Category Archives: Press Releases

October 25, 2023 · 6:07 pm

Ohio Animation Firms Support Youth Wellness with Mindful Music Daily Animation for Schools

Two Cincinnati Firms Help Cincinnati Non-Profit Create World-Class Animations for National Mindful Music Program for Student Wellbeing

MISC_Mindful Musical MomentsTwo Cincinnati animation firms, Pixel Fiction and Lightborne, joined forces to support Mindful Music Moments, Cincinnati non-profit The Well’s signature program that brings world-class music in combination with daily creative, calming prompts to schools and classrooms in Greater Cincinnati and far beyond.

The Well’s Director of Music and Arts Programs, Bryce Kessler says “We heard from a lot of our teachers that students need support in focusing their attention. As a small non-profit, we needed to find a dynamic, cost- and time-effective way to create daily video content in addition to daily audio content for all 300 schools and national partnerships we serve. Kessler continues, “we innovate and learn directly from our school partners and lean in to our 50+ schools in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to make sure we are always supporting the ever-changing environment.”

Kessler continues, “Pixel Fiction, with support from Kattspaw Audio, created our new mascot Mel O. Dee and Lightborne’s team created audio responsive designs that animate to the daily music selections. The result is delightful and compelling to students.”

Lightborne President Scott Durban explains “we harnessed the power of TouchDesigner—a commercial software frequently used to generate visuals for touring music artists—to craft bespoke audio reactive visuals that enhance and deepen the Mindful Music Moments program.”

“Bringing the mascot, Mel O. Dee, to life was made easier by starting with their fun logo design that had the character already built in. It informed much of what we needed to know about their personality,” explains Scott Thierauf, co-owner of Pixel Fiction. “Working closely with Stacy and Bryce, we created an energetic, childlike character that bounds around with seemingly endless energy, then slowly calms to ease the viewers into Mindful Music Moments. The goal was to show a fun, encapsulated version of what a child might experience at the beginning of their day.”

Myesha Jewell, Preschool and Kindergarten teacher at Parker Woods Montessori, a Cincinnati Public School, has experienced the audio version of Mindful Music over the last several years. She says that the new animated content allows us students to “listen to Mindful Music all throughout our school day. This year, I feel like the kids can see the visuals and calm their breathing to match the visuals.”

For more information about bringing Mindful Music to your school, preschool or organization, reach out to TheWell.World.

About The Well
The Well provides programs, practices and connection at the intersection of arts and wellness. Its programs include Mindful Music Moments, Mindful Poetry Moments, True Body Project and a new youth curriculum My True SELF. The Well is based in Camp Washington and is nourished by the non-profit A Mindful Moment.

About Lightborne
Lightborne Communications is a world-renowned video production studio creating visually stunning works for complex multi-disciplinary projects. Their work includes live stage performance content, broadcast TV commercials, web and social videos, retail environments, projection mapping, brand experiences, and beyond.

About Pixel Fiction
Pixel Fiction is a unique animation, edit and visual effects studio producing dazzling visuals that persuade, inform and entertain. Their specialties include creative editorial, high-end 3d animation, visual effects, motion graphics and concept design for broadcast TV, web videos, experiential & immersive design, music videos and more.

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October 25, 2023 · 6:07 pm

TAKE THE STAGE Campaign to Benefit Cincinnati Arts Association’s Education Programs

CAA_Take the StageTAKE THE STAGE 

Own a Piece of History in Support of the
Cincinnati Arts Association’s Education Programs

[CINCINNATI, OH] The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is pleased to announce its newest fundraising campaign, TAKE THE STAGE, which allows donors to own a piece of Aronoff Center history – a section of the Procter & Gamble Hall’s original stage floor, which was replaced this summer after nearly thirty years of use.

Since the opening of the Aronoff in 1995, this beloved stage has held hundreds upon hundreds of shows and stars from Hamilton, Disney’s The Lion King, and The Phantom of the Opera to Patti LaBelle, Carol Burnett, and Tony Bennett… and many, many more. The new stage floor includes more than 8,000 red oak floorboards and was installed over a ten-week period by the Cincinnati Floor Company, which also installed the original Procter & Gamble Hall flooring. The new stage floor has an estimated life of more than thirty years.

Friends and fans of the Cincinnati Arts Association are invited to support the NEXT STAGE of its ongoing history of presenting arts and entertainment experiences at the Aronoff Center and in the community. For a donation of $250, supporters will receive a beautifully framed, limited-edition shadowbox that includes an engraved piece of the original Procter & Gamble Hall stage and a stunning image of the theater, plus a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Most importantly, the funds raised through the TAKE THE STAGE campaign will help CAA sustain its Education & Community Engagement (ECE) programs that promote transformative, life-long participation in the arts while contributing to individual, organizational, and community success. With a mission to educate, inspire, and engage the Tri-state region, these accessible arts programs ignite the imaginations of all ages. CAA’s ECE department has served more than two million children and adults since the inception of these programs nearly three decades ago. 

To donate to the TAKE THE STAGE campaign and receive the limited-edition shadowbox, or for more information, visit CincinnatiArts.org/take-the-stage or contact Amanda Ross at (513) 977-4135 / aross@cincinnatiarts.org. 

The Cincinnati Arts Association is a 501[c] 3 nonprofit organization, and contributions to the Aronoff Center’s TAKE THE STAGE campaign are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

ABOUT THE CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies.

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October 25, 2023 · 6:03 pm

ON CUE Newsletter

ACT_logoON CUE

The electronic newsletter of the Association of Community Theatres of Greater Cincinnati
Conference Wrap Up  September 1-4, 2023

What a weekend. What a conference. The Southwest knows how to have a good time.

As co-chair of the conference, Peggy Kenney did an excellent job with keeping the whole thing in motion. Unfortunately, Robert Weidle, the other co-chair had some medical issues that took him away from his assistance, but he is on the mend and hopefully he will continue to get stronger.

As in the past, there was an activity scheduled for anyone to take part in. Each day, there was a different activity that allowed people to collect stars for prizes. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there were hotel stays donated by various hotels in the area and each had an activity associated with it. All of the daily winners were still eligible to win the grand prize which was a 3-night stay in Gatlinburg, which was given by an anonymous donor. The winner of that stay was Ruth Crowley.

The attendance this year was not as high as it has usually been for our region, but considering the state of theatre these past few years, it wasn’t bad. There were 226 people who registered for the full package, 95 for Saturday, 44 for Sunday, and 18 musicians. Out of these, there were 152 first time attendees. Sharon Buchtman and Judy Berrens had plenty of activities for them to participate in with one person winning a basket of goodies. It is hoped that a lot of them will return next year, even if they are not in an excerpt.

Besides all of the excerpts, there were workshops scheduled on all aspects of theatre from acting, to technical elements, stage combat, and the administrative side of theatre. There were also workshops on how to write a play. One of the highlights of the weekend was a workshop by Richard Oberacker who not only gave a highlight of how a musical comes together but also a Musical Theatre Master Class. He worked with several individuals and offered in-depth advice and specific techniques on elevating the performance of a song into a unique expression of character. All who attended this workshop benefited from his expertise.

So, for those of you who don’t know, our region had 4 excerpts at the OCTA conference. In case you didn’t hear, here is the list of awards handed out to our groups. Congratulations to everyone on the awards.

 JOHN MICHAEL DURNIL MERIT IN ACTING AS GEORGE KINKY BOOTS
THE CAST MERIT IN ENSEMBLE KINKY BOOTS
THE ORCHESTRA EXCELLENCE IN MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT KINKY BOOTS
ROBERT BRESLIN OUTSTANDING IN MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE AS CHARLIE PRICE KINKY BOOTS
GARRETT KLAAS OUTSTANDING IN MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE AS LOLA/SIMON KINKY BOOTS
REBECCA WALL OUTSTANDING IN MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE AS LAUREN KINKY BOOTS
CHAD BRINKMAN OUTSTANDING IN DIRECTING A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
ALAN MASTERS OUTSTANDING IN MUSICAL DIRECTING A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
AMANDA MARASCH OUTSTANDING IN CHOREOGRAPHY A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
THE CAST OUTSTANDING IN ENSEMBLE A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
THE CAST OUTSTANDING IN VOCAL ENSEMBLE A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
WAYNE WRIGHT OUTSTANDING IN VARIETY PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

THE GODS OF COMEDY

DOUG BERLON EXCELLENCE IN SOUND DESIGN
JENNIFER DAY OUTSTANDING IN DIRECTING
THE CAST OUTSTANDING IN ENSEMBLE

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

ELLIS QUINNE MERIT IN ACTING AS RODOLPHO
BURT MCCOLLOM MERIT IN ACTING AS ALFIERI
BRIANA KENNEDY EXCELLENCE IN ACTING AS CATHERINE
TOM PETERS OUTSTANDING IN DIRECTION
JONN BACA OUTSTANDING IN FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
KEITH CASSIDY OUTSTANDING IN ACTING AS EDDIE CARBONE
MARY STONE OUTSTANDING IN ACTING AS BEATRICE CARBONE

Each year, OCTA inducts people or theatre groups into the Hall of Fame. These nominations are for a lifetime of commitment to promoting theatre. It is an honor to announce that Burt McCollom was chosen to be inducted into the OCTA Hall of Fame. Those of you who have had the pleasure of either having him for a teacher, a director, or a fellow actor on stage, know that he is most deserving of this honor. Congratulations Burt.

There were several theatres who were recognized for technical awards. Footlighters Inc., Loveland Stage Company and Village Players of Fort Thomas all received awards for their newsletters and Footlighters, Inc. also received awards for their website. There were no submissions from our region for set design or costumes, so if your theatre wishes to be considered for any of these competitions, check the OCTA website for information on what the requirements are for entering. We have some great technical work on our shows, so all you technical people, look into entering for 2024.

Speaking of the 2024 conference, the theme was announced at the Monday brunch. The OCTA board are conference chairs and the theme is Thinking Outside the Box. Next year’s conference will be held at the Midland Theatre and Cherry Valley once again the hotel. Also at the 2024 conference, if you wish to be considered for the 2025 AACTfest, you MUST submit your theatre at this conference. Rules and regulations are/will be available on both the AACT and OCTA websites.

ACT held their first meeting September 26 at St Rita’s. Rivertown Players in Lawrenceburg, Indiana was voted in as the newest theatre member. Welcome and know that we are all happy to have you. ACT meets the 4th Tuesday of each month except for December, July and August. Urge your ACT rep/alt to attend and make your theatre voice heard.

The board approved the proposed budget presented by Jon Scheiding for the 2023-24 season. Jon is also working to get every board position a google email address and to move all to business to google workspace to provide continuity when new people assume the various positions.

The bylaws are still being updated by John Wesseling and Joy Sharp with a few submitted each meeting for approval by the member theatres. It is an ongoing process and John and Joy are doing a great job of updating them.

ACT 1st VP, Amanda Emmons Shumate is looking into moving the ACT-OCTAFest from Parrish Auditorium. At this time, the person we have dealt with is retiring at the end of the year and the college is not signing any contracts until after January 1st.  Amanda is looking for a new venue that won’t be as far away for some of our groups to travel. Also, if this change comes about, she is also looking at hotels that will be large enough to host our annual banquet. Even though the Embassy Suites has been a good hotel, ACT has pretty much outgrown the facility. Hopefully she will have answers by the October meeting.

2nd VP, Mark Culp reported on the number of shows that took place over the summer as well as those shows that are scheduled to open by the end of the year. He is placing responders with these shows and is always on the hunt for new people to train. If you or someone you know is interested in being a responder, submit your name. With the number of theatre and shows, this is a much-needed job. The bylaws state that each theatre must provide a responder candidate for each show they perform over the season.

Amy Waldfogle is working on the annual awards and stated that Fairfield Footlighters, MERIT Theatre, Beechmont Players, and Mason Community Players on deck for committee. She is also chairing the education committee and has added Doug Bruening and Denise Schneiders to that committee. The idea behind this is to pair someone who wants to learn a skill, e.g., lighting, with a person who has that skill set. This is a valuable tool for everyone to become more educated on the various skills.

Arlene Balzco who is working on the annual Scholarships has set the 1st Saturday in February as the date for the auditions with the 2nd Saturday as a snow date. More information will be coming. These scholarships are open to any student who is pursuing a college degree in theatre.

Mary Stone has been doing an excellent job at marketing ACT. If you have been seeing a Show of the Week on Facebook, this is due to her. She is also keeping the website current and full of information. Be sure and check all of these out.

ACT will be celebrating its 70th year in 2024-25.  When ACT celebrated 50 years, there was an updated history of ACT member groups. This is something that needs updating. So, please send a history of what has happened to your group in the past 20 years along with any pertinent information you want included. Send those histories to Linda Roll at llroll69@hotmail.com. This document will then be added to the website and kept with the history logs. There are also some missing years of history, so anything your group can add will be greatly appreciated. Just as an FYI, ACT was started in order to have a calendar so that there wouldn’t be more than one group presenting a show at any given time. Easy to do when there are only 13 groups doing one or two shows a season. Not so easy now with the number of theatres and shows that are being done.

Thank you for being a part of Greater Cincinnati Theatre.
Any errors, mistakes or omissions are not intentional.

Linda Roll, editor
llroll69@hotmail.com

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October 25, 2023 · 6:03 pm

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents World Premiere Musical FINONA: The Musical, Nov. 29–Dec. 29

ETC_Fiona(Cincinnati, OH) Everyone’s favorite hippo makes her musical debut! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is thrilled to present Fiona: The Musical, written by Cincinnati native Zina Camblin and ETC composer David Kisor. This touching story reminds us of the power of perseverance, compassion, and never giving up on the underdogs—or underhippos! Playing November 29 – December 29, 2023, this world premiere musical is holiday fun for the entire family! Directed by D. Lynn Meyers. Premiere Sponsor is Schueler Group. Opening Night Sponsors are Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and The Grant & Ross Family in honor of Fred & Sondra Ross.

When Fiona is born two months early at only twenty-nine pounds, the odds are stacked against her. But when a determined team of zookeepers and doctors refuses to give up on the little hippo that could, the beautiful friendships that form might be just the thing to give Fiona the strength she needs.

“Fiona’s story had a very rocky beginning and was a stressful time that, thanks to a great animal care team, had a happy ending,” says Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “It was hard for me to imagine how that could be captured in a musical, but I’m confident that the creative team at ETC will make it fun.”

“Her story, her battle, her strength; it’s irresistible,” says ETC’s Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “It’s an amazing story about never giving up. Fiona: The Musical is about something that seemed impossible and instead became reality. This production helps us celebrate Ensemble’s own underdog story and unlikely journey of survival. It’s not only a love letter to the zoo, but also a celebration of extraordinary possibility.”

About the Cast

Michael G. Bath (Lesser Kudu/Dudley) returns for his 26th consecutive holiday show with Ensemble Theatre, where he was last seen in The Dancing Princesses and Tiny Beautiful Things, as well as Crabble in Fly By Night, Eddie in The Legend of Georgia McBride, Ian Smithton in The Other Place, and Adam in Next Fall. He also played Duke Salinus and Dr. Pinch in The Comedy of Errors at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Darnell Pierre Benjamin (Giraffe/Dr. Cornelius) is a creative, educator, and community builder from southern Louisiana. He earned his MFA from the University of Houston’s Professional Actor Training Program. He was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in The Dancing Princesses and Cinderella. Some of his other credits include Wrecking Ball and The Importance of Being Earnest with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Darnell is also a professor in the arts programs at Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University, and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. 

Sara Mackie (Bibi) is an alumna of the Wright State Acting BFA Program. She performed with Ensemble Theatre most recently in The Dancing Princesses, Cinderella, The Frog Princess, Fun Home, and many other productions since 1999, including Hands on a Hardbody, all three Wonderette iterations, Rabbit Hole, and Mauritius, among others. Some of her regional credits include This is Tom Jones!, An Act of God, and Family Ties, Human Race Theatre; Pump Boys and Dinettes, The Carnegie; Wrecking Ball, The Taming of the Shrew, and Pride and Prejudice, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, New Edgecliff Theatre. You can also catch her briefly in the feature films The Bikeriders, The Public, and Dark Waters.

Andrew Maloney (Pelican/Zander) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in The Dancing Princess (2022 and 2017), Alice in Wonderland, and First Date. His other ETC credits include Violet, Around the World in 80 Days, and Snow White. Internationally, he appeared in the Ecuadorian premiere of West Side Story at the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. His recent credits include Rent, Assassins, The Little Mermaid, and A Chorus Line.

Brooke Steele (Colobus Monkey/Diana) has appeared numerous times at Ensemble Theatre, where some of her favorite credits Cinderella in Cinderella, Vasilisa in The Frog Princess, Miriam in Fly By Night, Violet in Violet, and Suzy Simpson in The Marvelous Wonderettes.

Kate Wilford (Red Oxpecker/Pam) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in The Dancing Princesses (2022), and other holiday productions such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. Some of her favorite ETC credits include Good People, Becky’s New Car, Hands on a Hardbody, and Women of Lockerbie. She has worked at every professional theater here in Cincinnati and has taught theater arts for over thirty years.

Brandi La’Sherrill (Zoe) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. Her most recent credits include the jazz icon Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin) at The Carnegie and Dorothy in The Wiz Jr. (directed by Broadway’s Zhailon Levingston) at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. In 2024, she will tour Harriet Tubman: Straight Up Outta’ the Underground, a one-person interactive storytelling experience she wrote.

Erin McCamley (Fiona) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. Erin is a multifaceted performer, music director, singer/songwriter, and educator who believes strongly in the healing, transformative power of the arts. Some of her favorite credits include Lizard Boy and All One, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; As You Like It, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; Rumpelstiltskin, Clearstage; [title of show], Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre; And Baby Makes Seven, Queer Theatre Collective; SALTY, The Tank NYC; The Cherry Orchard, Columbia NYC; and more. Erin is the co-creator and performer of She’s Crazy, which has toured for seven years.

DeAndré Smith (Henry) makes his Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. In addition to performing locally, he has performed both nationally and internationally with companies based in Indiana, Montana, Ohio, and Virginia. His favorite credits include Once on This Island, A Wrinkle in Time, Bat Boy: The Musical, All-One! The Dr. Bronner’s Play, Jerry Springer: The Opera, and I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rounding out the ensemble cast are last season’s acting apprentices Emmy Rice (Ostrich/Teen) and Elexis Selmon (Yellow Oxpecker/Sam), as well as this season’s acting apprentices Hannah Beaven (Annie), TaShauna Ajoi Jenkins (Bearcat/Wanda), Maddi O’Connell (Cal), KG Rucker (DJ), and Jordan Whittaker (Cris).

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Steve Goers (Music Director), Dee Anne Bryll (Choreographer), Darnell Pierre Benjamin (Choreographer), Maria Fernanda Ortiz Lopez (Costume Designer), Emily Porter (Sound Designer), Mia Catherine Teboe (Associate Sound Designer), Kelly Yurko (Wig & Makeup Designer), Becca Schall (Projection Designer), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Curator & Design Assistant), Jacob Dowell (Technical Director), and Chris Lipstreu (Associate Production Manager). Production Stage Manager is Margot Whitney. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller. 

Performance Information
Performances are Wednesday-Saturday at 7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm. Performances vary. A complete calendar of performances is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket Prices
Tickets for adults start at $35 with ETC’s 30 for $35 discount; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount only applies to adult tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. 30 for $35: For every mainstage performance, thirty tickets will be available for $35 each with the promo code 30F35. These are first come, first serve, and the promo code will not apply the discount if all tickets have already been claimed. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

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2023-2024 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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October 20, 2023 · 1:27 pm

BLERDS Postponed at Know Theatre

KTC_BlerbsAfter careful consideration, Know Theatre of Cincinnati has elected to postpone our holiday production of BLERDS, by J. Corey Buckner, to 2024. Amended dates for the run will be announced at a later time.

We remain tremendously excited to bring audiences this story of three middle-schoolers on a quest to meet their hero (and the coolest, Blackest Jedi in the galaxy), Samuel L. Jackson. It’s a tribute to the stories that have become our modern mythologies, and to the moments in all our lives where we stood balanced between childlike wonder and adult pragmatism.

BLERDS is a big show, full of adventure, and that means it also has a sizable production budget, most of which goes to pay a living wage to the cast and production team. Planning our seasons is always a careful balance of production expenses across all shows weighed against a combination of projected ticket sales and contributed revenue from individual gifts, corporate giving, and foundation support. It costs us about $80 per ticket issued to make theatre, with an average ticket price of under $20. That means we’re dependent on contributed revenue to make each show possible.

BLERDS was slated to be the most expensive production of the season, and we were unable to find the necessary funding in advance of the scheduled start of rehearsals. We’re taking more time to find the financial support needed to fulfill our mission of keeping ticket prices accessible while paying everyone who works with us a living wage.

We strive for transparency in our finances, and our budget is available for public perusal at knowtheatre.com/budget. We use MIT’s Living Wage Calculator to estimate the value of a living wage in Cincinnati, which for 2023 is put at $15.33 per hour.

American theatre is facing a tough time, with a steep decline in the foundation and charitable giving that makes the work possible, along with continuing trends in reduced attendance since the return to live performances following pandemic shutdowns. According to the National Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, from 2017 to 2022 the adults who reported seeing a musical theater production fell from about 17 percent to 10 percent; the number for nonmusical plays dropped from about 9 percent to 5 percent. The last year has seen many theatre companies across the nation forced to shut their doors for good, due to the repercussions of this new reality.

Derek Snow, the director of BLERDS, said this in support of the Know’s decision:

“I fully support this decision to postpone the show until next season. Creating art, particularly Black art, has been increasingly difficult lately. Between the funding climate and continuing low attendance across the national theatre sector, particularly with the closure of one of my favorite theaters in the world, the New Repertory Theatre, I get it. I am very protective of the projects that I choose, as well as the ability to fully honor the playwright’s vision to the best of my ability. Moving the show into next season guarantees that we have the time and resources to create the show that our city deserves. I am grateful to the friends at Know Theatre for fighting for this wonderful show, and we look forward to seeing all of you in the audience this time next year!”

Patrons who have already purchased tickets to BLERDS will be contacted in the coming days about rebooking or refunding their tickets. Anyone who’s contributed to the BLERDS crowdfunding campaign will still see their donations go to funding the production, and all pledge perks will be honored during the run of the show.

To keep Know Theatre bright during the holiday season, the Know’s staff of intrepid artist-administrators are preparing a slate of short-run productions to benefit the Know during November and December. We’re locking down details now – stay tuned for exciting updates shortly! 

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible. 

Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.  

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. 

Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

 Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.

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