(Cincinnati, OH — January 20, 2019) American Legacy Theatre is theatre for social change. While breaking and reimagining many conventions, A.L.T. provides professional theatre that is accessible – affordable, relevant and exciting to all people, all voices. Matthew David Gellin, the mastermind behind the November takeover of the Cincinnati Bell Connector (T2: Transit Theatre), is a theatre researcher, practitioner, and founder of A.L.T.
#YourNationalTheatre is looking to continue its revolution of theatre in Greater Cincinnati as it takes on two of the region’s most daunting issues – race and heroin. And that is just what’s planned in February. Up first, A.L.T. is co-producing Rebecca Gilman’s ground-shifting work Spinning into Butter with the Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum. TIME called this piece is “a complex, unnerving look at the way real people navigate between [racism and political correctness].” After that, A.L.T. will unleash a full sing- and read-through of the original rock musical it’s developing around the heroin epidemic with local playwright and composer Mark Levine, aptly named HIGHER.
When asked why these topics now, Gellin stated very simply “this is what the community asked for.” A.L.T. seeks to hold free monthly workshops open to all. There he asks the public what issues/themes A.L.T. should explore and defers to them versus him choosing alone. “It’s what makes the most sense,” he continued. “By choosing pieces that accentuate the discussions both theatre and non-theatre goers are seeking to have, we can provide a more relevant and timely experience to help better bridge the gap from awareness to action by our community. This is only one way we shift your perspective, provide you ownership, and change how theatre is done.”
If the world Gellin created on the streetcar is any indication of where A.L.T. is headed, now is the time for theatre lovers and skeptics both to climb aboard.
What: SPINNING INTO BUTTER by Rebecca Gilman
When:
- February 1 | 7:30pm
- February 2 | 2:00pm; 7:30pm
- February 4 | 7:30pm
- February 7 | 7:30pm
- February 10 | 2:00pm
- February 11 | 7:30pm
- February 15 | 7:30pm
- February 16 | 7:30pm
- February 17 | 2:00pm
Where: The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, 3738 Eastern Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45226
What: HIGHER by Mark Levine, developed by American Legacy Theatre
When:
- February 8 | 7:30pm
- February 9 | 7:30pm
Where: Recovery Center of Hamilton County, 2340 Auburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Get your tickets at www.americanlegacytheatre.org/on-stage. Prices go up at the door. A.L.T. does offer subsidized tickets if prices are prohibitive. Please reach out at 513-443-5429 (LGCY) to ensure you have a part in the discussion.
Stay up to date on everything by following @AmrcnLgcyThtr on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About American Legacy Theatre:
American Legacy Theatre is theatre for social change. While breaking and reimagining many conventions, A.L.T. provides professional theatre that is accessible – affordable, relevant and exciting to all people, all voices.
A.L.T.’s MISSION is to nurture the growth and development of both the American audience and artist in every community it impacts. The VISION is that A.L.T. will be the cornerstone of a revolutionary 5-theatre network across the country becoming the National Theatre of the United States.
Producing Artistic Director and founder, Matthew David Gellin, has served as a USA representative at the UNESCO International Theatre Institute Research Lab in Romania and was named as a Promising Artist of the 21st Century by the International Arts and Cultural Exchange.
About Spinning into Butter by Rebecca Gilman:
When one of the few African American students at liberal Belmont College begins receiving hate mail, the campus erupts, first with shock, then with mutual recrimination as faculty and students alike try to prove their own tolerance by condemning one another. At the center of this maelstrom is Sarah Daniels, the dean of students. As the administration sponsors public “race forums” and the students start their activist groups, Sarah is forced to explore her own feelings of racism. Her self-examination leads to some surprising discoveries and painful insights, the consequences of which even she can’t predict.
About HIGHER by Mark Levine, developed by American Legacy Theatre:
As Benjamin seeks love from people in the world around him he discovers a life long relationship – heroin. Get an exclusive first look at this work in progress by playwright Mark Levine at a full read- and sing-through of the script with the actors. Come experience how A.L.T. is making our region a crucible for new work, and how YOU are a part of it. Your voice matters in shaping this groundbreaking work!
For more information on American Legacy Theatre, please visit www.americanlegacytheatre.org.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 