Cincinnati Shakespeare Presents the Regional Premiere of the Laugh-Out-Loud Award-Winning Comedy, ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS!
Cincinnati Shakespeare’s 2014-2015 season concludes with this internationally acclaimed smash hit
One Man, Matthew Lewis Johnson as Francis Henshall (center) tries to serve his two “guvnors”, Justin McCombs as Stanley Stubbers & Caitlin McWethy as Rachel Crabbe. Photo by Cal Harris.
CINCINNATI, May 19, 2015— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company concludes its season with the premiere of the much anticipated and hilarious “One Man, Two Guvnors” by Richard Bean based on “The Servant of Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni with songs by Grant Olding. “One Man, Two Guvnors” promises to be a riotous bash of a production complete with a colorful cast of characters in a hysterical world of mistaken identities, love triangles, and live music not to be missed. This production is directed by CSC Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips and features a large cast of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Resident Ensemble members including Matthew Lewis Johnson, Justin McCombs and Caitlin McWethy joined on stage by a skiffle band of live musicians! The production design is generously sponsored by Thompson Hine and Matson Money.
The Tony-award winning smash comedy that wowed audiences in London’s West End and on Broadway now premieres in Cincinnati! Fast-talking Francis Henshall (Matthew Lewis Johnson) finds himself in a sticky predicament when, in his constant quest for a quick buck and a bite to eat, he ends up simultaneously working for two rival masters (Justin McCombs and Caitlin McWethy). This raucous new adaptation of Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy, “Servant of Two Masters” sets the story in 1960’s Brighton, England and is filled with improvisation, audience interaction, and even a real live skiffle band. Lauded as “comic perfection” and “the funniest show in the western world”, “One Man, Two Guvnors” promises to be a side-splitting evening of theatre unlike anything else.
A West End smash hit, “One Man, Two Guvnors” premiered at the National Theatre in 2011 eventually moving to Broadway where it was nominated for 7 Tony Awards including a win of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play to James Corden, now the host of “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on CBS. “One Man, Two Guvnors” has received nothing by overflowing praise ever since. “[An] inspired adaptation… It gleefully skewers the tortured metaphors of lovers’ flights of fancy and traffics unapologetically in the childish, tongue-twisting pleasures of alliteration,” raved the New York Times. “Ingenious… Unlike many farces, this one is also verbally funny,” proclaimed the London Guardian. Cincinnati audiences are encouraged to get their tickets early as this production is expected to be a sell-out!
Performances of “One Man, Two Guvnors” are scheduled from June 12- July 5, 2015 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. There is no performance on June 14th or July 4th. Preview performances are on Wednesday June 10 and Thursday June 11 at 7:30pm and tickets are $21.
The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center. Single ticket prices range from $22-$32 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$36 on Fridays and Saturdays. This show is a part of the 2014-2015 subscription season. There is a post-show Q&A with the cast following Sunday’s matinee performances. If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees may apply. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as AAA members. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.
About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages. Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season. The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 30,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street. Last season, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!
About the 2014-2015 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of “Henry V” is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The season design sponsor is Mark & Sue Ann Painter. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 