SAUKSECONDS SEASON
The Lifespan of a Fact
By Jeremy Kareken
& David Murrell and Gordon Farrell
Directed by Janet Meyer-Jackman
Jim Fingal is a fresh-out-of-Harvard fact checker for a prominent but sinking New York magazine. John D’Agata is a talented writer with a transcendent essay about the suicide of a teenage boy—an essay that could save the magazine from collapse. When Jim is assigned to fact check D’Agata’s essay, the two come head to head in a comedic yet gripping battle over facts versus truth. This production contains strong language.
This production is sponsored by Hillsdale Hospital.
MAINSTAGE SEASON
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Book by David Greig
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl
Songs from the Motion Picture by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly
Directed by Trinity Bird
Musical Direction by Kristi Gautsche
The world-famous Willy Wonka is opening the gates to his mysterious factory…but only to a lucky few. Young Charlie Bucket and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of pure imagination including chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka's army of curious Oompa-Loompas.
This production is sponsored by County National Bank. The 2024 Orchestra Sponsor is Moore Insurance Services.
MAINSTAGE SEASON
Anastasia: The Musical
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.
Directed by Trinity Bird
Musical Direction by Kristi Gautsche
From Tony winners Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, creators of such Broadway classics as Ragtime and Once On This Island, this dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
This production is sponsored by the Jonesville Rotary Club. The 2024 Orchestra Sponsor is Moore Insurance Services.
MAINSTAGE SEASON
A Christmas Carol
Adapted by Trinity Bird
from the novel by Charles Dickens
Director TBA
Once upon a time there was a boy named Ebenezer. Although his youth was filled with friendship, love and happiness, life experience has taken its toll. This man is know known simply as "Scrooge." What happens one night when old friends remind Scrooge what it feels like to be happy. Can Scrooge help another boy, called Tim, from having the same fate? This special adaptation of A Christmas Carol was adapted specifically from The Sauk.
This production is sponsored by The Udder Side.
SAUKSECONDS SEASON
Icarus and
Pandora and
the Sickle Moon
Two Greek Plays by Jessica Chipman
Directed by Trinity Bird
Stage Management by Mandee Leigh Howard
Cast: Audrey Blackham*, Timothy Brayman, Isaiah Brown, Morgan Francis, Ellie Gray, Elizabeth Guest, Samuel Guest, Josh Hall, Josh Lightner, Candida McCoy, Lucy Micon, Lauren Nguyen*, Grace Teachout, Tiffany Thatcher, Esther Yokell
Icarus follows inventor and architect Daedalus, who commits a crime in Athens and is banished to Crete to serve King Minos. Determined to right the wrong of his crime, Daedalus becomes a father to Icarus. Complicating things further, Icarus falls in love with Ariadne, the daughter of Minos. After adventures involving sea god Poseidon, the Labyrinth, the slaying of the minotaur, and a broken heart, Daedalus and Icarus find themselves in a locked tower, surrounded by Minos' ships. In Act Two, Pandora, the first woman created by Greek gods, has opened a box releasing all the evils of humanity. She can't undo the deed so she decides her penance must be to observe the evil play out in the world. She serves as the audience's narrator in this tragic fairy tale told out of time and place.
This production is sponsored by Drumhiller Farms and The Grate Haus.
SPECIAL EVENT
Much Ado
About Nothing
by William Shakespeare
presented by the
Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company
Count Claudio falls in love with Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero's cousin Beatrice (a confirmed spinster) and Benedict (an eternal bachelor) are each duped into believing the other is in love with them. Claudio is deceived by a malicious plot and denounces Hero as unchaste before they marry. She faints and is believed dead, but recovers to be proved innocent by a chance discovery. Benedict wins Beatrice’s love defending her cousin’s honour, and to his surprise, Claudio is reunited with Hero, who he believed dead.
This production is sponsored by CASA of Hillsdale.
MAINSTAGE SEASON
By Luke Yankee
Directed by Bruce Crews
Stage Management by Chloe Callender
Cast: Belle Ambrose, Chloe Callender, Mary Davis*, Tom Davis*, Aaron Guest, Patricia Jordon, Jennifer Mackie, Sandi Miller, Nate Nelson, Mike Sutton, Tiffany Thatcher, Jennifer Wagler, Jacob Weldon
J. Bruce Ismay was an upper-crust Englishman who always did what was expected of him. He went to the best schools, married the right society girl (even though he was in love with someone else) and vowed to his staunch, unfeeling father on his deathbed that he would take over the family shipping business and build the biggest, most opulent ship the world had ever seen: the RMS Titanic. What an accomplishment! We all know the story of how the ship sank…or do we? Ismay saved as many people as he could on that fateful night, and finally, with no women and children in sight, he stepped into the last lifeboat…and was branded a coward and a traitor forever. The world needed a scapegoat for the sinking of the Titanic and Ismay became the perfect target. THE LAST LIFEBOAT is the story of the Titanic that has never been told. This epic tale explores not only the tragedy itself, but the sensationalized trials and aftermath of the night that changed the world forever.
This production is sponsored by Olivia's Chop House and Saucy Dog Barbecue.
SPECIAL EVENT
Plays-in-Development
Titles and Authors TBA
Directors TBA
The Sauk is dedicated to the development of new theatrical works. Each year, we present staged readings of new plays still in the process of being written. After the readings, we invite the audience to respond to what they have heard. When they can, the playwrights attend these readings and join the discussion. These works may include adult themes and/or strong language. This is a 'Pay What You Can' event.
This production is sponsored by State Farm Agent Jason Adcock, Gossage Eye Institute & Optical, Don Toffolo of Edward Jones and Country Carpets. Plays-in-Development is also supported by a grant from the Walmart Foundation.
SUMMER FAMILY FUN SHOW
Tinker Bell
By Patrick Flynn
Directed by Tim Ambrose
Everyone thinks they know Peter Pan. But until you have heard Tinker Bell’s side of the story, you really have not heard it at all. When all the fairies in Neverland start dying, Tinker Bell comes to London to find a friend. There she meets a young boy named Peter Pan who has just run away from his family so he can be a little boy forever and have fun. When Tink takes Peter to Neverland, all sorts of wonderful and amazing things happen: flowers grow, animals appear and pirates arrive. But as Peter brings more Lost Boys and the Darling children back to her island, Tink finds she doesn’t like sharing her friend with anyone else. Especially that Wendy girl. This fresh and intensely theatrical adaptation of the classic story emphasizes play and fun as well as the complicated nature of friendship. A new, twinkling light shines on all the characters you love as J.M. Barrie’s story is reborn from this feisty fairy’s point of view.
This production is sponsored by Southern Michigan Bank & Trust.