Monthly Archives: August 2019

WHO IS AMOS OTIS? Runs Sept. 27-29

MEMO_Who is Amos Otis promoWHO IS AMOS OTIS?
Sept. 27-29
Memorial Hall [Over-the-Rhine]

Written and directed by Greg Newberry

Cast: Michael G. Bath, Josh Katawick, Rico Reid, Derek Snow, A.J. Ford, Abi Esmena, Don Volpenhein, Carol Brammer, Fred Murrell & Moulay Essakalli

An assassin confounds the courtroom with a defense that puts the country on trial and leaves everyone wondering, “Who is Amos Otis?”  This provocative new play from award-winning writer/director Greg Newberry is a courtroom drama that confronts today’s political climate head-on in the spirit of the Twilight Zone or Black Mirror.  Its world premiere is at Memorial Hall for three performances only and features local stage favorite Michael Bath.  The audience will act as the jury to decide if Amos Otis is a mad man or savior and vote on his fate.  Trial begins Sept. 27.  Join the jury for this must-see theater experience of the year.

  • Fri-Sat, Sept. 27-28 at 8pm
  • Sun, Sept. 29 at 2pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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NKU SOTA Explores American Inclusiveness with THE AFRICAN COMPANY

NKU_Richard III final promoHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts will launch its 2019-2020 Theatre + Dance Season with THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III by Carlyle Brown, running Sept. 26-Oct. 6 at NKU’s Corbett Theatre.

In 1820’s Manhattan, William Henry Brown, a free black American, organizes a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III for a predominantly black audience. When the booking of a famous English actor to play Richard III by a rival theatre company threatens to close their production, his African Grove Theatre Company is forced to reflect on their lives – performing jobs of servitude by day and their artistry by night. Drawn to the stage because of their ability to create art out of their own experiences, the company members must determine if their artistry is worth risking it all. Based on a true story, The African Company Presents Richard III carries a timeless message of negotiating racial consciousness in theatre that still resonates today.

Carlyle Brown’s script honors the earliest pioneers of African American Theatre. Rooted in ritual theatre techniques, this production pays homage to the African traditions from which the company evolved, while also referencing its contemporary descendants. Celebrating scholar Brenda Dixon Gottschild’s concept of the Africanist Aesthetic, the production incorporates both cross-centurial and cross-cultural (African, Asian, European) artistry. For example, Bunraku-styled puppeteers, in the roles of Ancestors, transport us through history via shadow puppetry – one of the oldest performance traditions throughout the world. In African puppetry, the puppet holds specific meaning and supernatural power in performance. The puppet has a traditional significance in its ability to convey both sacred and secular meanings.

The NKU cast features Alexander Slade (Stephen Price), Mary McNeill (Sarah), Maiya Caldwell (Ann Johnson), Je’Shaun Jackson (James Hewlett), Thomas Smith (Papa Shakespeare), Isaiah Reaves (William Henry Brown & Ira Aldrige), and Jerrod Gruber (Constable-Man). The Ancestors and Shadow Puppeteers will be portrayed by Olivia Barrell, Ezra Crist, Shelby Flynn, Brooke Hardin, Sabrina Mack, Elizabeth McClure, Erin Reardon, Katie Tierney and Theodore Molstad. The show is directed by Daryl Harris with additional material by Isaiah Reaves.

Other creative team members include Aretta Baumgartner (Movement/Puppetry Coach), Cat Schmeal (Costume Designer), Terry Powell (Lighting Designer), Griffin Allen (Assistant Lighting Designer), Jeremiah Kearns (Sound Designer), Brandon Kirkham (Scenic and Puppet Designer), Lily Adcock (Assistant Scenic Designer), and Sydney Dent (Props Master). The Stage Manager is Scott Slucher and Assistant Stage Managers are Ashlyn Duggan and Katie Mitchell.

For more information, call the NKU School of the Arts Box Office at (859) 572-5464 or visit nku.edu/sotatickets.

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Cast Announced for MARVIN’S ROOM at CenterStage Players

CSPOH_logoCenterStage Players Inc. is delighted to announce the cast of  our upcoming production MARVIN’S ROOM by Scott McPherson.

Bessie (played by Cathy Judge), a strong-willed woman, takes care of her bedridden father and eccentric Aunt Ruth (played by Claudia Kazvin). After Bessie is diagnosed with leukemia, her estranged sister, Lee (played by Mandy Goodwin), comes to visit and to be tested as a possible bone marrow donor for her sister. The reunion between the sisters is initially uncomfortable , aggravated by the difficult behavior of Lee’s two sons (played by Joshua Vietas and Hunter Gee). The two women eventually confront their shortcomings as sisters, reach out to each other, and arrive at an understanding about the importance of family. Featuring the considerable talents of  Bridgid Dunn Cornell as Dr. Charlotte; Beth Griffin as Dr. Wally; Teri Foltz as a Retirement Home Director and John Vanderplough as Dr. Wally’s brother.

The winner of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Player, the Outer Critics Circle for Best Off-Broadway Player, The John Glassner Award for Best New American Player and the Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award, McPherson’s dark comedy allows us a moving view of one woman’s commitment to family.

Directed by Julie Jordan
Produced by Trisha Courtney and Karen Vanover

Show runs November 15-17 and 22-24, 2019

Season and individual tickets are now on sale at centerstageplayersinc.com where you can also find more information about the rest of our season and how to find us!

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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents AN EVENING WITH SETH RUDETSKY on October 21, 2019

ETC_Seth Rudetsky

Seth Rudetsky.

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents a one-night only experience with sensational Broadway host Seth Rudetsky – he will be leading a masterclass with 10 local artists with opportunity to view the class as an audience member, followed by two performances of his one-man show Deconstructing Broadway.

Deconstructing Broadway, which is described as a combination of “The Tony Awards” and “The Daily Show” is a 90-minute tour-de-force featuring Rudetsky’s trademark “deconstructions,” in which he uses his amazing audio collection to breakdown brilliant performances from beloved Broadway divas (Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley, Ben Platt) as well as showcase mind-boggling recordings like The Osmonds singing a medley from Fiddler On The Roof. Seriously. Seth does an entire section on Barbra Streisand, who actually came to the show in Los Angeles…and loved it! This award-winning show recently played to a sold-out crowd in London where it received 5-star reviews and was called “blindingly brilliant,” “fantastic,” “hysterical,” a “must-see,” and “nothing short of brilliant.”

About Seth Rudetsky
Seth is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s On Broadway as well as the host of SETH SPEAKS on Sirius/XM Stars. He spent many years on Broadway as a pianist and conductor for shows such as Ragtime, Grease, Les Misérables, and Phantom of the Opera as well as two years as a comedy writer on The Rosie O’Donnell Show (three Emmy nominations). He wrote the opening number for the 1998 and 2000 Tony Awards and produced/conducted concerts on Broadway benefiting The Actors Fund including Dreamgirls with Audra McDonald, Chess with Josh Groban, and Hair with Jennifer Hudson (Grammy nomination).

He is now the afternoon deejay on the Sirius/XM Broadway Channel as well as the host of the talk show Seth Speaks. He’s performed his show, Deconstructing Broadway in London, Boston (Irne award), and L.A. (with Barbra Streisand in the audience!). He co-wrote and co-starred in Disaster! (NY Times Critic’s Pick) on Broadway which was licensed by Music Theater International. He’s written Seth’s Broadway Diary Volume 1, 2, and 3 (Dress Circle publishing) and has also authored two young adult novels, My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan and The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek (Random House).

He and his husband produced the “What the World Needs Now is Love” recording with Broadway Records featuring amazing performers such as Idina Menzel, Audra MacDonald, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Carole King, and so many more to help the victims and families of the Orlando shooting. The song went to number one on iTunes and the money is now being split between Orlando and The Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for teenagers. Starting in 2017, he produced a monthly Concert for America across the country, raising money for NAACP, Sierra Club, National Immigration Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The concerts starred celebrities such as Barry Manilow, Vanessa Williams, Chita Rivera, Andy Cohen, Tina Fey, and more.

Performance Information
The masterclass will begin at 1:00 pm and the performances of Deconstructing Broadway will begin at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm.  More information is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket Prices
Tickets to Deconstructing Broadway are $75 for the general public; current ETC subscribers receive a $10 discount. Tickets to observe masterclass are $10.

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2019-2020 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided PNC.

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 of 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.

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.

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Duffy Hudson as GEORGE BURNS at the Incline in October

MISC_Don Johnson Real Estate Group logoBroadway and film actor Duffy Hudson brings to life one of America’s great entertainers – George Burns! With a 70-minute, one-man show at The Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre Sat. Oct. 19 and Sun. Oct. 20, 2019.

CLP_George Burns

Duffy Hudson.

As George, Hudson tells hilarious tales, whimsical songs and bring the days of vaudeville, olde-time radio, film and television back to life! A Cincinnati native, Hudson has been a fan of Burns for his entire life. From Broadway to L.A and in films and television, Duffy Hudson is known from coast to coast as the foremost creator of famous characters including Edgar Allan Poe, Albert Einstein and Harry Houdini!

Sponsored by Johnson Real Estate Group, Don Johnson with Cutler Real Estate.

Where: The Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre is located at 801 Matson Place, Cincinnati, OH 45204

When: Two shows! Saturday October 19 at 8:00 pm; and Sunday, October 20th 2pm.

Tickets: Single tickets $25.00 each. Purchased in person, online at www.clpshows.org or 513.241.6550

 

 

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