Category Archives: Press Releases

August 28, 2012 · 6:53 pm

GOOD PEOPLE Opens ETC 2012-2013 Season

GOOD PEOPLE OPENS ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI’S 2012-2013 SEASON

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens its 2012-2013 season with the regional premiere of GOOD PEOPLE, by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Shrek the Musical), playing September 5-23, 2012. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers. Production Sponsor is The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.

In addition to being nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, GOOD PEOPLE, a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, was named Best Play of the 2010-2011 season by the New York Drama Critics Circle, as well as featured on the 2011 “Top Ten” theater lists of New York Magazine, Newsday, and Time Out. Well known for his absurdist comedies Fuddy Meers and Kimberly Akimbo, Lindsay-Abaire brings his signature humor to his tough and tender new work. The play is set in Lindsay-Abaire’s native South Boston, a traditionally Irish American neighborhood that is strongly rooted in working class identity. Many people have come to know “Southie,” as its commonly referred to, through gritty depictions of the neighborhood in successful movies such as Mystic River, The Departed, and Good Will Hunting. In an interview with the New York Times, Lindsay-Abaire remarked, “Class is something I know about, I’ve lived it every day of my life, and it shaped me in my identity.” Raising difficult questions with unsentimental observation and appealingly scrappy characters, GOOD PEOPLE explores the struggles, shifting loyalties and unshakeable hopes that come with having next to nothing in America.

GOOD PEOPLE follows Margie Walsh who is facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break. Laid off from her job at the dollar store, Margie is faced with the reality that South Boston is providing her the same level of opportunity it always has: none. Wry, rough around the edges and ready to make a change, she goes to seek out the one who got away – both from “Southie” and from her. Instead, she finds herself in the ‘burbs and out of her element, facing the question: is opportunity granted or earned? Good People takes an affectionate look at the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ through the eyes of characters who won’t be ignored.

About the Cast
Annie Fitzpatrick (Margie) recently appeared at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati in last season’s Ghost-Writer and Snow White. Her other favorite ETC productions include: Next Fall, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Rabbit Hole, String of Pearls (for which she received an Acclaim Award), Intimate Apparel, and The Exonerated. In addition, she won Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for her performances in ETC’s Copperheads, Dinner With Friends, and Mauritius. She appeared in A Man For All Seasons and Blithe Spirit at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She has worked regionally at Cincinnati Playhouse In the Park, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre, Florida Studio, Human Race Theatre Co., New Edgecliff Theatre, and Know Theatre of Cincinnati. She has appeared in numerous soaps, local and national commercials, and the film Milk Money. She recently appeared in an episode of Army Wives and this October she can be seen in the feature film Fun Size.

Chris Clavelli (Mike) returns to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati after several years’ hiatus. His ETC credits include Stones in His Pockets and Sight Unseen. He is the Associate Artistic Director of The Florida Repertory Theatre where he has acted and directed in more than twenty productions. This year, Florida Weekly named him Best Actor for his performance in God of Carnage. Other acting credits include: All in the Timing, August: Osage County, and Dancing at Lughnasa, Florida Rep; Translations, The Alabama Shakespeare Festival; Dracula, Actors Theatre Louisville; Noises Off, Indiana Repertory Theatre; Sideman, Philadelphia Theatre Company (Barrymore Award); Hamlet and The Mystery of Irma Vep, Florida Shakespeare Festival, (Carbonell Award for Best Actor); and The Chosen, The Paper Mill Playhouse.

Kate Wilford (Jean) returns to ETC stage, having appeared in last season’s world premiere of Snow White. Her other Ensemble favorites include: Becky’s New Car, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Women Of Lockerbie. She won both an Acclaim and a CEA award for lead actress in a drama as Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman with New Edgecliff Theatre. Ms. Wilford is familiar to Cincinnati audiences with her performances in Romeo and Juliet, The Cherry Orchard, All My Sons, and Bedroom Farce at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She was artistic director for Cincinnati Children’s Theatre for several years, and has directed for the Women’s Theater Initiative and Xavier University as well. She is currently the executive director of Afterschool Acting, a non-profit dedicated to bringing local professional actors into underserved schools to teach and mentor.

Deb Girdler (Dottie) has appeared numerous times on ETC’s stage, often as the villain in the holiday shows. Her ETC credits include the evil fairy Wisteria in Sleeping Beauty, The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Betty in the smash hit The Great American Trailer Park Musical, as well as Old Bones in The Frog Princess. Ms. Girdler has appeared at the Olney Theatre as the Fairy Godmother in the now official version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as well as in La Cage Aux Folles at the Gateway Playhouse in New Jersey. A CCM graduate, she began her career on the Showboat Majestic and has worked off-Broadway, in regional theatre, and in summer stock for over 30 years.

Margaret Ivey (Kate) makes her debut at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Recently, she appeared in A Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and in River Rat and Cat and What’s Buggin’ Greg with the Playhouse touring company. Her other credits include: Almost, Maine and Rent, Papermill Theatre; Soweto!, Freddie Hendricks YEA; and A Christmas Carol, Alliance Theatre. Ms. Ivey graduated from the University of Southern California, where she appeared in Naga-Mandala (Play with a Cobra), Intimate Apparel, The Colored Museum, The Beggar’s Opera, Three Sisters, Twelfth Night and The Doctor is Indian. She also trained at the British American Drama Academy.

Michael Carr (Stevie) is a Cincinnati native and University of Cincinnati CCM drama graduate. He returns to ETC’s stage, having served as an acting intern during last season. This past summer, he appeared as Captain/Henessey in Dames at Sea in Highlands, North Carolina. His favorite roles include Andrey in Three Sisters, The Man in On the Verge, and Buddy in Mistakes Madeline Made.

Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Aaron Clements (Technical Operations Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Coordinator & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matthew Callahan (Sound Designer), Reba Senske (Costume Designer), and Rocco Dal Vera (Dialect Coach). Production Stage Manager is Constance Dubinski.

About the Playwright
David Lindsay-Abaire is a playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and librettist whose play Rabbit Hole premiered on Broadway and went on to receive the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Spirit of America Award, and five Tony nominations. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award (Best Musical Show Album) and two Tony Awards (Best Book of a Musical and Best Score) for his work on Shrek the Musical. Prior to that, Mr. Lindsay-Abaire was awarded the 2008 Ed Kleban Award as America’s most promising musical theater lyricist. His other plays include Fuddy Meers, Kimberly Akimbo, Wonder of the World, and A Devil Inside, among others. His newest play, Good People premiered on Broadway last year, starred Frances McDormand, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. In addition to his work in theatre, David’s screen credits include his screen adaptation of Rabbit Hole (starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckart, and Dianne Wiest, and directed by John Cameron Mitchell), as well as the upcoming features Guardians of Childhood (Dreamworks), and Oz: The Great and Powerful (Disney, directed by Sam Raimi). He is a proud New Dramatists alum, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Juilliard School, as well as a member of the WGA and the Dramatists Guild Council.

Ticket Prices
Tickets are $38 for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday performances.
Tickets are $42 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances.
Current subscribers receive $5 off each ticket.

For the 2012-2013 season, ETC will continue its popular half-price rush tickets and $15 student rush tickets for all performances, which are available two hours prior to show time. Tickets and seating subject to availability.

Subscriptions
Subscriptions to the 2012-2013 Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati season are available in a variety of packages. Prices start at $156 for seniors; adult subscriptions range from $168 to $186 depending upon day. The popular FlexPass is $196, which includes six flexible tickets to use for any show and in any combination. Opening night subscriptions are $186 and include light refreshments from Ensemble Theatre’s opening night partner(s).

Other Single Ticket Discounts
Military/Educator, Public Radio Perks Card, ArtsWave FunCard, AAA, Senior and Enjoy the Arts discounts available; tickets and seating are subject to availability. ETC accepts all major credit cards, Over-the-Rhine Merchant gift cards, and Downtown Cincinnati gift cards. Group rates are available for 10 or more people.

A full list of available discounts and performance calendar is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

GOOD PEOPLE —At A Glance

WHAT: Regional premiere of GOOD PEOPLE, by David Lindsay-Abaire

WHERE: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

WHEN: September 5-23, 2012
Opening Night: Wednesday, September 5 at 7:30 pm

TIMES: Tues-Thurs at 7:30 pm; Fri & Sat at 8:00 pm; Sat & Sun at 2:00 pm

TICKETS: $38-$42

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE EVENTS
Pay-what-you-can Preview is Tuesday, September 4, 2012 benefiting Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

CONTENT ADVISORY
This production contains strong language and themes and may not be suitable for all audiences.

DISCOUNTS
All discounts subject to seating and availability at time of purchase.

Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each showtime for half-price (discount does not apply to senior or children’s tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

AAA, ArtsWave Fun Card, Cincinnati Public Radio Perks Card, Military/Educator and ETA discounts available. Group discounts available for 10+. Complete details available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

PARKING:
Parking for all performances is available directly across the theatre at the surface lot and Gateway Garage, both at the corner of 12th and Vine Streets. Parking also available at the newly opened Washington Park Garage, accessible via Race or Elm Street.

CAST (in alphabetical order)

  • Stevie: Michael Carr*
  • Mike: Chris Clavelli*
  • Margie: Annie Fitzpatrick*
  • Dottie: Deb G. Girdler*
  • Kate: Margaret Ivey
  • Jean: Kate Wilford*

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Director: D. Lynn Meyers**
  • Production Stage Manager: Constance Dubinski*
  • Set & Lighting Designer: Brian c. Mehring
  • Properties Master & Design Assistant: Shannon Rae Lutz
  • Master Electrician & Production Coordinator: Matthew Hollstegge
  • Costume Designer: Reba Senske
  • Sound Designer: Matthew Callahan
  • Technical Operations Director: Aaron Clements

*Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
**Director is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union.

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. 

2012-2013 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Season Sponsor: PNC Bank. Season Fairy Godmother Sponsor: William and Susan Friedlander. Additional support provided by Garfield Suites Hotel, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank 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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August 22, 2012 · 3:34 pm

CSC Presents Great American Pulitzer Price Winning Classic TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD on Stage

Bruce Cromer as Atticus Finch & Alyssa Mehnert as Jean Louise Finch (Scout). Photo by Jeanna Vella.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company kicks off the fall theatre season with an adaptation of Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, opening September 7th, 2012

CINCINNATI, August 21, 2012 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is pleased to present Harper Lee’s classic American novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” adapted by Christopher Sergel. This production is directed by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Artistic Associate Sara Clark and features Bruce Cromer, Darnell Pierre Benjamin and three young actors- Alyssa Mehnert, Jack Johnson & Noah Lentini. This production is generously sponsored by LPK. The ensemble is sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP and the production design is sponsored by Matson Money.

In 1935, in the “tired old town” of Maycomb, Alabama, Scout (Alyssa Mehnert) and her brother Jem (Noah Lentini) learn courage and compassion as their father, Atticus Finch (Bruce Cromer), defends Tom Robinson (Darnell Pierre Benjamin), a young black man accused of a crime. Told with warmth and honesty, “To Kill a Mockingbird” asks us to take a look at our country’s past and to examine how far we’ve come today.

This stage adaptation by Christopher Sergel, has become a popular favorite ever since it’s 1991 premiere at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. It has been performed in theatres all across the United States& beyond including Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Steppenwolf Theater, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey and others. Sergel actually began the adaptation in 1970 and took twenty years and countless revisions to perfect this adaptation of the novel. Harper Lee was always very cautious and careful about whom she would permit to use her story and Sergel has created the only approved stage adaptation. Today, there is an annual performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the courthouse in Lee’s hometown of Monroeville every spring, though Lee, who still lives there, does not attend. She remains “deeply private and defiantly silent” about her Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is directed by CSC Artistic Associate and seven year ensemble member Sara Clark. Clark directed last season’s gorgeous production of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” as well as CSC’s wildly popular touring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. “Nearly one million copies of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ continue to sell each year,” says Clark “and the myriad of people who continue to classify it as their favorite book continues to grow. Each year it is read and loved by 13 year-old girls, by ladies with blue hair, by men with callused hands…not, I believe, because they all love a good piece of historical fiction, but because they connect with the simple yet profound truths it conveys. Just before Atticus Finch’s famous final speech to the jury at Tom Robinson’s trial, ten year-old Dill articulates his theory on why the reclusive Boo Radley stays shut up in his house: ‘Maybe he found out the way people can go outa their way to despise each other.’ In some ways, this country has come a long way from the atrocities of segregation and prejudice, but in other ways, we have not. Our laws may have changed, but in our hearts we still wrestle with suspicion and hate of anything and anyone different from us. What a wonderful thing it would be if in 300 years, prejudice has ceased to exist; people read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and think to themselves, ‘So what was the big deal?’ But we’re not there yet. The story still needs to be told.”

Starring as Atticus Finch, Bruce Cromer, a frequent guest artist at CSC, was last seen on CSC’s stage as Thomas More in “A Man for All Seasons”. His previous credits at CSC include Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing”, Salieri in “Amadeus”, Prospero in “The Tempest”, and the title role in “King Lear”. Last season he was Pete/Neil/John in “Speaking in Tongues” at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, in a one-man “Romeo & Juliet” with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard in “Time Stands Still” at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” (seventh year in the role at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park).

Third year ensemble member, Darnell Pierre Benjamin will appear as Tom Robinson. He has been featured on CSC’s stage as the King of Navarre in “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, Valentine in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and Malcolm in “Macbeth”. Some other credits in Cincinnati include Belize in “Angels in America” and Charles Wallace in “A Wrinkle in Time”, both at Know Theatre, as well as a dancer with Pones, Inc. at the 2010 and 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festivals.

CSC is pleased to welcome three young actors to our stage for this production. Playing the role of Jean Louise Finch (Scout), Alyssa Mehnert, is an eighth grader at the Montessori Academy of Cincinnati. This past year Alyssa played Benvolio in the Countryside YMCA’s production of “The Suessification of Romeo & Juliet”, and Hermia at the CSC Summer Camp performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Jack Johnson, also joining CSC for the first time in the role of Charles Baker Harris (Dill), is in 8th grade at Indian Hill. He recently appeared as Pete Cratchit in the 2011 “A Christmas Carol” at Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park. And joining us again after appearing in last season’s acclaimed production of “The Grapes of Wrath” is Noah Lentini, a 9th grader a Talawanda Middle School. Noah, playing the role of Jeremy Finch (Jem), has also been a part of “A Christmas Carol” and has also appeared onstage locally with CCM & CCM Prep, The Carnegie and Fairfield Footlighters as well as several film credits.

Performances of “To Kill a Mockingbird” are scheduled from September 7- 30, 2012 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Saturday and Sundays at 2pm. Preview performances are on September 5th & 6th and tickets are $14. No performance Sunday September 9. The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center. Single ticket prices range from $22-$28 on Thursday Nights and Sunday Matinees and from $26-$32 on Friday and Saturday Nights. If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees may apply. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as Enjoy the Arts and AAA members. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.

Cast
Benjamin, Darnell Pierre………………………………Tom Robinson
Chace, Billy* ………………………………………………Heck Tate
Cromer, Bruce*…………………………………………Atticus Finch
Cromer, Charlie………….……………………………Clerk, ensemble
Early, Ken………….…………………………………Reverend Sykes
Emery, Travis……………………………………..3rd Man, ensemble
Fracher, Sherman*……………………………………….Mrs. Dubose
Goodman, Jessie Wray………………………………………ensemble
Hopkins, Jim*……………………..Judge Taylor, Walter Cunningham
Johnson, Jack..……………………………Charles Baker Harris (Dill)
Lentini, Noah………………………………………Jeremy Finch (Jem)
McGee, Miranda…………….……………………Stephanie Crawford
Mehnert, Alyssa……….……….……..……Jean Louise Finch (Scout)
Mengelkoch, Kelly*…………………………………Maudie Atkinson
Rabinowitz, Sam……………………………Nathan Radley, ensemble
Rader, Maggie Lou……………………………….……Mayella Ewell
Rose, Nicholas*……………………….……………………Bob Ewell
Schute, Zach………………………………………4th Man, ensemble
Vimtrup, Brent*………..…………..Mr. Gilmer, Arthur Radley (Boo)
Wiggins, Torie………………………………………………Calpurnia
Production Staff
Sara Clark……….………….……….………………….……..Director
Justin McCombs* ……………………………………..Stage Manager
Alice Flanders*..……………………..Assistant Stage Manager, Props
Doug Borntrager………………………………………Sound Designer
Gregory Bredestege…………..Master Electrician, Technical Assistant
Drew Fracher**.………………………………………..Fight Director
Rocco Dal Vera………………………………………….Vocal Coach
James Geier………………………………………………………Wigs
Bryan Lussier……………………………………….Lighting Designer
Travis McElroy…………………..Scenic Designer, Technical Director,
Master Carpenter
Brian Isaac Phillips………………………Producing Artistic Director
Heidi Jo Schiemer…….……………………………Costume Designer
Kevin Semancik…………………………………….Technical Intern
Mary C. Woll……………………………Assistant Costume Designer
Teresa Wellman……………………Scenic Paint, Technical Assistant
* Member of the Actors Equity Association
**Member of the Society of American Fight Directors

###

About Season 19:
Season 19 is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The season design sponsor is Judge Mark Painter. Production dates and info on Season 19 are available online at http://www.cincyshakes.com/season-19.html.

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. CSC employs a resident company of actors and artists who live and work in Cincinnati year-round, and performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs see an average if 18,000 students each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street. In Season 20, CSC will become one of only a handful of companies worldwide to have produced Shakespeare’s 38-play canon in its entirety. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

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August 21, 2012 · 4:03 pm

Know Theatre of Cincinnati Announces Fall Fringe Festival

Five performances from the 2012 Cincinnati Fringe Festival return for encores

Know Theatre and the Cincinnati Fringe Festival are excited to announce a fall mini-Fringe Festival comprised of four encore performances from 2012 Cincinnati Fringe Festival artists! These Fringe encores will feature two returning shows: Audience Pick of the Fringe, On Her Pillow by Honour Pillow of Cincinnati, OH and Producers’ Pick of the Fringe, The Screw You Revue by Screw You Entertainment of Olrando, FL as well as two new shows by 2012 Fringe Artists Kevin Thornton and Tommy Nugent. Kevin Thornton (of Nashville, TN) will present Kevin J. Thornton: UNFRINGED and Tommy Nugent (of Detroit, MI) will present OCCUPY This: Tales of an Accidental Activist. In addition, OTR Improv, Know Theatre’s house improv team and member of the Jackson Street Market, will also present an encore of their Festival performance.

“We’re excited to continue our tradition of Fringe Encores, but we wanted to try something a little different this time around. We’re bringing all of the Fringe Encores in for one week of performances with a rep schedule similar to the main Festival. It’s important to us as a part of the national Fringe community to support these artists’ work year round. You’ll also be able to buy a pass for the whole week for just $40.”, says Producing Artistic Director, Eric Vosmeier.

Performances will occur between Wednesday, September 19 and Saturday, September 22. The full schedule is here:

Full Schedule

Wednesday, September 19th
On Her Pillow – 7:30pm
OTRi’s The Chronicle – 9:15 pm

Thursday, September 20
OCCUPY This – 7:00pm
UNFRINGED – 8:30 pm

Friday, September 21
On Her Pillow – 7:00pm
The Screw You Revue – 9:15 pm

Saturday, September 22
UNFRINGED – 7:00 pm
OCCUPY This – 8:30 pm
The Screw You Revue – 10 pm

All tickets for this performance are $12. Four show flexible passes can be purchased for $40. Tickets and passes can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or cincyfringe.com or by calling the box office at 513.300.KNOW (5669).

On Her Pillow
In 1977 it was cool to be a multi-racial family if you lived in San Francisco, or New York…but we lived in Addyston, Oh. Not cool…and NOT O.K. Then my parents gave me the name Honour Pillow because I wasn’t going to stand out enough as the only curly headed, biracial giant at my school. Now I was a curly headed, biracial giant named Honour Pillow. Geesh. No ordinary life could follow this beginning. I would become a Model in New York, a Comedienne in Chicago, and a Cancer Patient in Las Vegas. Being biracial was the least of my worries.

Bio – Model turned Comedienne Honour Pillow is a Cincinnati native who has spent the past 10 years performing stand-up comedy in Chicago, Il, and Las Vegas, NV. After completing her one woman play “On Her Pillow” and battling cancer in 2010, she decided to return to Cincinnati to be closer to family where she currently lives with her husband. This is her first theatrical stage performance.

OTRi: The Chronicle
Inspired by one of the most popular shows to emerge from the Chicago improv scene, The Chronicle is OTRimprov’s take on the Armando Diaz Experience. The Armando Diaz is long-form improvisation created at improvOlympic Chicago, where a special guest shares personal stories based on an audience suggestion that weave into scenes inspired by their monologues. Featuring 2012 Fringe artists who will peel the onion of their own dysfunction bare their soul, all in the name of improv. OTRi is Know Theatre’s house improv team and member of the Jackson Street Market.

Bio – OTRimprov is an improvisational comedy troupe that’s made its home at Know Theatre of Cincinnati as part of the Jackson Street Market. Recognizing the distinct lack of regularly scheduled improv performances in Cincinnati, especially Downtown and in Over-the-Rhine, OTRi looks to provide this particular brand of entertainment in order to further strengthen Cincinnati’s established arts community.

OCCUPY This: Tales of an Accidental Activist
Comedic Storyteller “Reverend Nuge” went to Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Detroit just to carry funny signs. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Revolution – he started to believe in it. The next thing you know he’s camping with crack addicts, marching with anarchists, burying a friend and writing this show.

“Nugent has grown a smart show here, full of humor and big ideas, but it’s a blossom with even deeper roots than we expected.” – DC Theatre Scene

“A magnetic stage presence with a razor-sharp conversational performance style…with him on the streets, the 1% should be nervous.” – Fresno Bee

Bio – Just your basic preacher turned strip club bartender turned professional gambler turned law school drop-out turned street magician turned motivational speaker turned solo theater artiste and North America’s premier purveyor of Comedic Enlightenment. Tommy “Reverend Nuge” Nugent has performed for more than half a million people through the U.S. and Canada.

“Hanging out with world-class characters like Reverend Nuge is what Fringe is all about.” – Orlando Weekly.

“His aw-shucks personality keeps things light and loose, and the demons he tackles keep things meaningful…Nugent makes it look easy and fun.” – CityBeat

Kevin J. Thornton: UNFRINGED
Kevin J Thornton (Sex, Dreams & Self Control 2009, I Love You We’re F*#ked 2011, Strange Dreamz 2012) returns with “Kevin J Thornton: UNFRINGED.” Expect his signature mix of comedic storytelling and original music, but this time with a twist. The entire hour is completely unscripted and spontaneous! He knows he’s probably going to talk about the time he worked on a cruise ship in South America and then play you the joke ideas he records into his phone in the middle of the night when he’s super stoned, but that’s about it. One thing is certain, this will be never before heard material. Could be thrilling. Could be moderately thrilling. Could be something else entirely.

Bio – “Thornton toiled at Nashville area coffee shops for many years chasing the elusive record deal with his band Waves On Waves. His first musical effort “Had A Sword” won the Nashville Scene Music Award for Best Experimental Rock shortly before they disbanded in 2008. Frustrated, he relocated to Los Angeles and on the dare of a friend
began frequenting Hollywood stand up comedy open mics. Within a few months he was named a Los Angeles Times “Best Bet,” had been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and became a “New Faces Winner” at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. In 2011 Thornton was a guest lecturer at University of California, Berkeley where he spoke about the successful use of his podcast and social media in connection with his national touring act. He produces a weekly Podcast on also called “Strange Dreamz.” Thornton irreverently discusses touring adventures, current events, and issues affecting the LGBTcommunity. Thornton’s podcast is the highest rated program on the LGBT related online radio station Click Click Expose based in Miami, Florida. He’s also an author. His most recent book “The Universe Sock Puppet”
is available on his website and retailers worldwide

The Screw You Revue
Wayburn Sassy is an 89 year old self-proclaimed “Entertainment Legend” and America’s Favorite Bigot. Wayburn fears Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Japanese, Arabs, Islanders, the Taiwanese, bongo players, men in kilts, and above ALL he fears ” Whimsicals” (Wayburn’s word for Gay Men). Wayburn has the excellent fortune of sharing the stage with his “Amorous Amazon,” his “Leggy Lolita,” his “Girl-with-the-Gorgeous-Gams,” Miss Didi Panache. Didi loves everyone, but she loves Wayburn best. Together, this irreverent twosome transport the audience to a place where no subject is taboo and everyone takes part in the joke.

Bio – Screw You Entertainment is the blood, sweat, and tears of partners, (on stage as well as in life), Dewey Chaffee and Douglas McGeoch. Founded in 2007 after the highly successful debut of the company’s flagship show, The Screw You Revue, the company quickly gained a reputation for stellar productions with astounding attention to detail and quality. Keen on irreverent humor, Screw You Entertainment explores the boundaries of human bigotry, racism, and intolerance with over-the-top characters and wild guest interactions.

Since 2007, The Screw You Revue, has appeared at several Fringe Festivals through out the United States and Canada, including Orlando, Winnipeg, Indianapolis, and London, Ontario, winning 6 ‘Best of Fest’ titles, along the way. The Screw You Revue was the 2012 Producers’ Pick of the Fringe at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.

More information about these shows, tickets, and other Know Theatre events can be found at http://www.knowtheatre.com/shows.html.

Know Theatre of Cincinnati is supported, 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.

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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August 20, 2012 · 11:03 am

Untethered Theater Announces 2012-2013 Season

Untethered Theater is proud to announce its full, official season for 2012-2013. The ensemble will stage four shows about isolation, love, mortality and starting over at the Clifton Performance Theatre. Tickets will be available at untetheredtheaterco.com closer to performance dates. Announcements about casting and directors to soon follow.

SAVAGE IN LIMBO
11/9-11/25
By John Patrick Shanley

A Savage walks into a bar. She has a purse full of cash and a consuming need to make a change in her life, starting with the apartment she shares with her mother. At this Bronx bar she’s surrounded by other stunted losers, fellow 32 year olds who peaked long ago. Some of them find freedom at the bottom, while others find they’re still alone. Savage in Limbo is a heartrending dark comedy about unrealized potential and realizing you never had potential to begin with.

RED LIGHT WINTER
1/18-2/3
By Adam Rapp

Matt can talk about the world at length even if he’s too emotionally muddled to participate in it. Davis is the eternal life of the party. These college pals take one last stab at their 20s with a trip to Amsterdam, where a night with a beguiling prostitute called Christina changes everything. One of the most provocative plays of the past decade, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Red Light Winter reminds us that the past – no matter how much you’d like to forget, or what you choose to remember – is never far behind.

APARTMENT 3A
4/12-4/28
By Jeff Daniels

No one donates to public television anymore. Bitter and hanging onto her idealism by a thread, Annie Wilson is fighting the good fight while fighting off the advances of her lovestruck coworker Elliot. When she moves into a new apartment, her married neighbor Donald becomes a confidant, sharing stories of love, loss and scrambled eggs. This is a story about faith of all kinds. It’s never to late for a second chance, right?

LOVE STORIES
7/12-7/28
By Itamar Moses

Nothing is what it seems in these five vignettes about the tactics we use to keep love, and how to cope without it. An interview with a Russian director becomes a passive aggressive altercation. A play is stripped down to the most basic subtext and rebuilt as something else entirely. A writer must swallow his a pride to meet the man who took his place. Through it all, there’s that universal truth about love: it hurts, but you will get used to it.

Visit untetheredtheaterco.com for updates and more. The Clifton Performance Theatre is located at 404 Ludlow Avenue in the Clifton Gaslight District.

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August 16, 2012 · 11:20 am

Blake Robison Opens His First Season at PIP with THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Blake Robison Opens His First Season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park with THE THREE MUSKETEERS, Sept. 1 – Sept. 29

(CINCINNATI) – Artistic Director Blake Robison will open his first season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park with the action packed adventure of Ken Ludwig’s THE THREE MUSKETEERS. This rousing story of heroism, treachery and honor begins previews in the Playhouse’s Robert S. Marx Theatre Sept. 1 and continues through Sept. 29.

Young Frenchman D’Artagnan and his plucky sister Sabine aspire to join the famed Musketeers. But they get more than they bargained for when they stumble into the center of a bitter rivalry between King Louis XIII and the evil Cardinal Richelieu.

“This new adaptation, by the Broadway playwright Ken Ludwig, respects the plot and period of Dumas’ original tale,” said Playhouse Artistic Director Blake Robison, who will direct this first production of his inaugural season. “But there are some fun updates as well. The language is fresh and vibrant, far from some of the stuffy and wordy versions you may have seen in the past. I think that this production embodies the Playhouse’s past and future. It’s an epic production of a beloved literary classic – the kind of production that only the Playhouse can do. At the same time, it’s an invitation to new audiences. I hope that our patrons will take this opportunity to introduce a new generation of theatregoers to the art form.”

Although this is the first time a Ken Ludwig play has been produced at the Playhouse – his work includes the Tony Award-winning Crazy for You and Lend Me A Tenor – Robison directed Ludwig’s Treasure Island during his tenure at the Round House Theatre in Maryland.

Ludwig’s adaptation captures the iconic flavor of Dumas’ characters and the life-and-death stakes for which they fight, but it’s also well-seasoned with humor. It was commissioned for the Old Vic in Bristol, England, debuting there in 2006.

Returning actors include Kevin Orton as King Louis XIII (Twelfth Night and Smell of the Kill), Lindsey Kyler as Constance Bonacieux (Tigers Be Still) and Lara Miller as Adele (A Christmas Carol, 2011-20112 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company). Other cast members include Rin Allen as Sabine, Randy Lee Bailey as Cardinal’s Guard/Ensemble, John Feltch as Cardinal Richelieu, Grant Goodman as Aramis, Phillip Ray Guevara as Cardinal’s Guard/Ensemble, Casey Scott Lee as Cardinal’s Guard/Ensemble, Ginny Myers Lee as Mother/Queen Anne/D’Artagnan’s Mother/Mother Superior/Abbess/Ensemble, Reese Madigan as Athos, Heather Petersen as Elise/Ensemble, Datus Puryear as Cardinal’s Guard/Ensemble, Shad Ramsey as Rochefort/Ensemble, Matt Sullivan as Father/Treville/Duke of Buckingham/Ensemble, Adam Van Wagoner as D’Artagnan, Nick Vannoy as Porthos and Adria Vitlar as Milady.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS will feature several new designers as well. In addition to returning Fight Director Drew Fracher (most recently, As You Like It), Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase (most recently, Thunder Knocking on the Door) and Choreographer Victoria Morgan, artistic director and CEO of the Cincinnati Ballet (A Little Night Music), the production team will include the debuts of Set Designer James Kronzer, Costume Designer Bill Black and Sound Designer/Composer Matthew M. Nielson.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS is a thrilling theatrical experience meant to be enjoyed by all generations – the play is recommended for children age 8 and older, and children’s tickets will be specially priced at just $25. The Playhouse will also offer Musketeer Training Camps before each of the four Saturday matinee performances, geared to children age 8 and above. For just $10 per child, the camp includes a 30-minute stage fighting workshop, complete with a toy sword to take home, and ends with all participants joining in the swearing of the Musketeer oath. Training camps are scheduled for Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 beginning at 3 p.m. (arrival and registration at 2:45 p.m.) Space is limited. Register in advance by calling the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888. Training camp tickets do not include the price of a children’s ticket to see THE THREE MUSKETEERS.

The Playhouse is also offering stage combat classes for those ages 16 and up with Jonn Baca, a certified teacher of the Society of American Fight Directors. Classes will take place on Sept. 10, 17, 24 and Oct. 1 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. A second class will also be offered on Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The cost is $150. Register two weeks prior to the start of class and save $30. All classes will take place at the Playhouse.

Discounted tickets for preview performances of THE THREE MUSKETEERS are just $30 in B, C and D sections. Preview performances include 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5. Some restrictions apply. The official opening night is Thursday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m.

Patrons who buy before Sept. 1 will receive $15 off full-price tickets to select performances of THE THREE MUSKETEERS. The offer is valid for performances from Sept. 6 to 20. Valid for A, B and C section seating. Some restrictions apply.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets to THE THREE MUSKETEERS are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse box office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit http://www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for TDD accessibility.

The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to ArtsWave.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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