Due to a death in one of the cast’s family, the Village Players opening night performance of DARKSIDE is cancelled. All other performances will go up as originally scheduled.
Your thoughts and prayers as well as your support of this production by NKU playwright-in-residence Ken Jones is much appreciated.
www.villageplayers.biz / 859-392-0500
Filed under In Other News
Tri-County Players is pleased to announce the casts for our Winter and our Spring shows.
DEATHTRAP directed by Judy Berrens
CURIOUS SAVAGE directed by Nancy Hughes
Filed under Cast list
UC’S COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC OPENS ITS 2013-14 MAINSTAGE SERIES WITH AN AMERICAN CLASSIC, THE CRUCIBLE
CCM takes on Arthur Miller’s classic drama in a timely performance of this powerful story that resonates even today.
Laura McCarthy as Abigail Williams & Joe Markesbery as John Proctor. Photo by Mark Lyons.
Cincinnati, OH — The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) opens its 2013-14 Mainstage Series with an intensely physical retelling of the American classic THE CRUCIBLE. This epic drama of morality and justice runs Oct. 3 through 6 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater, with a preview performance at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Under the direction of Richard Hess, Professor and Chair of CCM’s Department of Drama, this production of The Crucible “is a post-modern expression” of the world we live in, says Hess. “There’s no fanciness; it doesn’t need to be tampered with. The Crucible was powerful when it was presented in a time and place where it resonated beyond the Salem witch trials.”
Audience members will be surprised by the amount of physicality on stage. “This Crucible will not be stuffy people standing and talking and arguing. They’re going to be running, tearing at each other, moving. It’s pretty down and dirty,” explains Hess. The physicality of the characters embodies the conflicts and moral dilemmas that they face. “It’s not a pretty costume drama.” Even the recognizable setting of Salem may feel different. The scenic design by Dana Hall, second-year scenic design graduate student, will be stark and very clean with a three-story motorized wall that moves throughout the performance.
Joe Markesbery, senior, plays the role of John Proctor, while Abigail Williams is brought to life by sophomore Laura McCarthy. Anna Stapleton plays Elizabeth Proctor. “What I love so much about Richard’s direction of this show is that one really gets a sense of the hysteria, betrayal and selfish ambition that John Proctor fights so hard against,” says Markesbery of his portrayal of John Proctor. “Proctor is a man who, because of his affair with Abigail, truly isn’t sure if he is good or evil. Ultimately, every action he commits in the play is to defend the truth and bring evil to the light, but still he thinks himself a fraud. From peace and simplicity to betrayal and the destruction of a man and his good name: there’s the tragedy for me.”
View the official trailer for CCM’s Mainstage Series production of
THE CRUCIBLE here.
About THE CRUCIBLE
Written in 1953 by American playwright Arthur Miller and set in 1692 in Salem, Mass., this drama tells a story of hysteria and witchcraft as young girls fall victim to strange hallucinations and seizures, which are attributed to the devil. Miller crafted the play as an allegory of McCarthyism when the U.S. government began blacklisting accused communists.
Performance Times
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village, University of Cincinnati
Purchasing Tickets: Tickets to The Crucible are $27-$31 for adults, $17-$20 for non-UC students and $15-$18 for UC students, with $12-$15 student rush tickets available for the Saturday matinee beginning at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5. Tickets to the Oct. 2 preview performance are just $12.
Customizable subscription packages are also available.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/crucible.html.
Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Community Sponsor: ArtsWave
Mainstage Season Production Sponsors: Macy’s
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the leading conservatories for the performing and electronic media arts, composition, scholarship and pedagogy.
All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2013-2014 season brochure visit our website at ccm.uc.edu.
UC’s College-Conservatory of Music – Define Your Inspiration
Filed under Press Releases
OKLAHOMA!
Presented by Wright State University
Oct. 24-Nov. 10
Dayton
The classic musical is the story of Laurey and the two rivals for her affections: Curly, a cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand. The play takes place in 1906 in an Indian territory of the American West during the time when Oklahoma was established as a state. It tackles class issues between the farmers and the cowmen in the still-developing, rugged landscape of a state in its infancy as characters struggle to find hope, love and the fulfillment of “the American Dream.”
-StageAgent.com
Filed under On Stage
Links to all reviews can be found on the BTC REVIEWS page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my FaceBook fan page. You can receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.
BUS STOP presented by New Edgecliff Theatre through Sept. 28. You can read the show description here.
Christine Dye as Grace Hoyland. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
For a play written in 1955, the script of BUS STOP by William Inge still holds up very well today. Director Jared Doren has cast many of the strongest local actors available for this character-driven show. Presented in three acts with two ten-minute intermission, Doren keeps the pacing tight, bringing this solid show in at two-hours and fifteen minutes.
Tyler Alessi & Mindy Heithaus. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
Tyler Alessi does a nice job as Bo. What could easily be a one-note character is played with enough charm to keep Bo in the audience’s good graces. Mindy Heithaus also does a good job as Cherie. I wouldn’t mind her letting the audience see a bit more vulnerability after some of the confrontations. Their characters dove-tail nicely into their “moment of truth” near the end of the show which is moving and extremely satisfying.
Tess Talbot as Elma & Robert Allen as Dr. Gerald Lyman. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
Robert Allen’s portrayal of Dr. Gerald Lyman is a highlight of the show. There is much depth in his performance as a man struggling with his personal demons in the presence of naive Elma (played by Tess Talbot). She does well as the teenage waitress and object of Lyman’s attention. A bit more nervous energy would help differentiate her from the adults in the show.
Christine Dye as Grace Hoyland & David Levy as Carl. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
Christine Dye is another highlight as no-nonsense diner owner Grace Hoyland. Paired with (a beardless) David Levy as Carl, the two of them have a cute chemistry and it is fun to watch how the smitten couple’s relationship progresses over the course of the show. In the final moments of the show, I did wish Grace had some kind of token to find as she closed up shop.
David Roth as Virgil Blessing, Tyler Alessi as Bo Decker & Donald Volpenhein as Will Masters. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
David Roth is solid as the combination surrogate-father/Jiminy Cricket to hot-headed Bo. Also solid is Donald Volpenhein as stern lawman Will Masters. It was great to see Will and Bo so close in size physically and totally believable that Will could take Bo in a fight. I did lose a bit of Will’s dialogue in the quiet scene with Bo stage right.
It was nice to see the ensemble engaged in the action throughout. Also, there were some nice background moments (such as Cherei’s gift to Elma) that worked well without stealing focus.
Mindy Heithaus as Cherie. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
The costumes by Jim Stump were well-done. The only one that didn’t work for me was Cherie’s main costume (and her styling was also an issue). She didn’t look like “..an aspiring nightclub singer but has never worked in any establishment above the level of ‘cheap dive.'” In a way, it looked like Mindy had just arrived at the theater and didn’t have time to change before going on stage. 🙂 Her hair and wardrobe just seemed a bit too va-va-voom for the character. Cherie’s “costume” costume was spot on and seemed more in line with the character.
Waitress Elma Duckworth’s styling was a little off for me as well. Maybe it was the combination of the bangs-less pony tail, the eyeglasses and the sweater buttoned over her shoulders, but it read older than a high school-er.
Opening night there were several delayed line pickups between scenes. There were also a few with light cues that seemed as if the actors were waiting on a lighting change. The cross-fades seemed executed in too long a count.
The set. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
The set (design by Melissa Bennett Murphy) was nicely done. I understand the decision to make the set so long, but I felt it needed a few items (perhaps a couple small tables) to help fill all that empty space. The tables, chairs, stools and counter could have used some wear and tear.
Overall an excellent production and a great start to the season as NET returns to the Aronoff.
Slightly off topic, in researching BUS STOP, I discovered there was also a musical version called CHERRY. Has anyone ever seen it?
Click here for a complete list of show times for BUS STOP.
I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.
Filed under Reviews
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 