Category Archives: Press Releases

LCT Recommends SWEENEY TODD as a 4.5 Star Production

Helen Anneliesa Raymond-Goers as Mrs. Lovett & Justin Glaser as Sweeney Todd.

Helen Anneliesa Raymond-Goers as Mrs. Lovett & Justin Glaser as Sweeney Todd.

“Vocal performances are top-notch” stated one panelist as he extolled the musical direction of Jamey Strawn. Panelists also praised Justin Glaser as Sweeney (“outstanding, rich vocals”), Helen Raymond-Goers as Mrs. Lovett (“much needed comic relief and a stellar singing ability”), and Mathys Herbert as Tobias (“fully-embodied, vulnerable, and innocent”).

Another panelist states, “the Carnegie has hit it out of the ballpark again. This is a terrific rendition of a very dark, twisted and melodramatic show. The singing throughout is excellent, especially considering the difficulty of Sondheim’s score. Justin Glaser plays Sweeney with a demonic intensity focused on revenge. Helen Raymond-Goers portrays the manipulative Mrs. Lovett with saucy… The character of Tobias Ragg is pivotal in the show and Mathys Herbert transitions well from street con man to a realization of the horror of the baking room.”

Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” tells the tale of an English barber innocently sentenced to Australia for 15 years, so the unscrupulous Judge could usurp his beautiful wife and child. After 15 years the barber returns, seeking revenge and to be reunited with the wife and daughter.

Tickets to Sweeney Todd” can be purchased at the Carnegie websitewww.thecarnegie.com.

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KTC’s HARRY AND THE THIEF Earns 3.5 Stars from LCT

Photo by Deogracias Lerma.

Photo by Deogracias Lerma.

“Harry and the Thief” playing now through August 30, 2014, at the Know Theatre has earned 3.5 stars from the League of Cincinnati Theatres. Panelists agreed that is “off-the-wall” and a “fun ride,” reminiscent of a Mel Brooks film.

One panelist expounds, “The movie-like feel of the film allows the actors to cross boundaries of the theatre and create a new world between theatre and film. With montage scenes, trailers and credits, it was fast-paced and entertaining for the full two hours.”

Jon Kovach had a standout performance as Overseer Jones. A panelist detailed,” While the character is ‘white trash’, sexist and racist, Kovach brings humanity to the character by fighting for the child he has created with slave girl Vivian (Sola Thompson). He also, without fail, kept the audience laughing through the whole show. The story of Overseer Jones is a difficult and silly role and Kovach shows both sides to this character that the whole audience can enjoy.”

A panelist explains the plot: “Jeremy (Rico Reid) has invented a time machine and sends Mimi (Torrie Wiggins) back to Harriet Tubman times to deliver guns for a grand effort to free all the slaves. But neither plot nor history really matter for this show, that is a mash-up of satire, farce, caricature, and sketch comedy.”

Tickets for “Harry and the Thief” can be purchased athttp://knowtheatre.com/tickets/ or by calling the Know Theatre at 513-300-KNOW(5669).

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CSC’s Phillips Named ‘Forty Under 40’ Winner

Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips named one of Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 Winners

The Business Courier has announced this year’s class of Forty Under 40 winners!

Brian Isaac Phillips.

Brian Isaac Phillips.

CINCINNATI,— August 6, 2014— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to announce the nomination of their Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips as a member of the Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 class. The program recognizes Greater Cincinnati’s next generation of young leaders and innovators — people who have already made a mark professionally and in the community.  The Forty Under 40 winners, along with this year’s Second Act honorees, will be recognized at a luncheon Sept. 30 at Music Hall, 1241 Elm St. downtown Cincinnati.

Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips, has been with the company for sixteen seasons.  He also just celebrated his 11th season of artistic leadership of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.  He was named Producing Artistic Director in 2010 after being Artistic Director since 2003. Prior to these responsibilities, he served with the organization as Associate Artistic Director for one season, as well as four seasons as a member of the acting company. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and the Stage Director’s and Choreographer’s Society. Mr. Phillips, originally from Pittsburgh, is a graduate of Morehead State University and has been a resident of Cincinnati for sixteen years. In that time he has worked for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The Children’s Theatre, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, New Stage Collective, as well as over 100 productions with CSC. He also has worked regionally at theatres in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Northern Ohio. Most recent credits include The Two Noble Kinsmen, Henry IV pts. 1 and 2, Hamlet, The 39 Steps, Measure for Measure, Richard II, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Grapes of Wrath, Henry VIII: All is True, Macbeth, A Man for All Seasons, Bedroom Farce, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Handmaid’s Tale (world premiere), The Life and Death of King John, Dracula, Blithe Spirit, Krapp’s Last Tape,  Amadeus, Timon of Athens, The Seagull, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, King Lear, and Cymbeline. He upcoming credits includeThe Great Gatsby, The Birds, Waiting for Godot and Henry V, all appearing on CSC’s stage this season.

Outside of CSC, Mr. Phillips has recently been seen onstage in Collapse at Know Theatre, Porgy and Bess at Cincinnati Opera, as well as The Seafarer and Dead Man’s Cell Phone at Ensemble Theatre. Mr. Phillips will also appear in the film Miles Ahead featuring Don Cheadle and Ewan McGregor which will be released in 2015.  He staged Know Theatre’s recent productions of When the Rain Stops Falling and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, directed the Xavier University/CSC collaboration of The Crucible and served as dramaturg on Cincinnati Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In addition to this 2014 nomination, he was named a finalist for the 2013 class of Forty Under 40 and a finalist for the Ohio Governors’ Arts Awards. On May 3, 2013, Mr. Phillips was recognized by Mayor Mark Mallory and the City of Cincinnati for his decade of achievement and service at CSC.  Mr. Phillips is honored that CSC was named as a finalist the past three years for Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce’s Non Profit of the Year Award and was named Best of 2013 by the Cincinnati Enquirer. He is thrilled to have led CSC to becoming one of the first five theatres in the United States to have produced Shakespeare’s complete 38 play canon and to have personally completed the canon as well. The completion of the canon and CSC’s 20th Anniversary milestone were recognized by Mayor John Cranley and the City of Cincinnati on April 23, 2014 when that day was proclaimed Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Day.

Brian lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Corinne Mohlenhoff and their two children, Holden & Annabel.

For additional information or for interviews, contact Jeanna Vella, Director of Education and Communications as jeanna.vella@cincyshakes.com or 513.381.2273 ext. 3202.

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About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages.  Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season.  The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 30,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street.  Last season, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About the 2014-2015 Season:

This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of “Henry V” is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.  The season design sponsor is Mark & Sue Ann Painter.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online atwww.cincyshakes.com.

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CLT Announces Production of BUCKEYE By Elizabeth A. Harris

CINCINNATI LAB THEATRE ANNOUNCES PRODCUTION OF
“BUCKEYE” BY ELIZABETH A. HARRIS, HOSTED BY FALCON THEATRE, NEWPORT, KY.

CLT_logo(Cincinnati, OH) Cincinnati LAB Theatre announces its fully staged workshop production of “Buckeye” by Elizabeth a. Harris. Falcon Theatre is the presenting host of Cincinnati LAB Theatre’s production at the Monmouth Theatre in Newport, KY. Performances are August 14, 15, & 16, 2014, 8:00pm.

About the Play

In this new play Anna, an army medic who served in Iraq, struggles to connect with her daughter, Lucy, as she manages severe symptoms of PTSD and fights for a normal life in the aftermath of war.

About the Playwright

Elizabeth A. Harris has had original works and adaptations produced in several cities. Her most recent original work, Night Walkers, was produced by Homegrown Theatre for the 2014 Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Her original work, The Big Bored, which she co-wrote with Matt Johnson and Brian Phillips, has been produced both in Cincinnati and Atlanta. Elizabeth’s modern adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was produced in Pittsburgh and her adaptation of the civil a war drama Someday was produced in Kentucky. Elizabeth also works as an actor and director. She has worked for such companies as Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, New Edgecliff, and Covedale Center for the Performing Arts. Elizabeth teaches acting at Northern Kentucky University and is the Director of Theatre Arts for UC CCM Preparatory Department.

About the Cast

Leah Strasser (Anna) Leah Strasser is a member of Untethered Theater Company (located at the Clifton performance Theater) and a founding member of Homegrown Theater. She holds a BFA from Ohio University and completed an internship with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati in 2010. Local acting credits include Revelation and Savage in Limbo (Untethered), The Whale (Clifton Players), Harvey (The Carnegie), The Amish Project (Queen City Theater), The Elephant Man (Falcon Theater), The Art of Murder (Showboat Majestic), Trust and Sleeping Beauty (Ensemble) and Night Walkers, Pulling Off Procreation and The Doppelganger Cometh and Overtaketh (Homegrown).

Bob Allen (Bob) Bob Allen most recently performed at the Cincy Fringe Festival in Elizabeth a. Harris’ Night Walkers. Last season he was seen in New Edgecliff’s productions of Other People’s Moneyand Bus Stop. Bob received an LCT award as Featured Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Dr. Lyman in Bus Stop.

Brian Berendts (Jack) – Brian Berendts has appeared in both Columbus and Cincinnati over the past 20 years, most notably with IF Theatre Collective, Ovation, Cincinnati Music Theatre, The Footlighters and Actor’s Theatre Columbus. A Clinical Research Nurse during the day, he’s especially enjoyed appearing as Jerry in ‘The Full Monty’, Zach in ‘A Chorus Line’, Thomas Jefferson in ‘1776’ and Pharaoh in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’.

Kaleigh Howland (Lucy) is a rising senior at Covington Latin School and a recent graduate of the Certificate Acting Program at The University of Cincinnati CCM Preparatory Department. She is an award winning actress, having received Orchids for her role as Anne Frank in “The Diary of Anne Frank” (Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre) and as Echo in “Eleemosynary” (Stagecrafters), as well as receiving an Outstanding in Acting award at both the regional and state OCTA competitions in 2013.

Single Tickets

Performances are August 14, 15, and 16, 8:00pm at the Monmouth Theatre, 636 Monmouth St., Newport, KY, 41071.

Save on tickets by purchasing online in advance for $12 or purchase at the door for $18. Student tickets at the door are $10 with a valid student I.D. To purchase tickets online visit https://tix4.seatyourself.biz/webstore/webstore.html?domain=falcontheater&event=

 

About Cincinnati LAB Theatre

Cincinnati LAB Theatre is an organization for established and emerging artists in the Greater Cincinnati area dedicated to a collaborative creative process that will present established works of drama and develop new plays through a traditional workshop model. Cincinnati LAB Theatre will provide a solid platform for artists to cultivate, strengthen and hone their artistic crafts and talents and offer quality theatre for Cincinnati audiences.

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Flash Mob-Style Theater Comes to Cincinnati

QCF_The Complete Tom(CINCINNATI) – Queen City Flash, a new Flash Mob-style theater company, debuts with THE COMPLETE TOM: 1. ADVENTURES, based on the works of Mark Twain and adapted by Trey Tatum, Aug. 20 through 28, 2014. Directed by Cincinnati Art Ambassador Fellow Bridget Leak, this production is funded by the City of Cincinnati.  

An expanded look at the works of Mark Twain, THE COMPLETE TOM combines all his writings on Tom Sawyer, including his famed novels, little known sequels, cut chapters, personal correspondence and autobiographical materials. The four installments (1. ADVENTURES, 2. HUCKLEBERRY, 3. ABROAD and 4. DETECTIVE) take us further into Tom and Huck’s journey from being boys of the leading White Society and show us a glimpse of the men they will become.

The show features an ensemble of local actors, including Travis Black, Brandon Holcomb, Sam Rueff, Erin Ward and Tara Williams. The design team includes Trey Tatum (set designer), Tara Williams (costume designer) and Sara Leah Miller (puppet designer).

For Flash Mob-style Performances, tickets can be reserved based on the date and time of your choice. At 4:00 p.m. the day of the show, an email will be sent with a map and parking instructions to the secret location. Tickets can be reserved for both Flash Mob-style and full-disclosure Community Center Performances atwww.QueenCityFlash.com. Tickets are free to the public and funded by the City of Cincinnati through the Cincinnati Art Ambassador Fellowships Program.

Flash Mob-style Performances are Wed., Aug. 20 at 8:00 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 22 at 8:00 p.m.; Sat. Aug. 23 at 8:00 p.m.; and Thursday, Aug. 28 at 8:00 p.m. Community Center Performances are Thurs., Aug. 21 at 6:00 p.m. at Westwood Town Hall and Wed., Aug. 27 at 8:00 p.m. at Assumption Gallery in Walnut Hills. Details and accessibility information for each performance can be found at www.QueenCityFlash.com.

The Cincinnati Art Ambassador Fellowships Program is a competitive endeavor and affirms the City’s desire to encourage the creation of works of art in the City. Goals of the program are to celebrate contributions Cincinnati artists make to the city and to enrich quality of life for Cincinnatians by encouraging artists and arts/cultural organizations to provide a broad spectrum of cultural experiences.

Queen City Flash is a new theater company dedicated to open access to the arts and expanding audiences’ sense of theatricality by untethering the arts from physical space, prohibitive costs and traditional notions. Through flash mob-style theater, artists and communities combine to transform environments and unite over stories, picnics and sunsets.

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