Duck Hunter Shoots Angel was Mitch Albom’s first play not based on a book and his first comedy. The story of two bumbling Alabama duck-hunting brothers who think they accidentally shot down an angel debuted in the summer of 2004 at the Purple Rose Theater, in Chelsea, Michigan, a theater started by actor Jeff Daniels.
It went on to become that theater’s highest-grossing play. It then moved to downtown Detroit for a good stretch at the City Theatre before moving on to other productions around the country.
Hailed by audiences as a comedy with a heartfelt message, the play follows the intersecting paths of the two guilt-ridden duck hunters, a depressed tabloid journalist, his reluctant photographer, their crazed boss, a shopgirl at a local Gasmart, a half-man/half-alligator, and a ghost. The themes of redemption, race, media and north vs, south are all explored in hilarious fashion, and the play features a surprise ending that few playgoers see coming.
Reviews
"... the comedy moves seamlessly between different times and settings, in part, because of clever (and cinematic) dialogue repetition...high-energy scenes involving knock-out fights and funny wordplay." -- Judith Cookis-Rubens The Oakland Press
"...[the play] takes risks and entertains, making it a wholly worthy experiment." -- Jenn McKee, The Ann Arbor News
"[Mitch Albom] wisely populates his story not with stereotypes, but with unique individuals. Sure, we chuckle uproariously at their antics. But underneath their colorful exteriors we discover a wonderfully diverse cross-section of humanity...Albom’s play is an actor’s playground." -- Donald V. Calamia, Between The Lines
"The swamp itself is a thing of beauty... Sound effects are awesome, with locusts and crickets and the deep-throated croaks of tree frogs bubbling up in the fog. The only thing lacking is the sulphurous scent of the Alabama swamp and a few pesky encephalitis-carrying mosquitoes. ...is it a good play to see on a sultry summer evening, worth the price of gas and two tickets? A resounding yes. Laughs abound." -- Tom Helma, Lansing City Pulse
