Monthly Archives: June 2022

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati ANNOUNCES 2022-2023 season

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC), the region’s premiere theatre, is delighted to announce its 2022-2023 Season, which features a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, a Tony-nominated comedy, a witty and honest story of connection, and the world premiere dramedy of a reimagined classic. Along with this compelling lineup, next season also features the return of one of ETC’s swinging and toe-tapping holiday musicals.

“It’s time we get back to thriving,” explains Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “The 2022-2023 Season is about thriving after we have spent so long trying to survive. So much has changed for all of us over the past two years that I feel we need these shows to demonstrate our ability and tenacity to move forward. Each of these plays brings to life essential stories for this essential time.”

About the Plays

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens its 37^th year with the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat by Lynn Nottage, September 17–October 9, 2022. This powerful drama takes us to the forgotten heart of America, where old friends come together at their favorite bar as they struggle to survive a fraying economy. For decades, they’ve shared secrets and laughs on the factory floor, but now layoffs pit them against one another as inequities of race and class fan the flames. Based on the playwright’s extensive research and interviews with real residents of Reading, Pennsylvania, Sweat is a topical reflection of the present and poignant outcome of America’s economic decline. MacArthur Genius and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage infuses this searing script with her trademark mix of compassion, humor, and suspense. It’s explosive drama, made in America.

For the holidays, ETC will present the return of The Dancing Princesses with book by Joseph McDonough and lyrics and music by David Kisor, November 30–December 30, 2022. From the creators of last season’s hit Cinderella comes a whimsical adaptation of the classic fairy tale about a kingdom where an enchanting mystery is afoot! Wanting the best for his daughters, an overprotective king locks the castle doors each night. Yet, each morning, the princesses’ shoes have been curiously worn to tatters. Keen to cobble together the mystery of the frayed footwear, the king resorts to drastic measures of royal proportions. This is the heartfelt and humorous story of five uniquely different princesses who embark upon a journey of the imagination that explores the universal quest for understanding, acceptance, and love. The Dancing Princesses is suitable for all ages.

It’s out with the old and in with the new (sort of) as ETC presents the regional premiere comedy Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl, January 14–February 5, 2023. Over a quiet dinner for two, Bill and Nancy serenely decide to divorce after fifty years of marriage. While Nancy feels liberated and Bill seems unfazed, their adult sons Brian and Ben don’t exactly take it well. As the “kids” descend on the Grand Horizons senior living community to mediate, everything they thought they knew about their parents comes crashing down. Bess Wohl’s Tony-nominated comedy is a hilarious, heartbreaking commentary on marriage, family, and the wisdom that comes with age—or not. Bursting with all the joy and pathos of everyday life, Grand Horizons is theatre at its most enjoyable and familiar.

Deeply felt and gorgeously imagined by Tony Award winner Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Morning Sun will run February 25–March 19, 2023 in its first regional premiere production following its successful New York debut. In Greenwich Village a generation or so ago, the city is alive. Joni Mitchell sings, friends and lovers come and go, and the regulars change at the White Horse Tavern. As 50 years pass, one woman’s life is revealed in all its complexity, mystery, and possibility in this enthralling regional premiere drama about mothers and daughters, beginnings and endings in New York City.

Next, ETC is thrilled to present the commissioned world premiere of Who All Over There? by Torie Wiggins, April 8–30, 2023. Things aren’t always black and white—especially when it comes to relationships. When Dean, a young professional, and Danya, an aspiring singer, go on a refreshingly candid first date, they keep it real about the dynamics of a potential interracial relationship. As they grow comfortable nestled in the cocoon of their budding love, the real world brings a whirlwind of inflammatory race relations, opinionated family and friends, and troublesome pasts. Can love truly be colorblind? This updated remix of the critically acclaimed classic Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner shines a light on what happens when cultures clash in the name of love.

ETC’s 2022-2023 Season closes with the poignant regional premiere dramedy Maytag Virgin by Audrey Cefaly, May 27–June 18, 2023. Good fences make good neighbors, right? But what about clotheslines? And do appliances even belong inside the house? When the unflappable Jack Key moves in next door to the endearingly neurotic Lizzy Nash, sparks fly. Over time, neighborly nagging softens, and a deeper connection emerges between the two high school teachers. As the leaves turn yellow and the months march on, kept secrets shake loose, and the pair finds themselves facing the same question: How do you know when you’re ready to live, and love, again?

Subscriptions On Sale Now
Subscriptions to the 2022-2023 Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati season are on sale now. 5-Show Preview subscriptions are $164 (excludes holiday production); Regular and FlexPass subscriptions range from $244 to $266. ETC will continue its deeply discounted subscription options for students, with packages just $100 for Teen Scene subscribers and just $125 for Student subscriptions. 

Single Tickets On Sale August 8, 2022
All single tickets for the 2022-2023 Season go on sale to the general public starting at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022.

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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.

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.