Category Archives: Press Releases

CINCINNATI (Sep. 8, 2026) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park announced today the full cast for the world premiere of TALK, a new play by renowned playwright and Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck, that previews Sept. 26 – 30 with opening night on Oct. 1. TALK is a commission from the Playhouse’s Jerome Fey Endowment for New Plays and is a centerpiece of the inaugural MADE IN CINCY: NEW WORKS FESTIVAL, which will run Oct. 2 and 3.

Rebeck is the most Broadway-produced female playwright of our time (I Need That, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Dead Accounts, Seminar, Mauritius). TALK is directed by Mêlisa Annis, who recently directed Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Christine Lahti in Lahti’s play The Smile of Her at the Marylebone Theatre in London.

This world premiere delivers biting satire of the current media environment. Hoping for a ratings boost, the host of a news commentary talk show decides to do a live broadcast. When an unplanned guest is added to the mix of standard talking heads, the conversation goes off the rails, and the show descends into chaos. All political points of view are represented, and all are skewered as this razor-sharp and funny play shines a satirical spotlight on news and dialogue in today’s fast-moving media world.

The cast features a roster of actors with many Broadway and Off-Broadway credits: Andrea Syglowski (Broadway: Dog Day Afternoon, Off-Broadway: Queens) as Brenda, Joey Collins (Broadway: The Glass Menagerie, Rock ‘n’ Roll) as Serge, Victor Williams (Off-Broadway: Amerikin, Cost of Living) as Malcolm, Maxine Linehan (Off-Broadway: Brontë: A Portrait of Charlotte, National Tour: South Pacific) as Simone, Luigi Sottile (Broadway: Slave Play) as Jonathan and Viviana Valeria (Broadway: Between Riverside and Crazy, Off-Broadway: Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven) as Mike.

Rebeck’s other notable work as a playwright includes Dig, MadHouse, Seared, Downstairs, Spike Heels, Bad Dates and Omnium Gatherum (Pulitzer Prize Finalist). Rebeck recently wrote the book for the musical adaptation of Working Girl, which premiered at La Jolla Playhouse, with music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Major film and TV projects include Trouble, with Anjelica Huston, Bill Pullman and David Morse (writer and director), NYPD Blue, the NBC series Smash (creator), the female spy thriller 355 (for Jessica Chastain’s production company), and Glimpse.

MADE IN CINCY: NEW WORKS FESTIVAL elevates the Playhouse’s commitment to commissioning and producing new works with an annual event that will illuminate the creative process for audiences by inviting them to witness, participate in and champion the creation of new American plays and musicals. The plays in development will be OPHELIA’S GHOST by Amy Berryman, THE MYTH OF THE TWO MARCOS by Tony Meneses and THE BEST LITTLE CAT HOUSE IN SCAB HOLLER by Maggie Lou Rader.

Ophelia’s Ghost by Amy Berryman:  

Commissioned by the Playhouse’s Jerome Fey Endowment for New Plays This modern day look at Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the lens of an awkward teenage girl named Ophelia is set at a Catholic high school in the early aughts. As Ophelia grapples with the death of her mother, she falls for a sad boy who also has recently lost a parent.

The Myth of The Two Marcos by Tony Meneses:

Marco, meet Marco. Two teenagers with parallel lives but opposite outlooks collide and become unlikely best friends. Despite their mutual love of comics and shared sanctuary at a local comic book shop, life begins pulling Marco and Marco apart. Will the help of a time-bending Aztec superhero be enough to bind their fates back together? The Myth of the Two Marcos explores friendships formed on the knife-edge of adolescence, the little moments that might have changed everything and the relationships that become our origin stories.

The Best Little Cat House in Scab Holler by Maggie Lou Rader:

The Best Little Cat House in Scab Holler steps into the lively world of the Conti House, a smalltown Missouri brothel run by the formidable Maude DeBerry and her spirited crew. Life is running smoothly — until a customer unexpectedly drops dead mid-visit. As the women scramble to hide the body from a nosy sheriff and a mysterious visitor from Chicago, chaos erupts in the most hilarious ways. A raucous, sex-positive farce about friendship, survival and the family you choose.

Individual and season tickets are now on sale for Talk and all Made in Cincy events and programming at cincyplay.com.

SPONSORS

TALK is presented by Digi and Mike Schueler. Production Sponsor is The Roy Cockrum Foundation. Artist Sponsors are Geiler, Diane and Carl Iseman, and Dr. Susan R. Strick. The 2026-27 Season is presented by The Vontz Family. The Season Sponsors of New Work are Mark and Nancy Dawes.

MADE IN CINCY: NEW WORKS FESTIVAL is sponsored by Nancy and Mark Dawes, The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, and Digi and Mike Schueler.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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Tickets now on sale for performances Sept. 12 through Oct. 11

CINCINNATI (Aug. 28, 2026) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will kick of their 2026-27 season with HEIST, presented by MC and Tom Brennan. A high-tech thriller, Heist begins performances in Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 12 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.

This pulse-pounding caper for the stage features aerial acrobatics, rapid-fire sound cues, lasers and state-of-the-art projections alongside clever surprises and plenty of laughs – promising to take audiences on a fun and thrilling ride.

Heist is directed by Blake Robison, the Playhouse’s Osborn Family Producing Artistic Director. Robison is entering his 15th season at the Playhouse in 2026-27, making him one of the most-tenured arts leaders in Cincinnati.

“First and foremost, it’s fun,” said Robison about the production. “We need a little pure entertainment right now. Also, Heist allows us to show off the capabilities of our new Playhouse. It’s a high-tech show with lasers, actors who fly, and more projections than we’ve ever done at the Playhouse. A great way to kick off the new season!”

Inspired by movies like Ocean’s Eleven, Now You See Me and The Usual Suspects, this theatrical caper is a high-tech mystery for the stage. When Marvin assembles a team of professional thieves to pull off one last job, the heist goes sideways into a web of danger, betrayal and double crosses. What follows is a high-octane production that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Heist playwright Arun Lakra is an India-born, Calgary-based writer of both plays and screenplays. In addition to his creative endeavors, he’s an ophthalmologist.

“The most gratifying thing about Heist is that it seems to be attracting a new cohort of folks in addition to traditional theatregoers,” Lakra said. “Young people — students, young folks in their 20s and 30s …. It’s kind of a “gateway drug” to the theatre. And if plays like Heist can bring a new generation into the theatre, I think that would be fantastic.”

ARTISTS

Cast

• Marvin                                Brian Vaughn*
• Ryan                                  Alex Purcell*
• Angie                                 Jessica Fishenfeld*
• Kruger                                Brian Thomas Abraham*
• Fiona                                  Angel Lin*
• The Spider                          Kate Goehring*

Creative Team

• Playwright                           Arun Lakra
• Director                               Blake Robison
• Set Designer                       Tim Mackabee
• Costume Designer               Shahrzad Mazaheri
• Lighting Designer                 Jaymi Lee Smith
• Sound Designer/Composer   Matthew M.    Nielson
• Projection Designer              Joe Payne
• Fight/Intimacy Directors        Sordelet Inc: Rick Sordelet & Christian Kelly-Sordelet
• Associate Director                Brendon Fox
• Casting Director                   Stephanie Klapper, CSA
• Stage Manager                    Andrea L. Shell*
• Assistant Stage Manager      Brandon T. Holmes*
• Production Assistant             Erin Speno-Stout
• Co-Producers                      Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and Gulfshore Playhouse

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

TICKETS

Tickets from $39, depending on seat location and performance day.

Preview performances take place on Sept. 12, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. Prices vary depending on performance. Opening performance is Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances will take place on Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A matinee performance will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 30 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 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.

EVENTS

Preview Performances: Be among the first to see the show before opening night and save! Preview performance tickets are discounted.

• Sat., Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. 
• Tue., Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. 
• Wed., Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. 

Opening Night: Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights!

• Thu., Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. 

College Night: Join other students who love theatre for College Night! Enjoy an exclusive pre-show gathering with an artist from the production. College students can purchase advance tickets for just $15 and take part in a curated discussion with one of the artists — with free pizza! Student ID required.

• Sat., Sept. 22.

Deep Dive Screenings of Iconic Heist Movies: Heist stories have been a movie mainstay since 1903’s The Great Train Robbery, the first work of “narrative cinema.” Plotting thieves have thrilled audiences in hundreds of great films since, and in conjunction with our production of Heist, the Esquire Theatre is screening some of the best robbery capers ever. Starting with Film Noir classic filmed in Cincinnati, The Asphalt Jungle, the film series features legendary directors Hitchcock (To Catch a Thief), Kubrick (The Killing) and blacklisted screenwriter Jules Dassin’s Rififi and Topkapithat combine to make him the “master of the heist film,” before closing the series with more recent classic The Usual Suspects. Join us for a deep dive on these iconic heist movies with Film Professor Joe Horine, who will give a brief intro and lead an optional Q&A after the film.

• Thu., Sept. 17, 7 p.m. -Asphalt Jungle(1950)
• Sun., Sept. 20, 7 p.m. -To Catch A Thief (1955)
• Wed., Sept. 23, 7 p.m. -Rififi (1955)
• Tues., Oct. 6, 7 p.m. – Topkapi (1964) 
• Thu., Oct. 8, 7 p.m. – The Killing (1956)
• Sun., Oct. 11, 2 p.m.  – The Usual Suspects (1995)

Art Talks (Formerly Meet the Artists): Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.

• Sun., Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. Buy Tickets
• Thu., Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Buy Tickets
• Wed., Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Buy Tickets

Pay What You Can: Pay What You Can performances are an additional way we try to make live theatre accessible to those who otherwise might not be able to attend our shows. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 513-421-3888 or in person beginning at noon, day of the performance only. Tickets are subject to availability.

• Wed., Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• Wed., Sept 30 at 1 p.m. (Tickets available for purchase at 11 a.m.)

Audio-Described Performance: Trained volunteers describe the visual elements of the production via a hearing enhancement system, allowing patrons to hear dialogue, music and other sound effects. The description is timed to avoid interfering with dialogue. Before the show and during intermission, show and actor information are shared.

• Sat., Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. 

Signed ASL Performance: Each Rouse Theatre production offers one signed ASL performance during the show’s run.

• Sun., Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. 

ADVISORY

Heist is recommended for teenage and adult audiences. This thrilling crime caper has all the elements you enjoy from this genre, including a motley crew who love quick-witted banter (with some strong language) and an elaborate plan that involves guns and discussions of violence.

SPONSORS

Heist is presented by MC and Tom Brennan. Production Sponsors are Johnson Investment Counsel and Clark Schaefer Hackett. Honorary Producer is Barbara Weyand. Design Sponsor is Skidmore Sales and Distributing. Artist Sponsors are FBT Gibbons and Barbara and Irwin Weinberg. The 2026-27 Season is presented by The Scheuler Group.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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