Wild Swan Theater’s co-founders and artistic directors Hillary Cohen and Sandy Ryder created a family theater program their way. For more than 40 years,
Wild Swan theater disbands
The Ann Arbor-based company offered children’s and family theater programs since 1980.
“After more than four decades of joyful, exuberant, sometimes zany, sometimes poignant, always heartfelt theater making, it is time to say our goodbyes,” announced the organization Monday. “We started Wild Swan with nothing but an idea of a kind of theater that could possibly exist, accessible and affordable for everyone.”
Through the years, more than 1 million attending Wild Swan shows and 100,000 took its workshops.
“When we started, people asked how long will you do this for? We answered we can’t do this forever. Now is the time to stop performing,” said Wild Swan. “We can’t thank you enough for coming along with us on this journey.”
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The theater was launched in 1980 and has been led by its co-founders, Hilary Cohen and Sandy Ryder, for the past 41 years.
Cohen says they both felt it was time to stop, but this won t be the end of the theater.
“We expect to continue in a different kind of way for the foreseeable future, and we aren’t too worried about what that date will be. But we won t be producing any new work. We won t be touring anymore,” Cohen says.
Cohen says they’ll instead be focusing on finding new ways to share their extensive archive of existing material.
Ann Arbor’s Wild Swan Theater closing after 40 years
Meredith Bruckner, Community News Producer, All About Ann Arbor
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Wild Swan Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors Hilary Cohen and Sandy Ryder as Frog and Toad. (Credit: Wild Swan Theater)
ANN ARBOR – Wild Swan Theater will be bringing down the final curtain after more than 40 years of live theater performances in Michigan.
One of the state’s oldest professional theaters, Wild Swan was incepted in 1980 for children and families and its troupe of professional actors, musicians, dancers and sign language interpreters have performed for over 1 million audience members over the years.