This week on Life In Michigan, Chuck and Brenda Marshall sit down with Kristin Danko (Artistic & Executive Director) and Greg Pizzino (Technical Director) from The Neighborhood Theatre Group (NTG). For over a decade, this scrappy, award-winning ensemble has been doing something incredibly rare: producing 100% original theater, written by locals, for locals.
In this fun and conversational episode, Kristin shares her journey from the Chicago theater scene to finding an unexpected artistic home in Ypsilanti. Greg pulls back the curtain on the logistical magic required to run a theater company out of The Back Office Studio—a local co-working space on North Washington Street. You’ll hear how a team of volunteers transforms a functional daytime conference room into an intimate, 44-seat black-box theater by night, and why Greg had to use a hammer and a prayer to invent a “flaming wedding arch” that wouldn’t set off the building’s sprinkler system.
They also talk about creative world-building that sets NTG apart. Learn about the Huron Valley Universe—a fictional Michigan college town inspired by Ypsi and East Lansing, where many of their plays are set—and get a sneak peek into their upcoming daytime soap opera parody, San Diego Sunsets, set in the equally mysterious Tree County.
Stick around for our Lightning Round to find out where to get the best custom, theater-themed cocktails in town, and meet Winnie, the official NTG dog who sleeps right through live performances!
Connect with The Neighborhood Theatre Group
Official Website: ntgypsi.org
Facebook: @neighborhoodtheatregroup
Instagram: Neighborhood Theatre Group (@neighborhoodtheatregroup) · Ypsilanti, MI
Location Partner: The Back Office Studio
Patreon Link: patreon.com/ntgypsi
