LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN
Oct. 23-Nov. 1
Directed by Elizabeth Burns
SANTA PHOBIA
Dec. 4-13
Directed by Melissa Baughn
A DOLL’S HOUSE
Jan. 29-Feb. 7
Directed by Anna Blaire
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
Jan. 27-Feb. 7
Directed by Connie Strait
A NIGHT OF FAIRYTALES
May 14-23
Directed by Josie Johnson
For more information visit www.xeniaact1.org
Filed under Press Releases, Season Announcements
Local playwriting group selects scripts to support the Save the Animals Foundation
Cincinnati—September 28, 2026– The Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative (CPI) Board of Directors has announced the play selections for its Lovefest 4 ten-minute play festival fundraiser which will help support the Cincinnati Save The Animals Foundation (STAF), a volunteer-driven, no-kill shelter providing rescue and rehabilitation since 1988 to alleviate the suffering of dogs and cats, while helping each animal find a loving home.
The following 8 CPI members will have their plays produced at the Evendale Bell Tower Arts Pavilion to celebrate Valentine’s weekend, February 12, 13 and 14, 2027.
Tickets for Lovefest 4 are on sale now for $15.50 and can be purchased online at https://tricountyplayers.seatyourself.biz or by calling the Box Office at 513-604-0631.
CPI is a non-profit theater arts organization whose mission is to support playwrights in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area by offering free playwriting workshops, staged readings and now a full production supporting local area non-profits. They provide valuable audience feedback to the playwrights so that scripts can be further developed to potentially become fully produced regionally or nationally and/or receive royalties from becoming published.
To learn more about joining CPI, visit the website at https://cincyplaywrights.org or follow them on social media both on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cincyplaywrights and X https://x.com/cincyplaywright.
Filed under Press Releases
(Cincinnati, OH) Good manners never go out of style! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) continues its 2026–2027 season with Mrs. Mannerly by Jeffrey Hatcher, reviving one of its most beloved and successful productions in its history. Cincinnati favorites Raymond McAnnally and Dale Hodges reunite to reprise their acclaimed performances from the production’s original sold-out run as Jeffrey and the formidable Mrs. Mannerly. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers, Mrs. Mannerly runs October 13–November 1, 2026. Premiere sponsor is Manuel Hernandez.
Set in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1967, Hatcher’s autobiographical comedy follows nine-year-old Jeffrey as he enrolls in the rigorous etiquette class of a teacher with a mysterious past and zero tolerance for rudeness. Through mischief, determination, and an unexpected friendship, Jeffrey discovers that manners are about more than forks and napkins. Filled with sharp wit, nostalgia, and heart, Mrs. Mannerly is a delightful romp that celebrates the lessons, laughter, and mentors that shape us.
“It’s almost like looking at it for the first time,” says ETC’s Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “Mrs. Mannerly is incredibly irreverent. In a world where everyone thinks they’re right or wrong, it reminds us that there’s this enormous gray space called human thinking and emotion. It pokes fun at the ways people choose to judge one another, but it’s also a confection of joy. It’s a tour de force for these two spectacular performers— Dale and Ray are two of the greatest actor pairings I’ve ever seen. This production sets the clock back sixty years will give everyone and hour and half of laughter while celebrating a production that audiences loved so much the first time around.”
The cast includes Dale Hodges as Mrs. Mannerly and Raymond McAnally as Jeffrey.
Production team: D. Lynn Meyers (Director), Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Hannah Plessinger (Costume Designer), Trey Tatum (Sound Designer), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Curator & Design Assistant), Jacob Dowell (Technical Director), Margot Whitney (Production Stage Manager), and Lexi Muller (Assistant Stage Manager).
Performance Information
Performances Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.
Ticket Prices
Tickets start at $22 for adults; student and children are half the cost of adult tickets. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount only applies to adult tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person.
2026–2027 Season Presenting Sponsor is The LKC Foundation.
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.
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.
Filed under Press Releases
Roald Dah’ls CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
June 3-12
Directed by Amanda Osburn
SEUSSICAL the Musical
July 29-Aug. 7
Directed by Kate Elliott
For more information visit www.esptheater.org
Filed under Press Releases, Season Announcements
NATIONAL TOUR OF MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL® PLAYS
CINCINNATI’S ARONOFF CENTER FROM MARCH 30 – APRIL 4, 2027
FOR SEVEN PERFORMANCES ONLY!
Tickets On Sale Friday, September 25
CINCINNATI, OH – GFour Productions, winner of sixty-eight Drama Desk and fifty-four Tony Awards®, is proudly bringing the international hit show Menopause The Musical® to the Aronoff Center’s intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater from March 30 – April 4, 2027 for seven performances only (see full performance schedule below). Menopause The Musical® is a groundbreaking celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change.” The show is part of Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2026-27 CAA PRESENTS Season.
Tickets go on sale Friday, September 25 at 10:00 at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office at 650 Walnut Street. For group sales (10 or more), call (513) 977-4155. Prices include all applicable fees and taxes and are subject to change.
Now celebrating twenty-five years of female empowerment through hilarious musical comedy, Menopause The Musical® has evolved as a “grassroots” movement of women who deal with life adjustments around the age of forty by embracing each other and the road ahead. What began with seventy-six women in an Orlando perfume shop-turned-theater who are laughing, kick lining, and celebrating menopause for the first time became a global movement. The musical shattered the stigma around menopause and turned a once-taboo topic into a badge of honor.
Set in a department store, four women meet while shopping for a black lace bra at a lingerie sale. After noticing similarities among one another, the ladies joke about their woeful hot flashes, mood swings, wrinkles, weight gain, and much more. These women form a sisterhood and a unique bond with the entire audience as they rejoice in celebrating that menopause is no longer “The Silent Passage.” It’s the Hilarious Celebration of Women and The Change!®
Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, playwright Jeanie Linders created Menopause The Musical® to celebrate women at every stage of “The Change.” The laughter-filled, 90-minute production gets audience members out of their seats and singing along to parodies from classic pop songs of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.
The original Menopause The Musical® debuted in Orlando, FL, and ran Off-Broadway for four years, performing for more than 1,500 audiences, followed by a U.S. national tour that is still running today. In 2007, it opened internationally in the United Kingdom and has performed in countries including Australia, South Korea, Brazil, France, Slovenia, and many more. It was also the longest-running musical in Las Vegas history. Beloved for twenty-five years and seen by more than seventeen-million people, Menopause The Musical® has played every state in the continental U.S., more than 500 cities worldwide, and has been translated into nine languages.
The production’s Book and Lyrics are by Jeanie Linders. The creative team includes Director Seth Greenleaf, Music Supervisor and Additional Arrangements Alan J. Plado, Assistant Director Kim Simari, Choreography Supervisor Teri Adams, and Assistant Music Supervisor Roberta B. Wall. Columbia Artist Theatricals represents the production.
Menopause The Musical® Performance Schedule
For more information, visit: MenopauseTheMusical.com, facebook.com/menopausethemusical, instagram.com/menopausethemusical, x.com/menomusical, and threads.com/@menopausethemusical.
About GFour Productions
GFour Productions proudly produces some of the world’s most recognized shows, from Broadway to the West End. Current and recent productions and investments: DEAD OUTLAW (Broadway); GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (Broadway); STEREOPHONIC (Broadway, West End); THE SHARK IS BROKEN (West End, Broadway, UK Tour); STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW (West End, Broadway); SIX THE MUSICAL (Broadway, West End and Tour); THE BOOK OF MORMON; THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. Current tours include FUNNY GIRL, TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, and the international sensation MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL® and its sequel. Additional productions in active development include the controversial new Off-Broadway musical SLAM FRANK and YOU’VE STILL GOT A FRIEND, a touring tribute to the enduring friendship and collaboration between Carole King and James Taylor. www.GFourProductions.com
Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSORS
he Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
Season Sponsors: AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), MIAMI UNIVERSITY, ARTSWAVE, LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, PROCTER & GAMBLE, TRIHEALTH
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS: 21C Museum Hotel, altafiber, Bahl & Gaynor, CityBeat, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, The Party Source, Pepsi, Summerfair Cincinnati
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CALENDAR INFORMATION
WHAT: Menopause The Musical®
WHEN: March 30 – April 4, 2027 (full performance schedule below)
WHERE: Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater
PRICES: Start at $78.75, inclusive of all fees.
INFO: COME JOIN OUR SISTERHOOD! Four women at a lingerie sale have nothing in common but a black lace bra AND memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex, and more. This hilarious musical parody set to classic tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s will have you cheering and dancing in the aisles. See what millions of women worldwide have been laughing about for twenty-five years. It’s the Hilarious Celebration of Women and The Change!® (And men love it, too.)
TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, September 25
Filed under Press Releases
