CINCINNATI (Sep. 8, 2026) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park announced today the full cast for the world premiere of TALK, a new play by renowned playwright and Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck, that previews Sept. 26 – 30 with opening night on Oct. 1. TALK is a commission from the Playhouse’s Jerome Fey Endowment for New Plays and is a centerpiece of the inaugural MADE IN CINCY: NEW WORKS FESTIVAL, which will run Oct. 2 and 3.
Rebeck is the most Broadway-produced female playwright of our time (I Need That, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Dead Accounts, Seminar, Mauritius). TALK is directed by Mêlisa Annis, who recently directed Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Christine Lahti in Lahti’s play The Smile of Her at the Marylebone Theatre in London.
This world premiere delivers biting satire of the current media environment. Hoping for a ratings boost, the host of a news commentary talk show decides to do a live broadcast. When an unplanned guest is added to the mix of standard talking heads, the conversation goes off the rails, and the show descends into chaos. All political points of view are represented, and all are skewered as this razor-sharp and funny play shines a satirical spotlight on news and dialogue in today’s fast-moving media world.
The cast features a roster of actors with many Broadway and Off-Broadway credits: Andrea Syglowski (Broadway: Dog Day Afternoon, Off-Broadway: Queens) as Brenda, Joey Collins (Broadway: The Glass Menagerie, Rock ‘n’ Roll) as Serge, Victor Williams (Off-Broadway: Amerikin, Cost of Living) as Malcolm, Maxine Linehan (Off-Broadway: Brontë: A Portrait of Charlotte, National Tour: South Pacific) as Simone, Luigi Sottile (Broadway: Slave Play) as Jonathan and Viviana Valeria (Broadway: Between Riverside and Crazy, Off-Broadway: Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven) as Mike.
Rebeck’s other notable work as a playwright includes Dig, MadHouse, Seared, Downstairs, Spike Heels, Bad Dates and Omnium Gatherum (Pulitzer Prize Finalist). Rebeck recently wrote the book for the musical adaptation of Working Girl, which premiered at La Jolla Playhouse, with music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Major film and TV projects include Trouble, with Anjelica Huston, Bill Pullman and David Morse (writer and director), NYPD Blue, the NBC series Smash (creator), the female spy thriller 355 (for Jessica Chastain’s production company), and Glimpse.
MADE IN CINCY: NEW WORKS FESTIVAL elevates the Playhouse’s commitment to commissioning and producing new works with an annual event that will illuminate the creative process for audiences by inviting them to witness, participate in and champion the creation of new American plays and musicals. The plays in development will be OPHELIA’S GHOST by Amy Berryman, THE MYTH OF THE TWO MARCOS by Tony Meneses and THE BEST LITTLE CAT HOUSE IN SCAB HOLLER by Maggie Lou Rader.
Ophelia’s Ghost by Amy Berryman:
Commissioned by the Playhouse’s Jerome Fey Endowment for New Plays This modern day look at Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the lens of an awkward teenage girl named Ophelia is set at a Catholic high school in the early aughts. As Ophelia grapples with the death of her mother, she falls for a sad boy who also has recently lost a parent.
The Myth of The Two Marcos by Tony Meneses:
Marco, meet Marco. Two teenagers with parallel lives but opposite outlooks collide and become unlikely best friends. Despite their mutual love of comics and shared sanctuary at a local comic book shop, life begins pulling Marco and Marco apart. Will the help of a time-bending Aztec superhero be enough to bind their fates back together? The Myth of the Two Marcos explores friendships formed on the knife-edge of adolescence, the little moments that might have changed everything and the relationships that become our origin stories.
The Best Little Cat House in Scab Holler by Maggie Lou Rader:
The Best Little Cat House in Scab Holler steps into the lively world of the Conti House, a smalltown Missouri brothel run by the formidable Maude DeBerry and her spirited crew. Life is running smoothly — until a customer unexpectedly drops dead mid-visit. As the women scramble to hide the body from a nosy sheriff and a mysterious visitor from Chicago, chaos erupts in the most hilarious ways. A raucous, sex-positive farce about friendship, survival and the family you choose.
Individual and season tickets are now on sale for Talk and all Made in Cincy events and programming at cincyplay.com.
SPONSORS
TALK is presented by Digi and Mike Schueler. Production Sponsor is The Roy Cockrum Foundation. Artist Sponsors are Geiler, Diane and Carl Iseman, and Dr. Susan R. Strick. The 2026-27 Season is presented by The Vontz Family. The Season Sponsors of New Work are Mark and Nancy Dawes.
MADE IN CINCY: NEW WORKS FESTIVAL is sponsored by Nancy and Mark Dawes, The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, and Digi and Mike Schueler.
The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
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