As I’ve said (and written) several times over the past
two decades, when times get tough, thespians get creative – and that’s
certainly been true since the country shut down and theaters went dark.
With their spring seasons cut short and most summer shows
canceled, producers were faced with having to figure out ways to meet the unexpected
challenges of paying bills and generating revenue with their doors closed. And
how do you keep engaged with an audience who can’t come visit you?
One venue, Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre, decided to address
these questions by doing what they do best: make people laugh – but through a
series of original short videos rather than a summer season of plays. And they
couldn’t have picked a better start for their Summer Shorts than with “The
Golden Girls: A Quaran-Teeny Parody,” a follow-up to their smash-hit holiday
production, "A Very Golden Girls Christmas!" (It was sold out so often that I never did get to see
the show!)
Here’s how The Ringwald describes the video:
Have you wondered what Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and
Sophia are up to during quarantine? Well, wonder no more because we’ve got the
lockdown lowdown! Stream the hilarious Golden Girls short from The Ringwald
Theatre featuring the cast from the 2019 smash hit, “A Very Golden Girls
Christmas.” Name Your Own Price and watch it today online!
This all-new stay-at-home special, written by Vince
Kelley and Matthew Arrington, reunites the main cast of the holiday hit. Andy Fillmore,
Christopher Kamm, Richard Payton, and Brandy Joe Plambeck reprise their Golden
roles with a special appearance by director Dyan Bailey as Stan.
The Girls discover that February 2020 was a bad time
to take separate vacations. Quarantined in locations around the country, they
catch up over a Zoom call and share their caustic (and often hilarious) takes
on the state of the pandemic. Can cheesecake be far behind?
Of course there’s cheesecake! And after viewing the short
film, I’m kicking myself for not begging, cajoling or even grabbing a ticket to
the Christmas show from some unsuspecting patron walking up to the theater! (Why?
The performances are spot on, I laughed and laughed, and it ended too soon and
left me wanting more! What better endorsement can there possibly be?)
So if you’d like to help keep open a Metro Detroit treasure
once the country flings open its doors, please consider purchasing a ticket to “The
Golden Girls: A Quaran-Teeny Parody” sometime before July 3 (you name the
price!) and then watching it in the comfort of your very own home. You’ll be
glad you did, and The Ringwald will be very appreciative of your support!
SERIES DETAILS AND HOW TO PURCHASE A TICKET TO WATCH THE SHORT
FILM: In response to the COVID-19 crisis and the mandatory temporary shuttering
of its space, The Ringwald Theatre takes its gifts to the streaming world with
a new summer program: Camp Ringwald presents Summer Shorts. Throughout the
summer, a series of short films will be created with access available online.
The Summer Shorts program will allow the theatre to maintain a revenue stream
while also keeping engaged with its audience. First up: “The Golden
Girls: A Quaran-Teeny Parody.” This all-new stay-at-home special is available
for purchase NOW through July 3, 2020. Click HERE for tickets and information.
