Monthly Archives: March 2020

March 19, 2020 · 1:18 pm

TCT and COVID-19

Your health and our health
An Update from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati

TCTC_new logoMarch 19, 2020 – CINCINNATI:  Although we are weeks away from opening ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR., the final MainStage production in The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 100th Anniversary Season, we feel that it is in the best interest of our patrons, artists, staff, and volunteers to cancel all performances of this production.

However, we are pleased to announce ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR. will become part of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 20-21 season, landing in the last slot and running April 17-April 26, 2021. This production will take the place of PRINCESS & FROG, which will move to a future season.

Producing Artistic Director, Roderick Justice said: “During WW2, the women of the Junior League leading The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati were faced with the same problem we are today. Yet, that did not stop their mission to engage their audience through new and innovative methods. They took to radio to broadcast their shows and kept the mission alive. In the digital age, you can count on TCT to continue to engage our patrons during this difficult time. Our creative staff is working hard to provide entertaining, educational and engaging digital content until we are back to 100%. Continue to follow TCT on social media as we release archival production footage, photos of past productions, podcasts, and more!  Furthermore, we know how excited many of you were for our season closer, ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR. The impeccable artistry, production development, and valuable time spent on the production will not be lost. We are elated to be able to slide the production into the final spot of our 101st season. To those of you who were excited for PRINCESS & FROG don’t worry! The production will be hopping into a future season! So, stay tuned. Your health is the utmost importance to us and we know the value live entertainment brings during times like this. We will be here for you and look forward to seeing our patrons (in person) as soon as possible.”

Single ticket purchases will be automatically refunded through Ticketmaster but we ask, if you are able, to please consider making a gift to TCT to ensure our sustainability during this difficult time.  You’ll be helping to keep the theatre alive and the arts vibrant in Cincinnati.  We’ve been a part of the health and well-being of students and families in and around Cincinnati for 100 years.  Now we ask that you help us stay healthy.  Here’s a link to make a gift:  www.tinyurl.com/GiveTCT

Subscribers may receive a refund of ¼ of their subscription.  You may request this refund by emailing tickets@tctcincinnati.com.

Subscriptions and Flex Passes are on sale now for the 2020-21 season, which also includes: DISNEY’S DESCENDANTS, ELF THE MUSICAL JR., DOCTOR DOLITTLE JR. Visit www.thechildrenstheatre.com for more information.

All TCT Academy Classes, Spring Break Camps, and Private Lessons will also be canceled through May 31, 2020.  TCT Staff will be in contact starting March 23 with all parents/guardians that have a student currently registered in a Spring 2020 class. You’ll be emailed refund options on March 23rd, 2020. To that end, if you are able, please consider allowing us to direct your refund as a gift to TCT instead.  Please have patience with us as we anticipate a high volume of requests.

In response to COVID-19 and school closures, we have made the TCT On Tour production of SUFFRAGETTES: WITH LIBERTY AND VOTING FOR ALL free of charge for teachers and parents to use with online curricular plans. Written by playwright Mary Tensing, with music from singer-songwriter Tracy Walker, SUFFRAGETTES is available at www.youtube.com/tctcincinnati and is a great curricular theatrical performance for students to watch while they learn at home.

Managing Director & CEO, Kim Kern said: “It is our hope the preventative measures taking place to limit gatherings will benefit public health and slow the spread of COVID-19. We wish you and your family health and well-being and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.  Please be kind to one another during this very difficult time and stay well.”

-end-

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March 19, 2020 · 8:49 am

Official Statement on COVID-19 from NKU School of the Arts

NKU_SOTA logoNorthern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts commitment to the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and guests is our top priority. We are closely monitoring COVID-19 (Coronavirus) news, including regular updates from NKU’s Coronavirus Preparedness Team (nku.edu/coronavirus), the State of Kentucky, Center for Disease Control, and local health agencies. Decisions are made based on this information, as well as directives from government agencies.

Due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus, we have made the extremely difficult decision to cancel all SOTA events, on and off-campus, for the remainder of the semester through May 31. All ticket sales are suspended until further notice. Summer activities and events have not been addressed at this time but will be assessed as conditions evolve.

AFFECTED EVENTS INCLUDE:

  • NKU Music Preparatory classes, ensembles, and lessons will continue with online instruction for the remainder of the semester (dependent on instructor).
  • BFA auditions for Theatre + Dance will happen remotely. Performance students will submit video auditions. Interviews for design/tech/playwriting will occur during a virtual meeting or teleconference.
  • SOTA Art Galleries (closed)
  • March 26-April 5: Buried Child (canceled)
  • April 2: Juried Student Exhibition Artist & Awards Reception (canceled; awards will be presented virtually)
  • April 16: Symphonic Winds + Choirs (canceled)
  • April 23: Philharmonic Orchestra (canceled)
  • April 24-May 3: Mamma Mia (canceled)
  • April 30: Concert Band + Conner HS Band (canceled)
  • May 15-16: Getting to Know… Oklahoma! (canceled)
  • June 4-21: Beguiled Again (ticket sales suspended)
  • July 9-26: Nana’s Naughty Knickers (ticket sales suspended)

We’ll continue to keep everyone updated through multiple formats, including email and social media. The latest updates will also be posted on the NKU Coronavirus Preparedness Team webpage (nku.edu/coronavirus).

WHAT ARE MY TICKET OPTIONS?
Ticket holders for shows have several options. You may exchange your ticket for a future production or receive a credit for your ticket price to use later. Or, you may choose to donate your purchase as a contribution to NKU SOTA. All non-profits will be feeling the impact of these directives, and your contribution would be greatly appreciated.

Please note that the Box Office window is closed to visitors until further notice. However, you may call (859) 572-5464 and leave a message or email boxoffice@nku.edu with questions as we will be regularly monitoring emails and voice messages.

Thank you for your continuing support of the performing arts at Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts and stay healthy!

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March 18, 2020 · 3:00 pm

Update Regarding COVID-19 from Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

ETC_new_logo_bannerThe word “ensemble” is not simply in the name of our organization—it sincerely means that our patrons, our staff, our artists, all of us are essential parts of our Theatre, and so I want to give you an update on ETC’s plans as we navigate this uncharted territory.

A week ago today, we opened a beautiful production of PIPELINE, which was met with a sold-out house, a standing ovation, and overwhelmingly positive reviews from audiences and critics alike. It was, therefore, with much sadness that we made the difficult decision to suspend performances in the best interest of our patrons moments before the Governor wisely announced the mandate limiting mass gatherings.

We were also set to announce our 2020-2021 Season this evening. This, too, regretfully has been postponed. I have chosen some great shows, however, our organization must focus on the remainder of the current season before finalizing next year’s selections. Our Backstage @ETC annual fundraiser on April 3 has also been canceled for the moment, but we hope to bring it back at a later date; we will all need the wonderful spirit and the income the event generates.

Our intention is to reopen PIPELINE later this spring and present PHOTOGRAPH 51 shortly thereafter, paying attention to expert and government advice during this rapidly changing situation and making adjustments as necessary. Both of these shows speak strongly to our mission of producing socially-conscious work and we feel they are vital to share with our audiences.

As a result of these postponements, we must unfortunately cancel 20TH CENTURY BLUES as the closing show of the current season. Please know as soon as we can begin to reschedule your tickets, we will—we miss you! We ask for your patience during this time until we are more confident this plan will succeed. We are on pause, but we will continue.

Canceling and postponing shows puts many artists, employees, and ETC itself in an immediate and challenging financial predicament. However, for nearly 35 years, Ensemble has taken the road less traveled. We stayed in Over-the-Rhine when it was not what most considered a smart choice. After the unrest of April 2001, we stayed open by presenting Hedwig and the Angry Inch, one of the most unusual survival stories in theatre history. We built an audience of subscribers and completed the renovation and expansion of our space to proudly encompass 40% of the 1100 block of Vine Street. We did all of this with your help. You have made this possible.

Be well, and take care of yourself and others. We can’t wait to reopen our doors and we look forward to welcoming you back.

Sincerely,
D. Lynn Meyers
Producing Artistic Director

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March 18, 2020 · 1:32 pm

The Know Theatre Presents Know-To-Go

KTC_Lets Play logoBold theatrical programming at an epidemiologically prudent distance

What do you do when your mission is to bring people together to experience new theatrical works – and you’re not allowed to be “together” anymore?

You do what Know Theatre of Cincinnati has been doing for 22 seasons – you adapt, you innovate, and you figure out how you can connect your community, no matter what the challenge.

The Know Theatre Team recognizes we are all in uncharted waters as we figure out how to keep the essence of the live theatre experience truly alive during a pandemic event.

We affirm that this is the time to stick to the principles we hold most dear, and for us, that is that our purpose is to create works of art that are both cutting-edge and accessible. The current public health crisis has given us an opportunity to combine those qualities, and we seek to be on the furthest edge of making art accessible to people in quarantine and isolation as well as those practicing social distancing.

Inspired by our origins as a nomadic band of artists that brought experimental live theatre directly into communities, we’re turning to the digital space to bring the intimate experience of Know shows directly to your homes.

Building on the model of our Know-to-Go educational programming, which creates theatre for young audiences and visits schools, libraries, and community centers across the Tri-State Area, we’re now utilizing technology to bring works to audiences from a safe and healthy distance.

Today, we roll out our brand-new extension of Know-to-Go, a collection of inspired theatrical programming for trying times, designed to showcase new and unexpected voices and full of the Know’s signature theatricality – all via the power of streaming video.

Part 1: The Stream Team
The Know has been experimenting with livestreaming episodes of our Monday night competitive theatre party Serials! on Facebook Live for the last six seasons. Now, with Know-to-Go: The Stream Team, we’re stepping up that game in a big way.

From the MainStage: ALABASTER

We were deeply saddened to have to cut short our National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of the Pulitzer-nominated darkly comic Southern drama, Alabaster, by Audrey Cefaly, due to concerns over the public health crisis.

But thanks to the round-the-clock efforts of Producing Artistic Director Andrew J. Hungerford to secure appropriate rights and permissions, we are able to bring the production back digitally for one more week! Alabaster will be available to stream to audiences for a limited time, thanks to a partnership with Actors’ Equity Association.

People who already held tickets for cancelled performances of ALABASTER will receive access to the video once it’s available. As per our agreement with Actors’ Equity, the remaining tickets to each cancelled performance will be made available as access to the digital recording for $15 each.

Because paying a living wage is a priority at the Know, viewers will also be able to choose the living wage ticket price of $25, to help us keep artists paid.  And since the flip side of the monetary coin is economic accessibility for audiences, we’ll be making 50 streaming passes available for $5 as part of our Welcome Experiment.

The streaming video will be available at the end of this week, and will be viewable through April 4.

From the Archives
We’ll be offering several shows from Know Theatre’s archive for rental through video on demand at $10 each!

We’ll be rolling out titles beginning this week, starting with 2015’s ANDY’S HOUSE OF [BLANK] by Paul Strickland & Trey Tatum, and 2016’s DARKEST NIGHT AT GNARLY STUMP by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin with songs by Paul Strickland. It feels fitting to begin our streaming library with these two titles that came to life thanks to the Know’s ethos of experimentation.

The quirky and endearing time-traveling musical ANDY’S HOUSE OF [BLANK] began life in our episodic-competitive theatre event SERIALS! THUNDERDOME. A collaboration between artists Paul Strickland, Erika Kate MacDonald, Trey Tatum, and Bridget Leak, ANDY’S HOUSE OF [BLANK] was such an amazing, audacious creation from its very genesis that the Know worked with its creators to develop into a MainStage production that had its premiere in 2015.

DARKEST NIGHT AT GNARLY STUMP was an original Appalachian ghost-story folk musical, commissioned by the Know and premiered in 2016. Its book was written by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek (who also co-wrote the live-action film Mulan (2020)) with original songs by Paul Strickland.

More shows from the Know’s archive will be coming to our streaming platform pending the finalizing of rights agreements. Stay tuned for more announcements as they roll out!

Part 2: Audio Theatre
We’re working with local playwrights to create brand-new audio works available for audiences everywhere. They’ll be available for purchase through our website. As so many local artists found themselves abruptly out of planned work when performing arts events through the city shut down in mid-March, this provides work for these out-of-work performers while creating exciting, brand-new content for the audiences who are missing their usual arts experiences. Further details on the upcoming audio dramas will be released soon.

We’ll be kicking the series off with a release of an Audio Version of Producing Artistic Director Andrew J.  Hungerford’s play, OF PEOPLE NOT THINGSs, seen at the Cincinnati and Edinburgh Fringes in 2010. (“A new and thrilling piece of Fringe theatre” – **** British Theatre Guide. “This piece of theater will stick with you because it’s so human” – Rick Pender, CityBeat.) This never-before-released audio recording was made in 2011, just after the show’s run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Part 3: Roll Models
The Know will be using video streaming to roll out (oh yes, that pun was fully intended) its designed-for-performance tabletop role-playing-game experience! The brainchild of Know’s Managing Director Jackson Short, Roll Models will feature stories crafted by local playwrights, featuring characters performed by local actors, in role-playing experiences led by experienced game masters. Our intrepid tabletop adventurers will tell their stories in livestreamed installments while audiences are encouraged to support the action through a virtual “tip jar,” which again supports the participating freelance artists who unexpectedly found themselves facing cancelled jobs.

All revenue created by Know-to-Go digital programs will be split 50/50 between the theatre and the artists, so that our staff and artistic community can all weather this storm together.

While the staff of the Know is currently busy like a hive of socially-distanced bees to make this theatrical-magic-from-afar happen, we have even more ideas developing and announcements forthcoming. Join us as we journey into uncharted theatrical waters, and keep your ears open for what’s coming up next!

By The Numbers

ALABASTER by Audry Cefaly, $15 tickets available now through March 21. Streaming March 18 – April 4.

ANDY’S HOUSE OF [BLANK] by Paul Strickland and Trey Tatum, $10 on-demand rental. Streaming beginning March 20.

DARKEST NIGHT AT GNARLY STUMP book by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek, songs by Paul Strickland, $10 on-demand rental. Streaming coming soon.

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.       

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.

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March 18, 2020 · 9:44 am

Statement of COVID and Our Season from XACT

xactThe Board of Director’s for Xenia Area Community Theater has been diligently following updates and guidelines regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and taking into consideration the impact it is having on the public and local organizations and especially the health of our volunteers and patrons. As such, we are looking at each of our upcoming events on a case-by-case basis and determining the best course of action to protect everyone’s health while continuing to meet our mission, and provide a little much needed entertainment in this difficult time.

RUMORS, previously scheduled to open March 27, is now postponed for at least 8 weeks. We still hope to perform this play later this year, depending on the COVID situation.  Ticket holders to RUMORS may request a refund by calling the theater at 937.372-0516 now, or wait for a final announcement on the status of the play.  We will hold all sales and reservations for the future dates.

  • MAY 4th VOICES, planned for the 50th Anniversary of the event this May, is cancelled.  The play will be seen next February as part of the regular XACT 2020-21 season.
  • RABBIT HOLE, planned for May 8th, is also cancelled.

We continue our updating  to the Coterel Art Gallery and plan a grand re opening gala later this spring or summer, again dependent on the COVID situation. Our facility will remain closed until then.

We apologize for any inconvenience this causes to you, our valued patrons, and appreciate your forbearance during this difficult period.  We remain as ever committed to our mission of bringing art and theater to the Xenia area.

We will communicate any updates on our website and our social media channels. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via our website, Facebook page, or email at director@xeniaact.org.  Please continue to “Like” and  visit our FB page for updates, information, conversations with our artists, actors, directors, and other posts.  We want to hear stories from your experiences as creatives and theater aficionados. Our doors are temporarily closed, but we are still open, still active, still devoted to creative endeavors!

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