The Only Man in Town
Words and Music by Jason Eyster
Directed by Rebecca Groeb
Presenters: Jason Eyster and Susan Morrel-Samuels
Pre-Performance Class
Friday, June 2, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
Online Class, via Zoom
A ZOOM invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
Matinee Performance: Sunday, June 11, 3:00 p.m.
Live and in person by the Chelsea Area Players
At the Chelsea High School Performing Arts Center
740 North Freer Rd., Chelsea, MI
If you have any questions about registration or tickets, please call or email the Elderwise office.
Frank Glazier is best known for his buildings: Ann Arbor's first skyscraper (the Glazier Building at the corner of Huron and Main Streets), and in Chelsea the 14A Court House and the Clock Tower (at one time, the tallest building in the county). He founded the Ann Arbor News, started the world's largest oil stove manufacturer, and put up the money for retirement homes in Chelsea. He served as Mayor of Chelsea, and was a state senator who campaigned for governor. He was also a convicted felon, sentenced to 15 years at hard labor. A poet, inventor, philanthropist, and financier, Frank led a life that demanded a presentation greater than a book could provide. Set in the 1890s, The Only Man in Town tells the story of how this man brought lower Michigan into the 20th century. His rise to power and his fall, which devastated his family and community, coupled with his wife's growth as a strong protector of their family and the continued conflict with Harmon Holmes (progenitor of Chelsea's major employer Jiffy Mix), all provide the high concept that deserves explication in dialogue, song, and dance. Driving and parking directions will be sent to registrants prior to the performance.
Jason Eyster has been writing and performing music since high school. He studied composition at the Julliard School of Music, and worked for filmmakers Hugh and Suzanne Johnston as a sound engineer and composer, writing the score for the award-winning documentary, Education Unbound. He then moved to Michigan to serve as Executive Director of Ars Musica, the Baroque Orchestra. He has received two Creative Artist grants from the Michigan Arts Council and has composed music for dance, radio, and orchestra.
Susan Morrel-Samuels, co-producer of The Only Man in Town, holds a degree in Theater and Dramatic Literature, and in Public Health. She was the Managing Director of the Youth Violence Prevention Center and Prevention Research Center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Since her retirement, she has been active in children's literacy, refugee resettlement, and the Chelsea Human Rights Commission.