Monthly Archives: February 2024

Mars Hills Academy to Present OUR TOWN

Audiences will be swept back in time to 1901, as the Mars Hill Academy Players present Thornton Wilder’s OUR TOWN

MHA_Our Town

Zeke Crocker of Maineville, Ellery Powers of Maineville, Lydia Cunningham of Liberty Twp., Marko Mavridis of Lebanon, Kaiya Knodel of Springboro, and Camdon Hutchinson of Cincinnati.

MASON – Milk is delivered, breakfast is on the stove, and the town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire is alive. These everyday moments that shape the human experience will unfold on stage as the Mars Hill Academy Players transport audiences to the turn of the last century in Thornton Wilder’s timeless classic, “Our Town,” Feb. 29-March 2.

In scenes of daily life that capture the poetic beauty of the everyday, this Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic celebrates family, faith and the wonders that happen all around us, if we are just attuned to see them.

Audiences will meet the town gossips, the boys who play baseball, and the choirmaster with a secret sorrow. They’ll witness the unfolding journey of teenagers George Gibbs (played by senior Andrew Leonard of Liberty Twp.) and Emily Webb (played by senior Lydia Cunningham of Liberty Twp.), as they navigate the realms of friendship, love, marriage, and beyond. The drama culminates in Emily’s third act revelation that humans fail to “realize life while they live it…every, every minute.”

Directed by the Headmaster Mike McKenna, the cast brings a fresh and heartfelt perspective to the enduring themes of the play.

“This production is a nostalgic journey that invites audiences to immerse themselves in the simplicity and richness of life in Grover’s Corners. ‘Our Town’ not only captures the essence of a bygone era but also explores the universal aspects of love, gratitude, and the human experience,” he explained.

McKenna said one unique aspect of directing Wilder’s classic is stripping the play of artifice with minimal scenery or props.

“The show contains fewer props and visuals, allowing the audience to focus on the characters and the strong emotions,” he said.

“Our Town” is a show for all ages. McKenna explained, “The themes of ‘Our Town’ are timeless and resonate with audiences of every generation. It invites us to reflect on the simple yet profound aspects of life that connect us all.”

How to go:

  • Dates: February 29 to March 2, 7 p.m., Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
  • Location: The Fitton Center for the Arts (101 S. Monument Avenue, Hamilton, OH 45011)
  • Tickets: Thursday tickets are $15 for Premium and $12 for General Admission. Friday and Saturday tickets are $18 for Premium and $15 for General Admission.
  • More information or to purchase tickets: visit www.marshill.edu/drama

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Don’t Miss ART at Village Players

VP_ArtART by Yasmina Reza
A seriocomedy courtesy of Dramatists Play Service

Directed by John Leo Muething
Produced by Katie Jensen and Aimée Ward

“Chic, short, and wickedly, perceptively funny” – Evening Standard

Tickets are on sale for ‘Art’, the Tony Award-winning play that focuses on the meaning of art (in the form of a solid white painting) as well as the meaning of friendship, to both the man who bought the painting and the two friends who come to see it.

  • Friday, February 23 – 8:00 pm – includes Opening Night Reception
  • Saturday, February 24 – 8:00 pm
  • Sunday, February 25 – 2:00 pm
  • Thursday, February 29 – 8:00 pm
  • Friday, March 1 – 8:00 pm
  • Saturday, March 2 – 8:00 pm

Featuring:
Marc – Keith Cassidy
Serge – Eric Thomas
Yvan – Jay Dallas Benson

Tickets are just $20 each!

Click here or call 859-240-7897 to buy your tickets today.

Join us for a special gallery exhibit, “Art to Argue Over” in the Judith M. Sarakatsannis Gallery before each show (6:30pm-8:00pm for evening performances; 12:30pm-2:00pm for the matinee).

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ACT Cincinnati Announces 2024 Performance Scholarship Winners

ACT_logoIn keeping with one of our core values to “Educate”, ACT Cincinnati is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 performance scholarships:

  • The Dee Wacksman Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Carson Mehlbauer, attending University of Cincinnati- CCM
  • The ACT Cincinnati Scholarship was awarded to Claire M. Northcut, attending Wright State University
  • The Robert & Helen Booth Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Hannah Richardson, attending Xavier University
  • The Dorothy & Frank Weber Memorial Scholarship was awarded to James Newton, attending Wright State University
  • The Susann Q. Royalty Performing Arts Scholarship was awarded to Erin Morton, attending University of Cincinnati- CCM
  • The Freshman Performing Arts Scholarship was awarded to Afton Skeeters, attending Northern Kentucky University

Congratulations to these students and thank you to all the students who applied this year. Special thanks to accompanist Paul Chiappone, Scholarship Chairperson Arlene Balczo, and our panel of judges: Piper N. Davis, Matt Dentino, Jay Goodlett, Sara Mackie, Derek J. Snow, and Tony Suriano.

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Auditions Announced for EM’S STORY at Lebanon Theatre Company

LTC_logoLTC is holding auditions for EM’S STORY at our theatre at 10 S. Mechanic St. on:

  • Saturday, Feb 10 from 2pm – 5:30pm
  • Sunday, Feb 11 from 6pm-8:30pm

The audition will consist of cold reads. There is no need to prepare audition material.

Please bring in a photo of yourself to submit with the Audition Form that is filled out at auditions. This does not need to be a professional headshot or even printed on photo paper, this is simply to help the director to pair names with faces.

Questions? Reach out to the director at beccashelley11@gmail.com.

Play Information:

EM’S STORY follows a girl who is smart, active and engaged in her community as she develops a disability and her life changes both slowly and all at once. This piece abstracts both time and space, compelling the audience to experience the story as Em does while grappling with chronic pain, brain fog, fatigue, and other symptoms while finding her own identity.

The themes of the play include: disability, chronic illness, coming of age, family, spiritual abuse, medical neglect.

Interested in digging deeper? Read the script here or at New Play Exchange.

Please note that there is wiggle room with the explicit language in the play. If you are uncomfortable with the explicit language spoken by a character you are auditioning for, please still consider auditioning and speak with the director before or during auditions.

Character Breakdown:

Em / 18 / Female
Em does not leave the stage for the duration of the play, illustrating her endurance and strength while managing college admissions, friendship tensions, overbearing parents, spiritual manipulation, onset of chronic illness, and medical neglect.

Mom / 40’s-50’s / Female
Mom struggles to recognize that Em is no longer a child, and her support of Em can often be in the form of smothering. Her love and support is there, but without recognition of Em’s strength and independence, it creates tension.

Dad / 40’s-50’s / Male
Dad wants what’s best for Em and has decided what he believes is the best path for her and believes that straying from that path will put her into harm’s way. Due to this, he struggles to recognize the shift’s in Em’s journey and to accept that pushing his plan for her is creating a rift.

Music Teacher Guy & Karate Guy / 20’s-40’s / “Guy”
This role is intentionally double cast. These are adults in Em’s life who are fully in her corner. Music Teacher Guy is collected and focused; Karate Guy chaotic and full of life. Both support Em regardless of her current path in life.

Ensemble / All ages 18+ / Any Gender
A 3-4 person ensemble plays 17 characters such as nurses, doctors, Em’s friends, Young-but-Balding Youth Pastor and his Wife, Youth Group Kids, Karate Students, and are in the movement scenes. This role requires actors that are quickly able to establish and switch between distinct characters in order to bring Em’s world alive and propel the story forward. Specific ensemble tracks will be assigned upon casting

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DEATHTRAP Runs March 7-24

MPI_DeathtrapDEATHTRAP
Mariemont Players
March 7-24
[Walton Creek]

Directed by Jerry Wiesenhahn
Produced by Kristen Vincenty

Cast: Joe Hornbaker as Sidney Bruhl, Peggy Allen as Myra Bruhl, Howard Liang as Clifford Anderson, Elizabeth Hickerson as Helga ten Dorp & Bob Brunner as Porter Milgrim

Comfortably ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting—a thriller that Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway smash. Sidney’s plan, devised with his wife’s help, is to offer collaboration to the student for co-credit. Or is it?

  • Thu-Sat, March 7-9 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 10 at 2pm
  • Thu-Fri, March 14-15 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, March 16 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 17 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, March 21-23 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 24 at 2pm

Official page |

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