Category Archives: Press Releases

March 29, 2017 · 11:47 am

Sinclair Theatre Presents THE TOXIC AVENGER

SCCT_The Toxic Avenger promo

Thomas Puckett, as The Toxic Avenger. Photo by Patti Celek. Superhero mask design by Sinclair alumnus Patrick Allyn Hayes.

Sinclair Theatre will present an outrageous musical comedy with an environmental twist, THE TOXIC AVENGER, April 7-15, in Blair Hall Theatre on the downtown Dayton campus.

Directed by Chris Harmon with musical direction by David McKibben, the show is based on Lloyd Kaufman’s The Toxic Avenger films. This charming love story and laugh-out-loud musical features an unlikely hero, his beautiful girlfriend, a corrupt New Jersey mayor and bullies, mobsters, old ladies, and stiletto-wearing back-up singers. Written by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, the subject matter is not suitable for children or the faint of heart!

Tickets cost $18 for adults and $15 for students/seniors. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. for the Sunday, April 9th matinee. Weekday performances on Wednesday AND Thursday (April 12-13) are at 7 p.m. and cost only $10! ALL tickets are reserved seating and available online now at: www.sinclair.edu/tickets.

In addition, all Thursday and Sunday performances are American Sign Language interpreted featuring Lacy C. Bryant Burkett and Charli Malloy as interpreters.

Cast includes: Thomas Puckett, Courtney Kakac, Sha-lemar Davis, Elisha Chamberlin, Elisa Fuentes and Justin Lampkins.

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March 29, 2017 · 11:40 am

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE Wraps up the Arts Center at Dunham’s Free Family Fun

PIP_The Lion the With and the Wardrobe promo

CINCINNATI, OH – March 24, 2017 — Walk through the wardrobe into Narnia for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill Productions of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE on Saturday, April 22 at 2 p.m. at The Arts Center at Dunham (1945 Dunham Way, Cincinnati, OH 45238).

Courtesy of a grant from Price Hill Will and supported by The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation and John C. Griswold Foundation, the adaptation by Le Clanché du Rand introduces audiences to a vast array of C.S. Lewis’ classic literary characters played by two actors from the Playhouse’s 2016-17 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company, including Richard Buchanan, Ernaijsa Curry, Tatum Hunter and Taha Mandviwala.

Brian Isaac Phillips, Artistic Director of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, is directing the play. “The thing that excites me the most about working with the team is the variety of imaginations coming together to work on the same story,” says Phillips. “The script is minimal in what it demands, but it inspires many different takes on how to tell the story. I was first exposed to this story in elementary school. My hope is that our production will be an introduction for a new generation and make the same lasting impression.”

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE tells the story of Narnia, beginning when the Pevensie children are taken to Professor Digory Kirke’s house in the height of the World War II Blitz. Though they’ve escaped the dangers that lurk over London, England, the siblings grow bored in the quiet house. Trying to make the most of their dreary situation, their adventures begin with an innocent game of hide-and-seek. Lucy Pevensie stumbles upon a land she never could have dreamed of when she chooses a lone wardrobe as a hiding place from her siblings.

The original C.S. Lewis novel was published in 1950 after the tough times of the war ended. Lewis takes the audience’s imaginations to their full capacities with mythical characters, including fauns, dwarves and talking lions. The adaptation begins with Lucy and Peter talking about what happened to them in Narnia. Lucy then prompts Peter to share their experiences with the audience.

With only two actors and a traveling set, the show is a performance in trunk-style theatre, with wardrobe and props emerging from a single place throughout the show. Even very young children can see themselves in the characters, as the structure of this adaptation mimics children at play.

Daunielle Rasmussen, Director of Education and Community Engagement says, “This adaptation will be a completely magical experience for little ones. It definitely meets them on their level because the way that our team is going to play is how they play: with their imaginations.” 

The show is recommended for ages 5 and up.

Reservations are recommended for the FREE Family Fun Series and can be made online (www.sunsetplayers.org) or by calling 513-588-4988.

The Arts Center at Dunham is a fine arts center for the west side of Cincinnati and its vision is to provide affordable creative and performing arts for Price Hill and surrounding communities. Housed in one of the three remaining buildings of what was the first municipally owned tuberculosis sanatorium in the United States, the Arts Center includes a 350-seat performance venue as well as extensive studio and programming space. The Arts Center is in the Dunham Recreation Complex. See what is happening at the Arts Center at Dunham on Facebook.

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March 29, 2017 · 6:45 am

CCM’s Studio Musical Theatre Series Presents CHILDREN OF EDEN March 30-April 2

CCM_logoUC’s College-Conservatory of Music presents Children of Eden, a two-act musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird, on Thursday, March 30 through Saturday, April 1 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. The production is directed and choreographed by Vince DeGeorge, with musical direction by Steve Goers.

Like all Studio Series productions, admission to Children of Eden is free, but tickets are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 27, and can be reserved by visiting the CCM Box Office or calling 513-556-4183.

Schwartz, known for his smash-hit musicals that include Wicked and Godspell, created Children of Eden in 1986 for Youth Sing Praise, a religious high school theatre camp in Illinois. It was originally shorter and titled Family Tree, but Schwartz later expanded and renamed it. The musical as it exists today was premiered in 1991 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End.

The musical’s two acts relate the story of Adam and Eve and their children, followed by the tale of Noah and his family. In the first act, Adam and Eve interact with the Father (God) in Eden and are ultimately banished from the garden after they consume the forbidden fruit. We follow the couple through their trials with their children, Cain and Abel, the former of whom ultimately kills the latter.

In the second half of the show, Noah and his family are preparing for the great flood, including Noah’s son Japheth, who is determined to marry his family’s servant Yonah, a descendant of Cain. During the act, Noah laments the difficulty of being a good father, as does the omnipotent Father, who ultimately decides to grant his children the power of self-determination.

With free admission and limited seating, CCM’s Studio Series productions remain one of the hottest tickets in town. Learn more about how secure your tickets by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/did-you-know/how-to-studio-series.

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Cast List

  • Phillip Johnson as Father
  • Bryce Baxter as Adam
  • Ciara Harris as Eve
  • Zachary Triska as Cain
  • Edward Dohring as Abel
  • .Jordan Miller as Seth
  • Gabe Wrobel as Noah
  • Emily Meredith as Mama
  • Donelvan Thigpen as Shem
  • Dylan Dougal as Ham
  • Stavros Koumbaros as Japheth
  • Madelaine Vandenberg as Aysha
  • Kendall McCarthy as Aphra
  • Emily Royer as Yonah
  • Madison Deadman, Kylie Goldstein, Delaney Guyer, Jennifer Mollet, Andrew Alstat, Matthew Copley, Madison Hagler, William Jackson, Erich Schleck as Storytellers
Performance Times
8 p.m. Thursday, March 30
8 p.m. Friday, March 31,
2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1
Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Admission
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 27. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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Musical Theatre Program Sponsor and Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

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March 27, 2017 · 1:58 pm

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Closes Season with Regional Premiere Drama BLOOMSDAY, April 4-23, 2017

ETC_Bloomsday logo(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) closes its 31st season with a trip to Ireland in the regional premiere of Bloomsday by award-winning playwright Steven Dietz. Set against the backdrop of James Joyce’s groundbreaking modernist novel Ulysses, an American man searches for the Irish woman who first captured his heart 35 years earlier during a Bloomsday walking tour in Dublin. This lyrical, intriguing drama transports audiences into a world of history, humor, and heartache to explore a love affair that might have been. Playing April 4-23, 2017. Directed by Michael Evan Haney.

James Joyce’s mega-novel Ulysses (itself based on The Odyssey) charts the life of an Irish man, Leopold Bloom, on June 16, 1904—a day now celebrated annually as Bloomsday worldwide. Dietz’s play finds Robert, a modern-day, middle-aged American, time-traveling to 1980s Dublin in search of Cait, a Bloomsday tour guide and the woman he once loved. Dancing backwards through time, they relive the unlikely, inevitable events that brought them—if only briefly—together. Not just another what-might-have-been story, this charming, Irish time-travel-love-odyssey is a buoyant, moving appeal for making the most of the present before it is past.

“It’s hard to go wrong when you pick up a Steven Dietz play,” explains Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “There is an honesty in his writing that is unparalleled. Bloomsday gives us the perfect opportunity to get in touch with our younger and present selves.” Guest Director Michael Evan Haney adds “Bloomsday is the kind of story that we conjure up in those foggy moments before we sleep or before we are truly awake. It examines the subject of lost chances and lost love and how we rationalize the decisions we make in our lives. It’s a dream play.” 

About the Cast

Annie Fitzpatrick (Cait) was last seen in Luna Gale at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Her other favorite productions include Hands On A Hardbody, Next Fall, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Rabbit Hole, String of Pearls (for which she received an Acclaim Award), Wayfarer’s Rest, Intimate Apparel, and Earhart. Additionally, Ms. Fitzpatrick received Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for her performances in Copperheads, Dinner With Friends, and Mauritius. She appeared in A Prayer for Owen Meany, To Kill A Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol, and Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Richard III, Death Of a Salesman, Little Women, A Man For All Seasons, and Blithe Spirit, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Silent Sky, Pluto, and Collapse, Know Theatre. She has worked regionally at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre, Florida Stage, Florida Studio, CATCO, Human Race Theatre Co., Porthouse Theatre, and New Edgecliff Theatre. She was a founding member of The New Group in New York and toured internationally with Murder à La Carte. She has appeared in numerous soaps and in local and national commercials. Her TV and film credits include Those Who Kill on A&E, Army Wives, Little Accidents, Fun Size, and Milk Money.

Becca Howell (Caithleen) graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a BFA in Acting and was a member of the 2013-2014 Professional Acting Internship Program at ETC, where she was seen in Around the World in 80 Days. Ms. Howell recently worked on stage in the latest installment of Serials! at Know Theatre of Cincinnati and Prelude to a Kiss at Falcon Theatre. In addition to stage work, she has appeared on film in A Twisted Fate and Curvature. 

Barry Mulholland (Robert) is delighted to return to Ensemble Theatre, having previously appeared in Tribes, Freud’s Last Session, and End Days. Other local appearances include To Kill A Mockingbird, Pride & Prejudice, and Burkie, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; The Diary of Anne Frank, The Elephant Man, and Much Ado About Nothing, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and The Music Man in Concert with the Cincinnati Pops at Music Hall.
Mr. Mulholland appeared Off-Broadway in Ghost Sonata, Danton’s Death, Wild Oats, Balloon (Outer Critics Circle nomination, Best Play), and in the L.A. production of Love Streams starring Gena Rowlands, directed by John Cassavetes. Regional credits include leading roles with such theatres as Long Wharf Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Capital Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, and A.C.T. Seattle. His plays Barnes & Noble Conquer the World and Existential Therapy have been featured in new play festivals in New York and Massachusetts. Recent screen credits include A Kind of Murder, Curvature, and Surviving Compton. 

Patrick Phillips (Robbie) last appeared at ETC as Prince Freddy in Cinderella: After Ever After. He is a graduate of Xavier University with a BA in Theatre. His previous Ensemble credits include Luna Gale, Violet, Love and Information, and Sleeping Beauty. His other regional theatre credits include The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre; Henry VI, Part I, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Saint Joan and Relatively Speaking, Diogenes Theatre Company.

Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Stormie Mac (Costume Designer), and Julia Guichard (Dialect Coach). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Elizabeth Freyman. 

Performance Information
Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm; and Sunday, 7:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org. 

Ticket Prices
Ticket prices start at $28 for adults; student tickets are $25; and children are $18. For the 2016-2017 Season, ETC continues its popular $15 student and half-price rush tickets for all performances, which are available two hours prior to show time and may be purchased by phone or in person at the box office.

Available Discounts
Military, Educator, ArtsWave ArtsPass, AAA, and Enjoy the Arts discounts available; tickets and seating are subject to availability.

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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

2016-2017 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. 

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich and inspire our audiences.

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March 23, 2017 · 4:15 pm

Clifton Players and Untethered Theater Brings Manly Comedy to Clifton

SMALL ENGINE REPAIR Opens March 30 at Clifton Performance Theatre

CT_Small Engine Repair promo

CINCINNATI OHIO–MARCH 23, 2017– Opening March 30, 2017 a comedy, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR will run at Clifton Performance Theatre through April 16, 2017.

Producer and Actor Carter Bratton says about, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR: “It’s about life-long friendship and loyalty. What ultimately made me need to produce it is the question it raises about the difference between men and boys and how their actions butterfly effect this modern world… and it’s the funniest most thrilling piece of theatre I’ve read in a long time.”

“What begins as an impromptu reunion of three childhood friends quickly changes gears into a high-octane, edge of your seat roller-coaster of a play with an ending you have to see to believe!” said director, Jared Doren. “SMALL ENGINE REPAIR by John Pollono, is a hilariously crude and irreverent comedy-thriller about middle-aged men living in a fast-paced, social media world they don’t quite understand anymore.”

Featuring: Nathan Neorr, Charlie Roetting, Carter Bratton and Rupert Spraul. Directed by: Jared Doren. Produced by: Carter Bratton, Untethered Theatre, & Clifton Players.

Synopsis: Former high school buddies Frank, Swaino and Packie—now past their prime—meet off-hours one night in Frank’s out-of-the-way repair shop under cloudy circumstances that only Frank seems to have a handle on. Enter Chad, a plugged-in, preppy college jock, whose arrival ignites a long-simmering resentment that sets this taut, twisty, comic thriller on its breathless course.

Show runs March 30 – April 16, 2017 at Clifton Performance Theatre, 404 Ludlow Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45220. Performances Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8pm: March 30, 31, April 1, 3 (Industry Night), 6, 7 , 8, 13, 14, 15 with Sunday Matinees at 2pm: April 2, 9 & 15.

Tickets are $25. Seniors are $20, and students with ID are $15. There is also a special buy-one-get-one offer upon request via phone. Tickets are available via phone at: 513.813.7469 or online on the Clifton Performance Theatre’s website at: www.cliftonperformancetheatre.com.

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About the Clifton Players:
The Clifton Players, founded in 2007, are a collective of actors committed to presenting the best local talent performing the funniest, most challenging and irreverent material they can find. The Clifton Players is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

About the Clifton Performance Theatre:
The Clifton Performance Theatre opened its doors in 2007, as the home for the Clifton Players, and other theatre groups. The theatre also hosts youth camps, workshops, classes, as well as rentals for parties, and for like-minded group performances.

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