Category Archives: Press Releases

TCP Returns to Sharonville Fine Arts Center with RUN FOR YOUR WIFE

Mary Ann Smith as Barbara Smith, Alan Kotser as John Smith & Peggy Allen as Mary Smith.

Mary Ann Smith as Barbara Smith, Alan Kotser as John Smith & Peggy Allen as Mary Smith.

Tri-County Players returns to the Sharonville Fine Art Center stage with a hilarious, laugh out loud adult British Farce – RUN FOR YOUR WIFE by Ray Cooney. Mary Benken is the director.

The author, Ray Cooney is a recognized master of comedy, and has written twenty stage comedies, which have been performed all over the world and translated into forty different languages. RUN FOR YOUR WIFE ran for over eight years on the London stage, and will be released in England as a movie in February 2013.

The play tells the story of John, a London taxi driver married to two wives in different parts of London. Things go well until he rescues an elderly woman from muggers and winds up in the hospital, threatening his exposure. Things get a little crazy when neighbor Stanley, who knows the truth, tries to “help” and makes matters worse. Add two police detectives, one sexually charged wife, one play-by-the-rules wife, and a gay dressmaker and you have the elements of chaos, double entendre and innuendo.

The show opens on Friday Jan. 25th, and continues on the 26th, Feb. 1 and 2nd at 8 pm. There is a matinee on Sunday Jan. 27th at 3 pm which is signed for the Hearing Impaired.

Tickets can be reserved by calling the TCP Ticket Line at 513.471.2030. Ticket prices are $12 for adults, and $10 for seniors and students.

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NET Presents O’Keefe World Premiere

Shuttle disasters serve as backdrop for
SLOW DESCENT FROM HEAVEN

Brian Berendts, Elizabeth A. Harris, Michael Hall & Sue Breving. Photo by: Mikki Schaffner.

Brian Berendts, Elizabeth A. Harris, Michael Hall & Sue Breving. Photo by: Mikki Schaffner.

New Edgecliff Theatre continues its transitional 15th season with the premiere of SLOW DESCENT FROM HEAVEN by NET’s Resident Playwright Catie O’Keefe. For this production, NET will travel to the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, where they’ve converted a double-sized classroom space into an intimate 88-seat studio theater.

SLOW DESCENT FROM HEAVEN features former NET Artistic Director Elizabeth A. Harris as Molly, a NASA scientist, whose story is told in reverse chronology, beginning with the Columbia disaster in 2003 and ending with the Challenger disaster 18 years earlier, in 1986. Rounding out the ensemble are Sue Breving, Brian Berendts and Michael Hall.

Ed Cohen, who previously directed “Death of a Salesman” for NET, returns to take on this compelling story. He says, “I love Catie’s use of the Space Shuttle program as a metaphor for relationships, which have the potential for spectacular, magical successes and equally spectacular, but paralyzing failures. Presenting the story in reverse chronological order allows the audience to see how the characters’ behavior – their confusions and doubts – developed out of past events.”

New Edgecliff Artistic Director Jim Stump is happy to see NET’s relationship with O’Keefe culminate with the premiere of a full length play. As he says, “When Catie joined New Edgecliff we were impressed with her work – a contemporary voice with a sense of intrigue that kept audiences looking forward to where the story would take them next. We chose one of her short plays, ‘Darker’, for our return to the Fringe Festival and it received wonderful critical and audience response. And the projects we’ve asked her to work on have always been spot on. I felt strongly that we needed to present a full-length piece by Catie as the next step both for her and for us.”

As for the playwright, O’Keefe says this play represents a very personal response in general to great disasters in human history because, as she puts it, “I feel they bring out some very resounding responses in human nature by which we are humbled in our own limits and existence. When the Columbia disaster occurred I remember watching and feeling so incredibly drawn to the trauma of the event – something that has stuck with me for some time. I’ve always wanted to be able to use that in a play.” Through the character of Molly, O’Keefe examines how our relationships are influenced by external events. “My work often follows the course of a relationship and how it changes and develops in relation to the environment. I felt that Molly was the perfect character to place in an experiment of love, career and life choices sandwiched between the Challenger and Columbia disasters in an attempt to capture the path of this one woman’s journey in relation to such monumental events.”

NET Executive Director and founder Michael Shooner adds, “We’re very excited to have Ed Cohen directing Catie’s very honest, human play in such an innovative and intimate setting. The folks at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center have been quite accommodating in allowing us to transform this space. All in all, it should make for a memorable night of theatre.”

Intended for mature audiences only.

SLOW DESCENT FROM HEAVEN
February 20–23 (Wed-Sat) and February 26–March 2 (Tues-Sat), 7:30pm.
Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Avenue
Tickets: $23 adults, $18 seniors, and $15 students
For more information or to purchase your tickets, visit newedgecliff.com or call (513) 399-6638

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TDW Stages Regional Premiere of JERRY FINNEGAN’S SISTER

Nate Netzley as Brian Dowd & Bonnie Emmer as Beth Finnegan in TDW's JERRY FINNEGAN’S SISTER, Jan. 18-27.

Nate Netzley as Brian Dowd & Bonnie Emmer as Beth Finnegan.

(Cheviot, Ohio) The Drama Workshop, the award-winning community theater based at Cheviot’s Glenmore Playhouse, is preparing for the regional premiere of Jack Neary’s comedy, JERRY FINNEGAN’S SISTER. Show dates are January 18, 19, 25, and 26 at 8 pm. Matinee performances will be offered on January 20 and 27 at 2 pm. The production is being directed by Ray Persing and is co-produced by Ray Persing and Gretchen Gantner.

JERRY FINNEGAN’S SISTER recounts the long relationship between Brian Dowd and his best friend’s sister, Beth Finnegan. Ever since the Finnegan family moved in next door, Brian has wrestled with an unrequited “something” for Beth. But each and every time he’s spoken with her for more than 30 seconds, he’s ended up with his foot planted firmly in his mouth. But now, Brian’s time is about to run out. With recent news that Jerry Finnegan’s sister is getting married, the time has come for him to put up or shut up.

This two-person show features Nate Netzley, from Westwood, and Blue Ash resident Bonnie Emmer.

“It’s a show I feel a lot of people will be able to relate to,” said Netzley. “We’ve all been in that situation where we really like someone, bordering on another ‘L word,’ but we can’t muster the courage or find the words to say how we truly feel.”

“The show really speaks to overcoming personal insecurities,” adds in Persing. “We get to see relationship develop between Brian and Beth, beginning from when the characters are children and how that relationship progresses until they are in their early 20’s. Like many of us, Brian simply needs to get out of his own way. Nate and Bonnie have done a fantastic job in portraying the changes in how boys and girls relate to each other as they grow up.”

Bonnie Emmer plays the title character, “One of the things I love about JERRY FINNEGAN’S SISTER is that we get to play Beth and Brian at several different ages,” she said. “We get to play toddlers, tweens, teens and adults. The show is set in present day so the year Beth was 6, I was also 6. This allows me the unique opportunity to relive my childhood and build a character from it. Rehearsing this show has brought back some really great childhood memories.”

Nate and his family have been long-time members of The Drama Workshop, but Nate has been absent for an extended period as he attends college at Northern Kentucky University, pursing a BFA in Acting. “It’s been fun coming back to my home group after three years. It’s a completely different environment. It’s the most free I’ve felt on stage in a long time.”

Tickets may be ordered through the TDW ticket line at 598-8303, or online at www.thedramaworkshop.org. All seats are $15.00. Because of the limited run nature of this production, reservations are strongly encouraged.

For more information, contact Ms. Gretchen Gantner at 513-470-5516, or groose1876@aol.com.

THE DRAMA WORKSHOP was founded in 1954. TDW is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education and promotion of theatrical arts. Based at the newly renovated Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot, The Drama Workshop is widely recognized as one of greater Cincinnati’s most accomplished community theater organizations, garnering dozens of awards annually from the Association of Community Theaters. TDW productions have been regularly selected to represent the Southwest Ohio region at the Ohio Community Theater Association annual conference. Prospective members, and individuals or businesses interested in helping to advance TDW’s mission are encouraged to contact the group through our website at http://www.thedramaworkshop.org or by phone at 513-598-8303.

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AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR to Perform at MU Feb. 7

MUPAS_African Childrens ChoirOxford, Ohio – The African Children’s Choir, an amazing musical experience from Uganda, is back at Miami University due to popular demand. They will provide outreach in the community prior to their 7:30 p.m. performance on Thursday, February 7th at Hall Auditorium, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

In 1984, in the midst of Uganda’s bloody civil war, human rights activist Ray Barnett was called on to help the thousands of orphaned and starving children who were abandoned and helpless, left to feed and protect themselves. Inspired by the singing of one small boy, they formed the first African Children’s Choir. That first Choir was selected from orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. They were trained to perform and readied for living in new and different cultures. The children then traveled from Uganda to tour amongst the North American Church communities. They immediately impressed audiences with their outstanding musical talent and quickly became a voice for the plight of the many thousands of vulnerable children like them in Uganda.

The African Children’s Choir travels the world, acting as the ambassador for Africa’s most vulnerable children. Their goal is to raise awareness and show that despite the desolate circumstances they come from, they have beauty, dignity, hope, and unlimited potential.

To date, over one thousand vulnerable children have been through the African Children’s Choir program and the funds they have generated have provided the opportunity of education and hope for many more thousands like them in some of the most desperate areas of Africa. Come experience their musical message of hope.

The African Children’s Choir is presented by the Miami University Performing Arts Series and is sponsored by Brett & Laura Smith and the Western College Alumnae Association. Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $9 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, go online to www.MiamiOH.edu/PerformingArtsSeries or call the Miami Box Office at (513) 529-3200.

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KTC Presents WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING

 

Nick Rose. Photo by Deogracias Lema.

Nick Rose. Photo by Deogracias Lema.

Regional premiere directed by Brian Isaac Phillips, featuring incredible cast of local actors

Know Theatre is excited to announce WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING by Andrew Bovell, acclaimed Australian playwright and author of Speaking in Tongues (recently seen at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 2012). Time Out Magazine’s Best New Play of 2010, WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING opens on February 8, 2013 and runs through March 16, 2013. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips will direct the production, with scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford, costume design by Noelle Wedig, and sound design by Doug Borntrager.

An intricate fabric of overlapping connections, WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING, moves seamlessly through time and across continents between the years 1959 and 2039. In a world where the rain rarely stops falling, four generations searching for truth and hoping to mend broken connections discover the impossibility of escaping the past. We are all shaped by what has come before and we create the shadow of what comes next.

“The script is absolutely beautifully crafted,” says Eric Vosmeier, Producing Artistic Director. “Mr. Bovell is an extraordinary storyteller. We’ve been waiting until we found just the right cast to announce the show and I’m thrilled with who we’ve assembled. We’ve also spent a great deal of time working out the production challenges that the script demands. I can’t wait to see these elements come together in our intimate space.”

The play’s title is WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING, but during at least part of the play a good deal of the rain does everything but stop, and Know Theatre’s production team have been hard at work for months to prepare the technical aspects of this production. There are many technical challenges to this show, and we can’t wait to share them with you. Check out the show to see how it all turns out.

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING features an incredible ensemble of local actors. George Alexander (Joe Ryan) returns to Know Theatre, where he was most recently in Aliens with Extraordinary Skills. Ian Bond (Gabriel Law) appears at Know Theatre for the first time. He is a resident actor with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company where he has recently been in Sense and Sensibility and The Grapes of Wrath. Another Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Member, Sara Clark (Elizabeth Law) makes her debut with Know Theatre. Sara has also appeared locally with The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and New Edgecliff Theatre. Brian Griffin (Henry Law) was most recently on Know Theatre’s stage in the regional premiere, Collapse. He also has worked with New Edgecliff Theatre, Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, and the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center. Jon Kovach (Andrew Price) performed in the 2012 Cincinnati Fringe Festival with NOTHING. He has also worked with several regional theatres including: The Human Race Theatre, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, and Madcap Puppets. Miranda McGee (Young Gabrielle) joins the cast from Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Originally from Australia, she has worked with Playhouse in the Park and Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center locally. Nick Rose (Gabriel York) makes his return to Know Theatre where his favorite roles have been in The Pillowman and Christmas Yet to Come. He has also been seen at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Playhouse in the Park, and Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. No stranger to Know Theatre, Adrianne Underhill (Older Elizabeth) was in Wonders of the World when Know Theatre was located at Gabriel’s Corner. She has also worked with Showboat Majestic, Footlighters, and Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative. This production is Kate Wilford’s (Older Gabrielle) debut at Know Theatre. Recently she has worked with New Edgecliff Theatre, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING was commissioned and first produced by Brink Productions in Australia. It premiered at the Scott Theatre, University of Adelaide, in February of 2008. The play’s European premiere was at Almeida Theatre in London in May of 2009.

All tickets are $15 in advance and $18 on the week of the show, beginning Monday at noon. Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669. Flex-passes are valid for this event.

Cast

  • George Alexander
  • Ian Bond
  • Sara Clark*
  • Brian Griffin
  • Jon Kovach
  • Miranda McGee
  • Nick Rose*
  • Adrianne Underhill
  • Kate Wilford*
    *Member of Actors Equity Association
     

Production Team

  • Director – Brian Isaac Phillips
  • Scenic & Lighting Design – Andrew Hungerford
  • Costume Design – Noelle Wedig
  • Sound Design – Doug Borntrager

Production Dates

  • 8pm: February 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, & 16
  • 3pm: February 24 & March 9

 Additional Information
Andrew Bovell (Playwright) – Andrew Bovell’s stage plays include Speaking in Tongues, An Ocean Out of My Window, Ship of Fools, After Dinner, The Ballad of Lois Ryan, and Holy Day. He has collaborated on several projects including Scenes from a Separation (with Hannie Rayson), Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? (with Christos Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius and Irene Vela), and the feature films Strictly Ballroom (with Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce) and Head On (with Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson). His screenplay Lantana was based on his play Speaking in Tongues. The film was directed by Ray Lawrence and opened to critical acclaim in 2001, winning seven AFI awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay. He was named Screenwriter of the Year in 2002 by the London Film Critics’ Circle.

Brian Isaac Phillips (Director) – Brian Isaac Phillips is delighted to return to Know Theatre of Cincinnati after appearing in Collapse in 2012 and directing Angels in America: Millennium Approaches in 2010. He has been appearing on area stages since 1998 working with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, New Stage Collective, The Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and most frequently with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, where he proudly serves as Producing Artistic Director. Recent credits include Dead Man’s Cell Phone and The Seafarer at Ensemble, The Goat or Who is Sylvia? with New Stage and Carmen with Cincinnati Opera. Favorite roles with CSC include A Streetcar Named Desire, Henry IV, Arcadia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fuddy Meers, Nocturne and the title characters in Macbeth (2006), Henry V (2005) and Hamlet (2004). Brian is the lucky husband of the most beautiful actress in town and the proud father of Holden Willis Phillips. He is a proud member of SDC and AEA.

Our mission is to create evocative and explosive live entertainment.
Our vision is a world awakened to its collective possibility.
We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.

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