Planet Ant World Shop

Thirty years ago, the first floor of the Planet Ant Purple Building was not a theater. At one point, it wasn't even purple. 

Planet Ant started as a coffeehouse — where the coffee was $1 and included free refills. The space was also home to an open mic night hosted by Mikey Brown (center), where a teenage Jack White would occasionally perform. 

Planet Ant wouldn't become a performance venue until 1996, when it put on its first stage production, “Praying Mantis," directed by Keegan-Michael Key.