Farmington Hills Women Create Drama in West Bloomfield

A new professional theatre will debut locally this fall, thanks to Farmington Hills residents Diane Hill and Barbie Amann Weisserman.

The duo is in the process of preparing theater space inside the . Two Muses Theatre will open its first season with The Odd Couple in November. 

"It's funny that we're doing The Odd Couple as our first show, because in some ways, Barbie and I are like two peas in a pod, and yet we're very different," Hill said. 

The two met in 2007 while working together at , also in Farmington Hills. Hill, who was teaching at OCC and overseeing its theatre degree program at the time, brought Weisserman in to create the costumes for the show.

"Everything she said about the costuming – and there was a lot of costuming – I agreed with," Hill said. "From then on, we just always worked together."

Hill and Weisserman say they share the same aesthetic, but their skills are complementary. For Two Muses Theatre, Weisserman will handle costuming, set design and props; Hill will direct and manage the web site and other technical tasks. Both will act in The Odd Couple.

Last year, Hill decided to refocus her efforts and retired from teaching at OCC to pursue a theatre company of her own. She asked Weisserman to join her in the new venture, and soon they were applying for non-profit 501(c)3 status and looking for a venue.

Weisserman found the 180-seat vacant theater at Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

"I was involved in the , and this used to be their space when the barn was being rebuilt," said Weisserman. "We knew it would be perfect for the kind of audiences we wanted to appeal to, and the kinds of shows we would do."

As stated in Two Muses' mission, the theatre will "provide opportunities for women in theatre and promote female artists and artisans." November's Odd Couple will be the revised female version of the Neil Simon classic, starring six women and two men.

"Overall, we want shows that feature women as the focal point of the story or as a main character," Hill said. "I've been a professional actor my whole life, and I know that both on stage and behind the scenes, it's been a male-dominated field."

Both the lighting designer and stage director for The Odd Couple are women.

"When we started talking about the kinds of plays we do, I wanted to address the need for strong female roles," said Weisserman. "There are so many talented women in this area that we can draw from."

Despite the emphasis on women's involvement, men will be part of Two Muses productions, including Hill and Weisserman's husbands, who will manage sound and front-of-house details.

"These two guys are the most helpful, wonderful people in the world," Hill said.

In February, Two Muses will perform Same Time, Next Year by Bernard Slade. They hope to do a benefit show for a women's or children's charity, and add performances for children next summer. 

The Odd Couple will be on stage Nov. 4-27 on Friday and Saturday evenings, with Sunday matinees. Same Time, Next Year will be performed Feb. 3-26.

For information and tickets, visit the Two Muses Theatre's web site at twomusestheatre.org or call the box office at 248-850-9919.  Auditions for The Odd Couple will be held Sept. 12; see the web site for details.