'Superior Doughnuts' Leads 2012 Season at Purple Rose Theatre

CHELSEA — The Purple Rose Theatre Company kicks-off its 2012-2013 season with Superior Donuts by Tracy Letts.

The production will enjoy a 13-week engagement from Sept. 20-Dec. 15. Eight low-priced previews will be performed Sept. 20-27, with press opening on Sept. 28.

Regular performances for the duration of the run are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Superior Donuts premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2008. It then moved to Broadway for a run in the fall 2009 This comedy-drama set in one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods explores the unlikely friendship between a burned-out donut shop owner and his idealistic new employee.

Arthur Przybyszewski has just about given up on everything: a social life, the chance of romance, and most of all, his family’s dilapidated donut shop. But when youthful dreamer Franco Wicks walks through the door with plans to reinvent the vandalized storefront, Arthur realizes that life still has more to offer him. Superior Donuts contains adult language and content.

Randolph Mantooth of Los Angeles will star as Arthur Przybyszewski. Mantooth has been a working television, film and theater actor for 40 years, and is best known for his starring role in NBC’s series “Emergency!” He is also highly regarded by the emergency response community around the world. He is a spokesperson for both the International Association of Firefighters [IAFF] and the International Association of Fire Chiefs [IAFC] for fire fighter health and safety.

Directed by Guy Sanville, the cast also includes Ryan Carlson of Clinton Township, David Daoust of Lansing, Alex Leydenfrost of Ann Arbor, Brian Marable of Detroit (making his PRTC debut), Michelle Mountain of Grass Lake, Michael Brian Ogden of Berkley, Sandy Ryder of Ann Arbor, and Lynch R. Travis of Dearborn.

For more information, visit www.purplerosetheatre.org/.