Buckham Alley Theatre Showcases New Works by Flint-Area Playwrights

FLINT, Michigan — Buckham Alley Theatre is in the final stages of rehearsal for a weekend of original comedy featuring two locally written productions at The Local 432 in downtown Flint.

Directed by Matthew Osterberg and produced by Mary Powers, the performances will feature the debut of original works by Flint-area playwrights Steven Shelton and Jeff Goebel. The shows will run January 23–25 and mark the theatre company’s first time performing at The Local 432.

The evening is divided into two acts. Act I features A Walk in the Park and The Hitchhiker, both written by Shelton, a local attorney and playwright. Act II, titled The Tie, Thief! And Spies, includes four short comedy sketches. Three of the sketches were written by Goebel, with Shelton contributing one.

The productions showcase a cast of 10 actors who will each take on multiple roles throughout the performances. Some cast members will appear in as many as three different roles.

Producer Mary Powers said she had been interested in Shelton’s work for years before the opportunity to stage it arose.

“I read this script of Steven’s many years ago and thought it was as cute as could be,” Powers said. “I was always looking for an opportunity to perform it.”

After initially pitching the idea to Fenton Community Players without success, Powers brought the scripts to Buckham Alley Theatre, where the response was more enthusiastic.

“Buckham is very interested in doing original scripts,” she said. “We always look for local people who’ve done some writing and written something good, then give them a chance of having it performed.”

A Walk in the Park and The Hitchhiker are presented as a series of vignettes set in a Chicago park. The stories include two elderly men who meet regularly to play chess, a younger couple who meet at a dog park and form a relationship, and individuals navigating life after moving to the city.

The second act is designed to evoke the feel of Saturday Night Live, featuring short, fast-paced sketches with unexpected endings.

“We’ve got a great group of experienced actors, and they bring a lot of their own ideas into some of the different roles, which really heightens the emotion,” Powers said.

The performances will also mark a new chapter for Buckham Alley Theatre, which has not had a permanent home since losing its building roughly 18 years ago. Despite this, the company has continued its work for nearly 45 years, maintaining its reputation as Flint’s only alternative theatre group.

The move to The Local 432 represents a return to familiar ground for the company.

“They were very accommodating,” Powers said. “It’s also kind of nice for us because it’s right across the parking lot from our old theatre that we had for 20 years right there on Buckham Alley.”

Buckham Alley Theatre has continued to operate through donations, grants, and other financial support, though reduced federal funding for the arts remains an ongoing concern. The theatre continues to seek donations to sustain its programming and is also pursuing a potential permanent home.

The company has submitted a proposal to the Greater Flint Art Council, one of its sponsors, to use its theatre space once renovations to that building are completed.

Performances will take place Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24, at 7 p.m., with a Sunday matinee on January 25 at 2 p.m. All shows will be held at The Local 432, located at 124 W. First St. in downtown Flint.

Tickets are $10, with free parking available nearby. Tickets can be purchased through Buckham Alley Theatre’s website at www.buckhamtheatre.org.