Category Archives: Staged Reading

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Cincinnati Playwright Initiative
Oct. 20
Fifth Third Bank Theatre [Downtown]

A full-length play by Leo Bradley
What Might Have Been follows the trials and tribulations, successes and failures, happiness and sadness, of two men; one who follows a safe and conventional life and one who takes a riskier, more unconventional one. Both antagonists possess similar intellects, talents, and interests, which make the feasibility of either path attainable. Alternate scenes from both scenarios present narration and dialogue revealing how choices affect all facets of life – especially family, relationships, careers, security, faith, and ambition. After the choices are made, we often ponder: “what might have been?”

About the Playwright

Dr. Leo Bradley is a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction. In the fiction genre, Here’s to Living is his second play. Bradley’s first, Bleachers, presented through music and dialogue, shows the parallels between the history of baseball and the story of America. He has also authored three novels: one with historical Civil War settings, as well as a family saga of the 20^th Century. and a contemporary tale set in Music City, USA. What Might Have Been is Leo’s fourth play with CPI. Dr. Bradley is also a songwriter, musician, and singer. having written and recorded three CDs along with having over forty of his songs recorded.

• Tue, Oct. 20 at 7:30pm

Official page |

THE OPPOSITE OF FAILURE
Cincinnati Playwright Initiative
Sept. 15
Fifth Third Bank Theatre [Downtown]

A full-length play by Nancy Robinson Crist
Martie has been trying to get back on her feet ever since her thirty-year marriage ended. Crippled by chronic depression, she has tried, without success, to find a treatment that works. But just when she thinks her life won’t get better, hope arrives in the form of a philosophical teen, a flaky coworker, an innovative doctor, and a “flustrated” nephew. Martie learns that, while it’s important for her to help herself, it’s just as important to accept help from the other people sharing her corner of the world.

About the Playwright
Nancy Robinson Crist’s first play, Everything’s Relative, was published by Dramatic Publishing in 1990. Over the next eight years she wrote The Case of the Disappearing Drumsticks, a children’s play; Murder in Mayberry, a comedy; Soul Survivors, a comedy-drama that received a staged reading at Lincoln Center and productions in Chicago and New York; and Jack the Chipper, a musical written with composer Mark Hollmann and produced in Chicago. She was hijacked by life for twenty-eight years before returning to her passion in 2026, writing The Opposite of Failure. She lives in Greendale, Indiana, with her cat and confidante, Javy

• Tue, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm

Official page |

Martha’s Will
Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative
April 14
Aronoff Center Fifth Third Bank Theater [Downtown]

Written by Susan and Doug Decatur

In September 1919, wealthy Cincinnatian Martha dies. Her lawyer gathers potential heirs to participate in parlor games reminiscent of the early 20th century. The historical events of the time add layers of intrigue that foreshadow how Martha’s “will” is imposed, showing that things aren’t always as they seem to be.

Playwright Bios:
Susan and Doug Decatur became a writing team after their marriage in 2018. They’ve co-written two full-length plays, including Unfinished Business, an Austin Film Festival selection and Screencraft finalist. They also collaborated on Lovestruck, a compilation of eight 10-minute plays inspired by their own love story. Both plays were performed at the Aronoff.

• Tue, April 14 at 7:30pm

Official page |