Monthly Archives: February 2025

Ken Ludwig’s MOON OVER BUFFALO Runs March 6-23

Ken Ludwig’s MOON OVER BUFFALO
Mariemont Players
March 6-23
[Walton Creek]

Directed by Aaron Whitehead

Cast: John Conrard as George Hay, Alicia Friedman as Charlotte Hay, Barb Timmins as Ethel, Aimée Ward as Rosalind, Evan Blanton as Howard, Kristin Schisler as Eileen, Josh Stothfang as Paul & Christie Bishop as Richard

Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo is a sidesplitting comedy that dives into the chaotic world of showbiz and family. Set in 1953, it follows George and Charlotte Hay, a washed-up acting duo performing in Buffalo, New York, who get a last chance at stardom when a Hollywood director plans to see their show. Chaos ensues as mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and hilarious misadventures threaten to derail their big break. With fast-paced humor and larger-than-life characters, this farcical romp guarantees an evening of laughter and theatrical mayhem.

  • Thu-Sat, March 6-8 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 9 at 2pm
  • Thu-Fri, March 13-14 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, March 15 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 16 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, March 20-22 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 23 at 2pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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Auditions Announced for HOW TO HOST A MURDER MYSTERY DINNER PARTY at Loveland Stage Company

LSC is pleased to announce auditions for this year’s NEST Murder Mystery Fundraiser, HOW TO HOST A MURDER MYSTERY DINNER PARTY (In Fifteen Simple Steps) by Brian D. Taylor.

Auditions:

  • Friday, February 7th: 6:30-8:30PM
  • Saturday, February 8th: 1-3PM

Auditions will be held at Loveland Stage Company and will consist of cold readings from the script. Please bring a list of conflicts from now through March 28th (no conflicts during “tech week”) and a resume of past experience. Headshots are preferred, but not required. Sign up for a spot here: https://www.signupgenius.com/…/10C0E4BA9AD2DABFBC34…

Performance: Friday, April 4, 2025

Synopsis:
Host Miss Penelope Chrysler-Michelin presents her proven, fifteen-step process on how to host a murder mystery dinner party to your audience, the dinner guests at her seminar. To guide them through the presentation, Miss Penelope has planned her own murder mystery dinner party to play out onstage. She takes guests through all the most important steps, such as “Setting the Scene,” “Choosing Your Mark,” “Establishing Motive,” and more.

Of course, her guest list has been carefully selected to make sure the very best mix of suspicious characters are present — The Celebrity, The Writer, The Doctor, The Ladykiller. But like any good murder mystery, the weather worsens and the plot thickens when there is an unexpected visitor on the dark and stormy night. Good thing Miss Penelope has thought of everything, including Step Eight: “Always Have a Backup Plan.”

Can anyone really be trusted at this devious dinner party? With all of the usual fun and games of a murder mystery, the unexpected twists and turns make this an absolutely delectable dinner theatre piece!

Available Roles:
There are 14 available roles (3M, 5F, 6 Any gender). Please note, one role is the Pianist (this role is preferred to be played by someone who can actually play the piano and has very few lines).

  • THE HOST (any gender): aka Miss Penelope Chrysler-Michelin; our guide; a bored heiress who’s out of touch with her audience
  • THE HOUSEKEEPER (F): aka Miss Gwyneth; runs the household.
  • THE MAID (F): aka Miss Sherry; assistant to Miss Gwyneth
  • THE PIANIST (any gender): aka Harmony Kline; helps to set the mood.
  • THE GOSSIP (F): aka Gabby Reynolds; has the dirt on everyone.
  • THE CELEBRITY (F): aka Charlotte Beauregard; an off-Broadway and small screen starlet.
  • THE LAWYER (any gender): aka James Wilhelm, Esq.; the most prominent lawyer in the region.
  • THE FREE SPIRIT (F): aka Venus Starship; an advocate for mainstream – and fringe – issues.
  • THE GROUNDSKEEPER (M): aka Hannibal Lattice; maintains the property.
  • THE DOCTOR (any gender): aka Dr. Jennifer Nightingale; a successful family physician.
  • THE LADYKILLER (M): aka Hugh Glover; a wealthy, handsome, and charming bachelor.
  • THE WRITER (any gender): aka Gregory Hemingway; a famous – but fragile – novelist.
  • THE LOST TRAVELER (M): aka Mark DeMarco; unsuspecting “Mark” marooned by the storm.
  • THE INSPECTOR (any gender): aka Charles Enigma; a local lawman who happens to be on the scene.

Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colorado.

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Auditions Announced for THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST at Lebanon Theatre Company

THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST

Auditions: March 10th and 11th at 7:00 at LTC

Show Dates: May 2nd -11th

Synopsis
The place is the small Mississippi town of Brookhaven, the time a few days before the Fourth of July. Carnelle Scott (known locally as “Miss Hot Tamale”) is rehearsing furiously for the Miss Firecracker Contest—hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave town in a blaze of glory. The unexpected arrival of her cousin Elain, a former Miss Firecracker winner, (who has walked out on her rich but boring husband and her two small children) complicates matters a bit, as does the repeated threat of Elain’s eccentric brother, Delmount, (recently released from a mental institution) to sell the family homestead and decamp for New Orleans. But, aided by a touchingly awkward seamstress named Popeye (who is hopelessly smitten by Delmount) and several other cheerfully nutty characters, Carnelle perseveres—leading to a denouement of unparalleled hilarity, compassion and moving lyricism as all concerned finally escape their unhappy pasts and turn hopefully toward what must surely be a better future.

Characters

  • Carnelle Scott- (Age: 20s-30s)
    The play’s central character, Carnelle is a vulnerable and self-conscious young woman. She longs to receive the respect and admiration that her cousin Elain won with the community years ago. Kind, generous, and a little bit naive, she hopes to wipe away her scandalous past in Brookhaven by winning the Miss Firecracker Contest and leaving town in a blaze of glory.
  • Elain Rutledge- (Age: 30s-40s) Carnelle’s cousin and Delmount’s older sister, Elain is a former beauty queen desperately trying to hang
    on to her youth and looks. As a former Miss Firecracker winner, Carnelle worships the ground she walks on. Her
    confidence and elegance conceal a terrible secret: she is trapped in a marriage she has come to resent.
  • Delmount Williams- (Age: late 20s-late 30s) Delmount is Carnelle’s first cousin and Elain’s younger brother. He deeply loves his family, but
    suffers from an extremely volatile temper. Recently released from a state mental hospital, he intends to sell his
    deceased mother’s home and leave town forever. Delmount is a true romantic and a connoisseur of beauty. His obsession haunts him in the form of strange nightmares.
  • Popeye Jackson- (Age: 20s-30s)
    Popeye is a quirky young seamstress hired by Carnelle to make costumes for the contest. She wears massive Coke-bottle glasses as the result of a childhood accident and keeps strange habits like sewing tiny outfits for frogs. She is kind and loyal and almost immediately falls madly in love with the fiery Delmount.
  • Mac Sam- (Age: 30s-50s)
    Mac Sam is a local carnie currently peddling balloons at the Miss Firecracker Contest. A former lover of Carnelle’s, his “magnetic eyes” hold a great power over women. He is quite the ladies’ man, but has always carried a special torch for Carnelle. Mac Sam suffers from a number of medical maladies including alcoholism, tuberculosis, and
    venereal disease which he contracted from Carnelle during her checkered youth.
  • Tessy Mahoney- (Age: 20s-30s)
    Tessy is one of the coordinators of the Miss Firecracker Contest and the ugliest girl in town. Conniving and manipulative, she once had a brief fling with Delmount and seeks to rekindle that flame.

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ENGLISH Runs March 1-30

ENGLISH
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
March 1-30
Shelterhouse Theatre [Eden Park]

Directed by Kimberly Senior

Cast: Aryana Asefirad as Goli, Fady Demian as Omid, Sanam Laila Hashemi as Elham, Neagheen Homaifar as Marjan & Leyla Modirzadeh as Roya

The 2023 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama takes the Playhouse stage! The setting is 2008 Iran. Four Iranian adults gather in a classroom to learn English with the hopes of passing the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Humor, word games and vulnerability abound as they use iconic early-2000s cultural touchstones, including Ricky Martin and rom-coms, to navigate the mechanics of language. But as Marjan, their Iranian-born English teacher, abolishes their native tongue from the classroom, questions and conflicts about identity seep slowly into their minds and hearts. Equal parts touching and funny, this new play from Sanaz Toossi offers a revelatory glimpse into the human desire to belong. ENGLISH is recommended for ages 13 and up. As they explore the trials and tribulations of learning a new language, the characters use some strong adult language and discuss themes of prejudice and discrimination.

  • In preview Sat, March 1 at 7:30pm
  • In preview Tue-Wed, March 4-5 at 7:30pm
  • Thu-Fri, March 6-7 at 8:30pm
  • Sat, March 8 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 9 at 2pm
  • Tue-Fri, March 11-14 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, March 15 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 16 at 2pm
  • Tue, March 18 at 7:30pm
  • Wed, March 19 at 1pm & 7:30pm
  • Thu-Fri, March 20-21 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, March 22 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 23 at 2pm
  • Tue-Fri, March 25-28 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, March 29 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 30 at 2pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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MACBETH Runs Feb. 28-March 23

MACBETH 
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Feb. 28-March 23
[Over-the-Rhine]

Directed by Christopher V. Edwards

Cast: Darnell Pierre Benjamin* as Macbeth, Jasimine Bouldin as Lady Macduff, Billy Chace* as Banquo, Jason Coffenberry as Donalbain, Hayley Guthrie* as Lady Macbeth, Jim Hopkins* as Ross, Sylvester Little Jr.* as Duncan/Doctor, Sara Mackie* as Witch #1, Kelly Mengelkoch* as Porter/Seyton/Hecate, Elizabeth Chinn Molloy as Witch #2, Dani Grace Nissen as Bloody Captain/1st Murderer, Patrick Earl Phillips* as Malcom, Aiden Sims* as Witch #3 & Brent Vimtrup* as Macduff
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. 

In this contemporary production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ambition and political intrigue take center stage. When three witches foretell that Macbeth will ascend to the Scottish throne, he and his cunning wife craft a ruthless plot to make it so. Their journey into darkness is a violent portrayal of unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power. Toil and trouble boil over in this timeless tale of mayhem and madness, reimagined for today, where the lines between reality and the supernatural blur.

  • In preview Wed-Thu, Feb. 26-27 at 7:30pm. Tickets are half price.
  • Fri-Sat, Feb. 28-March 1 at 7:30pm
  • Thu-Sat, March 6-8 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 9 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, March 13-15 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 16 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, March 20-22 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 23 at 2pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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