Tag Archives: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

CINCINNATI (SEPT. 21, 2023) – With vivid characters, witty dialogue and inspiring stories of redemption, CLYDE’S, the latest play by noted playwright and Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, begins Oct. 14 at Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre. The production, directed by Timothy Douglas, runs through Nov. 5 with opening night on Oct. 19. CLYDE’S is presented by Moe and Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth.

At the truck stop diner CLYDE’S, which is owned by a formerly incarcerated individual of the same name, every sandwich has a story and the kitchen crew has plenty to tell. Though the world seems set up for them to fail, they recapture their imaginations and reclaim their lives as sandwich artists in this witty dramedy.

Director Timothy Douglas says of Nottage’s storytelling, “This visionary playwright expertly crafts epic tales for the stage that are accessible to contemporary audiences, in which they can ‘see’ themselves. In addition, no matter to what heights or depths her creative vision takes us, the journey remains fully rooted in authentic truth and learning.”
CLYDE’S was the most produced play of the 2022-2023 American playgoing season, inviting conversations about America’s prison system and the downstream effects on families and communities.

In an interview with the Art for Justice Fund, Nottage discussed her personal connections to the story: “My father worked in corrections in the 1960s and ‘70s, and my brother is a D.A. I have family members who spent the majority of life incarcerated. And so my life in some ways revolves around this system that has really been designed to punish Black men.”
Nottage is a celebrated writer known for holding a mirror to society and creating plays that are accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences. Two previous plays, Ruined and Sweat, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

“What increasingly resonates with me from the in-depth discussions I’ve had with Lynn Nottage over the years is her fervent commitment to exposing the beating hearts and radiating souls of her characters,” Douglas says. “Each one of them goes through very human and often harrowing experiences, yet all emerge with their authentic resiliencies intact.”

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Rafael                         Juan Arturo
Montrellous               Michael Cornelious Chenevert, Jr.
Letitia                          Shannon Dorsey
Jason                          Austin Kirk
Clyde                           Maiesha McQueen

PRODUCTION 
Playwright                               Lynn Nottage
Director                                   Timothy Douglas
Set Designer                           Se Hyun Oh
Costume Designer                  Trevor Bowen
Lighting Designer                    Harold F. Burgess II
Sound Designer                      Matthew M. Nielson
Casting Director                      Stephanie Klapper, CSA
Stage Manager                       Brandon T. Holmes
Assistant Stage Managers      Rachel Pelgen Locke, Shelby Scaffidi, Andrea L. Shell

TICKETS
Tickets begin at $35. Preview performances take place Oct. 14, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place on Tuesday-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A weekday matinee will be offered on Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. To purchase tickets or 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. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.

EVENTS
Opening Night: Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights with a lively post-show cast party.

ART TALKS

• Friday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.

ADVISORY
Clyde’s is suitable for older teenage and adult audiences only. A crew of people recently release from prison find purpose in sandwich-making while using very strong adult language and discussing mature topics including sex, substance abuse and illegal activities.

SPONSORS
Presented by Moe and Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth. Artist Sponsor is Jennifer and Woody Taft. Season Sponsor is the Schueler Family.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. 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.

####

An Unconventional Love Story About Two Young Immigrants

CINCINNATI (Aug. 17, 2023) – The Rosenthal Shelterhouse Season opens Sept. 16 with SANCTUARY CITY, which tells the story of two U.S. immigrants in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. The strikingly intimate play, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok, runs through Oct. 22. Opening night is Sept. 21.

How far would you go to help a friend, and what would you be willing to risk? This question is at the heart of SANCTUARY CITY, which features two young people who become one another’s sanctuaries after the 9/11 tragedy. Through years of late-night conversations, they see each other through adolescence and fight to find their place in the world.

“At a time of profound polarization on this delicate issue, Majok has given us something that transcends politics as only the best and most humane art can,” writes Elysa Gardner of New York Stage Review.

The two main characters are known only by their initials, B and G. When G becomes a naturalized citizen, she finds a way to help B stay in the country legally. But what begins as a simple choice becomes far more complicated, and G and B’s relationship teeters on the brink of falling apart. Playwright Martyna Majok draws upon her own experience as a Polish-born immigrant raised in New Jersey, infusing authenticity into their stories.

In an interview with DC Theater Arts, she says, “I want to invite people who are not from the world of the show to feel welcome in it. At the same time, for the folks that are from the world, I don’t wanna pander, I don’t wanna over-explain. I want someone who is from Jersey, from my high school, or with their parents to say, ‘That’s right!’ and not feel like I’m educating about my experience… I want both of
those audience members to feel welcome in these stories.”

SANCTUARY CITY begins in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 in 2001, but its portrayal of the immigrant experience is relevant today. As Director Kareem Fahmy explains, “It feels super contemporary because these issues around who gets to stay in the country, and why, and all that stuff hasn’t changed that much. If anything, it’s even more volatile with what’s been happening over the last few years.”

Despite the seriousness of the subject, the play is infused with humor throughout.

“I think it’s important for the theatrical experience to feel really balanced for an audience,” Fahmy continues. “So, we’re leaning into allowing the full humanity of the characters to emerge through how they use humor. I want an audience to have a good time no matter what the play is.”

CAST
B – Jordan Anthony Arredondo
Henry – Debo Balogun
G – Amira Danan

PRODUCTION
Playwright – Martyna Majok
Director – Kareem Fahmy
Set Designer – Alexander Woodward
Costume Designer – Gordon DeVinney
Lighting Designer – Heather Gilbert
Sound Designer & Composer – Megumi Katayama
Casting Director – Katie Galetti

TICKETS
Tickets begin at $35. Preview performances take place Sept. 16, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place on Tuesday-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A weekday matinee will be offered on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. To purchase tickets or 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. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.

EVENTS
Opening Night: Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights with a lively post-show cast party.

Art Talks (Formerly Meet the Artists):

• Sunday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
  Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.

ADVISORY
SANCTUARY CITY is suitable for teenage and adult audiences. Two young immigrants fight to find their place in the world while using very strong language and discussing mature issues including domestic abuse.

SPONSORS
Production Sponsor is Digi and Mike Schueler. Design Sponsor is John and Jennifer Stein. Season Sponsor is the Vontz Family.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. 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.

###