Emergent Arts

Emergent Arts is the creation of  its Artistic Director Tim Henning, a long-time Ann Arbor area actor, writer and producer. He has been involved in over 130 theatrical productions locally, as well as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego.

From 2007 through 2008, he was Manager of Ann Arbor's MorrisCo Art Theatre, where he produced  A Christmas Carol, The Seagull, GlenGarry Glen Ross, and Ghosts .

The idea behind Emergent Arts is that somewhere in the creative space  between community theatre and the professional stage there exists a place for gifted amateurs who aspire to the best in their art.  Whether it is acting or writing or music or any of the performing arts, Ann Arbor maintains a solid core of highly competent and passionate amateurs. We hope that Emergent Arts will be a place where these true lovers of the art can flourish.

We also welcome any opportunities we may have to act alongside  our working professional friends. Although we are not what the press may refer to as "professional" theatre, we have a professional attitude to go with our amateur hearts. And we support whole-heartedly the efforts of our brother and sister professional actors in the television and film industry who are trying to negotiate a fair future for themselves and their families. The vast majority, over 95 %, of all the actors you see in the movies and on TV are working class people, struggling to make a living like the rest of us. They deserve our support.

Actors Do It On Stage!

And you can see them do it. While the movies and video games and cable TV grab more and more of our time, with ever more sophisticated and "realistic" production values, there is still one place where you can be entertained and enlightened, challenged and even provoked by real live human beings, powered by real live human emotions. Take a bunch of people and sit them in chairs so they can watch several other people act out the troubles and triumphs and dreams we all share. It's pretty simple in its premise, but the results can be life-changing.

That's the inspiration for The Emergent Arts Company. When the audience sits down for one of our productions, it is our goal to present something you won't get anywhere else, a reminder of an ancient art that goes back to the time the first cave man hunter told about the one that got away, or the first priests communicated the stories of the gods, or the first street beggar realized they could buy a loaf of bread if they could just make people laugh or sing or just listen to a good story. A reminder of what it is to be human. 

Come see the best Ann Arbor theatre has to offer. See The Emergent Arts!