
So that's great.
heard too that I might be making it to on Broadway as well, like it's doing so well.
I have no idea.
can't speak to that.
I just want to get our production in.
But truly like this one like a love story.
remember growing up and of course, Gene Wilder Willy Wonka like that was nostalgia rightthere.
(30:00):
That was the shelter for my mom growing up, you But this was kind of like a love storythat like we talked like people would come back to the story of Gene Wilder and Gilda
Radner, especially here in Michigan and the things that he did after losing her from thatlove.
And so it's incredible to get a show like that.
Well, it's, know, we think we know everything about them.
(30:22):
No, we don't.
um And this, this, of course, we're never going to know all about them.
But this gives us a Cary did a lot of research pulled from many different sources.
So it's not just research from one place.
And m so, you know, I think it highlights their relationship, and how each one um worked,you know, uh
(30:48):
Each one was a light for the other.
You know, they really were um a team.
it shows, you know, their highs, their lows.
Obviously, it's a bittersweet love story because we know how it ends.
um But we get to um know these two incredible people.
um And Gilda has a quote in there, and I'm not going to...
(31:11):
I'm sure I'm not going to have the exact quote, it's along the lines where she says,Jeannie, we are comics.
This is what we have to offer the world.
This is us, and that's what we do.
And yeah, they're still offering it.
How about that?
That's where we get it.
(31:33):
again, I think it's one of those things that's always like, like I didn't want, haven'tseen the old SNL episodes.
I grew up like with the Amy Poehler era, but like people still talk about her, you know?
So like, again, feeding into the nostalgia on both sides of this, this love story.
and all of those Gilda characters will make an appearance in the play.
(31:53):
that's, yeah, it's a wild ride with that.
yeah, and Kristen's gonna do a great job with it.
So we're excited.
uh And then of course we're closing out with The Revolutionists what you mentioned forbadass women and who needs anything else other than that to close out a season
I know, but those aren't my words, those are the playwright's words.
(32:15):
And so that's intriguing too.
For Badass Women, I'm there.
yeah, sign me up.
So um yeah, we're super excited.
And that is directed, I wanna make sure I mentioned all the directors, did I?
um
I don't know if you said who's directing the shark is broken.
Bill Simmons, who directed Halftime with Dom with us last season, is directing um TheShark is Broken.
(32:41):
Dave Davies directs A Very Northville Christmas.
ah
It's Brokology, I mentioned Jesse Boyd Williams.
ah Gene and Gilda is going to be in house, so it will either be Brian or myself, maybetogether, who knows.
So we're still kind of contemplating that one and time and all of that.
(33:04):
um And then Revolutionist uh is Michael Luberis, um who was the artistic director up atFlint Rep.
and is in New York right now and still he's going to come back and direct therevolutionist for us.
So we're super excited there.
You have such an incredible season coming up for the Tipping Point Theatre We truly are soexcited and I think that so are audiences as well.
(33:30):
You have some incredible shows.
I'm thank you for for you know sharing your opinion on that because it really does mean alot I think it's pretty incredible too and um and I think we're getting a lot of good buzz
Especially in a time when you know right now.
It's all about staying alive um and and I hope we you know I hope that That
(33:58):
not only do we continue to grow and engage our audiences, that there's also that we don'tstay in one spot, that we continue to move forward with our selection and what we're doing
um to kind of um encourage um new audiences as well.
(34:18):
So that's the, it's really important.
um So that's what I mean about something for everyone.
It's hard to do.
uh But we gotta do it.
You know, quite a few different theaters that we work with, that we've talked to recentlyas well, a lot of them have that thing of that story of how do we bring in younger crowds?
(34:39):
Like, how do we get them involved?
How do we make them want to come and try out for a show?
How do we get them to want to come and see a show?
And that seems to be a really big struggle right now of getting those younger audiencesin.
because we have this instead.
Right?
And I think it's happening.
I think that it really is because we all crave the human experience, that socialconnectedness that you can't really, this isn't always real.
(35:11):
You know, this is whatever we want to, when you are together in a room, that's a differentthing.
I know during, I mean, I,
I couldn't wait to go someplace as we all felt after spending the two years at home duringCOVID.
um And I think people still feel that, that it's necessary.
(35:36):
We want to commune.
We want to get together and there's nothing like that.
We can continue and I'm not knocking, you know, our phones at all, our smartphones andtheir ability.
um I use it a lot.
So um I'm not knocking that.
I'm just saying we need the addition, additional connectedness because we can't get itfrom that.
(36:01):
So.
studies have shown the amount of anxiety that does come from a phone and the power ofturning it off even just for two hours and getting to be present, that is super important.
Yes, it really is.
It really is.
And I think the discussion that it's not only what you see on stage, it's your momentsbefore as you commune with people as they're walking into the theater.
(36:28):
And then afterwards, even if you go someplace and talk about the play and what itencourages, all of that is so powerful and so important and so fun.
It's fun.
If there's nothing else, it's fun to go someplace and see something.
(36:49):
you don't know what you're going to see.
Who knows where?
Taking that chance is really um what I'm hoping for.
And I'm glad because yesterday at our season pass party, I saw lots of elements of that.
And that was exciting.
People were excited.
They were like, I can't wait for.
(37:09):
uh
you know, to congregate and we're going to bring friends and we're going to make this partof our, you know, it's part of our season too.
Your season is part of our season.
you know, yeah.
then, before I let you go, where can people get tickets, either season tickets orindividual tickets?
ah Where can they go to get those?
(37:32):
many places.
On the website, super easy, www.tippingpointtheatre.com.
is tipping point, then T, so two T's together in a row, and then ends R-E dot com.
So you can just click on buy tickets.
(37:53):
You can find everything there.
You can always call Savannah and Elise is there too and our volunteers at the box office,248.
Do you believe me?
I'm looking at the phone number just to make sure I don't get it wrong, 347-0003.
And the box office is open Wednesday through Friday from 1130 to 430.
(38:17):
But you can call anytime and they'll get back to you.
And they're so nice.
They're great.
They take care of you.
So that's really great.
um yes, you can call anytime.
So those are the two ways or you can pop in during box office hours if you really want tolook at that and look at the stage and make sure you've got the right tickets and all
(38:41):
that, can do that.
So you can pop into the theater as well.
Yeah.
Perfect.
it, am I leaving anything out?
Website, yeah, yeah, sounds about right.
So super easy to get tickets.
the season passes, I should mention this, are discount.
I think it's just under 25%, it's like 24 % off.
(39:05):
But it's like $7 off a ticket, so it's...
okay.
Considerable if you buy the season pass and the flex pass and whatever configuration as Isaid doesn't matter how you use that But those are only good through the end of the shark
is broken So you know can get a season pass after October 12th?
(39:28):
So that's important Yes, yes you do and and take advantage of that because oh
You know, we still have discounts for seniors and military um and student rates, you know,as well.
But um there's no extra discounts on top of the season pass one.
(39:48):
So if you know you want to, you know, see a show at least five times, you should getthe...
season pass or if like you said you're you're you know so there's possibilities of ways todo that.
Did I mention that someone came and bought five tickets because they had people cominginto town?
Yeah so yeah so there's that works you can do it that way.
(40:11):
You're purchasing the tickets you can use them how how you wish.
That is incredible.
So get your season passes, come to Tipping Point Theatre and see these incredible shows.
ah Thank you so much for your time, Julia.
It's been such a pleasure.
Thank you, Brian, you are always a joy to talk with.
So thank you so much.
Yes.
(00:00):
you so much for joining me today, Julia.
How are you doing?
I'm doing great and thank you, Brian, for inviting me.
We are so excited to talk about the upcoming season at Tipping Point, but before we getstarted on that, you had a busy summer at the theater.
We did, we did, we had, started.
um
We had summer sessions, our second summer trying this out.
(00:22):
So we had uh the Planet Ant home team led by Tipping Point Theater favorite Dave Davies.
And so Dave came and brought some of his members.
And so they did three evenings of improv, kind of in the line of whose line is it anyway.
So we had a lot of fun with that.
had um one of our participants came yesterday to our season pass party.
(00:46):
So we had a good laugh.
again over what happened.
And then we also had Michelle Murphy brought her one-person show uh Keeper about um heradventures um at summer camp from years ago, Camp Dearborn.
So that was exciting and also because it was uh personal and had a lot to do with ourpatrons identified a lot with you know her experiences.
(01:17):
and because it's a local reference, all of that good stuff.
was gonna say they're very different shows.
I got to attend both and like, Planet Ant, you're laughing and you're laughing and you'relaughing.
It's so much fun, the improv.
I've never been to an improv show before.
So that was super exciting.
And then Michelle Murphy's show, Keeper, part of it you're laughing, but a lot of it it'slike therapy on the stage as you're going through that.
(01:41):
It takes a turn there, like real life.
So, yeah.
And then you just had your season 18 subscriber party as well, so...
did, did, just yesterday from 4 to 8 p.m.
we sent a big email blast out inviting everyone and um some people, what was differentthis year is that we uh put our season passes for sale earlier than the party.
(02:07):
So a lot of times people said they went ahead because they're looking for the best seats.
So that happened and um then we also sold tickets.
um
We have a selection.
You can have a preview pass where you come to all of our previews.
Or you can do the...
the standard season pass, is you see uh one, you know, each production and you get tochoose when you want to come, what seat you would like and all that throughout the season.
(02:37):
Or we have the flex pass, which pretty much allows you to do anything.
It's any configuration.
If you want to buy one season pass and use it for all five tickets for one show, you cando that.
And that is a benefit for like we had a gentleman who um bought the season pass inparticular.
because of uh wanting to uh use the tickets for family that was coming in town.
(03:05):
So he bought two season passes that he always does and then bought another one for familymembers because it's a discount, you know, so that was a benefit to him having, um you
know, members come into town.
So he had a nice event to take them to.
And what a cool way to give a variation because sometimes when you have very strict seasonpasses, sometimes things come up, life happens, and you're giving a little bit of
(03:32):
variation.
We understand life happens and we still want you to come and enjoy the shows.
You know what?
Life continues to happen no matter what you plan.
And don't we know it?
Don't we know it?
yeah.
And the other thing is, you know, even if you have your tickets and dates already set andsomething does happen, you can always contact the box office and get that changed.
(03:56):
So, you know, depending on what's left.
crossed.
Yeah.
But now, so the next season is quickly approaching.
mean, we're entering into uh September 17th is the opening for the first show.
we're full steam.
How excited are you for that season?
We're super excited about it.
(04:17):
um There could not be a better time to open The Shark is Broken than now.
It's the 50th um anniversary of Jaws.
um starting, think it's, um don't quote me on these dates, let's see, October 28th or29th, um starts a two-week re-release of Jaws.
(04:38):
oh So if you are a younger person and have never seen it, it's the opportunity to see iton the big screen.
Or for those of us that have seen it many times, we'll go back.
We could go back and see it.
But the other opportunity is on, at least in the Livonia and Novi area, and ImagineTheaters and someplace else, we're going to have it on
(05:00):
we're going to advertise on the big screen for The Shark is Broken.
So that's very exciting.
So you can see the re-release and then say, hmm, I want to see what happened behind thescenes.
And that is what our play is about.
So it takes place in 1974 on the set on the Orca, the boat.
(05:22):
And it is...
Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss on stage.
And it's what goes on while Bruce, the mechanical shark is broken.
So it involves a lot of comic chaos is how I like to describe it.
And some of, know, shared stories and male bonding and camaraderie and gambling anddrinking and you know, all of that.
(05:52):
All of that.
is in the play.
And the cool thing is we get to construct the orca on our small tipping point stage.
Now I will admit the real orca is bigger than our stage.
So we may need a bigger stage.
oh
(06:12):
love a Jaws joke here
It's going to continue for the next month.
I know it.
So even taking a step back before we really dive into the shows is, you are playing, whenyou plan a season, because you have to plan this in advance, what's kind of your process
for like choosing a season?
I know that in a previous interview, you mentioned that like last season was kind of thetheme of family.
(06:36):
Do you start with a theme first and find shows to go with that or?
Okay.
Okay.
plays first.
That's what I do.
I read a lot of plays throughout the year.
Sometimes so much that I'm like, oh, I that play.
then I'm like, so I try and keep a list.
And I have things that, you know, I've got a lot of things under consideration.
(06:56):
How many actors?
At Tipping Point, we're pretty small.
an eight.
Eight members in a cast is very large for us.
I mean, we've done it for the squirrels and we've done it, em I know years ago I directedImportance of Being Earnest at Tipping Point, that has eight actors in it.
So we can do it, but we don't have much dressing room space, so we have to, and the costof having more actors as well.
(07:22):
So we have to always, we can only do that once in a season, if that.
So that's always a concern.
English was five.
Okay.
and five is a good number for us.
And then also it was followed by a two-hander, meaning two actors.
So I have to balance it out like that.
So I'm always looking for that.
(07:42):
Can we afford to do this play?
That's also, people always say, oh, why aren't you doing musicals?
We would love to do musicals, but we have to always look at the cost.
We can't help it.
That's part of it.
We have a budget and so it's, know, can we do it with what we have?
And things are tight.
as they are everywhere right now.
(08:04):
So um that's always a consideration.
And then, you know, it's what I'm always looking for what our patrons might enjoy.
But I'm always like, is it a good play?
That's is it a good play?
Does it have everything in it?
You know, I
(08:24):
I often will hear people, we want comedies.
Me too.
But I want to make sure it's a really good play and that it's got a lot to offer in it.
um Part of my mission is um making sure that we find something that our audiencerecognizes or can identify with.
(08:45):
But also, I'm always looking to take our audience someplace new.
I think it's really important.
And um you know, maybe a cliche, cliched things by saying, oh, people don't know what theywant until they see it.
But it's kind of true.
And that I take that to heart.
I feel that it's my job to introduce new material.
(09:08):
Not just, um not just that, new voices.
um meaning the playwright, as well as new structures, a different play structure that theymay not have seen, such as lungs, we do it, are finished up the season with.
So those considerations, I'm always looking for plays that I think are interesting um andthat I think maybe our audiences may get something out of as well.
(09:37):
a lot goes into it actually.
And then you want to balance the season with
having comedies, but also something that has some drama in it.
um Sometimes, some seasons, I like to put something that's got more of a classic bent toit, a play that we definitely has recognition, but some scenes, some seasons, I don't have
(10:00):
that.
It just depends, but I'm always looking to make sure it's a well-rounded season and thatum we have something for everyone.
It was...
of going along those lines you mentioned about recognizable.
Like last season you did Pretty Women, you know, which is Little Women, sorry, wrongmusical, Little Women.
Yeah, yes.
(10:20):
uh That a lot of people recognize that name, but the ones that stuck with me were the onesI didn't know.
Like Lungs, we just did a podcast, um RJ and I, for Beetlejuice the musical.
And part of the story that we're talking about is how it was kind of reminded us of lungsand how...
The message was, and that's the one that we talk about frequently, that one or English,those two really stuck.
(10:42):
Isn't that interesting?
Well, and you know, and you just brought up English.
That was like our biggest seller last season.
I didn't, you know, it was a, I knew it was a great play.
It's a 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner.
I knew I wanted to do it.
I knew we hadn't had that voice, an Iranian voice on our stage.
(11:05):
And I knew I wanted that.
But I did not know and look, people loved it.
Love that production.
So there you are.
So that's what I mean about we may not know what we want until it's in front of us.
And so that's what I'm gonna go with.
Well, I think that's a beautiful answer.
And I think you're 100 % right.
(11:25):
you know, this is our first season with Tipping Point, but truly the shows that likegobsmacked me were ones that I wouldn't even maybe have thought of going to check out
because you have like when you go to Broadway, you know, ah for those who don't know,English just closed on Broadway and it was up for a Tony, but like it may not be the one
that people are going to because they're going for the big musicals or the names that theyrecognize.
(11:47):
Right.
That story was absolutely incredible and I'm glad that it did so well at Tipping Pointbecause it deserved a lot of that recognition.
Thank you, and you hit it.
It's about storytelling.
And isn't that what we're looking for?
Great storytelling.
You know, a journey.
We want to go on a journey when we go to the theater.
um And I, you know, I'm not devaluing the need that we have to laugh right now.
(12:14):
I totally get it, and I want to include that.
But I think we can do it all.
I think we can find moments to laugh, can find moments to cry, can find moments toempathize, and moments where we're puzzled and we question.
So I think it's all part of it.
And what I love about this year, and I'm guessing the theme is nostalgia, because that'swhat's on the website, it's kind of circled, know?
(12:40):
And I noticed, I was like, you can get all of those different things.
You can laugh, you can cry, but you feel good in the end when you're thinking of simplertimes.
And right now, that's kind of what a lot of people need when you go to the theater.
want to, even if you're having an emotional reaction, something that reminds us of ourpast or something that felt good.
Well, and it's interesting you bring that up because like I said, I was putting somethings together and that's the theme that emerged from it.
(13:05):
So if that kind of helps you with the idea of how where it goes and that's kind of likewhat happens is that, so yes, I started, I knew we got uh Jaws, we got Shark pretty
quickly.
you know, knew we were gonna do that one.
And then we also knew we were gonna bring back A Very Northville Christmas And becauseit's a spoof on Hallmark holiday movies, there's nostalgia right there.
(13:32):
You know, we all have some reference point, right?
um And then there were a couple plays.
There was one that I did not get the rights to, that I was hoping for to fit in with thatalready.
um So went to, but still the play that um I ended up choosing,
(13:52):
fit as well.
So then it was like, okay, this is gonna all work.
And then of course, Gene and Gilda, that um was part of our reading series last year, andthat automatically fit in with it.
Our last one was a little trickier in the sense because we had the rights for somethingand then it went to a bigger commercial production.
(14:14):
So then I had to do a back pocket pit.
pick I call so I pulled it out of the back pocket and said, oh I've always wanted to dothis I was going to think about it for the following season.
So we ended up with the revolutionists.
Now it's 1780 1793 so it's a little bit hard for us to pull.
Sure
(14:35):
direct references to what we remember about 1793.
However, we've all seen Les Miserables and that is referenced in the script as well, notby title, but it's in there.
And it was such a wild, wacky, modern comedy set during the reign of terror um in theFrench Revolution with four badass women.
(15:02):
who are there to change the world during a time of extremist insanity.
um And Marie Antoinette is the character that is most recognizable.
At least people know something, they've heard that.
So they know something about Marie Antoinette.
So the play helps us kind of turn things up and I love it because it, it, um
(15:30):
it allows the playwright to take history and um imagination and collide the two together.
So that's what's really fun about it.
And then I didn't mention the title of the one that I added was Brokology um And that wasum interesting to me because it takes place in 2008 during the economic.
(15:54):
uh
crisis in our own country and in Kansas City, Kansas and it's about a black family that isstruggling with some of the hardships during that time period.
But it starts out, you also see flashbacks in the 1980s and then it goes to 2008.
So that also fit in with the nostalgic thing with what we remember from the 80s and then.
(16:20):
you know, And I loved it because it's about this, it's familial love.
It's a father and two sons.
And one who goes um off to get his PhD and then the other one, you know, stays aroundhome.
And so it's the struggle with the two brothers who's going to care for dad during hislater years and all of this.
(16:45):
So it's a real, it's a love story.
And that's why I loved it.
um but a different one than what we would expect.
was gonna say you don't usually see like that kind of dynamic in a play necessarily orlike a stage production.
So um it was a new voice.
the playwright is uh Nathan Lewis Jackson.
(17:05):
And our director for that one is uh Jesse Boyd Williams, who also um pitched the play tome.
And I was like, I'm intrigued.
So that's what happened.
yeah.
So with the shark is broken, like when you got that script, what automatically made itfeel like this is a must do for us?
(17:25):
Well, in all honesty, um I get sent plays all the time, new titles that are out andavailable.
And I kind of probably, I did like a, I bet our audiences would love that.
But then I didn't jump on it immediately.
But then, I know what it is, I ordered the script.
(17:46):
I ordered the script early, as soon as it was available, just to see.
But I hadn't read it yet.
And Brian, our company manager, read it first.
said, he was intrigued by it, and he said, Jew, I'm going to read that.
They called me Jew at the theater.
So I'm going to read that.
So he did, and he came back, take a look.
So he read that one first.
And usually it's the other way around.
(18:07):
I'm reading it, and then I pass it on.
So I read it, and I said,
You know, I was aware that the anniversary was coming up too and I thought, we didn't knowexactly when things were going to hit, when it was going to, you know, for the exact
anniversary.
So we were pleasantly surprised when it all kind of came together.
But I thought, yeah, let's do this.
(18:29):
Let's try this one.
So that's what happened.
It just sort of, you know, something intrigues us and then we jump on it.
So.
I don't know much about the behind the scenes of Jaws, but from what I understand, it waslike a very difficult movie to make.
yes.
And since that time that documentary has come out, since the time when I got the, before Ithe rights.
(18:54):
So now we have lots of research.
You know, we have lots of things at our fingertips.
There's Jaws everywhere right now.
And that documentary is really interesting if people haven't seen it.
So that's out there as well.
And then of course we found out they're re-releasing.
the film in big theaters.
(19:15):
of course that these were all the little perks that just we were like, oh, this isperfect.
So
nice when you have the goods, like the story that you want to tell and then alsoeverything else that falls in line with that.
Yeah.
And isn't it interesting to know the backstory?
has a lot to do with where we are now.
(19:37):
What's the backstory here?
You know, we're dealing a lot with...
ah
you know, in every day.
And that's the other interesting thing about nostalgia.
It has many benefits for us.
You know, I did my research on, you know, nostalgia, what does it mean and all that.
And it helps us with, you know, boost our own memories, you know, and it's a positivething because it, you know, it comforts us.
(20:03):
It gives us a lot.
You know, I even wrote about it.
I can't even remember everything I said about it, but at that particular time.
um
Yeah, you know, it's a positive emotion, social connectedness, um Improved mental health,oh stress relief.
Those are all things that they attribute to this idea of nostalgia when it takes us backin a memory.
(20:27):
But.
What was really important to me is that in producing a season that we talk about this,that we're not just remembering things from our past, but we're creating new memories.
And I'm hoping that we do that at the theater.
So it's not only based on the play you see, but that your experience at the theater isalso a new memory.
(20:50):
And that creates.
the next round of nostalgia, you can say, oh, I remember when we saw The Shark Is Brokenat Tipping Point Theater in 2025.
I remember that.
So.
was gonna say, when we were sitting there, and you give a little speech before the showsand you were talking about the season, and when you mentioned this next one, a very
(21:11):
Northville Christmas, people were actually excitedly muttering, I remember, we saw that afew years ago.
that also, what you're describing there connected right away, that people remember a veryNorthville Christmas and are already excited about that again.
yes, oh they want to, you know, it was so interesting because I heard along the way, theywant to see it.
They're so happy to see it, they loved it, but they want to know, are there going to besome different things?
(21:36):
Isn't that fun?
So I liked that message a lot that they were giving to me.
And it is, we've got a different cast this time around and a different director.
Dave is coming, Dave was in the cast last time, Dave Davies, and this time he's going todirect it.
So we are confident he will bring some, um you know.
(21:57):
his own specific humor um to the show as well.
So our local audiences will appreciate that.
And, you know, as I say, we poke fun at not only Hallmark holiday movies, but Northville.
because that's what we do with loads of humor and love.
(22:17):
So that's the point.
And we want businesses to get involved.
And there's so much opportunity to be a part of the play, whether it's in advertising orthere's even uh small little roles that could happen, extras as you will, within the play.
So there's possibilities.
(22:39):
Northfield's like the perfect place for that, because it's such a small little community,especially that downtown area, you know, like it's just so quaint and what a better way to
kind of celebrate like the small town movie feel of a Hallmark movie, you know?
Well, it's funny you should say that because Williamston's course, it's written by RobertHallmark and Williamston did it first, a very Williamston Christmas.
(23:01):
my first season as artistic director, had just closed, oh yeah, we were actually doingIt's a Wonderful Life, a live radio play.
And I was out with people after the performance or opening night or whatever night it was,and it was snowing.
And it was beautiful.
And the town with the lights and the Christmas tree and it all was so gorgeous.
(23:24):
And someone who was with said, this is like a Hallmark holiday movie.
And shortly after that, I got the message um from John Leppard at Williamston Theaterasking me if we would be interested in a very Northville Christmas.
And I went, my gosh, of course we would.
(23:44):
What a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season, you know?
so then it happened the following season.
And then we took a break ah and obviously produced Little Women this year and then areback this season with the very Northville Christmas.
So we're excited.
But even with Little Women, there was still that Christmas, so I could only imagine howmuch is gonna be enhanced with us.
(24:05):
I'm so excited to see it very Northville Christmas.
feel like that is, I mean, I'm somebody who every holiday season, my mom and I try towatch as many Hallmark Christmas films as we can.
So this fits into that nostalgia feeling of we've done this my entire life.
Exactly.
not just even what we remember um visually, but the smell of Christmas.
(24:29):
You know, that is, that's part of nostalgia.
The sounds that we hear.
um Or whatever holiday you celebrate.
It's all part of it.
It's what we remember about the festivities.
And using all of our senses.
So, that's interesting.
And people respond to that.
(24:49):
So, yeah.
And then when your next show would come so we go we have Christmas, know, we have a verynorth of Christmas and we go into Brokology which you know, you'd mentioned we kind of
talked about a little bit, but what's interesting about this one is it's like the theselike almost like a like a sadder more serious side of nostalgia, you know, you have the
light Christmas and then you have, know, you're talking about the 2008 granted I was onlywhat in high school but like that was a tough time, especially for adults and stuff of
(25:16):
what is life kind of kind of look like.
ah
unknown.
Yes.
The uncertainty.
And nostalgia, you know, it is generally, as research says, that it's generally a positiveemotion.
But it also stirs it up.
We remember certain time periods.
That is part of it as well.
And I wanted to include that.
(25:39):
But even though we may remember that
troubled times during 2008 and that economic crisis.
It's also um still infused with positive things as well.
And this play shows that because even though it is about the hardship and how are we gonnaget through this time period, the family love that comes out of that and the family
(26:07):
support um is what's really um
the most, well, the special part, right?
I I can't even, I can't think of how I wanted to articulate that, but it is.
That's what sticks with us, is.
times we tend to re-center towards what's important, and family usually is one of thosethings that we come back to.
(26:31):
And didn't the pandemic do that?
I know my daughter was sent home from college.
uh My husband and I are both working via Zoom.
um It was all very different, but...
You know, we knew people that died um during the pandemic, my father included.
So there, was a grieving time.
(26:51):
But I also have to say, it's also infused with all of those memories, such as the hikesthat we did.
And my gosh, we had family dinner every night.
So, you know, there was that sort of thing.
And I read a lot of
and it's before I had this job so I should have been reading more plays.
(27:11):
oh
it's funny you say that because I was just talking to somebody else recently and I said,you know, for all of the horrible things that happened with the pandemic, there was so
much that I also I almost miss now because it's like you don't now we're kind of back tolike you don't always have those family dinners and you don't you know, Christmas felt
even more special, you know, and the holidays felt more special when you could gettogether and um that there was there was such a like a family centered like there was a
(27:40):
love to that, even though
Right.
the world was kind of falling apart.
Right, right.
You kind of hit it on the nose right there.
um And yeah, and so I think it's nostalgia, but it's that reflection of these times.
um And how we move forward after taking the moments to look at it.
(28:07):
Yeah.
which kind of speaks to the next one too.
We have two more and this one is kind of, I felt when you mentioned this one, I didn'teven know that this was a play, but I was super excited because it's kind of got a
hometown connection with it, Gilda, Gene & Gilda.
So, uh local playwright, also he's a New York playwright as well, Kerry Gitter, um sent methis play and I kind of knew immediately that we...
(28:35):
should do this play.
knew it.
um And so we did a reading of it as part of our In the Work series last February we didit.
every seat was filled.
We filled it up and it was a free of charge reading.
And um it was with uh Kristen Shields and Kevin O'Callaghan.
(28:55):
And they were terrific.
The audience loved it.
And I knew we were doing this.
I just knew and contacted, of course, Carrie and um
his agent and put things in the works.
um So yeah, that one was, we knew we were gonna do this.
And yes, in regard to Gilda Radner, um she still has family members in the area.
(29:18):
And so this was really important.
We wanted to bring this and so, and they are aware that we are doing this play.
I also will add that the play just had an off-Broadway run.
It's running right now, off-Broadway.
Yes.
And my daughter just saw it last couple weeks ago and loved it.
So ah we're pretty excited about that.
And Kristen and Kevin are going to be spectacular.
(29:40):
So that's great.
heard too that I might be making it to on Broadway as well, like it's doing so well.
I have no idea.
can't speak to that.
I just want to get our production in.
But truly like this one like a love story.
remember growing up and of course, Gene Wilder Willy Wonka like that was nostalgia rightthere.
(30:00):
That was the shelter for my mom growing up, you But this was kind of like a love storythat like we talked like people would come back to the story of Gene Wilder and Gilda
Radner, especially here in Michigan and the things that he did after losing her from thatlove.
And so it's incredible to get a show like that.
Well, it's, know, we think we know everything about them.
(30:22):
No, we don't.
um And this, this, of course, we're never going to know all about them.
But this gives us a Cary did a lot of research pulled from many different sources.
So it's not just research from one place.
And m so, you know, I think it highlights their relationship, and how each one um worked,you know, uh
(30:48):
Each one was a light for the other.
You know, they really were um a team.
it shows, you know, their highs, their lows.
Obviously, it's a bittersweet love story because we know how it ends.
um But we get to um know these two incredible people.
um And Gilda has a quote in there, and I'm not going to...
(31:11):
I'm sure I'm not going to have the exact quote, it's along the lines where she says,Jeannie, we are comics.
This is what we have to offer the world.
This is us, and that's what we do.
And yeah, they're still offering it.
How about that?
That's where we get it.
(31:33):
again, I think it's one of those things that's always like, like I didn't want, haven'tseen the old SNL episodes.
I grew up like with the Amy Poehler era, but like people still talk about her, you know?
So like, again, feeding into the nostalgia on both sides of this, this love story.
and all of those Gilda characters will make an appearance in the play.
(31:53):
that's, yeah, it's a wild ride with that.
yeah, and Kristen's gonna do a great job with it.
So we're excited.
uh And then of course we're closing out with The Revolutionists what you mentioned forbadass women and who needs anything else other than that to close out a season
I know, but those aren't my words, those are the playwright's words.
(32:15):
And so that's intriguing too.
For Badass Women, I'm there.
yeah, sign me up.
So um yeah, we're super excited.
And that is directed, I wanna make sure I mentioned all the directors, did I?
um
I don't know if you said who's directing the shark is broken.
Bill Simmons, who directed Halftime with Dom with us last season, is directing um TheShark is Broken.
(32:41):
Dave Davies directs A Very Northville Christmas.
ah
It's Brokology, I mentioned Jesse Boyd Williams.
ah Gene and Gilda is going to be in house, so it will either be Brian or myself, maybetogether, who knows.
So we're still kind of contemplating that one and time and all of that.
(33:04):
um And then Revolutionist uh is Michael Luberis, um who was the artistic director up atFlint Rep.
and is in New York right now and still he's going to come back and direct therevolutionist for us.
So we're super excited there.
You have such an incredible season coming up for the Tipping Point Theatre We truly are soexcited and I think that so are audiences as well.
(33:30):
You have some incredible shows.
I'm thank you for for you know sharing your opinion on that because it really does mean alot I think it's pretty incredible too and um and I think we're getting a lot of good buzz
Especially in a time when you know right now.
It's all about staying alive um and and I hope we you know I hope that That
(33:58):
not only do we continue to grow and engage our audiences, that there's also that we don'tstay in one spot, that we continue to move forward with our selection and what we're doing
um to kind of um encourage um new audiences as well.
(34:18):
So that's the, it's really important.
um So that's what I mean about something for everyone.
It's hard to do.
uh But we gotta do it.
You know, quite a few different theaters that we work with, that we've talked to recentlyas well, a lot of them have that thing of that story of how do we bring in younger crowds?
(34:39):
Like, how do we get them involved?
How do we make them want to come and try out for a show?
How do we get them to want to come and see a show?
And that seems to be a really big struggle right now of getting those younger audiencesin.
because we have this instead.
Right?
And I think it's happening.
I think that it really is because we all crave the human experience, that socialconnectedness that you can't really, this isn't always real.
(35:11):
You know, this is whatever we want to, when you are together in a room, that's a differentthing.
I know during, I mean, I,
I couldn't wait to go someplace as we all felt after spending the two years at home duringCOVID.
um And I think people still feel that, that it's necessary.
(35:36):
We want to commune.
We want to get together and there's nothing like that.
We can continue and I'm not knocking, you know, our phones at all, our smartphones andtheir ability.
um I use it a lot.
So um I'm not knocking that.
I'm just saying we need the addition, additional connectedness because we can't get itfrom that.
(36:01):
So.
studies have shown the amount of anxiety that does come from a phone and the power ofturning it off even just for two hours and getting to be present, that is super important.
Yes, it really is.
It really is.
And I think the discussion that it's not only what you see on stage, it's your momentsbefore as you commune with people as they're walking into the theater.
(36:28):
And then afterwards, even if you go someplace and talk about the play and what itencourages, all of that is so powerful and so important and so fun.
It's fun.
If there's nothing else, it's fun to go someplace and see something.
(36:49):
you don't know what you're going to see.
Who knows where?
Taking that chance is really um what I'm hoping for.
And I'm glad because yesterday at our season pass party, I saw lots of elements of that.
And that was exciting.
People were excited.
They were like, I can't wait for.
(37:09):
uh
you know, to congregate and we're going to bring friends and we're going to make this partof our, you know, it's part of our season too.
Your season is part of our season.
you know, yeah.
then, before I let you go, where can people get tickets, either season tickets orindividual tickets?
ah Where can they go to get those?
(37:32):
many places.
On the website, super easy, www.tippingpointtheatre.com.
is tipping point, then T, so two T's together in a row, and then ends R-E dot com.
So you can just click on buy tickets.
(37:53):
You can find everything there.
You can always call Savannah and Elise is there too and our volunteers at the box office,248.
Do you believe me?
I'm looking at the phone number just to make sure I don't get it wrong, 347-0003.
And the box office is open Wednesday through Friday from 1130 to 430.
(38:17):
But you can call anytime and they'll get back to you.
And they're so nice.
They're great.
They take care of you.
So that's really great.
um yes, you can call anytime.
So those are the two ways or you can pop in during box office hours if you really want tolook at that and look at the stage and make sure you've got the right tickets and all
(38:41):
that, can do that.
So you can pop into the theater as well.
Yeah.
Perfect.
it, am I leaving anything out?
Website, yeah, yeah, sounds about right.
So super easy to get tickets.
the season passes, I should mention this, are discount.
I think it's just under 25%, it's like 24 % off.
(39:05):
But it's like $7 off a ticket, so it's...
okay.
Considerable if you buy the season pass and the flex pass and whatever configuration as Isaid doesn't matter how you use that But those are only good through the end of the shark
is broken So you know can get a season pass after October 12th?
(39:28):
So that's important Yes, yes you do and and take advantage of that because oh
You know, we still have discounts for seniors and military um and student rates, you know,as well.
But um there's no extra discounts on top of the season pass one.
(39:48):
So if you know you want to, you know, see a show at least five times, you should getthe...
season pass or if like you said you're you're you know so there's possibilities of ways todo that.
Did I mention that someone came and bought five tickets because they had people cominginto town?
Yeah so yeah so there's that works you can do it that way.
(40:11):
You're purchasing the tickets you can use them how how you wish.
That is incredible.
So get your season passes, come to Tipping Point Theatre and see these incredible shows.
ah Thank you so much for your time, Julia.
It's been such a pleasure.
Thank you, Brian, you are always a joy to talk with.
So thank you so much.
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