Category Archives: Press Releases

Walnut Hills High School Opens the School Year with Musical Hit INTO THE WOODS

WHHS Into the Woods Press and HS-75

Lydia Noll, grade 12, as Cinderella; Molly Munn, grade 11, as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack Giglia, grade 10, as the Baker & Peter Godsey, grade 10, as Jack. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Cincinnati, OH- Walnut Hills High School is set to debut their first show of the 2018-19 school year with “Into The Woods” on November 1st. The award-winning department is excited to open the year with their Cappies production in the newly-dedicated Rick Steiner Black Box Theatre, where they will stage the show in an environmental setting that will blur the lines between performer and audience.

“Into The Woods” is a famous show, known mostly for its Disney movie adaptation. “We’re doing a popular show in a very unique and original way,” says Michael Sherman, head of the department and director for this production. “I’m excited to do this show in this space because I think it will really help to bring out the intimacy of the show and heighten the connection the audience can make with these characters.”

The set and full immersion of the audience are a big part of the future success of Walnut Hills’ adaptation. “The audience is actually sitting in the woods and all over the place, so it’s really going to be an immersive audience experience,” says Helen A. Raymond-Goers, the Walnut Hills Technical Director and set designer for the show.

“We want it to feel as organic as possible,” says senior Ben Methena, master carpenter, “We thought it would be more natural, and we wanted everything to be different.”

Walnut Hills High School’s production of “Into The Woods” is expected to be a hit with all of the immersion of the audience and the way that they can relate to the familiar and loveable fairy tale characters.

WHHS Into the Woods Press and HS-98

Maya Robinson, grade 12, as the Witch. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

INTO THE WOODS
Book by James Lapine
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece.

The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching.

The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

Featuring Jack Giglia as The Baker, Lily Adams as The Baker’s Wife, Lydia Noll as Cinderella, Peter Godsey as Jack, Maya Robinson as The Witch, Molly Munn as Little Red Ridinghood, Mei Li Weil as Rapunzel, Oliver Vockell as Cinderella’s Prince, Sam Frank as Rapunzel’s Prince, Louis Martini as The Wolf, Matthew Eggers as The Steward, Milan Parikh as The Narrator, Terts Verhaak as The Mysterious Man, Clare Brennan as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Grace Davis as Lucinda, Colby James as Florinda, Derrick McHale as Cinderella’s Father, Olivia Busche as Jack’s Mother, Perri Wedlock-Dunn as Granny and The Giant, Gracekelly Fulton as Cinderella’s Mother, Kayla McGraw as Milky White, Christina Picklo as Bird Puppeteer / Snow White, and Alex Kirk as Bird Puppeteer / Sleeping Beauty.

Directed by Michael Sherman. Choreography by Maggie Perrino. Music Direction by Anthony Nims.

Show Dates:

  • November 1-3, @7p.m.
  • November 8-10, @ 7p.m.
  • November 3&10 @ 2 p.m.

Tickets: $12 for adults, $10 for Walnut staff and students, https://www.showclix.com/event/WHHStheatre-Into_the_Woods
(please note that online ticket fees apply)

Walnut Hills Theatre Department Website: https://sites.google.com/view/whhstheatredepartment

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TOM SEGURA | Fri., Feb. 15 | Aronoff Center

CAA_Tom Segura headshotTOM SEGURA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15 AT 7:30PM
SECOND PERFORMANCE ADDED AT 10PM

 ARONOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS
CINCINNATI, OH

 ARONOFF CENTER TICKET OFFICE
CINCINNATIARTS.ORG
513-621-2787 (ARTS)

10PM PERFORMANCE On Sale:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 AT 10AM

Actor/Comedian/Writer Tom Segura has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most in demand and highly regarded talents. He is best known for his two Netflix specials, Completely Normal (2014) and Mostly Stories (2016) of which Paste Magazine described him of, “…having a natural and capable storytelling ability, one that lifts his narratives out of average anecdote fare and plants them firmly in hilarious ground.”

On January 12th, 2018 Segura returned to Netflix with his third stand-up special, Disgraceful. Filmed at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Disgraceful gives voice to the sordid thoughts you’d never say out loud, with blunt musings on porn, parking lot power struggles, parenthood and more.

Segura’s television credits include ConanWorkaholics, Happy EndingsThe Late Late Show, Comedy Central Presents: Tom Segura, Mash Up, and How To Be A Grown Up. Additionally, his noted podcastYour Mom’s House which he co-hosts with his wife, comedian Christina Pazsitzky, was a finalist for Best Comedy Podcast at the Stitcher Awards and profiled by VICE.

When he’s not touring clubs, Segura continues to perform at the top comedy festivals in the world, including Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Comedy Festival – Las Vegas, The South Beach Comedy Festival, and The Hong Kong Comedy Festival.

Segura also regularly appears on radio shows like Bennington Show and some of the most downloaded podcasts in the world of comedy such as The Joe Rogan Experience and WTF With Marc Maron among others. He recently released his fourth hour-long stand up album, which sat atop the iTunes and Billboard Comedy charts for consecutive weeks. His first two albums Thrilled and White Girls with Cornrows also debuted at number 1 and continue to play heavily on satellite radio and streaming music platforms. When he isn’t performing on stage or recording a podcast he’s watching College Football or waiting for College Football to come back.

Segura is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and currently lives in Los Angeles.

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Subscriptions to the First-Ever Family Performance Series to Go on Sale Monday

MEC_logoThe Madcap Education Center is one step closer to opening its doors.

Cincinnati Landmark Productions/Madcap Puppets announced today the first Family Performance Series at the new arts education scheduled to open later this fall in Westwood.

Construction on the Center has been underway since February and is on schedule (and on budget!) to open in November. The six-show Family Performance Series is the first of many events to be announced at the much-anticipated new space.

Whole season subscriptions to the Family Performance Series – just $48 each – are available starting Monday, October 1 at 11am. Tickets to single shows go on sale October 15 and will be $10 each.

The inaugural 2018-19 Family Performance Series line-up includes:

  • THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ , November 3-4
  • A MADCAP CHRISTMAS CAROL, December 22-23
  • RUMPELSTILKSKIN: A Puppet Musical, January 12-13
  • PUPPETS KapOw!, February 2-3
  • THE GREAT SPACE CAPER, March 9-10
  • MR. PUNCH AND THE BABYSITTER, April 13-14

Performances are scheduled for Saturday at 11am and 1pm and Sunday at 1 and 3pm, on the dates listed. Subscribers can exchange tickets to another performance of the same show (pending ticket availability) for free. Subscribers also get the best seats at the best price. All subscriptions can be purchased over the phone at (513) 241-6550 or in person at either the Covedale Center or Warsaw Federal Incline Theater box office locations.

ABOUT THE MADCAP EDUCATION CENTER
The TriHealth Performance Hall at the Madcap Education Center is a state-of-the-art theater built with kids in mind. With only 135 seats, the space is intimate and comfortable and provides great sight-lines for audience members of any age.

The Madcap Education Center will be home to exciting life-size puppet performances, a jumping off point for show tours but also a hub for classes, camps and performing arts education opportunities – in the heart of Westwood’s revitalized business district.

The Madcap Education Center will host:

  • Children’s programming in its 135-seat theater
  • One-on-one vocal and instrument training in its small studio spaces
  • Dance classes for a variety of skill levels in its two dance studios
  • Acting and improv classes
  • Puppet making and other arts/crafts classes in its art studio space
  • Distance learning programming in its technology center
  • Birthday parties
  • Senior arts classes opportunities
  • Neighborhood meetings and special events
  • The new home base for Madcap Puppets touring operations

For more information about Cincinnati Landmark Productions, visit www.clpshows.org or call (513) 241-6550.

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2019-2020 Season Announced by The Drama Workshop

TDW_VERTThe season line up is:

NANA’S NAUGHTY KNICKERS by Katherine DiSavino
Directed by Judy Berrens
Aug. 9-25, 2019

BLITHE SPIRIT by Noel Coward
Directed by Gina Kleesattel
Oct. 11-27, 2019

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE A RADIO PLAY adapted by James W. Rodgers
Directed by Adam Drake
Dec. 6-22, 2019

A CATERED AFFAIR by Harvey Fierstein (rights pending)
Directed by Dan Maloney
Feb. 21-March 8, 2020

RING OF FIRE by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Directed by Linda Abbott
May 1-17, 2020

Plan to join us. It’s going to be an amazing season!

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Discover What Lurks in the Woods in THE MAN-BEAST

KTC_The Man-Beast logoDiscover what lurks in the woods in

THE MAN-BEAST
By Joseph Zettelmaier

October 19 – November 10

There’s a wolf at the door.

It’s 1767, and for three years, a mysterious, bloodthirsty creature has terrorized the countryside in the French province of Gévaudan. 

Late at night, a hunter stumbles into an isolated cabin after a violent encounter with the fabled Beast. Bleeding and desperate, he implores the cabin’s mistress to help. 

But inside, he finds no ministering angel; and she finds no humble patient at her door.

Based on the 18th Century legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, The Man-Beast is a taut and seductive new drama by Know Theatre favorite Joseph Zettelmaier (author of 2015’s All Childish Things and 2016’s Pulp).

With suspense, sharp-tongued dialogue, and exquisite theatrical tension, The Man-Beast is the perfect next step in our season-long exploration of Fear Itself – asking us what makes someone a beast, and tracing the fine line between hunter and hunted.

Director Brant Russell, professor of drama at UC CCM, has put together the perfect cast to embody this ancient tale of desire, obsession, and horror:

Jim Hopkins joins us in his Know Theatre MainStage debut as notorious werewolf hunter Jean Chastel. A beloved mainstay onstage at Ensemble Theatre and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Jim also wrote and starred in White Privilege at the 2017 Cincinnati Fringe Festival.

Joining him as the fierce, reclusive taxidermist (and possible witch), Virginie Allard, is the one and only Jen Joplin. Most recently seen at Ensemble Theatre in The Humans and at Dayton’s Human Race Theatre in Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, Jen also brought Maggie Lou Rader’s vision of Mary Shelley to life as director of Know’s most recent SecondStage production, Mary’s Monster.

The Man-Beast premiered at Chicago’s First Folio Theatre in 2017 to critical acclaim, and Know is proud to have the second production of this thrilling Gothic drama.

As to why The Man-Beast just had to be a part of Know’s  21st Season, Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters has this to say:

The Beast of Gévaudan endures as a legend because it is rooted in something fundamentally human: the fear of unknown dangers, and the lengths we will go to ensure our illusion of security. The only difference today is how quickly panic can spread. 

The Man-Beast deftly explores all of this, while sweeping you into a fascinating tale of the power of legend and the seduction of greed. 

Throw in two of Cincinnati’s most fun actors to watch and you have the recipe for a fantastic night of theatre.

Though it’s part of Know’s MainStage season, The Man-Beast will unfold on our Underground stage. With set and lights by our own Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford, props design by our new production manager Rebecca Armstrong, and costumes by Know’s intrepid resident costume designer Noelle Johnston, the Underground will be transformed into Virginie’s cabin, deep in the woods of the French countryside.

The intimate space of our Underground stage is perfect to amplify the tension of this intense and unexpected new play.

Adding to the atmosphere in the Underground will be an art gallery featuring works by Art Academy Cincinnati illustration students, featuring their own explorations of werewolves, beasts, and classic monsters of the horror genre. Curated by teacher and accomplished artist John David Back, this installation will be on display throughout the run of The Man-Beast.

Join us as we explore the dividing line between beast and human in The Man-Beast by Joseph Zettelmaier from October 19 – November 10 – only at Your Theatrical Playground. 

Cast

  • Jim Hopkins* as Jean Castel
  • Jen Joplin* as Virginie Allard
    *Member 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 – Brant Russell
  • Scenic & Lighting Designer – Andrew J. Hungerford
  • Prop Designer – Rebecca Armstrong
  • Costume Designer – Noelle Johnston
  • Sound Designer – Douglas Borntrager

Calendar Listing

Production:
The Man-Beast by Joseph Zettelmaier

When:
8:00 pm
 October 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31; Nov 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10
3:00 pm  October 22, 29*, Nov 4
*A pre-show brunch is available on this date with purchase of $35 “Brunch + Show” tickets in advance. Deadline for brunch reservation is October 22. Brunch provided by Water Tower Fine Wines.

Where:
Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
In historic Over-the-Rhine.

Tickets:

  • $25 regular price tickets
  • $35 “Living Wage” tickets, supporting working artists in Cincinnati
  • $15 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)
  • FREE walk-up tickets are available on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment.
    Advance reservations to Welcome Experiment performances are $5.00.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW). 

The Welcome Experiment performances for The Man-Beast made possible by Taft, Stettinius, & Hollister LLP 

Season Design sponsorship provided by Travis McElroy. 

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./U.S. Bank 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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