2016-2017 Season Announced by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

The Stage is Set:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Announces the 2016-2017 Season
The Final Season on Race Street!

2016-2017 Subscriptions and Single Tickets Now on Sale!

March 2, 2016 at 12pm – Cincinnati, OH- Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to announce its 2016-2017 Season line-up.  This will be the final season in their current Race Street location before the company moves into the new Otto M. Budig Theater that will be located at 12th and Elm Streets in OTR for the 2017-2018 season!  This upcoming season on Race Street is the perfect time for audiences to check out the productions at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and discover some of the exciting things that this company is doing.  As a further incentive, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is offering subscribers to the final season on Race Street priority access to tickets in the new theater!  2016-2017 “Early Bird” subscription packages went on sale February 1, 2016 and experienced a record breaking first day of sales.  Single tickets are now also on sale and the best seats are already in high demand. CSC’s 2016-2017 Season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and all productions will feature Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Resident Company of Actors.

Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips says “we have big things planned and a special move to make in the near future. But before we go, we have one last season here on Race Street. We will present a slate of titles that are as nostalgic as they are timeless and represent the next phase of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. This is the perfect chance to join us this season as we bid a fond farewell to Race Street, because this goodbye is only the beginning.”

The 2016-2017 Season will be a memorable one! A powerful stage adaption of “The Diary of Anne Frank” opens the subscription season and features Resident Ensemble member, Courtney Lucien in the titular role.  This is followed by Bernard Pomerance’s award-winning American classic, “The Elephant Man” and will feature long-time Cincinnati audience favorites and Resident Ensemble members, Giles Davies as Joseph Merrick and Brent Vimtrup as Frederick Treves.

The Shakespeare opener next season will be William Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”.  For the last several years, audiences have sold out house after house of CSC’s Shakespeare comedies and they’re delighted to offer another opportunity for amusement around the holiday season!

2017 will bring the conclusion of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s History Cycle that began in 2013. The History Cycle, sponsored by Osborn Rohs Williams & Donohoe LLC, refers to a series of chronological history plays written by Shakespeare about the journey of the crown passed on through five kings and a century of history, a feat that has only been done one other time in the United States! Shakespeare’s game of thrones will conclude with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s 2017 productions of “Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses, Part 2” featuring Resident Ensemble Members Darnell Pierre Benjamin and Henry VI and Kelly Mengelkoch as Queen Margaret.  That production of paired with the thrilling conclusion of the History Cycle with the story of England’s most murderous monarch, “Richard III” featuring Resident Ensemble Member, Billy Chace in the title role.

In March of 2017, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to present another true masterpiece of the American Stage, Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” featuring Resident Ensemble Member, Geoffrey  Warren Barnes as Walter Younger.  And finally, the production that will close the doors on Race Street will be Shakespeare’s final play, “The Tempest”.  This production will feature Resident Ensemble Member Nicholas Rose as Prospero.

Cincinnati Shakespeare invites everyone to join them for this blockbuster final season in their current theater because this end is just the beginning…

The 2016-2017 Season line-up is as follows:

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
adapted by Wendy Kesselman
September 9- October 1, 2016
In a tiny attic in Amsterdam in 1944, two families of Jewish refugees hide in silence from the Nazi Regime below.  Unable to speak for fear of being discovered, the young Anne Frank tells her story by writing in her diary. The Diary of Anne Frank is a harrowingly intimate view of history’s greatest atrocity as seen through the eyes of one extraordinary young girl.  The chronicle of her family’s experience endures as both a condemning indictment of man’s capacity for cruelty and a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.

THE ELEPHANT MAN
By Bernard Pomerance
October 14- November 5, 2016
This Tony Award winning play tells the true life tale of Joseph Merrick, whose severe physical deformities landed him in a Victorian freak-show. Joseph is rescued by Frederick Treves, a young doctor who discovers that behind the disfigured visage, lies not an animal, but an intelligent mind and a sensitive soul. As their friendship develops, Frederick endeavors to show the world to Joseph, who discovers it is both more beautiful and more cruel than he could have imagined.

William Shakespeare’s
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
November 18- December 10, 2016
Beatrice and Benedick are the perfect match. It’s too bad they can’t stand each other. When their war of wits comes to a head, their friends decide there’s only one thing to be done- trick the hapless couple into falling hopelessly love. They set in motion a series of plots, pranks, plans and ploys all designed to bring the cynical Benedick and spirited Beatrice into a “mountain of affection.” Will their scheming succeed, or will it all be Much Ado About Nothing?

William Shakespeare’s
HENRY VI: The Wars of the Roses Continues
January 20- February 11, 2017
The History Cycle spirals towards its inevitable end in the penultimate chapter of Shakespeare’s greatest saga. Sides have been chosen and loyalties tested as the Wars of the Roses rage on. The houses of York and Lancaster contend for control of the kingdom, and in the midst of the chaos a certain hunch-backed hellion begins his infamous maneuverings to win the crown. Paired with the upcoming production of Richard III, this theatrical event is not to be missed!

William Shakespeare’s
RICHARD III
February 17- March 11, 2017
Shakespeare’s game of thrones enters its endgame as the history cycle’s final chapter takes the stage. The ruthless, remorseless and relentless Richard Plantaganet has his eyes set on the throne of England, and he makes the happy earth his hell as he carves a bloody swath through all that stands in his way. The History Cycle comes to its thrilling conclusion with the story of England’s most murderous monarch, Richard III.

March 24- April 15, 2017
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
By Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of the Youngers, a working class family in 1950s Chicago. When an unexpected financial windfall gives them the opportunity for a better life, conflicts within the family and pressures from without threaten to shatter their opportunity at the American dream. The recipient of four Tony Award nominations, A Raisin in the Sun is a true masterpiece of the American stage.

April 28- May 20, 2017
William Shakespeare’s
THE TEMPEST
Betrayed and exiled to a deserted island, with only his books and his infant daughter for company, the magician Prospero has spent years plotting his revenge. When fate places all his old enemies within his reach, Prospero summons a magical storm that brings them crashing down onto his shores. This romantic tale replete with magic and monsters, love and liquor, and retribution and redemption is a voyage you won’t want to miss.

Season Specials:
These productions will also be presented as additional options outside of the subscription package.

SPECIAL EVENT*
ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (ABRIDGED)
By Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
July 22- August 13, 2016
All The Great Books (abridged) is an uproarious roller-coaster ride through a comically compact compilation of the world’s greatest literature!  Watch as 3 actors cover over 90 books in 90 minutes from 1984 throughWuthering Heights.  Everyone from the illiterate to the literati will love this refresher of literature’s greatest hits including Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey, Green Eggs and Ham, Pride and Prejudice, The Bible, Harry Potter…and more!   Sold-out audiences who raved about our “abridged” versions of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Complete History of America and Every Christmas Story Ever Told, surely will flip as we present All the Great Books (abridged)!

*Special Event. Not included in Subscription package but subscribers receive a 15% off discount! Must call box office to redeem BEFORE purchasing.

SPECIAL EVENT*
EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (AND THEN SOME!)
by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald and John K. Alvarez
December 14- 31, 2016
CSC’s holiday smash hit Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) is back! What begins as another annual production of A Christmas Carol, soon devolves into a slightly irreverent look at all of our favorite “Beloved Holiday Classics” including It’s a Wonderful Life, Frosty, Rudolph, Charlie Brown and more! Three actors (with the help of Santa) send up everything from Dickens to Dr. Seuss in 90 minutes of high octane jollity and frivolity.

*This is a Special Event. Not included in the Subscription Package, no discounts apply. This show will be appreciated by adults and older teens, but is not recommended for anyone young enough to still believe in Santa.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues to offer audiences great value with affordable, flexible subscriptions that include seven flexible tickets that can be used in any combination for any performance. Adult Subscriptions are $240, Senior Subscriptions are $211, and Student Subscriptions are $130.  Budget-conscious patrons can also subscribe to the company’s preview series.  A Preview Subscription is just $145 and includes seven tickets that can be used for any preview performance, typically Wednesday and Thursday evenings before Opening Night.  All subscriptions are currently on sale now and may be purchased through the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company website http://www.cincyshakes.com or box office by calling 513-381-BARD (2273) ext. 1.  Single tickets for all shows are also now on sale.

The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center.  The theater will be moving summer of 2017, after the conclusion of the 2016-2017 season, announced here. Single ticket prices range from $22-$38 on Thursday Nights and Saturday and Sunday Matinees and from $26-$42 on Friday and Saturday Nights.  Student Rush tickets are available on any non-sold out performance in the mainstage seats for $14 starting 1 hour before curtain with a student ID.  Previews of each shows are available the previous two nights of opening (usually Wednesday and Thursday) for $25 a ticket, no further discounts apply.  Group discounts are available for groups of 6 or more and can be purchased online or in the box office. Weekday Educational Matinees at 10am are available for $12 a ticket for school, community, retirement and home school groups.  Please contact the education department at 513.381.2273 ext. 3202 for more information about these and other educational offerings.  Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.  Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as Enjoy the Arts, AARP members, AAA members, and ArtsWave ArtsPass holders.  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.

SUBSCRIPTIONS
Each includes 7 Flexible tickets

• Adult Subscriptions $240
• Senior (60+) Subscriptions $211
• Student Subscriptions $130
• Preview Subscriptions $145

SINGLE TICKET PRICES
Thursday & Sunday

• Adult $38
• Senior $34
• Student $22

Friday & Saturday

• Adult $42
• Senior $38
• Student $26

Previews: $25
Student Rush: $14 (Student ID required. Not available on sold-out nights)

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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.  Currently located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces 9-12 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 reach nearly 34,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street.  In 2014, 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.  In the summer of 2017, Cincinnati Shakespeare will move to the brand new Otto M. Budig Theater that will be located at 12th and Elm Streets in OTR.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About the 2016-2017 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.  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 http://www.cincyshakes.com.