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February 9, 2026 · 6:25 pm

Pones Presents: EUNOIA – Celebrating Joy and Creativity in Cincinnati’s Dance Community

Casey Miller Photography.

An Evening-Length Performance and Fundraiser at the CAC Black Box Theatre

Pones returns with the highly anticipated second year of Eunoia, an evening-length mixed bill performance designed to foster community, celebrate artistic innovation, and support our ongoing mission. Following the Pones tradition of dynamic, socially conscious productions, Eunoia puts the focus on joy as a powerful form of advocacy – as an act of protest – demonstrating that social justice can take the shape of resilience and celebration amid adversity.

We are thrilled to be partnering with the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) for this project. Performances will take place in CAC’s Black Box Lab, a space dedicated to making the arts accessible and inviting everyone to engage and grow together. Thanks to the support of The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, CAC’s Black Box Theatre provides the perfect stage for community-driven performances and creative collaborations. Join us for an unforgettable experience where dance sparks connection and empowerment— as we believe at Pones, movement is a vehicle for social change and collective celebration. 

Eunoia will feature 14 brand-new works from 16 choreographers, spanning genres from contemporary to pole, and color guard to acro yoga. This vibrant showcase gathers the Pones collective alongside local partners, highlighting how creativity flourishes when diverse voices come together to uplift and inspire one another.

In addition to the performances, attendees will enjoy live music by Siri Imani, a photo booth hosted by Casey Miller Photography, a selection of auction items, snacks from Smidge of the South, and a full bar with drinks available for purchase. The evening is not only a celebration of creativity, but also a fundraiser supporting the Pones mission to expand access to the arts, nurture emerging talent, and create lasting partnerships that strengthen the cultural fabric of our region.

Community attendance and participation helps ensure that dance continues to serve as a platform for dialogue, inclusion, and meaningful community engagement well beyond this event.

Event Details

Dates & Times:

  • Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 PM
  • Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 PM

Location: CAC Black Box Theatre, 44 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Tickets: Community Support & Access pricing, from $0 to $50+ https://Eunoia2026.eventbrite.com

Pones encourages all attendees to consider making an additional donation at the event to further support their work in the community. For more information or to request images and quotes, please contact Pones or visit https://pones.org/. Mark your calendars, join the movement, and experience the transformative power of Eunoia. 

About Pones
Pones provides artistic opportunities for community growth by creating engaging new ways for audiences to experience dance. Founded in 2008, Pones has collaborated with over 400 artists, 180 service and arts organizations, and 170 education partners. The collective’s accessible and participatory performances have been seen in over 90 Greater Cincinnati locations, as well as Indianapolis and Chicago. Ongoing programs are available year round for artists and art groups, schools, and businesses.

Pones performers use their bodies to speak their minds. The collective uses its signature pedestrian-inspired movement to spark collaboration, connection, and community.

Pones believes that art creates powerful change.

Learn more at https://pones.org/

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February 9, 2026 · 5:55 pm

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Hosts Eighth Annual PLAY/WRITE: The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition

SUBMISSION DEADLINE OF MAY 31, 2026

(Cincinnati, OH) Tristate-area playwrights, it’s your time to shine! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati hosts the eighth annual PLAY/write: The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition, held in memory of writer,
critic, and arts advocate, Jackie Demaline. Students currently enrolled full- or part-time at a university or college in the Greater Cincinnati region are encouraged to submit their plays to the competition. Dependent upon submissions, up to three winners may be chosen. Winners will receive $2,500 from the Jackie Demaline Fund and a professional reading of their script.

Demaline’s love of the arts started at a young age. Throughout her life, she continued to be a passionate believer in the arts as an entertainment writer and editor for multiple newspapers and publications. After moving to Cincinnati in 1994, she covered theatre and the arts for The Cincinnati Enquirerfor 20 years and worked as an important catalyst for change and growth during a time when new theatres and companies were popping up all over Cincinnati, helping to secure their place in the community.

After a four-year battle with cancer, Demaline passed away on June 17, 2018. As her final gift to the community, she arranged for her estate to fund the PLAY/write competition. Through this, her legacy lives on—providing new voice development, kick-starting arts careers, and caring for the community through thoughtful programming.

Submission guidelines:

WHO:

  • Early-career playwrights under the age of 30 currently enrolled at a university or college within a 75-mile radius of the Greater Cincinnati region. Playwrights cannot have had a professional or Equity production of any of their work.

WHEN:

  • Submission deadline: 11:59 pm EST, May 31, 2026.

WHAT:

  • Original, unpublished full-length plays (minimum of 50 pages) written in English. Translations, musicals, adaptations, and children’s plays not accepted.
  • Plays must be typed and page-numbered in either a PDF or Microsoft Word format. Plays must appear in a professional script format, examples of which can be found on the Dramatists Guild of America website.
  • Subject matter is open; however, the play should address some of the characteristics Jackie considered when critiquing theatre:
    • Does it tell me something I didn’t know about myself or the world in which I live?
    • Does it hold up a mirror at an angle I’ve never tried so that the things I know now suddenly possess new meaning?
    • Does it move me? Excite me? Provoke me?
    • Does it make me laugh or cry? Make me uncomfortable? Make me think?

HOW:

2025–2026 Season Presenting Sponsor is the LKC Foundation.

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.

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February 9, 2026 · 5:36 pm

Cast Announced for I LOVE YOU BECAUSE at Dayton Theatre Guild

Dayton Theatre Guild is pleased to announce the cast of I LOVE YOU BECAUSE

Book and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham
Music by Joshua Salzman

Cast:

  • Jacob Nichols as Austin
  • Drew Roby as Jeff
  • Adee McFarland as Marcy
  • Sephyrah Martin as Diana
  • Emma Alexander as NY Woman, et al
  • Matthew Clifton as NY Man, et al

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

In this delightful musical, an uptight writer and a free-spirited photographer stumble through bad dates, big dreams, and the messiest love story they never saw coming. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE meets FRIENDS in this sharp, fizzy musical, proving that in life, love, and Manhattan, perfect is overrated.

This musical from the mid-2000’s is a twist on Jane Austen’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. A young, uptight greeting card writer’s life is changed when he meets a flighty photographer. Along with their eccentric friends and siblings, they learn to love each other, not despite their faults, but because of them.

Directed by Kim Warrick
Produced by Rhea Smith

The show runs weekends Mar 27-Apr 12*, 2026
*NOTE: 2nd weekend will be Thu Apr 2, Sat-Sun Apr 4-5
First Weekend: Friday 8pm, Saturday 8pm, Sunday 3pm
Second weekend: Thursday (4/2) 8pm, Saturday (4/4) 5pm, Sunday (4/5) 3pm
Third Weekend: Friday 8pm, Saturday 5pm, Sunday 3pm

Individual tickets on sale now
Adult: $25
Senior (60 or older): $23
Student: $18

To purchase:
– www.daytontheatreguild.thundertix.com/
– or call 937-278-5993
– or at the box office day of the show

*All individual tickets purchased in advance via our on-line ticket system or by telephone will also include a $1 convenience fee.
**Special pricing for groups of 10 or more, call the Box Office at 937-278-5993 for pricing

Children under 7 will not be admitted

For more information, including future auditions, see www.daytontheatreguild.org

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February 9, 2026 · 5:19 pm

Auditions Announced for 1776 at Mason Community Players

Director Robert Terry and Producer Tess Catlin are holding auditions for 1776

This iconic depiction of the birth of America through the signing of the Declaration of Independence is the Liberty of Mason Players’ celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation for its season of Fighting for Life, LIBERTY, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

All are invited to audition to be a part of this centerpiece of the MCP year.
Auditions will be held

  • Friday, March 20 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM,
  • Sunday, March 22 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, and
  • Tuesday, March 24 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM

Mason Community Playhouse – 5529 Mason Road in Mason.

The audition will include the opportunity to sing, read from a script, and dance. We ask that you prepare a vocal selection from a musical of 16-32 bars. Please bring sheet music or a music track to sing along with. Both an accompanist and bluetooth speakers will be provided. Those auditioning should fill out an audition form online:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecY2xs_cWAw5dBWY0CUKRXGVqNUFiqCKqJc1WUS2ZGo91uwA/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawP3PCpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFmM1J4ekx0T1dQVkQyaENTc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhxqy7XtLfBMaNv8sEMsmaXdU_gB0OUB6W0DBmzVZIqgkQSVv6BSOAF67drY_aem_XqcTJgSiP_UactJa-NBmrA

Headshots/resumes are welcome but not required. All roles are available.

1776 will be performed July 10, 11, 16, 17, & 18 at 8:00 PM and July 11 at 2:00 PM at the Mason Community Playhouse.

If you would like to be a part of the show, but cannot make it to auditions, or have any questions regarding the auditions or the production, please contact director Robert Terry.

The show’s characters include:

John Adams (age 40): Delegate from Massachusetts. John is a dutiful husband. Opinionated, passionate, and a bit boisterous, he wears his age with pride. John is starving for independence from England. (Vocal Range: C3-F#4)

Stephen Hopkins (age 69): Delegate from Rhode Island. Hopkins’ drinking has led to an appearance befitting of the 2nd oldest in the Continental Congress. He has a dirty old man playfulness about him. (Vocal Range: C3-Eb4)

Roger Sherman (age 55): Delegate from Connecticut. A coffee drinker with a penchant for hyperactivity, Sherman is a simple and balding cobbler. (Vocal Range: C3-Bb4)

Robert Livingston (age 30): Delegate from New York. Recently a father, Livingston’s disposition has become one of humility and graciousness. He has changed considerably over the years. (Vocal Range: Bb2-F4)

Benjamin Franklin (age 70): Delegate from Pennsylvania. Franklin is intelligent, well-traveled, and pleasantly cunning. A jolly and admirable fellow with whom one would desire to have a friendship. (Vocal Range: Ab2-Eb4)

John Dickinson (age 44): Delegate from Pennsylvania. A thin, hawkish gentleman. He is sharp-tongued and a touch detestable. Vocal Range: A2-E4)

Col. Thomas McKean (age 42): Delegate from Delaware. McKean is florid and likable with a charming, yet commanding, Scottish Brogue. (Vocal Range: C3-Eb4)

Richard Henry Lee (age 44): Delegate from Virginia, Lee is a willowy aristocrat. His flamboyancy is intoxicating and borderline infuriating. (Vocal Range: C3-G4)

Thomas Jefferson (age 33): Delegate from Virginia. Though noticeably tall, Jefferson is mild-mannered and sweet. Along with being a well read man, he is very much in love with his wife. (Vocal Range: C3-G4)

Edward Rutledge (age 26): Delegate from South Carolina. Despite his good looks, Rutledge is haunting and somewhat ominous as the youngest member of the Continental Congress. There is a serpent-like quality to him. (Vocal Range: C3-A4)

Abigail Adams (age 32): Loving wife to John Adams. Intelligent, quick-witted, and talented with a pen, Abigail is a radiant and shapely beauty. Every bit as bright as her husband. (Vocal Range: Db4-F5)

Martha Jefferson (age 27): Thomas Jefferson’s very-much-in-love wife. Her looks are striking, her dancing delightful, and her humor appealing. She doesn’t shy away from a good time. Joy radiates from her. (Vocal Range: Bb3-D5)

Courier (age 15 to 20): The message runner between General Washington’s army and the Continental Congress. He has witnessed the hardships of war firsthand, although his innocent disposition and appearance may imply otherwise. (Vocal Range: C3-Db4)

Ensemble:

  • John Hancock (age 39): Congressional President, from Massachusetts
  • Mr. Charles Thomson (age 46): Congressional Secretary, born in Ireland, Pennsylvanian
  • Mr. Andrew McNair: Congressional Steward/Custodian
  • Judge James Wilson (age 33): Delegate from Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Josiah Bartlett (age 46): Delegate from New Hampshire
  • Lewis Morris (age 50): Delegate from New York
  • George Read (age 43): Delegate from Delaware
  • Caesar Rodney (age 47): Delegate from Delaware
  • Lyman Hall (age 52): Delegate from Georgia
  • Samuel Chase (age 35): Delegate from Maryland
  • Joseph Hewes (age 46): Delegate from North Carolina
  • John Witherspoon (age 53): Delegate from New Jersey

Come be a part of MCP’s season that celebrates America’s 250th birthday!
Fighting for Life, LIBERTY, and the Pursuit of Happiness!

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February 9, 2026 · 5:01 pm

The Carnegie and University of Cincinnati Partner on Classic Musical Comedy ANYTHING GOES

The Cole Porter hit sails into Covington February 27 – March 8

Indya Lincicome is Reno Sweeney in ANYTHING GOES. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

(Covington, KY, February 9, 2026) — The Carnegie launches its 2026 season with the sparkle, sophistication, and show-stopping energy of Cole Porter’s Broadway classic ANYTHING GOES. Produced in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music (CCM) and featuring performers from CCM’s nationally recognized Musical Theatre program, this fresh, high-spirited production runs at The Carnegie February 27 through March 8.

Set sail for madcap mayhem in this tuneful, tap-dancing romp where high society and low morals collide. Aboard the S.S. American, con men are celebrated, evangelists become showbiz sensations, and romance runs delightfully amok. Featuring Cole Porter’s sparkling score—including “You’re the Top,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and the toe-tapping title number—this screwball spectacle proves that with a little charm (and a catchy tune), you can get away with anything. ANYTHING GOES is your first-class ticket to fun.

Indya Lincicome, a senior at CCM, stars as evangelist-turned-nightclub singer Reno Sweeney. Lincicome recently appeared as Rizzo in The Carnegie’s Summer 2025 production of GREASE. Also returning to the Covington stage are Monique Churchill (Hope Harcourt), Josh Devine (Billy Crocker), Joey Baciocco (Lord Evelyn Oakleight), Dominic Carroll (Moonface Martin), and Jack Haroutunian, Arden Allmon, Grace Baker, Annika Jonker, Carter Minor, and Jameson Zoller in the ensemble.

Making their Carnegie debut are Zach “Zoo” Finkelstein, Benjamin Schultz, Abigayle Kate Gatton Stokes, Annie Dauk, Max Patrick, Andy Bakun, and Griffin Simmons. The productions swings and standbys include Matthew Williamson, Kage Cliburn, Naomi Thuren, Jack Bear Ryan, and JJ Korkin.

Joining the student cast are guest artists and real-life husband and wife Diane Lala (Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt) and Robert Pavlovich (Elisha J. Whitney). Lala, Professor Emerita of Musical Theatre at UC–CCM, returns to the stage after 36 years of teaching, directing, and choreographing. Pavlovich, a longtime UC–CCM Acting & Musical Theatre faculty member, is a veteran stage and screen actor and currently serves as host of All Things Considered for WWNO New Orleans.

The production is directed and co-choreographed by CCM faculty member Eric Byrd. Byrd directed several of The Carnegie’s best-selling productions including GREASE, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, RENT, and GUYS AND DOLLS. Choreographer Jessica Harris and Music Director Julie Spangler, both CCM faculty members, return after collaborating on last season’s SEUSSICAL.

ANYTHING GOES
Music and Lyrics by COLE PORTER
Original Book by P.G. WODEHOUSE & GUY BOLTON and HOWARD LINDSAY & RUSSEL CROUSE
New Book by TIMOTHY CROUSE & JOHN WEIDMAN

ANYTHING GOES is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. This version of ANYTHING GOES was adapted from the 1987 Broadway revival, originally produced by Lincoln Center Theater.

Production Sponsor for ANYTHING GOES
Piper’s Ice Cream Bar

Artist Sponsors for ANYTHING GOES
Debbie Bardonaro, Realtor, Sibcy Cline
J. Brett Offenberger, MD and Mr. Douglas E. Duckett
Rosemary and Mark Schlachter

UC–CCM Production Supporters for ANYTHING GOES
Ken and Toni Kanter

Subscriptions & Tickets
Flexible subscriptions and single tickets for the 2026 season are available now at thecarnegie.com or by calling the box office at 859-957-1940. Flexible subscription options allow audiences to choose the shows, dates, and seats that work best for them — with savings up to 15% on ticket prices.

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About The Carnegie
The Carnegie is Northern Kentucky’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue providing theatre events, educational programs and art exhibitions to the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. The Carnegie facility is home to The Carnegie Galleries, the Otto M. Budig Theatre, and the Eva G. Farris Education Center.

The Carnegie is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from the Kentucky Arts Council, City of Covington, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati International Wine Festival, and Suits That Rock.

For more information on the 2026 season or First Show Free, visit thecarnegie.com.

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