Planet Ant Theatre Launches New Late-Night Style Talk Show Featuring Artists & Musicians

Planet Ant Theatre presents, Ant Planet, a new streaming late-night style talk show and digital showcase sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon which will be recorded live in front of an audience in the Ant Hall on June 22, 2022 at 8 pm, followed by BarProv in the Ghost Light Bar at 10 pm.

Ant Planet will be recorded monthly on Wednesday evenings. Hosted by Darren Shelton and Andy Reid, the live talk show will feature musicians, comedians, writers, and other performers who will appear at the Planet Ant entertainment complex in Hamtramck, which houses a training center, Ghost Light Bar, The Independent Comedy Club, and the Ant Hall stage. Planet Ant also produces podcasts and digital video content they developed during the COVID lockdown, and now are using their expertise to produce Ant Planet.

"Ant Planet previews upcoming events and lets us get to know the talented people who create here," says host and Planet Ant Executive Director, Darren Shelton, "And at the same time, we are able to have fun and engage our audience in a whole new way."

The June 22nd episode of Ant Planet will be the first time a live audience will be present, but that doesn’t faze co-host, Andy Reid, "The backbone of our organization is comedy and improvisation," he says, "Going live is what we live for." Ant Planet is produced by Lauren Bickers and Directed by Brad Carter, and the studio audience will have chances to win Planet Ant and PBR prizes, and may have the opportunity to participate in the show.

June 22nd guests will include Danielle Bentzley (stand-up comedy), Jan Dijkers (artist, Public Pool), Kevin Christney (writer/director of Nerve), Aaron Johnstone (instructor/writer, Drop in Sketch Writing Class), Daniel Graves (writer, Bigfoot Unmasked), and Alex Bergmans (actor/writer, Ancient Teenage Cyber Hackers) with comedic characters from Hot Talent Buffet and music from Kennedy Greenrod.

Ant Planet is preceded by a networking hour at 7pm hosted by Marketing Director Sadie Quagliotto where creatives and community members are invited to meet, mingle, and talk about their ideas. The recording is immediately followed by BarProv at 10 pm, a free event where performers sign up for 15 minute slots in an improvisational, open stage format.

The live broadcast of Ant Plant uses professional HD cameras and sound equipment that Planet Ant obtained through support from the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Staging Change Detroit program, which awarded $1.5 million to 10 organizations to promote efforts to innovate, reach new audiences and enrich the arts and culture in the city. Planet Ant received funding for improvements to the physical and digital infrastructure, as well as major facility improvements including soundproofing and HVAC.

Tickets are $20 and are available at planetant.com/antplanet.

There are a limited number of FREE passes to be a part of the studio audience for Ant Planet and are available at planetant.com/antplanet with the code ANTPLANET.

Admission is FREE for Planet Ant, GO Comedy, and WSU students.