The Purple Rose Theatre Company is largely dedicated to developing new plays based on life in the Great Lakes Basin. Founded in 1991 by actor Jeff Daniels, the company takes its name from The Purple Rose of Cairo, the Woody Allen film in which Daniels co-starred with Mia Farrow.

The theatre’s main performance space and administrative offices occupy a building in Chelsea, Michigan that was once owned by Daniels’ grandfather. Purple Rose presents four shows every year on a three-quarter-thrust stage in a 168 seat house. Recent productions have included many new works as well as such American classics as Bus Stop, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Subject Was Roses.