Holiday Humor Abounds in AS YOU LIKE IT Opening at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Cincinnati Shakespeare’s 2015-2016 Shakespeare Season Opener is “As You Like It”, Nov. 20-Dec. 12, 2015

Sara Clark as Rosalind.

Cincinnati, OH, November 3, 2015— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues their 2015-2016 mainstage season with Shakespeare’s beloved comedy “As You Like It” playing November 20- December 12, 2015.  This production is directed by CSC Artistic Associate Jeremy Dubin and features the entire Cincinnati Shakespeare Resident Ensemble including Sara Clark, Geoffrey Barnes, Paul Riopelle, and Billy Chace. The production is generously sponsored by AARP, the ensemble sponsor is PNC, costume design sponsor is Macy’s, and the properties design sponsor is Towne Properties.

Banished to the Forest of Arden with only her cousin and a fool for company, the clever Rosalind (Sara Clark) dresses as a man for protection. Once in the woods, she is shocked to discover the trees are covered with love poems written to her! She is further shocked when she discovers that their author is none other than the handsome Orlando (Geoffrey Barnes), who recently captured her heart. Hiding behind her boyish disguise, she puts Orlando’s love for her to the test, while juggling the affairs of courtiers and country bumpkins alike. Featuring a hilarious cast of characters, delightful music, and warm-hearted romance, “As You Like It” will be the perfect choice for a cold winter’s night.

Artistic Associate and audience favorite Sara Clark will be featured as Rosalind. Now in her 10th season as a member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Resident Ensemble, Sara has recently appeared at CSC as Daisy in “The Great Gatsby”, Ophelia in “Hamlet”, Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”, and Abagail Williams in “The Crucible” as well as appearing in “Every Christmas Story Ever Told” for the last 9 years.  She says that “‘As You Like It’ is an exquisitely verbal comedy, and at its center lies one of the great roles in English drama. One that I am now lucky enough to undertake.”  She continues to say “Rosalind is a joy to play because she has the intelligence of Beatrice without her cynicism (from “Much Ado About Nothing”), the heart of Viola without her melancholy (from “Twelfth Night”), the cleverness of Cleopatra without her volatility (from “Antony and Cleopatra”), and the lovesick giddiness of Juliet without her tragic end (from “Romeo and Juliet”).”

Performances of “As You Like It” are scheduled from November 20- December 12, 2015 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. No show on Thanksgiving Nov. 27, show added Saturday Nov. 28 at 2 p.m.  There is no performance on Sunday Nov. 22.  Preview performances are on Wednesday Nov. 18 and Thursday Nov. 19 at 7:30pm and tickets are $25.

The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center.  Single ticket prices range from $22-$35 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$39 on Fridays and Saturdays.  Previews are $25.  If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID.  This production is a part of this season’s subscription package. 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.

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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 2015-2016 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 productions of “Julius Caesar” and “Antony and Cleopatra” are 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 atwww.cincyshakes.com.