Category Archives: Press Releases

March 30, 2023 · 2:43 pm

World Premiere of BANKERS at Know Theatre

KTC_BankersWhat would you take out of a world on fire?
BANKERS
By Brant Russell
April 21 – May 14, 2023

For deposit: one landmine, never used.

Things aren’t great in Bialystock – for one thing, the world’s ended, and its residents are pretty sure it’s the only town left. Then it gets worse: strangers arrive, tensions rise, and a battle for the unparalleled resources the town protects seems inevitable. Faced with the destruction of all they hold dear, the people of Bialystock must decide what’s worth saving in the apocalypse … and in the world that comes after. 

Know Theatre of Cincinnati‘s 25th Anniversary Season closes with a darkly funny and explosive world premiere by College-Conservatory of Music’s chair of Acting Brant Russell and directed by the Know’s Producing Artistic Director Andrew J. Hungerford.

Bankers is a home-grown world premiere, which first hit the stage as a developmental reading in the 2019 Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Andrew was immediately inspired by how Bankers used a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world to wrestle with immediate, real-world questions about environmental justice, community care, and how we come together in times of crisis. Andrew knew this show deserved a wider audience on the Know MainStage.

Brant’s work has been a fixture at the Know for years. He appeared onstage as the Sheriff in Whisper House (2018), and directed The Hunchback of Seville (2015), Darkest Night at the Gnarly Stump (2016), The Man-Beast (2018), Theatre: A Love Story (2021) and Dickless (2021). Now, Cincinnati audiences can experience his singular wit and piercing insight as playwright of our latest world-premiere adventure. 

Why Bankers, right now?

Bankers is all about what we do when the chips are down on a societal level. It’s about how we take care of ourselves, our community, and our world at large when we realize we’re living in a world that’s changed beyond recognition. 

It’s about finding the empowerment to take steps to build something greater than what came before, instead of giving into despair.

It’s about how we deal with what’s been broken beyond repair, and how we come together to find a way to mend it anyway.

Who is this show for?

Bankers is for lovers of sci-fi, speculative fiction, and post-apocalyptic stories.

It’s for fighters for environmental justice.

It’s for anyone who’s ever grappled with moral questions about what we owe each other on a communal or a global scale. It’s for anyone who’s realized that the world can’t be mended by one person – and who’s decided to keep doing the work anyway.

It’s for anyone who’s had the urge to give apathy a strong poke in the eye.

It’s for you.

Here’s our team for the apocalypse:

We’re delighted to welcome two friends of the Know to their MainStage acting debut: Aisha Josiah, the playwright of this season’s Dickless, joins the cast of Bankers to play Surrey, whose family has protected the land of Bialystock for generations, and k. Jenny Jones, intimacy director and fight choreographer extraordinaire, takes on the role of Sharon, who’s driven to distraction from grieving the family she lost at the end of the world.

Returning to the Know MainStage for the second time is Jim Hopkins, who previously appeared in 2018’s The Man-Beast, to play the Old Man, whose unexpected arrival in Bialystock may not be the happy accident he’s claiming. His traveling companion, the Migrant, is played by Eileen Earnest, who’s appeared on our MainStage in Beertown (2016), The Fisherman’s Wife (2016) and Mercury (2019).

Rounding out the cast are James Creque as Hunter, Bialystock’s one-man security detail; Know audiences will remember James from Hearts Like Fists (2015), The Fisherman’s Wife (2016), Mercury (2019), All’s Faire (2021), and The Twunny Fo’ (2022), and Ben Dudley as Herbie, for whom the battle for Bialystock’s resources becomes fiercely personal. Ben’s previous Know appearances include All Childish Things (2015) and Puffs (2019).

Bankers opens April 21 and runs through May 14. Tickets are available on our website, knowtheatre.com, or by calling our box office at 513-300-5669.

CAST

  • James Creque as Hunter
  • Ben Dudley as Herbie
  • Eileen Earnest as the Migrant
  • Jim Hopkins* as the Old Man
  • Jenny Jones* as Sharon
  • Aisha Josiah as Surrey

* Appearing Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract. 

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Director, Lighting & Scenic Designer: Andrew J. Hungerford
  • Costume Designer: Noelle Wedig-Johnston
  • Sound Designer: Douglas J. Borntrager
  • Props Designer: Danielle Robison
  • Technical Director: Jim Stark
  • Stage Manager: Grace Wohlschlegel 

AT A GLANCE

Production: Bankers, by Brant Russell

Dates: April 21 – May 14, 2023. Wednesday – Saturday shows are at 8 PM; Sunday matinees are at 3 PM. 

Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine.
Livestreaming on select dates beginning April 26. 

Themes: tragi-comedy · dystopia · environmental justice · apocalypse 

Tickets: The standard ticket price is $25. Audiences may opt to support the Know’s initiative to pay all artists and employees a living wage by selecting the $40 Living Wage Ticket.

Low-cost admission available for $15. On Wednesdays, as part of a program we call “The Welcome Experiment,” tickets are $5 in advance, or FREE at the door.

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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March 30, 2023 · 5:55 am

A Return Home:  The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati at the Emery 

TCT_The Emery TheaterCincinnati – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) has embarked on a campaign to purchase, restore, and reimagine the historically significant Emery Theater. This partnership will revitalize the theatre, a treasured cultural asset, and provide a permanent home for The Children’s Theatre in Cincinnati’s vibrant urban core.   

What TCT envisions is not simply a restoration, but a reinvention of the theater into a modern and memorable venue equipped with the latest technology that inspires and teaches diverse audiences. TCT’s plans to incorporate the most modern technology, stage lifts and projection mapping will enliven the audience experience and overcome backstage and wing limitations. Through this remarkable technology and planned expanded programming, TCT will revitalize an icon, return to its original home, and put Cincinnati on the map as a family theatrical destination.  

This move will allow TCT to expand its annual production schedule beyond the 40 days currently allowed within their home in the Taft Theatre, enabling the theater to expand their programming and produce more original works.  

It will also preserve a rare, theater-style, symphonic concert hall – one of only four in the United States – that has hosted the likes of George Gershwin, Bette Davis, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.    

TCT’s Managing Director and CEO, Kim Kern, states, “This project is of vital importance to our community for so many reasons. First, providing a permanent home for the nation’s oldest professional theatre for young audiences, but also restoring an iconic venue while honoring Mary Emery’s wishes of keeping it a place of gathering and education. TCT’s future home will continue to revitalize our city’s core – keeping Cincinnati a place where people wish to live, work, and play.”  

“Restoring the Emery for theatrical use has long been a challenge,” says GBBN associate principal, Steve Karoly. “Because the size and configuration of the stage was originally designed for an orchestra, it did not have the depth or wing space of a traditional theatrical stage. We had to develop some innovative solutions—such as using a large video screen at the back of the stage to create depth and using a large lift to access the basement for quick scene changes—to overcome that challenge.”   

“Working within the constraints of a historic theater like this has been really rewarding,” observes GBBN Director of Arts, Marcene Kinney. “This will not only be a space that weaves together different historical moments, but it will also be a space that welcomes children. So, the design is really embracing whimsy and illusion as we create a fully immersive environment that brings the magic of the theater beyond the bounds of the stage.”  

Celebrating 103 years this season, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is the oldest children’s theatre in the country and the only professional theater in the region that devotes its entire MainStage season to children. Its mission is to educate, entertain and engage audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education programming. Its vision is to awaken a lifelong love of theater in children and the young at heart. Today, the Children’s Theatre brings art to life for audiences through three key programs: TCT MainStage at the Taft Theatre, TCT on Tour and Workshops, and TCT Academy. Each season TCT strives to reach more than 200,000 people in the Cincinnati region.    

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March 29, 2023 · 6:07 am

Human Race Theatre Company Presents BARBECUE

HRTC_BarbecueUp next at The Human Race Theatre Company: Barbecue, by Robert O’Hara, pairs America’s fascination for self-destruction with an unexpected twist in this hilarious and devastating comedy. Performances run from April 13 – 30, 2023 at the Loft Theatre.

The four O’Mallery siblings have planned a barbecue picnic for their youngest sister, Barbara, but they secretly plan to stage an intervention to confront her outrageous behavior and reckless drug and alcohol use. We soon learn that each sibling needs their own intervention; Lillie Anne calls James “white trash” – blackout. When the lights return, so do the four siblings: same park, same situation, same personalities, different actors! From that moment on, the two parallel families alternate, and the day becomes raucous and unpredictable.

“Robert O’Hara has an extraordinary way of leaving you with changed perceptions while your sides split with laughter,” comments Emily N. Wells, Human Race Theatre Company artistic director.  “His understanding of our flawed humanity provides a way to see and respect one another as complex, individual beings.” This marks the first time that one of O’Hara’s works has been produced in the area, despite growing up in nearby Cincinnati.  Also a skilled director, O’Hara was nominated for a Tony Award for his 2021 Broadway production of Jeremy O’Harris’ Slave Play.

Houston director Eboni Bell Darcy makes her directing debut with The Human Race. The 10-person cast comprised of returning and first-time artists includes A.J. Baldwin and Mierka Girten (Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help) as Marie, Burgess Byrd (Gloria: A Life) and Darlene Spencer (Around the World in 80 Days) as Lillie Anne, Rico Parker and Josh Aaron McCabe (Deadline) as James T, Marva M.B. Williams-Parker (Gem of the Ocean) and Lisa Stephen Friday as Adlean, and Oluchi Nwokocha and Erin Eva Butcher as Barbara.

Joining Darcy on the Barbecue production team are: Tammy Honesty, Scenic Design;  John Rensel, Lighting Design; L’Amour Ameer, Costume Design; Antonio Lopez, Sound Design; Sarah Gomes, Props; Mark Tynan, Production Stage Manager; Rachel Heine, Assistant Stage Manager; ErinMarie Suscheck, Production Assistant. For press ticket requests, please contact Tara Lail, Creative Producer, at tara@humanracetheatre.org

Barbecue will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, April 13 – 30, 2023.  Tickets are on sale through Dayton Live box office, 937-228-3630, or online at www.humanracetheatre.org   More details about the show can be found on our website. The Human Race Theatre Company continues its commitment to high quality theatre with access points for all with two ticket initiatives sponsored by Morris Furniture Company: two sections of $20 seats available at any time through the box office, and ten $10 rush seats available 90 minutes before any performance.

Special Nights at The Loft:   

  • Pay What You CAN – Wed. April 12, 8 pm – admission by non-perishable food donation for The Foodbank OR a cash donation to benefit onefifteen
  • Inside Track – Thursday, April 13, 8pm – Pre-show Discussion at 7:15pm
  • Sawbuck ($10) Sunday – Sunday, April 16, 7 pm – $10 tickets available 5:30pm at the door
  • While We’re On The Subject – Sunday, April 23, 2pm – Post-Show Discussion with guest speakers

The Human Race expresses gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible: The Loft Season Sponsors: Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation; Production sponsor: Barbara N. O’Hara; Sustainability sponsors:  Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, ELM Foundation, and Morris Furniture Company;  Additional Season support:  Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts, Erma R. Catterton Trust, The Shubert Foundation;  Organizational support:  Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant. Media Sponsor: WDPR Discover Classical. Pay What You Can Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings Foundation.

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March 29, 2023 · 6:06 am

Experience the Best of Broadway with A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING at NKU

NKU_A Grand Night for SingingHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Get ready to experience the best of Broadway at Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts with their upcoming production of A Grand Night for Singing! Running from April 14-23, 2023 at the NKU Stauss Theatre, this Tony-nominated musical revue is a fresh take on the beloved works of Rodgers & Hammerstein. A Grand Night for Singing is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

  • What: A Grand Night for Singing
  • When: April 14-23, 2023
  • Where: NKU Stauss Theatre
  • Tickets: nku.edu/tickets

Conceived by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie, A Grand Night for Singing features an impressive lineup of songs from some of the most popular shows in musical theater history, including Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music. But it’s not just the big hits that take center stage. The revue also includes songs from lesser-known works such as Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream, offering a true celebration of the Rodgers & Hammerstein canon.

The cast includes Katherine Sharp, Kelly Messer, Tasha Conzelman, Lawson Smith, and Tre Taylor. The production team features Savanah Kennedy as Stage Manager, Dee Anne Bryll as Choreographer, Ron Shaw as Scenic & Props Designer, Annie Yuan as Costume Designer, Chanelle Dau Pino as Lighting Designer, Kevin Havlin as Sound Designer, and Damon Stevens as Music Director. The show is directed by Ed Cohen & Dee Anne Bryll.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at nku.edu/tickets.

About NKU: Founded in 1968, we are a growing metropolitan university of more than 15,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky—just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati—we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students’ names. For more information, visit nku.edu.

About SOTA: The School of the Arts at Northern Kentucky University, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, is made up of three programs: Theatre and Dance, Art and Design, and Music. The Theatre and Dance program relies on intensive student involvement both inside and outside the classroom. At the program’s center is a vital balance of process and production, giving each student opportunities to stretch boundaries and discover new possibilities. Graduates have gone on to successful careers in professional theatre, film and television. For more information, visit theatre.nku.edu.

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March 29, 2023 · 6:03 am

Cincinnati Playhouse Explores the History of the Asian Immigrant Experience through the Eyes of THE CHINESE LADY Beginning March 30

PIP_The Chinese LadyCINCINNATI (March 28) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will open THE CHINESE LADY by Lloyd Suh, the first show in the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre since the opening of the mainstage theatre complex, beginning March 30. (Previews are March 28 and 29; the show runs through April 30. Opening night is March 30.)  Inspired by a true story, the production paints a unique and surprising portrait of the U.S. as seen through the eyes of the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil in 1834.

“THE CHINESE LADY offers an eye-opening look at the experience of Asian and Asian American women in the US that calls for empathy and understanding of cultural differences by tracing the experience of Afong Moy nearly 200 years ago to our present day,” says Osborn Family Producing Artistic Director Blake Robison.

The story blends historical accounts with a deep exploration of character and culture through the experience of Afong Moy, a 14-year-old girl brought to the U.S. in 1834. She was placed on display like an exhibit and then sent on a tour across the nation.

New York Theater called THE CHINESE LADY, which premiered off-Broadway in 2018 at Ma-Yi Theater Company, “a gently amusing, lyrical, yet sharply pointed play.” New York Theatre Guide praised the production as “an evocative exploration of cultural difference.”

Suh’s script breaks the traditional bounds of autobiographical storytelling by following Afong Moy from the 19th century to the present day. All the while, she walks us through American history with a singular point of view, striking a rare balance between poetic darkness and humorous moments of whimsy.

“We’re having a lot of fun playing with the fact that Asian American women are always performing,” explains director Jess McLeod. “Whether you’re Afong Moy in 1834 or me, an Asian American woman walking down the street in 2023, we’re forced to be in conversation with Asian stereotypes because we’ve been silenced and kept from the public eye — other than stories about Asian women written by white men with their own agendas.”

As Moy’s character says in the production, “It is a beautiful thing to look at something long enough to fully understand it. But it is so much more beautiful to be looked at long enough to be understood.”

CAST

Sami Ma (Afong Moy); Albert Park (Atung); Yuchi Chiu (Understudy); Elizabeth Chinn Molloy (Understudy)

PRODUCTION

Jess McLeod (Director); Se Hyun Oh (Set Designer); Hahnji Jang (Costume Designer/Cultural Consultant); Lee Fiskness (Lighting Designer);  Fan Zhang (Sound Designer/Compositions); Stephanie Klapper, CSA (Casting Director); Brandon T. Holmes (Stage Manager)

TICKETS 

Tickets begin at $35. Preview performances take place March 25, 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place on Tuesday-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A matinee will be offered April 12 at 1 p.m.   To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.

EVENT: ART TALKS (FORMERLY MEET THE ARTISTS)

Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.

  • Sun, April 2 at 2 p.m.
  • Sun, April 9 at 2 p.m.
  • Wed, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Thu, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.

ADVISORY

The Chinese Lady is suitable for ages 13 and up. As Afong May tells her story, she doesn’t shy away from authentic and unfiltered descriptions of historical violence and cultural exotification.

SPONSORS

Production Sponsor is Ohio National Financial Services. Artist Sponsor is Mark and Rosemary Schlachter. Rosenthal Shelterhouse Season Sponsor is The Vonz Family. Season Sponsor of New Work is the Rosenthal Family Foundation.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.

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