HEAVEN IS STILL WAITING
P.L.O.T.T. Performers
April 16-23
Dennison
Circumstances have delivered the next candidates to their destiny. As they await the outcome of their deliverance, they must convince the decision makers why they are a good fit or not. What a unique situation as they have no idea where they are and how they got there.
Filed under On Stage
SILENT SKY
by Lauren Gunderson
directed by Tamara Winters
The true story of the women who changed our understanding of the universe
In the late 19th Century, a group of brilliant women were hired by the Harvard Observatory to catalog the stars.
Called “computers” by their employer (and sometimes, infuriatingly, “Pickering’s Harem,” in reference to the director of the Observatory), Henrietta Leavitt and her pioneering colleagues performed calculations for the male astronomers, but were discouraged from pursuing their own research and forbidden from using Harvard’s famed Great Refractor Telescope.
Yet Henrietta’s probing mind showed her a pattern in the data: a crucial relationship between the varying brightness of stars and their distances from us in the universe.
Her discovery, the period-luminosity relationship of Cepheid variable stars, became the standard by which previously unmeasurable distances in the universe could now be measured—a standard we use to this day. Henrietta’s discovery quite literally changed our understanding of the universe, and our place in it.
Silent Sky, opening April 15 and running through May 14 on the Know Theatre MainStage, follows Henrietta’s story from the moment she embarks on her journey to Harvard. As it unfolds, we discover the spirit and fire that drove her to pursue the truth, despite every challenge.
Silent Sky comes to us from playwright Lauren Gunderson (author of two hit shows in Cincinnati — Know’s Toil and Trouble and Cincinnati Playhouse’s The Revolutionists) and reveals how a group of extraordinary women found a way to measure the universe, providing a glimpse of the light within us all.
Directed by Know Theatre Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters, Silent Sky features a cast full of celebrated local performers. Maggie Lou Rader stars as Henrietta Leavitt, joined by Annie Fitzpatrick as Annie Jump Cannon and Regina Pugh as Williamina Fleming, Henrietta’s tough-as-nails colleagues at the Harvard Observatory. Miranda McGee returns to the MainStage as Margaret, Henrietta’s sister whose fierce sisterly love is Henrietta’s bedrock. Justin McCombs joins this A-list group of ladies as Peter Shaw, Henrietta’s sometimes rival, sometimes love interest who propels and challenges Henrietta’s pursuit of the truth.
Silent Sky marks Know Theatre Associate Artistic Director Tamara WInters’ fourth foray onto the MainStage, having previously directed 2014’s Bureau of Missing Persons, and 2015’s Hearts Like Fists and All Childish Things.
About Silent Sky, director Tamara Winters says:
“I couldn’t more thrilled to take on this story of fierce and brilliant women who changed our world. Not only is Lauren’s script inspirational, witty, and poetic, but it is also timely. Henrietta Leavitt’s role in the history of astronomy has largely been forgotten, and overshadowed by the men whose work would later be made possible by her discovery–a fate sadly familiar to many high-achieving women. The time is right for us to shine a light on her work, and by extension, shine a light on the fierce and brilliant spirits that drive trailblazing women to succeed.”
Adds Know Theatre artistic director Andrew Hungerford:
“This play is very important to me personally for a lot of reasons: I spent many nights observing variable stars as an undergraduate astrophysics student, and the synthesis of art and science in this show is beautiful and compelling. But more important than my own connection: the contributions of women in all fields of science have been overlooked for far too long, and the casual sexism and dismissal encountered by these women in the early 20th century are still experienced in the Astro community today, with sexual harassment in the field now being called out on social media with the hashtag #AstroSH.”
Know Theatre believes Cincinnati is an ideal place to showcase this story of American scientific ingenuity, as the Queen City is home of The Cincinnati Observatory, the Birthplace of American Astronomy.
In collaboration with the Observatory, Know Theatre is inviting students from all over the tri-state to two special performances of Silent Sky. Before these shows, there will be a panel featuring several Greater Cincinnati women working in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) fields, who will share their experience with the students in attendance. Know Theatre and the Observatory are proud to collaborate on this important project to highlight brilliant women in science of the past and present in hopes of inspiring the future generation of women in STEM.
Know Theatre is especially happy to be able to leverage this collaboration to help bring wider attention to The Observatory, a true gem of Cincinnati’s architectural and cultural history.
Silent Sky is a poetic, witty, and inspiring tale you will not soon forget. Appropriate for all ages, Henrietta’s story reminds us all what we can achieve when we allow curiosity and wonder into our lives.
For tickets and more information, please call 513-300-5669 or visit www.knowtheatre.com.
Cast in Alphabetical Order
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.
Production Team
Calendar Listing
FREE performances on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment initiative. May be reserved at the door, or online beginning the Sunday before each performance. Subject to availability; reserved Welcome Experiment tickets must be claimed 15 minutes before the performance or be subject to redistribution.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW). One-year sustaining memberships are available for $20/month or $240.
Since 1997, Know Theatre has been dedicated to creating explosive and evocative live entertainment. We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.
Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.
Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.
Filed under Press Releases
Disney’s THE ARISTOCATS Kids
Rivertown Players
April 16-17
Lawrenceburg, Ind.
In the heart of Paris, a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to Duchess, her high-society cat, and her three little kittens. Laughs and adventure ensue as the greedy, bumbling butler pulls off the ultimate catnap caper. Now it’s up to the rough-and-tumble alley cat, Thomas O’Malley, and his band of swingin’ jazz cats to save the day.
Filed under Family-Friendly, On Stage
(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati ascends an emotional mountain with the regional premiere of the gripping comedy-drama ANNAPURNA by Sharr White. This powerful story unpacks the tangled history between two ferociously damaged people who battle an avalanche of love, loss, and unanswerable questions. Sharr White’s sharp and poetic writing returns to the ETC stage in this darkly-funny production, playing March 22-April 10, 2016. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers.
What if you had experienced the defining moment of your life—but couldn’t remember it? Twenty years ago Emma walked out on cowboy-poet Ulysses in the middle of the night, taking their young son with her. That’s given Ulysses two decades to write his magnum opus, perfect his naked cooking techniques, and move into a dingy trailer with a phone-eating dog. Now, hearing he’s in dire straits, Emma tracks him down to a trailer park in the wilds of Colorado to hash out the best and worst of their marriage, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her departure. Their reunion, alternately comic and conflicted, is full of razor sharp wit and brutal honesty.
“Sharr White has a magnificently beautiful voice for dealing with very difficult human issues in rather poetic and articulate ways,” explains Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “I love that he uses the imagery of this massive mountain to symbolize how we climb in our daily lives. He puts us at the base with people who have a deep and devastating mystery hanging between them, showing us that the longest journey to any relationship, and to the heart of anyone, is more perilous than scaling any mountain range.”
About the Cast
Dennis Parlato (Ulysses) returns to Ensemble Theatre, having last appeared in Other Desert Cities. Mr. Parlato’s other Ensemble Theatre credits include Ghost Writer, Becky’s New Car, Mauritius, The Seafarer, Fiction, The Guys, A Question of Mercy, and Glimmer, Glimmer, and Shine. Mr. Parlato played El Gallo in The Fantasticks in NYC. On Broadway, he’s played Lawrence Jameson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mr. Robinson in The Graduate, John the Baptist in Salome, and Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Off-Broadway and regional credits include the title roles in Cyrano de Bergerac, Barrymore, The Master Builder, Prospero in The Tempest, Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, and Oliver in David Hare’s The Vertical Hour. Mr. Parlato’s film credits include Johnny Suede, Delirious, Dillinger’s Dead, Bury the Evidence, Rick, First Born, Starting Out in the Evening, and Bride Wars.
Regina Pugh (Emma) has appeared at ETC in The Other Place, Next Fall, and My Name is Asher Lev. Her other favorite ETC shows include After the Fall, Buckminster Fuller: In and Out of The Universe, Everything in the Garden, Fragments, and The Water Engine. She appeared at Cincinnati Playhouse in A Christmas Carol (1992-2011) and the world premiere of Invention for Fathers and Sons. Other favorite projects include performing with CCM Drama students in Bury the Dead, as well as performing in Harvey, The Carnegie; Equus, New Edgecliff Theatre; The History Boys, New Stage Collective; Sense and Sensibility and The Crucible, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; The Maids, Performance Gallery; and Wait Until Dark, Downtown Theatre Classics. Ms. Pugh is a founding member of Performance Gallery, an alternative theatre collective that specializes in original work and has participated yearly in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Her most recent directing credit was the University premiere of the new play, Black Fly Spring (Xavier Theatre) and her direction has been seen on the ETC stage in Melancholy Play, Earhart, Vigil, Why We Have a Body, and The Skriker.
Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Jeremy Lee (Sound Designer), and Reba Senske (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Elizabeth Freyman.
Performance Information
Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm; and Sunday, 7:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.
Ticket Prices
Ticket prices range from $28 to $44 for adults; student tickets are $25; and children are $18. For the 2015-2016 season, ETC continues its popular $15 student and half-price rush tickets for all performances, which are available two hours prior to show time and may be purchased by phone or in person at the box office.
Available Discounts
Military, Educator, Public Radio Perks Card, ArtsWave FunCard, AAA, Senior, and Enjoy the Arts discounts available; tickets and seating are subject to availability.
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ANNAPURNA – At A Glance
What: ANNAPURNA by Sharr White
Where: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
When: March 22-April 10, 2016 – Opening Night: Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 pm
Times: Tues-Thurs at 7:30 pm; Fri & Sat at 8:00 pm; Sat & Sun at 2:00 pm; Sun at 7:00 pm
Tickets: $44 for adults; students, $25; children 12 and under, $18
Content advisory: This production contains adult language and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Discounts
Parking: Surface lot and Gateway Garage, both at the corner of 12th and Vine Streets. Parking also available at the Washington Park Garage and Mercer Commons Garage.
CAST (in alphabetical order)
PRODUCTION TEAM
*Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
**Director is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union.
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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
2015-2016 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided by Garfield Suites Hotel, the Shubert Foundation, and PNC.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich and inspire our audiences.
Filed under Press Releases
Playing Weekends April 9-24, 2016
Leslie Kelly as Cathy & Wes Carman as Jamie. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
(COVINGTON, KY) – Relationships are complicated. They evolve over time and look different to everyone involved. Issues that are clear at the end of a relationship may not look like problems at the beginning. THE LAST FIVE YEARS, playing at The Carnegie weekends April 9-24, 2016, explores the relationship of Jamie and Cathy, a young couple struggling to find balance between career and relationship.
In a creative twist that makes this show pure magic, Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown takes us on an adventure through their story, following Jamie from the beginning of their romance to the end and following Cathy from the end to the beginning. Their storytelling overlaps for just a moment, on the day of their wedding, for one of the most beautiful duets ever written for the musical theatre.
“The LAST FIVE YEARS is a great piece of contemporary theatre, with a brilliant score,” said Carnegie Theatre Director Maggie Perrino. “The storytelling is unique because you see the build-up and the let-down at the same time and question the perspective and reliability of the narrators.”
The LAST FIVE YEARS features a two-person cast, with Leslie Kelly as Cathy and Wes Carman as Jamie. In addition to being accomplished vocalists and actors, Kelly and Carman are both accomplished musicians. Kelly will play some of the songs on piano while Carman will play cello.
Those who have seen the movie adaptation of THE LAST FIVE YEARS starring Academy Award and Tony Award nominee Anna Kendrick and Tony Award and Grammy Award nominee Jeremy Jordan, will enjoy the scenic twist that Tyler Gabbard created for the show.
“The set is almost entirely based on doors and serves as an analogy for the emotions of the characters as they open and close the door to their relationship,” said Perrino. “They can walk in and start something new, or walk out and close the door as something ends.”
Performances of THE LAST FIVE YEARS run weekends April 9-24, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. The Tristate Chamber Players will perform pieces by Strauss in the gallery for a special happy hour prior to the two Friday evening performances. The appearance of the Tristate Chamber Players is made possible through generous funding from the Ohio Arts Council and members of the community.
Tickets for THE LAST FIVE YEARS are $28, $25 for Carnegie Members and Enjoy the Arts Members. Patrons interested in member, student, and group discounts should call The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940. Tickets to Carnegie Theater Series performances are available at The Carnegie Box Office, open Tuesday through Friday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., online at www.thecarnegie.com, or by phone at (859) 957-1940.
The 2015-16 Carnegie Theatre Series is sponsored by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. The 2015-16 Season Program is sponsored by Paula & Glenn Wienkoop.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 http://www.MTIShows.com.
About The Carnegie: The Carnegie is Northern Kentucky’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue providing theatre events, educational programs and art exhibitions to the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. The Carnegie facility is home to The Carnegie Galleries, the Otto M. Budig Theatre, and the Eva G. Farris Education Center. More information about The Carnegie is available at www.thecarnegie.com or by calling (859) 491-2030.
The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Cincinnati Wine Festival, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation.
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THE LAST FIVE YEARS Cast and Production Team List
Cast
Production Team
Select Bios
Leslie Kelly – Cathy
Leslie is honored to make her Carnegie debut stepping into the role of Cathy, which she first played at the Vanderbilt University Theatre, 8 years ago. She recently performed with new Cincinnati company GoodPeople Theatre in OTR and is preparing for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (Brenda) with Showbiz Players. Other favorite roles include City Theater Company’s AMERICAN IDIOT (Heather) in the Delaware/Philadelphia regional premier, ANYTHING GOES! (Hope), INTO THE WOODS (Little Red u/s), A CHORUS LINE, THE WIZARD OF OZ (Dorothy), HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (Rosemary). By day, Leslie works for University of Cincinnati.
Wes Carman – Jamie
Wes Carman is excited to return to the Carnegie to play one of his favorite roles in theatre. He holds a BFA in Acting from Northern Kentucky University and has spent the last year touring with Cincinnati Children’s Theatre’s ArtReach program. Notable credits include: Paul in COMPANY at The Carnegie and Bailey Miller in PLUTO at The Know Theatre. NKU credits include King Arthur in SPAMALOT, Philo Farnsworth in THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, and Warner in LEGALLY BLONDE.
Lindsey Mercer – Director
Lindsey Augusta Mercer is a Cleveland native who moved to Cincinnati just over two years ago to begin her career as a Director. Since arriving in the Queen City, her work has been seen with companies such as; Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM- Tour), Diogenes Theatre (SAINT JOAN, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN), Concert:Nova, (LE MARIÉS DE LA TOUR EIFFEL, LES SALON CABARET), Falcon Theatre (THE MYSTERY PLAYS), and New Edgecliff Theatre, (THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED). She frequently directs staged readings for the Queen City Queer Theatre Collective which she proudly co-founded and now oversees as the Producing Artistic Director. You may have even caught her onstage last year at the Know Theatre, or Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Immersing herself in the diverse offerings of local theaters, Lindsey is passionate about pulling the styles and approaches from every experience, classical to abstract, pipeline to devised- and melding a creative style that presents itself in new forms and stories. She graduated with a BA in Theatre, Music, and History from Baldwin Wallace University, and hopes to soon obtain an MFA in Directing. She is thrilled and grateful to be working with the Carnegie on this special show with her own beautiful fiancée, Erin.
Erin McCamley – Music Director
Erin McCamley is a conductor, music director, composer, and actor. Erin received her BM in Music Composition from Baldwin-Wallace University Conservatory of Music and has two albums of original music. She music directs at Notre Dame Academy, Milford High School, and is the choir director at Heritage UU Church. Since discovering conducting in college, she has conducted orchestras all over the world. Favorite experiences include conducting the CCM Philharmonia Orchestra for LA CENERENTOLA, DON CARLOS, and L’ELISIR D’AMORE; music directing COMPANY at The Carnegie; and spending the summer of 2014 conducting LA RONDINE and GIANNI SCHICCHI in Arezzo, Italy.
Tyler Gabbard – Scenic Designer
A Northern Kentucky native and resident of Covington, Tyler is thrilled to be back at the Carnegie. He previously stage managed SWEENEY TODD in 2014. By day, Tyler is the Events and Publicity Manager for the School of the Arts at Northern Kentucky University. He has worked professionally in New York City and locally. Scenic design credits include THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, URINETOWN, ALL SHOOK UP, THE PHYSICISTS, THE MADRAS HOUSE, THE WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, CELEBRATED SILENCE, and the world premiere of SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS. His scenic design work can also be seen at NKU this month for INTO THE WOODS, running April 21 – May 1. Favorite management/admin credits include MATILDA THE MUSICAL, JERSEY BOYS, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Broadway); THE SUBMISSION, WILD ANIMALS YOU SHOULD KNOW, THREE SISTERS, FAY CAMP THE MUSICAL (Off-Broadway); Mayor’s Awards for Arts and Culture, (Lincoln Center); THE WHO’S TOMMY, DINNER AT EIGHT (NYU). He currently serves as the Media Relations Chair on the board of the League of Cincinnati Theatres. Tyler received his BFA from New York University/Tisch School of the Arts.
Tickets
Performances
THE LAST FIVE YEARS will include eight performances:
Saturday, April 9, 7:30pm ● Sunday, April 10, 3pm
Friday, April 15, 7:30pm ● Saturday, April 16, 7:30pm ● Sunday, April 17, 3pm
Friday, April 22, 7:30pm ● Saturday, April 23, 7:30pm ● Sunday, April 24, 3pm
Filed under Press Releases
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 