Opening Soon at Avon Players: A Small Family Business
Business is anything but usual when misdemeanors give way to mayhem and more
ROCHESTER HILLS, MI, December 12, 2025 – One well-meaning family man will learn just how quickly compromising one’s principles can lead to calamity as Avon Players Theatre presents A Small Family Business, running January 9-24.
Jack McCracken (Ryan Gigliotti) has the opportunity of a lifetime: he is the new head of a family furniture business and believes he will initiate a new age of honesty and integrity within the company. He quickly learns that all others involved in the enterprise—namely his own relations and their associates—have a vested interest in maintaining business as usual, rife with dishonesty and deceit. From a master of satire comes a darkly comic play that asks just how long a person’s good intentions can stand up to a system in which blackmail, adultery, drug use, and even murder are the status quo.
Playwright Alan Ayckbourn, though less known to American audiences, is a prolific British playwright and director. Having written and produced 91 full-length plays, he is among England’s most successful living playwrights, and his work has been translated into over 35 languages. Most of Ayckbourn’s works debuted at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, where he served as artistic director from 1972 through 2009. More than 40 of his works have been produced in London’s West End, at the Royal National Theatre, or at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Ten of Ayckbourn’s plays were staged on Broadway, earning two Tony nominations and one win. In 1987, Ayckbourn was granted the honor of CBE or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.
Director Kelly Miller sees the play as built on a series of tensions. “A Small Family Business shows us a world where family and business collide, where honesty and corruption battle, and where laughter and anxiety sit side by side,” she said. Miller is certain that the play will leave audiences laughing, but she’s equally confident that it will inspire reflection and conversations long after patrons leave: “Ayckbourn is a master at luring you in with laughter and then quietly wrecking you with the truth. The script is hilarious for sure, but underneath the antics he is dissecting family, power, money, marriage, ambition, and—perhaps most powerfully—the lies we tell ourselves to survive as we navigate these challenges.” Miller is not daunted by the play’s lack of name recognition. Rather, she is energized by the opportunity to bring audiences a show that they likely haven’t seen or even heard of before. “Theatre-goers love the familiar titles, as do we theatre-makers, but seeing a variety of shows reminds us that theatre can be as much exploration as entertainment.”
A Small Family Business is rated R for adult language, drug use, violence, and sexual situations.
Tickets for all shows are $28. Call 248.608.9077 for tickets or order online at www.avonplayers.org. Discounts on group rates are available by calling the box office. “Like” Avon Players Theatre on Facebook for special offers on tickets. All major credit cards are accepted. All seats are reserved. Show dates and times follow:
Saturday, Jan 10 8:00 PM
Sunday, Jan 11 2:00 PM
Friday, Jan 16 8:00 PM
Saturday, Jan 17 8:00 PM
Sunday, Jan 18 2:00 PM
Friday, Jan 23 8:00 PM
Saturday, Jan 24 8:00 PM
Avon Players is celebrating its 79th season of bringing quality entertainment to its community. Founded in 1947, Avon Players is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit community theatre located along the winding banks of Stoney Creek in the quaint Historic District of Rochester Hills, only about two miles from the heart of downtown Rochester. Avon Players has been performing shows in its unique A-frame theater since 1965. With ticket prices set at a fraction of those at professional theaters (plus free parking), a family of four can experience a sensational live theatrical event for about the cost of one ticket at a "downtown" venue. And for regular theatre-goers, an affordable outing can be an even better bargain by taking advantage of Avon Players’ season ticket packages, which yield discounts of up to 15% per ticket. Additionally, season ticket holders enjoy priority seating selection and voting privileges in Avon’s annual “Stoney Awards.” Additional information regarding tickets and productions is available by calling the Avon Players box office at 248.608.9077 or by visiting the website: www.avonplayers.org.
Cast and Production Staff by Community:
Tim Falk (“Roy Runston”)
Clinton Township
Richard Marcil (“Ken Ayres”)
Oakland Township
Katie Kavanagh (“Poppy McCracken”)
Lisa Miller (Hair and Makeup Design)
Rochester
Lana Brusokas-Hastings (“Harriet Ayres”)
Peter Buccilli (“The Rivetti Brothers”)
Rochester Hills
John (JD) Deierlein (Lighting Design)
Ann Sweet (“Yvonne Doggett”)
Romeo
Kionna Dailey (“Tina Runston”)
Royal Oak
Brandon Niemi (“Clifford McCracken”)
Shelby Township
Kelly Miller (Director)
Kevin Miller (Set Design)
Tracy Murray (Costume Design)
Mark Palmer (Sound Design)
Pamela Plewa (“Anita McCracken”)
Jean Zott (Producer)
Sterling Heights
Ryan Gigliotti (“Jack McCracken”)
Troy
Mark Colley (“Desmond Ayres”)
Washington
Margaret Bucchare (“Samantha McCracken”)
Waterford
Shelby Smith (Properties Design)
Jeffrey Stillman (“Benedict Hough”)
Avon Players
Michelle Box Office Manager
Morality and Money Clash in the Wickedly Satirical A Small Family Business at Avon Players
Friday, Jan 9 8:00 PM
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