Category Archives: Press Releases

October 4, 2011 · 1:57 pm

Know Theatre of Cincinnati presents GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES

by Rajiv Joseph, Pulitzer Prize finalist for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Know Theatre of Cincinnati presents GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES through Nov. 5.

Know Theatre is pleased to announce the first mainstage production of the 2011‐2012 Season, GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES by Rajiv Joseph. The production will feature the same award winning artistic and production team as last season’s opening production, SKIN TIGHT. GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES will be directed by Drew Fracher with Scenic and Lighting Design by Andrew Hungerford, Costume Design by Noelle Wedig, and Sound Design by Doug Borntrager. The production will star local actress Beth Harris and visiting actor Jens Rasmussen. GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES will show October 8 –November 5, 2011.

“I’m excited to be getting the cast back together for this production,” says Eric Vosmeier, Producing Artistic Director. “They already have a strong working relationship with one another and I’m excited to see what they’ll be able to do with Mr. Joseph’s incredible script.”

Kayleen and Doug’s eight year old lives collide in the nurse’s office when Doug rides his bike off the roof of the school and Kayleen can’t stop throwing up. Over the course of the next 30 years, the lives of these made‐for‐each‐other masochists continue to intersect, leading the two childhood friends to compare their physical and emotional scars. These two misfits may be continually drawn together, but being together may not be enough to heal each other’s wounds.

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES will feature the same cast, design and production crew as last season’s SKIN TIGHT by Gary Henderson. SKIN TIGHT earned the team Acclaim Awards for Fight Choreography and Direction by Drew Fracher, Best Non‐Equity Lead Performance by Beth Harris, and Best Equity Lead Performance by Jens Rasmussen.

This season, tickets will be $15 in advance and $18 the week of the performance (beginning Mondays at noon). Season subscriptions five‐show flexible passes are available for $75 and can guarantee the user the advance ticket price all season long. Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 513.300.KNOW (5669)

Cast
Kayleen ‐ Beth Harris
Doug ‐ Jens Rasmussen*
*Member of Actors Equity Association

Production Team
Director – Drew Fracher*
Scenic & Lighting Design – Andrew Hungerford
Costume Design – Noelle Wedig
Sound Design – Doug Borntrager
*Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Production Dates
8pm: Oct 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, Nov 3, 4, 5
3pm: Oct 23, Nov 5

Additional Information
Rajiv Joseph (Playwright) ‐ Rajiv Joseph’s play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo has been awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. Rajiv’s New York productions include Animals Out Of Paper (Second Stage Theatre, summer 2008), The Leopard and the Fox (Alter Ego, fall 2007), Huck & Holden (Cherry Lane Theatre, 2006), and All This Intimacy (Second Stage Theatre, 2006). In Los Angeles Huck & Holden was produced by The Black Dahlia Theatre in 2006. Through the Lark Play Development Center, Rajiv has traveled to Mexico and Romania, where Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was translated into Spanish and Romanian, respectively, and performed in staged readings. Rajiv has been awarded the Paula Vogel Award by the Vineyard Theatre and the 2009 Kesselring Fellowship. Rajiv is a Founding Member of the new New York based theatre company The Fire Department and was a contributing writer on their first two theatrical events, Speakeasy and At War: American Playwrights Respond to the War in Iraq. He is a former Lark Playwriting Fellow and Dramatists Guild Fellow. His plays have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service, and Smith & Kraus. He received his B.A. in Creative Writing from Miami University in Oxford, OH and his M.F.A. in Playwriting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and he is currently a Language Lecturer at NYU with the School of Art and Public Policy and the Expository Writing Program. He served for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa.

Drew Fracher (Director) ‐ Drew is a freelance director, fight arranger and actor, serving as a Fight Master with the Society of American Fight Directors. As a director his work has been seen at Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Stage, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, New Stage Collective, Florida Stage and the Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Cincinnati Shakespeare Festivals. As a fight director his work has been seen for over 25 years at a wide variety of theatres throughout the U.S. At Know Theatre he has directed Skin Tight, boom, and Angels in America: Perestroika. Other recent directing projects include Much Ado About Nothing at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and A Christmas Story at GA Shakespeare. This summer he directed fights for KY Shakespeare Festival and God of Carnage at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

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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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September 30, 2011 · 3:08 pm

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Opens Shelterhouse Season with Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT, October 1-November 6

(CINCINNATI) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will open its Thompson Shelterhouse season with William Shakespeare’s glorious romantic comedy, AS YOU LIKE IT The show begins public previews on October 1 and continues through November 6.

The extraordinary Rosalind flees to the Forest of Arden when banished from court by her villainous uncle. Disguised as a boy, Rosalind finds herself instructing the man she loves on how to woo a woman – her! Mistaken identities and misguided affections untangle to reveal life, love, joy and the truth that, ultimately, “all the world’s a stage.”

AS YOU LIKE IT marks Producing Artistic Director Edward Stern’s final production as a director at the Playhouse; he is working in collaboration with Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney.

According to Stern, “I so much wanted to finish directing at the Playhouse with a Shakespeare play because of all the challenges involved. More importantly, I wanted to end my directing at the Playhouse with a show dedicated to love and life. I don’t know a better play than AS YOU LIKE IT to accomplish that.”

“I respect Ed so much as a director and producer,” said Michael Evan Haney on working with Stern. “Working with him on AS YOU LIKE IT is a true delight for me. I love hearing Ed’s insights into the play and his vision of the production. We are having a great time batting ideas about. I believe one of the primary jobs of a director is to create a work environment that enables the best work to be accomplished by all involved. Ed does this and he always makes the rehearsal process a fun experience.”

Other members of the production team include Joseph P. Tilford (set designer), Susan Tsu (costume designer), Thomas C. Hase (lighting designer), Douglas Lowry/Michael Murnoch (composers), Philip Thompson (voice and text consultant) and Drew Fracher (fight director). The stage manager is Andrea L. Shell.

The cast for AS YOU LIKE IT includes several returning actors, including Sarah Dandridge (Othello, Travels of Angelica) as Rosalind, Joneal Joplin (A Christmas Carol, Witness for the Prosecution, The Fantasticks, among others) as Adam and Sir Oliver Martext, Michael Gabriel Goodfriend (Sleuth) as Oliver, Brendan Averett (Of Mice and Men) as Charles and Corin, Christopher McHale (Art, Much Ado About Nothing, among others) as Duke Senior and Chris Hietikko (Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Dracula, The Mousetrap) as Duke Frederick.

Making their Playhouse debuts are Alvin Keith as Orlando, David Graham Jones as Touchstone, Francesca Choy-Kee as Celia, Bob Braswell as Le Beau and Silvius, Rebeca Miller as Phoebe, Matt D’Amico as Jaques and Michael Murnoch as Amiens. Members of the Playhouse 2011-2012 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company will also make their debuts: Aram Monisoff as Dennis and William, Carlos Saldaña as a lord and Jaques De Boys; Katherine Leigh as Audrey; and Ben Sullivan as a lord.

Prices for AS YOU LIKE IT start at $25; they vary depending on seat location, performance day and are subject to change.

Tickets are just $25 for the preview performances at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 1; 7 p.m. Sunday, October 2; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 4; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 5. The official opening night is Thursday, October 6 at 8 p.m.

The Playhouse is offering a ticket deal to introduce teenagers to the timeless wit and wisdom of Shakespeare. With the purchase of a regular price or subscription ticket to As You Like It, theatregoers may bring a teenager for just $12 (limit two; not valid with other discounts or on Center Section or Previews; offer subject to change). Contact the box office at 513/421-3888 to purchase tickets or more information.

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 AS YOU LIKE IT 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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September 23, 2011 · 10:01 am

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Presents the Supernatural Tragedy MACBETH

Brian Isaac Phillip directs Shakespeare’s prophetic tale of ambition and blood,
beginning October 14, 2011, just in time for Halloween!

Sara Clark as Lady Macbeth & Nick Rose as Macbeth. Photo by Jeanna Vella.

CINCINNATI, September 20, 2011 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati’s stage for the classics, announces a thrilling and suspenseful addition to their eighteenth season with Shakespeare’s bloody tragedy, “Macbeth”. This production features CSC Ensemble Members Sara Clark and Nick Rose. “Macbeth” is directed by Brian Isaac Phillips and opens October 14, and runs through November 20. The production is generously sponsored by Rippe & Kingston, the production design is sponsored by Champlin Architecture and the ensemble is sponsored by Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.

“Macbeth” is a story of prophecies, madness, ambition and blood. In Shakespeare’s supernatural tragedy Macbeth (Nick Rose), the titular Lord, is led by the prophecies of three witches to conspire with his wife (Sara Clark) on an ambitious plot to rule Scotland – at any cost. But when their delusions of power result in bloodshed, Macbeth is sent into a downward spiral of madness. Tormented by visions and guilt while the price of his crimes takes its toll, what fate awaits Macbeth? Shakespeare’s chilling account of the destructively cyclical nature of dreams and nightmares comes true on CSC’s stage.

“Macbeth” features the real life husband and wife team of Nick Rose and Sara Clark. Nick Rose, a 15 year CSC ensemble member, stars as Macbeth. He has been involved with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company since the beginning in 1994. Some of his favorite roles over the past 15 years at CSC have been Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet”, Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Oedipus in “The Oedipus Trilogy”, Jim in “The Weir”, and Timon in “Timon of Athens”. “Macbeth” also features CSC Artistic Associate and six year ensemble member Sara Clark as Lady Macbeth. She was most recently seen on stage as Margaret More in “A Man for All Seasons”. Her favorite roles at CSC include Marc Antony in “Julius Caesar”, Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”, Mabel Chiltern in “An Ideal Husband” and Masha in “The Seagull”. She has also performed locally with The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and New Edgecliff Theatre and co-directs the CSC Groundlings program for high school students.

This production also features Brent Vimtrup as Macduff. Brent was recently nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award (IT Awards) for Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role for his work in “Sight Unseen”, which was produced by InProximity Theatre Company. This is his third show at CSC after his performance as the Duke of Norfolk in “A Man for All Seasons” and Trevor in “Bedroom Farce” this summer.

The cast is also joined by two child actors for “Macbeth”, Owen Cummings and Demecos Hill. Owen Cummings is a 2nd grader at the New School Montessori School and is playing Macduff’s son. Demecos Hill is a 7th grader at St. Peter Claver Latin School for Boys and is playing Fleance. “Macbeth” will be the CSC debut for both of the boys.

This production is directed by Brian Isaac Phillips, CSC’s Producing Artistic Director, who has directed this season’s successful runs of “A Man for All Seasons” and “Bedroom Farce”. He also helmed last season’s productions of “Blithe Spirit”, “Dracula”, “The Life and Death of King John”, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (world premiere) and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”. Brian says of “Macbeth”, “We made a conscious choice to approach the play as if it will be the first time anyone has ever seen or heard of it. In doing this, we hope to give those who have seen other productions of the play a fresh perspective or a new outlook on the story. And we hope to move those audience members and students who are having their first experience with Shakespeare and ‘Macbeth’. This is also our only show this season that is set in the present day. By placing the story in 2011 Scotland the audience will relate to some aspects of the setting and also be slightly removed. This will allow them to truly delve into the more sinister aspects of the play.”

The setting for “Macbeth” will be a modern day war-torn Scotland. New comer costume designer Amy Rawe says she “was inspired by modern Scottish military uniforms and how the old world influences Scottish traditions. I had a lot of fun developing these costumes especially the witches that embody war-torn yet earthy themes and have a great deal of mystery and suspense about them.” Andrew Hungerford returns to design the set and lights and has created a world full of surprising details that push the envelope of what is expected on a live theater stage. Original music composed by sound designer Cary Davenport will be coupled with the use of special effects and technology, including projections, unnatural echoes and haze to plunge the audience even deeper into this frenetic world.

This performance has already set records for the number of school groups scheduled for class trips to attend one of 13 Educational Matinees that CSC is offering during the school day. Over 2,000 local students will be attending “Macbeth” at CSC to enhance their studies of the play and/or Shakespeare in their classrooms. Education and outreach continues to be an important cornerstone of CSC’s mission of “bringing the classics to life for audiences of all ages”.

Special events for “Macbeth” include something for everyone. The popular Teen Night will return on Friday, October 28 before the evening performance of “Macbeth”. Local teens are invited to wear costumes and join us for games and snacks in the lobby. Call 513.381.2273 x.3202 for tickets. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will hold its second annual GLBT Night on Friday, November 4, 2011. The evening begins with a wine and cheese reception in the theatre lobby at 6:00 pm followed by a 7:30 pm performance “Macbeth”. The celebration culminates in a post show party at Below Zero Lounge. Admission for GLBT Night is $50 per person. This includes one ticket to the show and both the pre-show and post-show receptions. Contact the box office for more details.

Performances of “Macbeth” are scheduled from October 14- November 20 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Preview performances are on October 12 & 13 and tickets are $14. No performance on Sunday October 16. 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. Ticketing fees may apply. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as Enjoy the Arts and AAA members. This production is part of CSC’s 2011-2012 subscription package. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at http://www.cincyshakes.com. All subscription packages and single tickets for Season 18 are on sale now.

About Season 18:
Season 18 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, formerly the Fine Arts Fund. The season design sponsor is Judge Mark Painter. Creative Services are provided by Possible Worldwide.

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 eight main stage productions each season at its home on Race Street. 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. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

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September 10, 2011 · 10:49 am

New Edgecliff opens season with Lanford Wilson’s BURN THIS

New Edgecliff opens season with Lanford Wilson’s BURN THIS
Rarely produced, powerful work leads off

Nathan Neorr as Pale & Gina Cerimele-Mechley as Anna. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

New Edgecliff Theatre once again opens its season with a late 20th century classic – a powerful, electrifying work by the playwright widely regarded as one of the the finest American playwrights of the late 20th Century.

While perhaps best known for his earlier plays The Hot L Baltimore, Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly, Burn This is a viscerally dramatic play, and its Broadway premiere most certainly helped to propel the careers of John Malkovich and Joan Allen.

The place is a Manhattan loft shared by Anna, a lithe young dancer-choreographer, and her two gay roommates – her collaborator, Robby, who has just been killed in a freak boating accident, and Larry, a world-weary, caustically funny young advertising executive. As the play begins Anna is recovering from Robby’s funeral, comforted by her wealthy, well-meaning boyfriend, Burton, a sci-fi screenwriter whose persistent proposals of marriage Anna finds herself unable to accept. Then suddenly, Robby’s older brother Pale bursts on the scene. He has come to collect his brother’s belongings. Menacing, profane, dangerous and yet oddly sensitive, Pale is both terrifying and fascinating and, in the end, stays on to transform the action of the play and the lives of those in it.

Artistic Director Jim Stump says, “I had been considering Burn This for a later season, but with Lanford Wilson’s untimely death this past March, I felt it would serve as an appropriate memorial to this passionate voice of the theatre.”

Tim Waldrip directs.  The cast features Nathan Neorr as Pale (following noteworthy turns at NET in Fool for Love and Night of the Iguana) and Gina Cerimele-Mechley as Anna, with strong support from Jason Burgess (Larry) and John Wilmes (Burton). Design team includes Melissa Bennett, sets; Glen Goodwin, lights; Jim Stump, costumes; Kevin Semancik, sound; and Nicole Garrisi, props.

For anyone interested, Director Tim Waldrip has a goosebump-raising story of the serendipitous route that led him to this production, beginning many years ago when he was at first disappointed, then blown away by Malkovich’s replacement, Eric Roberts.

Intended for PG audiences only.

Burn This
Sept.29 – Oct. 15, Thur-Sat at 7:30pm.
Columbia Performance Center, 3900 Eastern Avenue.
Near Terry’s Turf Club, Allyn’s, Bella Luna, Tostado’s and The Precinct.
Tickets: $23 adults, $18 seniors, and $15 students.
Special NET/Flex pricing is available for groups of 4 or more.

Purchase/reserve tickets: http://www.newedgecliff.com or call box office, 888.588.0137.

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May 24, 2011 · 8:20 pm

Paul Gilger, Who Conceived SHOWTUNE Visits Footlighters’ Production

SHOWTUNE presented by Footlighters Inc. through May 28. Pictured: Shawn Toadvine, Pamela K. Day, Megan Ainsley Callahan, Nathan Sebens, Deana Tully & Jim Curtis.

Hello Everyone,

What an exciting weekend at The Stained Glass Theatre!   Paul Gilger who conceived our current show, Showtune, flew from California to see our production on Saturday night.  He enjoyed it so much that he came back on Sunday to see it again.  Paul met with the show’s director (John Langley) over lunch to discuss John’s vision and concept for the show and later that evening, he visited with our actors during green room and attended the performance, as well as a special reception for all patrons of that performance.
Afterwards, Paul told John that our production of Showtune is clearly in the top 5 productions that he has seen, throughout the show’s 25 year existence. In addition, he commented that among smaller, regional theatres, our production of Showtune is definitely #1 out of all he has seen and he has followed this show all over the world.
So you don’t want to miss this show!  This is the last weekend, we have WOW Wed. with tickets discounted for $15.00 if you call Gary – 513-474-8711 ( tickets are not discounted online).  The rest of the week’s performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00, tickets $ 20.00, purchase online at www.footlighters.org or call Gary.
See you at Showtune,
Freida Houck

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