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Caitlin McWethy as Elizabeth & Courtney Lucien as Jane in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents the ‘fizzy and festive’ adaptation on the classic novel by Jane Austen, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Kate Hamill – presented in the Round 

Sweepingly romantic but with a playful touch, it’s Jane Austen like you’ve never seen before! Join Lizzy Bennet and the girls at the theater February 28-March 28, 2020 

Cincinnati, February 14, 2020 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its 2019-2020 Season of the Woman at The Otto M. Budig Theater with Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice. The production is directed by newly appointed Director of Development, Sara Clark and features a cast of 8 with CSC returning favorites Caitlin McWethy as Lizzy Bennet, Courtney Lucien as Jane Bennet, and Grant Niezgodski as Mr. Darcy, as well as debut ensemble member Sara Mackie as Mrs. Bennet. With 5 of the 8 person cast playing multiple roles, CSC will showcase gender-fluid doubling that will give old words new life in this classic romance. This is also the first production at the brand new Otto M. Budig Theater that is presented fully in the round!

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” One of the single most beloved stories of all time returns to the CSC stage in a fresh new adaptation which critics are calling “delightfully different,” “fizzy and festive,” and “unlike any adaptation of Jane Austen one has seen before.” Sweepingly romantic, with a good dose of the tongue-in-cheek, Pride and Prejudice follows the affaires de cœur of the witty and willful Elizabeth Bennet, as she finds that the path to true love can lead to the most unexpected of places.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Season of the Woman is on full display with this production of Pride and Prejudice. CSC’s production of a female playwright’s adaptation of one of the most influential female author’s novels of all time, includes: a female director, 50% of the cast is female identifying, and the cherry on top of this girl power powerhouse, 3 of the 4 production designers are women as well. In a note by Director Sara Clark, she says “virtually all the stage adaptations [of Pride and Prejudice are] written by men.” She continues saying “Kate Hamill’s adaptation retells the story by this proto-feminist author… [and] highlights what is often missed by Hollywood treatments of Austen novels: how FUNNY Jane Austen was and how keen her satire of the society in which she lived…[and that] Hamill has taken the original novel and made the comedy, the social commentary, and the romance more in line with our modern sensibility.”

This is the very first production in the brand new Otto M. Budig Theater to be presented in the round.  This is a form of theatrical staging in which the acting area, which may be raised or at floor level, is completely surrounded by the audience. There will be a circular stage center with audience members on all sides. And the stage will be on a turntable allowing the actors to act to all audience members while the stage rotates.  This also adds to the comedic lightheartedness and enhances the playfulness of the production for the audience who will experience the production all around them!

Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice first appeared on stage in the summer of 2017 at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in New York. During the 2018-2019 theater season, her adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was one of the 10 most produced plays nationally and was nominated for the Off Broadway Alliance Award- Best Unique Theatrical Experience. Her play has been praised by critics nationally and the Wall Street Journal wrote that Pride and Prejudice is “the stuff hits are made of”…“completely and delightfully different”…and “adapted with fizzy, festive freedom”.

The creative team transforming The Otto M. Budig Theater stage into a beautiful regency era inspiration is made up of Shannon Moore (Scenic Designer), Clara Jean Kelly (Costume Designer), visiting Sound Designer Kevin Semancik, as well as visiting and debut Lighting Designer, Nina Agelvis. They are joined by Choreographer Rachel Perin.

Pride and Prejudice runs February 28—March 28, 2020 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM, as well as Saturday, March 28th at 2:00 PM.  Preview performances are Wednesday, February 26^th and Thursday, February 27^th at 7:30 PM and tickets are $45.  Advance sale single ticket prices start at $28.  Day-of Rush tickets are $14 and may be purchased thirty minutes before a show with a valid student ID if available. This production is a part of this season’s subscription package. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees apply.  To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at http://www.cincyshakes.com,

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is located at The Otto M. Budig Theater at 1195 Elm Street in OTR, adjacent to Washington Park.  There are many parking spaces available on the street and in nearby lots and garages- for more information visit http://www.otrchamber.com/pages/WheretoPark.

CSC also offers Valet Parking for every performance! Make reservations for $20 in advance when purchasing tickets or visit www.cincyshakes.com/parking. Purchasing in advance guarantees a spot.  Valet is available right at the corner of 12th and Elm Street in front of the theater and begins approx. 1.5 hours before a performance. Cars can be picked up for up to one hour following a performance. (After one hour, you will need to arrange pick up with the valet service directly.) The valet will have your name on the list after you purchase- it’s that easy!

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About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages.  In the summer of 2017, the theater relocated to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. CSC’s repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics.  CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theatre Association.  Each year, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reach over 50,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions.  In 2015, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About The 2019-2020 Season of the Woman:
From June of 1919 to August of 1920, these United States passed and ratified the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. In commemoration of this centennial, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will shine the spotlight on the Women of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in our “Season of the Woman”, both onstage and off, and join organizations across the city in an ArtsWave led initiative called “Power of Her” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage!

This season is also funded by ArtsWave.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, JR./U.S. Bank Foundation, The Ohio Arts Council, and The Shubert Foundation.  The season’s marketing design sponsor is Grey Midwest. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.

About POWER OF HER:
POWER OF HER is a collaboration of organizations across the Greater Cincinnati region, united to activate and amplify women’s voices in the arts. Led by ArtsWave, and inspired by the women’s suffrage movement, the initiative salutes the women who came before us, and honors female leadership and woman-centric works of all kinds.

At its core, POWER OF HER underscores creativity as a vehicle for inclusion and equality by celebrating the female voice — and the many ways it champions a more diverse and vibrant world.  Learn more at https://www.artswave.org/discover/power-of-her