Category Archives: Press Releases

March 24, 2022 · 2:12 pm

Irish-Catholic Family Comedy Fills the Loft Theatre with Laughter

HRTC_Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help logoThe Human Race Theatre Company continues its 35th Season with a new play by Seattle playwright Katie Forgette – Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help – playing April 14 – May 1 at the Loft Theatre.   This charming comedy recounts an unforgettable day in 1973 for the O‘Sheas, a cash-strapped Irish-Catholic family in a city very much like Dayton.

19 year-old Linda O’Shea, our narrator, attempts to re-enact the most turbulent day of her life, interrupted by her family with their side of the story. The 70’s were a time of old school living – no social media, and public ridicule in a close-knit community was the ultimate nightmare. Linda reflects on an “incident” she sparked in 1973, when their overbearing priest, Father Lovett, overhears a conversation between her and her sister about puberty. It’s a moment that could have threatened the family’s upstanding reputation in the conservative parish. As Linda says, this is a story familiar to anyone who has experienced “Catholic guilt — also known as Jewish guilt, Methodist guilt, Baptist guilt, Lutheran guilt and atheist guilt.”  When Father Lovett confronts her parents about the “corruption of their eldest daughter’s very soul,” all holy hell and hysteria break loose in this nostalgic comedy.

New York-based director Margarett Perry returns to helm this hilarious new play.  She most recently directed the streaming comedy The Revolutionists last June, and numerous productions since 2005. “Margarett has become a regular member of our artistic family with many great comedies and dramas to her credit,” said Artistic Director, Kevin Moore.  “She was hand-selected by Marsha Hanna and she has delivered great productions time after time.”

An extraordinary cast that will bring this show to life includes both new and returning artists: Cecily Dowd will play our narrator, Linda O’Shea (Dayton native, One Slight Hitch ); Christine Brunner as the long-suffering, rarely-complaining, hardworking mom Josephine “Jo” ‘Shea (Resident Artist, 26 Pebbles, Steel Magnolias, Play It By Heart); Mierka Girten as the very liberal Aunt Theresa “Terri” O’Shea (Master Class, Beehive, Little Shop of Horrors, Bus Stop); Jason Podplesky in multiple roles as Dad, Mike ‘Shea, Father Lovett, and parish busybody, Betty Hackenbach (Sylvia, 26 Pebbles, Becky’s New Car);  and Columbus native Lizzie Huelskamp, making her Human Race debut as younger sister, Becky O‘Shea. (Annie, Little Mermaid, The Secret Garden.)

Joining Director Margarett Perry on the Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help creative team is:  Eric Moore, Scenic Designer;  John Rensel, Lighting Designer;  Janet G. Powell, Costume Designer; Julian Crocamo, Sound Designer; and Production Stage Manager, Jacquelyn Duncan.

Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, April 14 – May 1, 2022.  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.

Special performances:

  • Pay What You CAN – Wed. April 13 at 8 pm – benefits The Foodbank and Project Hope
  • Sawbuck Sunday – Sun. April 17 at 7 pm – $10 tickets available 5:30pm at the door
  • While We’re On The Subject – Sun. April 24 – Audience Discussion follows 2pm matinee

The Human Race acknowledges its gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible:  Loft Season support:  The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation; Organizational support:  Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation;  Sustainability support:  Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason and Morris Home; Pay What You CAN Sponsor:  Enterprise Holdings Foundation;  Production Sponsor: Marion’s Piazza and Barbara N. O’Hara.

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March 24, 2022 · 11:35 am

Sinclair Theatre Presents Percy Jackson Musical

SCCT_The Lightning Thief1

Rehearsal photo featuring Conner Gray as Percy, Grant Warden as Luke & Ian Spraul as Grover.

Opening April 1st!

Sinclair Theatre Department presents The Lightning Thief —The Percy Jackson Musical, April 1-9 in Blair Hall Theatre, building 2, on Sinclair’s downtown Dayton campus.

Featuring fearsome minotaurs, sword-wielding teens, and the Greek gods as absentee parents, this dynamic musical adaptation of Rick Riordan’s bestselling book series explains that “Things couldn’t be worse, when your parents run the universe.”  When Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent war among the gods. Written by Joe Tracz with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, this production is directed by Chris Harmon with music direction by Charles Larkowski and choreography by Jessica Eggleston.

Tickets cost $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Available online at www.sinclair.edu/tickets. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. with one Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. ASL interpreted performances on April 3 and 7. Student Madness Tuesday on April 5th offers $10 seats for all students. Masks are now optional on all Sinclair campuses.

Cast includes: Connor Gray as Percy, Trinity Rice as Annabeth, Ian Spraul as Grover and Grant Warden as Luke, with Athena Shurtleff, Tanner Henry, Emma Campbell, Colin Drayer, DeAngelo Powell, Issac Washington, Edith Sandstrom, Kamilah Noaks, Lizzie Salata, and Helen Grisez.

Guest artists include Gary Minyard (fight choreography) and local puppet master Tristan Cupp (specialty props design). Production team includes Sinclair’s Scott Kimmins (scenic), Kathleen Hotmer (costumes) and Dan Brunk (sound) with Sinclair Theatre alumni Jessy Henning (lighting), Brian Morgan (stage manager) and current theatre technology student Aubrie-Lee Dentino (props).

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March 22, 2022 · 12:58 pm

CAA Announces 2022 Overture Award Winners

CAA_Overture Awards$38,000 Awarded for Excellence in the Arts

Arts Educator Award Winners Also Announced

CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of its Overture Awards Competition, held on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater, and the winner of its Arts Educator Award for Excellence in Arts Instruction. The competition awarded $3,000 to six area students for education and training, $1,000 each to the 18 runners-up, and $1,000 each to two Arts Educator Award winners.

The Overture Awards recognizes, encourages, and rewards excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12 and is the area’s largest solo arts competition. Students are nominated by their schools and/or private studios to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.

The Arts Educator Award promotes and rewards excellence in arts instruction throughout Greater Cincinnati. An educator who teaches any of the following arts disciplines may be nominated: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. They can be a high school arts specialist, teaching artist working with high school students, or an arts professional or educator providing private lessons or instruction. Nominations for the award must come from students between the ages of 14-19 who are currently enrolled in high school. The Arts Educator Award winners are selected by a panel of judges who are arts professionals.

2022 OVERTURE AWARDS WINNERS

CREATIVE WRITING: Eliza O’Keefe, grade 11, Walnut Hills High School
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Eliza is a junior at Walnut Hills High School. Her work has been recognized by YoungArts and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She is an editor at Polyphony Lit and has attended the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference.

DANCE: Karley Burdick, grade 12, West Clermont High School / Studies with Just Off Broadway 
HOMETOWN: Batavia, OH – Karley is a member of Just Off Broadway’s national award-winning convention and competition team. She has received numerous competition awards and scholarships, and also teaches. While at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, she performed lead roles and solos in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland. Karley intends to pursue a BFA in dance.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Ari Webb, grade 11, Wyoming High School / Studies with Alan Rafferty
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Ari is a 16-year-old Venezuelan-American cellist. In 2021, he won the State of Ohio Buckeye Auditions and was selected to perform in the NPR radio show From the Top in a performance with artists Tessa Lark and Peter Dugan. Ari is a winner of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition and will perform with the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra in the Spring of 2022.

THEATER: Payton Hines, grade 12, Sycamore High School / Studies with Karl Resnik
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Payton is a senior at Sycamore High School. For her final season, she will play Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical this April. Outside of school, she trains with Lachey Arts, Karl Resnik, and CCM’s Musical Theatre Intensive (MTI). Payton plans to get her BFA in Musical Theatre. She is incredibly thankful for her Cincinnati arts community, her family, Lea and Drew Lachey, Mr. Whapham, and Karl Resnik.

VISUAL ART: Emma Wang, grade 12, Ursuline Academy
HOMETOWN: Mason, OH – Emma has had a passion for art ever since she could hold a pencil. She specializes in sculpture and fashion, although her favorite part about being an artist is experimenting with a broad range of art forms. Her other hobbies include playing the violin and Chinese violin and long-distance running.

VOCAL MUSIC: Ella Vaughn, grade 11, Walnut Hills High School / Studies with Musical Arts Center
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Ella’s earliest memories include singing and performing. She has a passion for music, participates in musical theater at her school, studies voice with Karl Resnik at the Musical Arts Center, and is in the Young Artist Preparatory Program for opera training. She loves to sing and plans to study music in college, majoring in vocal performance.

2022 ARTS EDUCATOR AWARD WINNERS

Beth LeBlanc, Sycamore High School
Discipline: Creative Writing
Nominated by Deeya Prakash

Tricia Sundbeck, College Conservatory of Music – Dance Prep (UC)
Discipline: Dance
Nominated by Vivi Guemez

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held virtually in January 2022. The top thirty percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held virtually in February 2022.

Now in its twenty-sixth year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate and manage the competitions, and nurture the program.

THE OVERTURE AWARDS ARE ENDOWED BY THE OTTO M. BUDIG FAMILY FOUNDATION

Overture Awards Presenting Sponsors: TriHealth; The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.; Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati

Scholarship Sponsors: Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Douglas Beal, Doreen Beatrice, Bonita Brockert, Brandon Etheridge, Maura Garuccio, Jozsef Parragh, Punky’s Pixels, Summerfair Cincinnati, Josh Tilford, Western & Southern Financial Fund, The William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation

Printing Sponsor: Graphic Village

THE 2022 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS
Winners listed in bold.

CREATIVE WRITING

  • Charlotte Hagen, grade 11, Mariemont High School
  • Nkemdilim (Anna Rose) Matu, grade 10, William Mason High School
  • Eliza O’Keefe, grade 11, Walnut Hills High School
  • Deeya Prakash, grade 12, Sycamore High School

DANCE

  • Karley Burdick, grade 12, West Clermont High School, studies with Just Off Broadway
  • Ava Cassidy, grade 11, School for Creative and Performing Arts, studies with Just Off Broadway
  • Braylan Enscoe, grade 12, William Mason High School, studies with Just Off Broadway
  • Neha Gunda, grade 12, Laurel Springs High School, studies with Cultural Centre of India

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

  • Christy Kim, grade 10, William Mason High School
  • Grace Kim, grade 9, William Mason High School, studies with Randolph Bowman
  • Ari Webb, grade 11, Wyoming High School, studies with Alan Rafferty
  • Keliang Yao, grade 9, Seven Hills School, studies with Soyeon Kate Lee

THEATER

  • Claire Dillon, grade 11, Sycamore High School, studies with Melody Wallace
  • Payton Hines, grade 12, Sycamore High School, studies with Karl Resnik
  • Joseph Kayne, grade 11, Indian Hill High School, studies with Kathy Cammett
  • Sophia Trefz, grade 11, School for Creative and Performing Arts

VISUAL ART

  • Brianna Birkle, grade 12, Mercy Mcauley High School
  • Emma Olszewski, grade 12, Ursuline Academy
  • Marshall Shorten, grade 11, Oak Hills High School
  • Emma Wang, grade 12, Ursuline Academy

VOCAL MUSIC

  • Sela Foster, grade 11, The Foster Academy (Homeschool), studies with Kelly McKenzie-Thurley
  • Claire Hardek, grade 12, Indian Hill High School, studies with Dr. Kimberly Buczek
  • Luke Randazzo, grade 12, School for Creative and Performing Arts, studies with Kathy Cammett
  • Ella Vaughn, grade 11, Walnut Hills High School, studies with Musical Arts Center

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. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.9 million students.

CAA is proud to be a member of Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African

American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, and Performing Arts Center Consortium.

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March 22, 2022 · 11:24 am

One-Woman Show Reveals Fascinating Details of America’s Favorite Sex Therapist When BECOMING DOCTOR RUTH His the Stage April 9

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Anne O’Sullivan as Dr. Ruth in New Repertory Theatre’s BECOMING DR. RUTH. Photo by Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures

CINCINNATI (March 22, 2022)—Many fans of talk shows and pop culture recall Dr. Ruth Westheimer as America’s favorite sex therapist in the 1980s and 1990s, rewriting the playbook on what can and can’t be discussed on the air with strangers. But few know the story of her remarkable journey. Beginning April 9, BECOMING DR. RUTH will narrate the inspiring details of her life in an illuminating one-woman show presented by the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. The show runs April 9 through May 15. Opening night is April 14.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer gave people a new way to view themselves and their relationships. Yet there is much more to her story that will resonate with today’s audiences. In this heartwarming portrait of her life, she narrates fascinating details from her early life–from the tragic separation of her family during the Holocaust to her experiences as an Israeli sniper—as well as struggles with balancing work, higher education and single motherhood in America.

Director Stephen Nachamie will transform the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre space into Dr. Ruth’s home to help the audience “glimpse inside her most personal memories.”

“We are inviting the audience into her apartment. It is important that they meet Dr. Ruth not as the polished talk-show host or figure they know but to see her as a human being,” says Nachamie, who met Dr. Ruth several times as a child and then directed the show in 2019 at New Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts with actor Anne O’Sullivan at the center. She returns to the role in the Playhouse’s production.

BroadwayWorld wrote in a review of the show at New Repertory Theatre, “A must in any solo stage performance is for the artist to connect with the audience, and Anne O’Sullivan reaches through the fourth wall to grab our attention with warmth and Ruth’s indomitable joie de vivre.”

Dr. Ruth, also known as Karola Ruth Siegel, was born in June 1928 in Frankfurt, Germany. Her parents placed her on a kindertransport in 1939 for her safety, which took her from Nazi-occupied Germany to Switzerland and permanently separated her from her family. She survived war-torn Europe and became an Israeli sniper and Jewish freedom fighter with the Haganah. She later moved to Paris with her first husband to begin her education and then navigated life as a working single mother in New York City, in pursuit of continuing her training in psychology and counseling. Shortly after, her illustrious career as an educational media personality began.

“If you thought you knew all about Dr. Ruth, the woman, the myth, the legend, you might just be mistaken,” TheaterMania writes of the one-woman show.

Audiences can learn the true story behind the legend beginning April 9.

CAST & PRODUCTION
Anne O’Sullivan (Dr. Ruth Westheimer), Mark St. Germain (Playwright), Stephen Nachamie (Director), Brian Prather (Set Designer), Gordon DeVinney (Costume Designer), Amber Whatley (Lighting Designer), Fabian Obispo (Sound Designer), Brooke Redler (Stage Manager)

TICKETS
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. For patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled, dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.

Performances on Tuesdays through Saturdays will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. There is one Wednesday matinee at 1 p.m. on April 20.

Individual tickets start at just $35. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances. Discounted ticket prices for teens are available for all productions and are $30 to $45, depending on show and seat location. There will be four post-show meet-the-artist discussions during the run. For tickets, visit cincyplay.com.

ADVISORY
Recommended for adult and teenage audiences. This one-woman show about America’s favorite sex therapist appropriately contains discussion of healthy sex and sexuality, while also covering other mature topics. Much like Dr. Ruth, these topics are addressed with a cheerful and disarming tone.

EVENTS

MEET THE ARTISTS Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with the cast and crew:

  • April 17 at 2 p.m.
  • April 24 at 2 p.m.
  • April 27 at 7:30 p.m.
  • May 5 at 7:30 p.m.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Face masks covering the nose and mouth must be worn at all times in all areas of the Playhouse. Visit the Health & Safety page for details.

SPONSORS

Production Sponsor is the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. Artist Sponsor is the Carol B. Heldman Sexuality Fund. Additional support provided by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Season Sponsor is Heidelberg Distributing Company. Season Sponsor of New Work is the Rosenthal Family Foundation.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of more than 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.

ACCESS

The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs, and complete wheelchair access are available.

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March 18, 2022 · 11:06 am

NKU Stages Hilarious Grand Tour of Opera Tropes

NKU_Signor Deluso logoHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Opera has returned to the stage at Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts with “Signor Deluso,” a hilarious one act opera composed by Thomas Pasatieri. The production runs April 1 and 3, 2022 at NKU’s Greaves Concert Hall.

  • What: “Signor Deluso” by Thomas Pasatieri
  • When: April 1, 7 p.m. and April 3, 2 p.m.
  • Where: NKU Greaves Concert Hall
  • Tickets: nku.edu/tickets or (859) 572-5464

Gorgibus is forcing his daughter Célie to marry the wealthy Valère, but she is in love with Léon and he with her. However, a series of mistaken assumptions and quarrelling ensues after Célie faints in the town square and loses her locket with a portrait of Léon inside. “Signor Deluso” is an English-language, heavily condensed version of Molière’s 1660 comedy “Sganarelle,” or “The Imaginary Cuckold.”

“Since the 1660s, when the play premiered, as well as the 1970s, when the opera was written, the opera community has evolved considerably,” states director Audrey Chait. “Some of these situations and jokes still work, while others no longer quite land. This is where our role as interpreters comes in, approaching the material with modern sensibilities and a modern sense of humor. We hope you enjoy the finished product!”

The NKU cast features Katherine Sharp (Célie), Trevor Gutu (Gorgibus/Magistrate), Madison Boler (Rosine), Zach Felts (Signor Deluso), Ashley Tinch (Clara) and Jimmy Renton (Léon). The show is directed by Audrey Chait. Other creative team members include Damon Stevens (Music Director), Meg Booker (Stage Manager), Allison Jones (Costume Designer), and Faith Greene (Assistant Stage Manager, Costumes/Hair/Makeup Assistant).

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 Music, Art and Design, and Theatre and Dance programs make up the School of the Arts that sit in the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern Kentucky University. The Music Program provides student-centered instruction to a diverse population of versatile musicians and creative thinkers who are prepared to make a meaningful impact on communities in an ever-changing world. Graduates pursue successful careers as professional performers, college and university faculty, public school music teachers, private studio instructors and in allied fields within the music industry. For more information, visit music.nku.edu.

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