Monthly Archives: January 2019

January 14, 2019 · 12:22 pm

Auditions Announced for DROP DEAD! at Lumos Players

LP_logoLumos Players announces auditions for DROP DEAD! by Billy Van Zandt & Jane Milmore

When:  Sunday, Feb. 3rd (2-6pm)

Where:   Lakeview United Church of Christ (8639 Columbia Rd, Maineville, OH 45039)

Showdates:  April 5-7, 2019

Auditioners:
Prepare a one-minute monologue. Cold Reads with a small group will follow.  Expect to be at auditions for 30 minutes. Email LumosPlayers@gmail.com to schedule an audition time.  Walk-ins are welcome, but will be set-up around scheduled auditions.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
A cast of has-been actors plan to revive their careers in “Drop Dead!,” a potboiler murder mystery directed by “Wonder Child of the Broadway Stage” Victor Le Pewe (a psychotic eye twitching megalomaniac). At the dress rehearsal, the set falls, props break, and the producer and an actor are murdered. During the opening night performance, the murders continue. The remaining thespians must save the show and their careers, solve the mystery and stay alive for curtain calls. Actors overplay their parts, reading their lines off of notes concealed in their costumes and in accents ranging from mediocre to just plain bad. When they aren’t trying to upstage the other players, they’re walking into walls or stumbling over the furniture. Cues are missed, and sound effects come in late, if at all. Nepotism, politics, and egos run rampant. Ahh, the theater! Yes, but this time it’s supposed to be that way.  The enveloping story of “Drop Dead!” finds director Victor Le Pewe trying to mount an English-style mystery that’s been adapted from a work by Alabama Miller, an American. It’s the final rehearsal and everything is going wrong, much to the distress of producer P.G. Banks, who has cast his, um, “protegee,” showgirl Candy Apples, as the ingenue.

Characters:

  • VICTOR LE PEWE – the director
  • P.G. “Piggy” BANKS – the producer
  • PHILLIP – the stage manager
  • ALABAMA MILLER – the playwright
  • MONA MONET – the TV star
  • BRENT REYNOLDS – the method actor
  • CHAZ LOONEY – the apprentice
  • CANDY APPLES – the producer’s girlfriend
  • CONSTANCE CRAWFORD – old stage star, emphasis on old.
  • DICK SCORSESE – Martin Scorsese’s cousin, a last minute replacement

Questions?  email LumosPlayers@gmail.com

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January 14, 2019 · 11:19 am

JumpStart Theatre Application Now Available

TCTC_new logoMiddle schools can apply for services and materials valued at $12K

 Applications are now available to participate in the middle school initiative, JumpStart Theatre, created by the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and managed by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.

All Cincinnati tri-state area middle schools may apply to participate in JumpStart Theatre. Applications can be completed and submitted online beginning today, January 14, through February 15, 2019. Selected schools will be announced in the spring and will begin implementing the program in their school in the fall of 2019.

Participant schools are chosen through the online application which is now available at: https://tinyurl.com/JumpStartCincy1920.

Training & Ongoing Mentoring:

Each selected school will receive services and materials valued at $12,000 in the form of training, mentoring, and production support for a show for their community. Students will be involved in every aspect of the production, and TCT and EdTA will also host an annual JumpStart Theatre showcase, bringing all the participants together to share their work.

Three teachers from each participating school are taught the techniques and skills to develop and manage a musical theatre program (everything from casting, to rehearsal schedules, to staging/choreography and technical requirements, to cultivating parent/community engagement, to achieving economic sustainability) through a series of three, full-day professional development “boot camps” each year of the three-year program, plus an ongoing mentoring/coaching relationship with an experienced theatre teaching artist.

Timeline:

  • January 14 – February 15, 2019 (11:59 PM) – Applications accepted
  • February 22 – March 15, 2019 – Interviews for schools who have applied and Site Visits for Finalists
  • March – April 2019 – Selected schools notified
  • April 2019 – Orientation for selected schools
  • May 2019 – Planning for 2019-2020 school year (submit show selections, boot camp dates determined, contracts signed)
  • Fall 2019 – Program begins at selected sites

About JumpStart Theatre:

JumpStart Theatre is a collaboration among the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), and New York City-based companies, Music Theatre International (MTI) and iTheatrics. The program trains educators to develop sustainable arts programs at underserved middle schools that do not currently offer theatre in the curriculum or after school.

In October, the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) began their partnership with The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) to entrust the management and administration of the nationally-recognized JumpStart Theatre program to the oldest theater for young audiences in the nation.  Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, TCT will oversee the day-to-day operations of the initiative that creates sustainable theatre arts programs in Cincinnati-area middle schools where there previously were none.

“Studies have shown that theatre education helps our young people become better students and citizens. The experience of being in a musical teaches life skills like accountability, respect, teamwork, discipline, risk-taking, and creativity,” said Julie Theobald Executive Director of EdTA.

Kim Kern, Managing Director and CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati said, “JumpStart Theatre is a natural extension of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s goal to fill the gap left by the reduction of arts education in schools, and to provide equitable access to the arts for all children.  This program gives schools the tools they need to build a sustainable musical theatre program, while providing students with exposure to the arts and building life skills such as increased self-esteem and social skills.”

-end-

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January 14, 2019 · 11:03 am

Finance Director & Chief Content Officer Sought by Educational Theatre Association

EdTA_logoEdTA has two key job opportunities available to support our mission of shaping lives through theatre education:

  • Finance Director – to grow our financially successful organization
  • Chief Content Officer – to lead our Education & Content team

Position details and application process follow below.  Feel free to share with colleagues who you feel might be good candidates.

Who We Are:  The Educational Theatre Association is an international association with more than 135,000 active members and 40 full-time staff.  EdTA’s mission is shaping lives through theatre education: honoring student achievement in theatre; supporting teachers by providing professional development, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills.   EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society, an honorary organization established at more than 4,700 schools, that has inducted more than 2.3 million theatre students since its founding in 1929.  The Educational Theatre Foundation is the philanthropic arm of EdTA.

Finance Director

EdTA is seeking an experienced Finance Director.  Responsibilities include financial reporting and analysis, investment review, cash management, budgeting and audit processes, and managing two direct reports.  This position requires a hands-on strategic thinker grow our financially successful association.

Responsibilities:

  • Provide status of financial condition by interpreting and reporting key financial statement data and provide forward-looking insight to leadership team.
  • Develop and maintain financial accounting systems and controls for all activity.
  • Develop, implement and report best financial policies and practices within board policies.
  • Direct budgeting process and implement budget plans.
  • Conduct fiscal year closing, coordinate audits, and ensure proper tax return filings.
  • Develop financial structure and processes to support the vision of our Foundation.
  • Partner with functional leaders on financial strategy and decision-making including pricing strategy, cost savings, and revenue growth.
  • Partner with Executive Director and COO in preparing monitoring reports for Governing Board.

Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
  • 7-10 years’ experience including financial accounting controls, processes and procedures, and management of small staff, preferably in a non-profit setting.
  • Extensive knowledge of GAAP and practices as relates to non-profit organizations.

Please submit cover letter, résumé and salary requirements by email (Subject Line: Finance Director) to:   HRManager@schooltheatre.org.

Chief Content Officer

EdTA seeks a highly-skilled executive level leader to serve as Chief Content Officer, directing our Education & Content team.  The position requires a strong manager and systems thinker—integrating multiple departments to create a dynamic, synchronous operation that will result in increased member engagement, strategic marketing and communications, and national brand recognition.  Individual will oversee five business lines, including 4 direct reports at Director level and a team of 14 staff:

  • Education and Professional Development
  • Educational Conferences & Events
  • Educational Policy and Advocacy
  • Publishing, Print & Digital
  • Marketing & Communications

Responsibilities:

  • Grow and optimize educational and professional development offerings to meet evolving member needs through the drive to certification, online education, and adopting standards in education.
  • Provide strategic direction to educational conferences and events; maximize participation, satisfaction and operational efficiency.
  • Leverage and integrate content development to maximize value across all channels—online learning, face-to-face, print and digital publications, website.
  • Drive EdTA’s expertise and reputation, enhancing performance and positioning of the brand.
  • Provide strategic direction, oversight to brand advancement activities including logo/mark, marketing collateral, and publications. 

Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s Degree required, Master’s degree preferred
  • 8+ years senior management experience
  • 5+ years’ experience in one or more functional areas: program design/implementation, online education, event management, digital and print publications, and marketing & communications

Please submit cover letter, résumé and salary requirements by email (Subject Line: Finance Director) to:   HRManager@schooltheatre.org.

Thank you!

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January 13, 2019 · 8:31 am

2019-2020 Season Titles Announced by The Carnegie

TC_logo_newGreen Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT
Aug. 10-25

PROOF
Nov. 2-17

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 
Jan. 11-26

END OF THE RAINBOW
March 30-April 15

Detailed information coming soon.

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January 13, 2019 · 8:19 am

2019-2020 Season Announced for Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre and Covedale Center

CLPThe District Series 2019-2020 includes:

ROCK OF AGES
September 26 – October 13, 2019

Book by Chris D’Arienzo; Music arranged by Ethan Popp; Music orchestrated by Ethan Popp; Original arrangements by David Gibbs; Musical Director, Henry Aronson.

It’s the end of the big, bad 80’s and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, lace, and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strip’s last venues – a place where sexy Stacee Jaxx reigns and scantily clad groupies line up to turn their fantasies into reality. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew longs to take the stage while he longs for small-town girl Sherri. But the decade’s rock and roll fairy-tale is about to end. Can Drew, Sherri, and the gang save the 80’s? With monster hits songs like, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Don’t Stop Believing”, ROCK of AGES lets the party go on forever! Nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical.

HAND TO GOD
January 23 – Feb. 9, 2020

By Robert Askins

After the death of his father, meek Jason finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry, in the devoutly religious, relatively quiet small town of Cypress, Texas. Jason’s complicated relationship with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door, and – most especially – his mother are thrown into upheaval when Jason’s puppet, Tyrone, takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality all its own. HAND TO GOD explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, mortality, and the ties that bind us.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS
March 12 – March 29, 2020

Written and Composed by JASON ROBERT BROWN; Originally Produced for the New York stage by Arielle Tepper and Marty Bell; Originally Produced by Northlight Theatre Chicago, IL

An emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love over the course of five years, the show’s unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman, telling her story backwards while Jamie, the man, tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.

The Covedale Center’s Marquee Season 2019-2020:

DRIVING MISS DAISY
September 5 – 29, 2019

By Alfred Uhry

The Deep South, 1948 – just prior to the civil rights movement… Having demolished another car, Daisy Werthan, a rich, sharp-tongued widow of seventy-two, is informed by her son that she must now rely on a chauffeur. The son hires a thoughtful black man, Hoke, whom Miss Daisy immediately regards with disdain. Over the next twenty-five years, the two grow close and more dependent on each other. Steadily the dignified Hoke breaks down the stern defenses of the old lady. She teaches him to read and write, and eventually invites him to join her at a banquet in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. At the end, Hoke has a final visit with Miss Daisy, now in a nursing home, where it is movingly clear that they have both have more in common than they ever believed possible—and that the times would ever allow them to publicly admit. Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize, this is a great American play with heart, humor and humanity.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Oct. 17 – Nov. 10, 2019

Book: Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice; Music and Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

It’s creepy and it’s kooky!! It’s a hilarious musical! It’s every father’s nightmare! Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family – a man her parents have never met. And worse, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia! Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his parents. All the lovable characters (and the musical theme) from the classic TV show are here, along with great songs like, ““When You’re an Addams”, “Where Did We Go Wrong?”, “Just Around the Corner”, “Live Before We Die” and “Tango de Amor”!

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET The Musical
Dec, 5 – Dec. 29, 2019

Book by Meredith Willson; Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson Based on the 20th Century Fox film, with story by Valentine Davies and screenplay by George Seaton

A holiday classic from Meredith Willson, the writer of the musical classic, The Music Man! Single mother, Doris Walker, doesn’t want her six-year-old Susan’s head filled with romantic notions. Their neighbor, Fred Gailey, tries to woo Doris by taking Susan to see Santa Claus at Macy’s, where Doris works. Doris is not impressed, but when it turns out that Macy’s Santa may, in fact, be the real Kris Kringle, a wave of love spreads across New York City that melts even the most cynical hearts. Filled with humor, spectacle and such beloved songs as “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” “Pinecones and Hollyberries,” and “My State, My Kansas,” this joyous, heartwarming musical is pure family entertainment for the holidays!

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
February 13 – March 8, 2020

Book/Songs: Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane; Based on “The Kensington Stories” by Sally Benson & MGM film

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is a rare treasure in the musical theatre; a delightful portrait of a turn-of-the-century American family. It is the summer of 1903, and the Smith family eagerly anticipates the opening of the 1904 World’s Fair. As they mark each holiday over the course of the year, the family’s love, zest for life and good-natured humor, helps them through each romance, opportunity, escapade and heartbreak. The musical has all the best-loved songs from the film,
including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Boy Next Door” and “The Trolley Song” !

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
April 2 – April 26, 2020

Book By Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan; New Music by Jeanine Tesori; New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan; Story and Screenplay by Richard Morris for the Universal Pictures film.

The winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie was the 2002 season’s most awarded new show on Broadway! Set in New York City in 1922, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of young Millie Dillmount from Kansas, who comes to New York in search of a new life for herself. Her grand plan is to find a job as a secretary for a wealthy man and then marry him. However, her plan goes awry as the owner of her dingy hotel kidnaps young girls to sell to the Far East, her wealthy boss is slow in proposing marriage and the man she actually falls in love with doesn’t have a dime to his name! Filled with frisky flappers, dashing leading men and a dragon lady of a villainess that audiences will love to hate, Thoroughly Modern Millie is a perfectly constructed evening of musical merriment featuring explosive tap numbers and big Broadway songs like “Gimme, Gimme”, “Forget About The Boy”, “What Do I Need With Love” and the title song, “Thoroughly Modern Millie”!!

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