Tag Archives: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

October 20, 2020 · 9:18 am

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Cancels One-Actor Version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and Postpones the Mainstage Season of Plays Until Fall 2021

PIP_logoSpecial events, virtual performances and educational programs still planned

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park today announced that the one-actor version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL has been cancelled, and the mainstage subscription season will be postponed until Fall of 2021 with some of the shows expected to return. The Playhouse will instead present a series of special events on selected weekends with socially distanced seating in the Marx Theatre, as well as its Off the Grid Series and continued educational programming.

The Playhouse Presents will bring a series of special events featuring nationally recognized theatre artists to the Marx Theatre on selected weekends with socially distanced seating. The series kicks-off Nov. 20 to 22 with A NIGHT OF JOY WITH DANIEL BEATY. The Playhouse has previously produced two of Beaty’s acclaimed solo plays: THROUGH THE NIGHT (which featured Beaty) and MR. JOY. Additional events will be announced later.

The City of Cincinnati and State of Ohio approved the Playhouse to open at 30 percent audience capacity. However, the plays and musicals produced for the mainstage season require dozens of artists and staff to work in very close quarters indoors for extended periods of time. Even with comprehensive safety protocols in place, full productions are in perpetual risk of being shut down due to a COVID-19 spike or positive case.

“This decision helps ensure our healthy return in the fall of 2021, while still offering some inspirational, alternative programming at the Playhouse,” explained Blake Robison, artistic director. “Weekend special events require less time and risk to present, and this makes them a better option in the current environment. We plan to be very busy bringing our community virtual and socially distanced ways to experience live theatre in the coming months.”

In addition to The Playhouse Presents, other plans to date include:

  • Off the Grid: Off the Grid creates immersive theatrical experiences. It continues this fall with the previously announced schedule of virtual and socially distanced events, including the sold-out Children of the Corn Maze on Oct. 24 and Nancy Brew Zoom Dunnit on Nov. 12. More events will be announced for winter and spring 2021.
  • Virtual Outreach Touring Plays: A professionally filmed production of THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS is currently available. SNOWY DAY will be filmed for release in January 2021 as well as DRAGONS LOVE TACOS in the spring, which may also have live performances if it is safe to do so at that time.
  • Virtual Education Programs: A robust curriculum of virtual workshops for schools is already online, and more content will be added to it throughout the fall. Schools can access the workshops with an Education Membership.
  • Directing the Future: The Capital Campaign is in the home stretch and ground-breaking on Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre is expected sometime in early 2021. Opening is still slated for Fall 2022.

For more information on The Playhouse Presents and other programming, visit cincyplay.com. An announcement of the 2021-22 season will come later and will include some previously announced shows from the 2020-21 season, subject to timing and availability. The hope is to bring back the full production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL in 2021.

The safety and well-being of patrons, artists and staff is of the utmost importance at the special events and other activities planned. As such, the Playhouse has developed a comprehensive safety plan which follows all measures required by the City of Cincinnati, the State of Ohio and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those measures will include intense cleaning, hand-sanitizing stations, social distancing, and other safety protocols. Patrons will also be required to wear masks. All
events are subject to change or cancellation based on revised guidelines from the City or the State.

Tickets for current subscribers and other ticketholders will be automatically rolled over to the 2021-22 season, and subscribers who renewed will continue to save their regular seats. All subscribers and other ticketholders will be contacted directly with details and the process for alternate options. For more information, visit cincyplay.com.

Seasonal support of education and outreach programming is provided by The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation. 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.

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October 13, 2020 · 11:50 am

THE BREATH PROJECT Announces Lineup for Inaugural Virtual Festival on Oct. 24 & 25

PIP_The Breath ProjectIn partnership with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and 23 other theater companies across the country, the free festival will feature 24 world premiere works created by multidisciplinary theater artists of color, including two written by and featuring Cincinnati-based artists.

The Breath Project was formed in response to the current global spotlight on racial injustice against Black people

CINCINNATI – In partnership with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and 23 other theater companies across the country, The Breath Project has announced the lineup for its inaugural virtual festival being held on October 24 and 25. World premiere works from two Cincinnati-based artists were chosen from a nation-wide submission process to participate:

  • Candice Handy — “Black Quarantine Date”
  • Derek J. Snow — “The Ballad of the Dying Body or The Breath to Say”

The free virtual festival will feature 24 world premiere works created by multidisciplinary theater artists of color that are all 8 minutes and 46 seconds in length. In the wake of the death of George Floyd, the 8 minutes and 46 second time frame has become a symbol for the racial injustice faced by countless members of the Black community across the United States. RSVP for The Breath Project Virtual Festival here. While this Festival is free, every dollar donated to this event will be given directly to the contributing artists and volunteer curators.

The Breath Project is a new theatrical initiative formed by Artistic Director and Co-Founder Gamal Abdel Chasten and Co-Founder Marieke Gaboury in response to the current global spotlight on racial injustice against Black people. Chasten is a founding member of Universes Theater Ensemble, which performed its world premiere production americUS at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park earlier this year.

“We received many inspiring submissions from around the country to be housed in our archive, and a third of those will be featured at the virtual festival,” said Chasten. “The range of works we received was vast and included more traditional theatrical presentations and those that challenged the idea of what is theater in this moment of isolation. It is my hope that when people visit our website, attend the virtual festival, or follow and support our vision, they will have their boundaries pushed and their ideas challenged, and that, in the process, we change the face of American theatre.”

The Breath Project works to build relationships between local artists and theaters in their community and region, creating more opportunities for BIPOC theater artists, technicians and administrators throughout the country. As part of this effort, each partner theater provided a curator who helped choose the artists for the virtual festival.

“Theatre has the incredible power to heal and bring people together,” said Piper N. Davis, The Breath Project’s Cincinnati-based curator. “We believe the powerful pieces being presented by BIPOC artists as part of this virtual festival should be seen by everyone. We are excited that the work of some very talented Cincinnati-based artists, who have Playhouse connections, will be included.”

Following a call for entries in August 2020, over 65 original works—ranging from monologues and slam poetry to puppetry and dance activism—were submitted. From those entries, a diverse panel of artists of color selected the 24 works that will comprise the inaugural festival. All works that have met the required submission guidelines will be archived on The Breath Project website.

The 24 selected works (in alphabetical order) are:

  • Mhir Agrawal / Gamal Chasten – “Say Hello Stewart”
  • Aldo Billingslea — “3 Story Walk Up”
  • Alumni Theater Company — “Perspectives”
  • Ananya Dance Theatre — “Just Breathe”
  • James Brunt — “Waiting for Death”
  • Giovanny Camarena — “Don’t Be Afraid”
  • The Char’Actors — “The Cycle”
  • Tyharra Cozier — “Breath”
  • El Colectivo de Dramaturgos de Puerto Rico – “inhala – exhala”
  • Henri Franklin — “Views of Color in 8:46”
  • Yetta Gottesman — “Oh, Maria”
  • Ilasiea Gray — “Acting While Black”
  • David Guster — “Nice to Meet You”
  • Candice Handy — “Black Quarantine Date”
  • Harvey — “Breonna’s Prayer”
  • Gabrielle Jackson — “The Ballad of Jacob Blake”
  • Angela G. King — “8:46”
  • Bruce Lemon, Jr. — “The Act of Ownership”
  • Anthony Sky Ng-Thow-Hing — “Transcending Isolation: Hope”
  • Josh Richardson — “Choosing Sides”
  • Derek J. Snow — “The Ballad of the Dying Body or The Breath to Say”
  • Jessica Gabrielle Thomas — “Glow | Eternal”
  • Bil Wright — “Pulse”
  • David Zayas / Gamal Chasten — “I Just Don’t Know”

The Breath Project seeks to build a more equitable theater community in the country and to actively dismantle structural racism in the American theater through a three-pronged mission: Art, Action, and Advocacy.

  • Art
    In partnership with organizations and artists across the nation, The Breath Project will create, develop, and support original theatrical works, created by BIPOC artists.  The work that is housed by The Breath Project will be used as a tool for education and advocacy, as a living time capsule of this moment in history.
  • Action
    The Breath Project is working to build relationships between local artists and theaters in their community and region, creating more opportunities for BIPOC theater artists, technicians, and administrators throughout the country. Working across national partnerships, The Breath Project will seek to end the notion that plays by BIPOC artists fulfill a quota or check a box for a theater, and instead become an organic and permanent part of the American Theater landscape.
  • Advocacy
    The Breath Project will work to support the organizations that produce, fund, and support the American Theater to eliminate the racism and biases that exist in our institutions and business practices.

Theaters partnering with The Breath Project include (in alphabetical order): Alabama Shakespeare Festival (Montgomery, AL); Alumni Theater Company (Pittsburgh, PA); Cherry Lane Theatre (New York, NY); Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Cincinnati, Ohio); City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, PA); Cornerstone Theater Company (Los Angeles, CA); Curious Theatre Company (Denver, CO); Detroit Public Theatre (Detroit, MI); Dorset Theatre Festival (Dorset, VT), Face Off Theatre (Kalamazoo, MI), Flat Rock Playhouse (Flat Rock, NC); Flint Repertory Theatre (Flint, MI); Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI); Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley, CA); Network of Ensemble Theaters (National Service Organization); Palo Alto Children’s Theatre (Palo Alto, CA); Pillsbury House Theatre (Minneapolis, MN); Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR); Rude Mechs (Austin, TX); San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego, CA); Southern Rep Theatre (New Orleans, LA); Studio Theatre (Washington DC); Two River Theater (Red Bank, NJ); and Western Michigan University Department of Theatre (Kalamazoo, MI).

For more information on The Breath Project, visit thebreathproject2020.com.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 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. For information, visit cincyplay.com.

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ABOUT GAMAL ABDEL CHASTEN
Artistic Director/Co-Founder, The Breath Project
Gamal is an actor, poet, writer, composer, activist, and a founding member of Universes Theater Ensemble. His latest projects are ​The Land Of Lost Socks (a children’s story)​, commissioned by The Palo Alto Children’s Theater and ​AmericUS ​(Universes, commissioned by Cincinnati Playhouse. He is currently in development for his solo production of Crawfish. His work in Theater spans over 25 years. Along with Universes, he has co-written and/or acted in The Ride (PS 122, 1996), Slanguage (New York Theater Workshop, 2001), Rhythmicity (Actors Theater of Louisville), Ameriville (Victory Garden Theater, 2006). Individual writing credits include Let Bygones Be, (2010 Humana Festival’s Ten Minute Play series), The Last Word (PS 122), God Took Away His Poem (Labyrinth Theater Barn Series), The Black Mann Act/The Trail of Jack Johnson/Vaudeville Show (New Orleans reading), The Wall (New Orleans Fringe Festival), and Badge (Just Theater 2013 residency). Directing credits include: The Last Word (Austin, TX); Articulation (at Company One, Boston, MA); Innerviews (by Full Circle at NY’s Dance Theater Workshop). Additional acting credits include: Brother (by Lisa Ebersole at The Elm Theater); Zombie Town (Southern Rep @ Le Chat Noir). Awards/Affiliations: 2008 U.S. Cultural Ambassador with the U.S. State Dept./Jazz at Lincoln Center – Rhythm Road Tour; New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. Publications: UNIVERSES’ The Revolution will be Live! (2020 release- TCG Books), 2018 Dell’ Arte Prize of Hope, Writers Corp Teacher Anthology (City Lights Books 2009); SLANGUAGE in The Fire This Time (TCG Books); Featured on the covers of American Theater magazine (2004) and The Source magazine (2000).

ABOUT MARIEKE GABOURY
Co-Founder, The Breath Project
As a Theatre Specialist for the City of Palo Alto, Marieke is delighted to be a part of the team that supports performing arts programs for youth in the Bay Area. A California native who has happily returned home, Marieke spent some years in New Orleans, where she was the Manager of Institutional Development for the New Orleans Ballet Association, as well as Managing Director of Southern Rep, one of the only professional theatre companies in Louisiana. Her move to New Orleans followed 13 years in New York City, where she was Producing Director of LAByrinth Theater Company, the member-driven Off-Broadway collective which developed and produced new work by both emerging and distinguished, award-winning theatre artists. Marieke is still a member of LAB.

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September 25, 2020 · 11:10 am

Buzz Ward to Become Managing Director Emeritus at the End of the Playhouse’s 2020-21 Season

Buzz Ward Headshot - Newsroom

                        Buzz Ward.

CINCINNATI – After a successful tenure of 29 years at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Buzz Ward will become Managing Director Emeritus, effective July 1, 2021.  In this role, he will continue to serve in an advisory capacity – helping the organization transition to its new mainstage theatre facility.

Ward arrived at the Playhouse in 1992, making him the longest serving executive in its history having managed it for nearly half of its 61 years. He served as Executive Director under Producing Artistic Director Ed Stern until 2012. Ward was named Managing Director and Co-CEO with the arrival of current Artistic Director and Co-CEO Blake Robison, who will become sole chief executive at the end of this season and launch a national search to hire a new Managing Director for the organization.

Throughout Ward’s tenure, he has presided over 28 consecutive seasons with an operating surplus – an unrivaled record in the American regional theatre – that has resulted in the financially strong organization the Playhouse is today. He oversaw the production of over 300 mainstage shows, and the Playhouse won two Tony Awards during his tenure: the first in 2004 for Best Regional Theatre, and the second in 2007 for Best Revival of a Musical (Company).

Playhouse Board President, Ellen G. van der Horst, praised Ward’s record of accomplishment and added, “This transition is the result of a careful succession planning process between our Board and executive leadership. We expect a smooth transition that will set us up for future success. The Playhouse has benefited tremendously from Buzz’s management and institutional knowledge. It is our pleasure to recognize and honor him with an Emeritus title, and we look forward to celebrating his tenure once circumstances allow.”

Much of the Playhouse’s significant growth came during Ward’s tenure. One of his first accomplishments was to eliminate the Playhouse’s cumulative operating deficit. Ward managed the 1997 project to renovate the public, production and administrative spaces of the Playhouse. He helped to lead the capital campaign in 1994-96 for that project, establish the Stern endowment in 2011, and launch the current capital campaign for a new mainstage theatre complex. Fundraising for the capital campaign is nearly complete, and the Playhouse will break ground in early 2021. Furthermore, he successfully negotiated a 99-year lease with the City and the Park Board to secure the Playhouse’s location in Eden Park for the next century.

“My deepest thanks go to the dedicated board, amazing artists, and outstanding staff with whom I have had the privilege of working,” said Ward.  “My great appreciation also goes to the citizens of Greater Cincinnati who have cherished and supported the Playhouse and made this the place where I wanted to spend my career. I look forward to ensuring a smooth transition to my successor and to spending more time with my family, returning to some teaching and consulting, and to perhaps rediscovering my golf game.”

In 2012, Ward received the Governor’s Award for the Arts in Arts Administration. On the national level, he served for 14 years as Treasurer of the League of Resident Theatres – the association of our country’s 76 largest regional theatres.

“Nobody can replace Buzz,” said Robison.  “His keen financial skills and visionary leadership have brought national acclaim to the organization. But we can and should take this opportunity to imagine the next phase of the Playhouse’s life. I look forward to working with our Board and staff to complete our capital campaign, open our new mainstage theatre facility, and lead the Playhouse into the future.”

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September 14, 2020 · 3:33 pm

OFF THE GRID SERIES Features Virtual and Socially Distanced Interactive Performances This Fall

Offerings Include Pod Plays, Shadow Cast Films and a “Zoom Dunnit” Mystery
PIP_logoCINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s immersive theatrical experiences return this fall with the 2020-21 Off the Grid series. The line-up features virtual and socially distanced opportunities that include streaming audio dramas, interactive shadow cast film events, a spooky site-specific theatrical experience in late October and a “Zoom Dunnit” mystery. Events will take place throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

“The purpose of Off the Grid series has always been to reimagine the nature of theatrical storytelling with site-specific experiences like our 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the Newport Aquarium or creative social connections like Beauty and the Bourbon Tasting at New Riff Distillery,” says Blake Robison, artistic director. “Adjusting the programming to work during our current health crisis was a natural extension of the unconventional approach Off the Grid has been taking for the past five years.”

New this year is THE POD PLAYS PROJECT, which makes creative use of technology, storytelling and outdoor space. The Playhouse commissioned two playwrights to choose a unique location in Cincinnati and write an original audio play that makes use of that setting. When listeners tune in to the audio file and begin the play, they’ll be guided through the location as the story unfolds, interacting with the same views, spots and markers as the characters in the story they’re streaming.

Two pod plays are available to stream now at cincyplay.com. They can be experienced at the convenience of the listener and are free of charge:

THE AVIATORS
Written by Trey Tatum
Set in Alms Park, the story follows Kaylan and Cece, who form an unlikely friendship after working through the trials of a school project about flight. Their journey includes an exploration of Alms Park and all its hidden gems, as well as an exploration of the history of aviation. 

RICHIE AND BLANCHE
Written by Isaiah Reaves
Taking place on the Purple People Bridge (starting at Newport on the Levee), the story finds a mother and son at a crossroads. Their relationship had taken a turn after Richie came out to his parents, setting off five years of estrangement. Their emotional journey includes a walk across the Purple People Bridge as they take in the beautiful sites and views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati Skyline.

“What’s key is that we have a live and interactive element to everything. Even the pod plays, which are pre-recorded, are meant to be experienced at the site, as if you are in the moment of the story with the characters,”  says Daunielle Rasmussen, director of education and community engagement at the Playhouse and the director/producer of the Off the Grid events. “We have an exciting mix of new efforts, such as the Pod Plays, along with the types of programs we’ve been developing and refining since the beginning of Off the Grid – like shadow cast film events and site-specific theatrical experiences.”

The fall schedule of date specific Off the Grid events is listed below:

THE SHADOW CAST FILM SERIES features actors reenacting cult classic films in front of an audience as the movie plays on the big screen behind them — a la Rocky Horror Picture Show. All shadow cast events will take place at the Mariemont Theatre. Cost is $12. For tickets, visit mariemonttheatre.com. 

  • DREAMGIRLS
    Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.
    In the 2006 hit musical Dreamgirls, three female soul singers find their dreams of musical stardom coming true (and their personal lives forever changed) in the early 1960s. This special screening will feature a live shadow cast performance for an interactive event.
  • HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE
    Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.
    Harold and Kumar set out to satisfy their munchies and encounter some wild and hilarious surprises along the way in this cult comedy screening. Audiences may find themselves as part of the screening and performance as a group of actors perform a live shadow cast.

AN IMMERSIVE, SITE-SPECIFIC THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE arrives in time for Halloween.

  • CHILDREN OF THE CORN MAZE
    Written by Trey Tatum
    Saturday, Oct. 24.
    Burger Farm and Garden Center, located at 7849 Main St. (Rt. 32)
    Cost is $20. For tickets, visit cincyplay.com.

    Strange things are happening in the cornfields of Burger Farm… There are whispers of supernatural events and sightings of monstrous creatures, and everything is becoming a little spookier than usual. With fun nods to horror and thriller favorites from Stephen King to Ghostbusters, a twisted tale unfolds as audiences walk the haunted trail. Timed entries leave every 10 minutes between 6:40 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and should be reserved in advance. Suitable for ages 13 and up.

  • PUMPKIN PARTY
    While the grown-ups walk the haunted trail, kids ages 4 to 12 can attend a 90-minute Pumpkin Party for $10. Each session includes excursions in the Pumpkinland maze, pumpkin crafts and Halloween-themed movies like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

AN INTERACTIVE WHODUNNIT will be hosted via Zoom. 

  • NANCY BREW ZOOM DUNNIT
    Written by Margot H.G. Manburg
    Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.
    Cost is $10. For tickets, visit cincyplay.com.
    Armchair detectives can log in from home to track down the culprit of a crime. Participants will break out into teams, observe scenes, track clues and interact with characters to solve a mystery, virtually.

More information on all the events can be found at cincyplay.com. Additional Off the Grid events are planned for 2021, including two shadow cast events: Girls Trip on Feb. 4 and Mean Girls on April 1. The remaining events will be announced later.

Seasonal support of education and outreach programming is provided by The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation. 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.

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July 16, 2020 · 6:53 am

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Announce Reset 2020-2021 Seasons Due to Covid-19 Challenges

Seasons to start later with a smaller slate of shows

PIP_logoCINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati today issued a joint announcement that they will delay the start of their 2020-21 seasons due to the complex challenges around continuing live performances. All three theatres plan to kick off their revised seasons this winter with a smaller slate of rearranged, rescheduled or new shows.

In addition to the current ban on mass gatherings in Ohio, the nonprofit theatres must finalize viable plans to play to lower audience capacities for social distancing, communicate with theatre’s professional unions (such as Actors Equity) about performing safely and put numerous, new safety protocols in place.

With so many of the same challenges and the cross-over between audiences, the artistic leaders of the three organizations – Blake Robison (Playhouse), Brian Isaac Phillips (CSC) and D. Lynn Meyers (ETC) – indicated that they are working together to present consistent opening plans and safety guidelines.

The three leaders also announced that COVID-19 safety measures – including intense cleaning, longer runs to accommodate social distancing and other protocols – will be in place when the theatres open, but specifics will be announced closer to opening dates since the overall situation and guidelines from the state of Ohio and the CDC could change. They noted that further adjustments to their schedules could become necessary to ensure the safety of patrons, artists and staff, which is of the utmost importance.

All three organizations will reach out directly to their own patrons regarding procedures and options for 2020-21 tickets already purchased.  Additional tickets will go on sale later in the fall.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park brings a new, smaller version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL to celebrate the holidays, followed by seven productions in 2021.

The Playhouse will open its revised season on December 1 with a new, one-person adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Two actors will share the role and alternate performances on the existing set, which audiences will recognize, with new lighting and costuming. This would have been the 30th anniversary of the Playhouse’s annual holiday favorite. Artistic Director Blake Robison directs the one-person show.

“This is the most viable way for us to provide cheer and hope this holiday season,” said Mr. Robison. “For safety, we are starting off with the smallest cast shows and building up from there through the spring. The acting, sets, costumes and overall artistry will be at the same level that Playhouse audiences always enjoy.”

The beloved version of the Playhouse’s annual holiday production will return in 2021 if it is safe to do a large-cast show by that time.

A seven-show season will follow A CHRISTMAS CAROL, beginning in January. The Marx Theatre season features four productions: the previously announced world premiere of THE WEST END by Keith Josef Adkins, STEEL MAGNOLIAS and Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Newly added to the season is SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY by Jocelyn Bioh, a biting comedy that explores the universal challenges of teenage girlhood and all the drama that comes with it. The Rosenthal Shelterhouse Season consists of BECOMING DR. RUTH, LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL and INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP.

A detailed line-up of the 2020-21 season is included below and available at cincyplay.com. In addition, the Playhouse is planning both virtual and outdoor interactive theatrical experiences for late summer/early fall as part of its Off the Grid series and is working on virtual education and outreach programs for schools. Details on these programs will be announced later.

CSC_logoCincinnati Shakespeare Company hopes to reopen with the annual holiday favorite EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD followed by a spring filled with beloved Shakespeare titles, and to close the season with the return of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will return in late November with the much-loved holiday tradition EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (AND THEN SOME!). “This show, which has run at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for over a decade, will be a wonderful way to welcome back our patrons, who we have greatly missed during this time,” said Brian Isaac Phillips, CSC Producing Artistic Director.

Then, beginning in 2021, CSC will present a rearranged slate of Shakespeare titles back to back to return the company to its roots.  First up in January will be the much-awaited production of HAMLET featuring Sara Clark portraying a reverse gendered Hamlet. This will be followed by a romantic and traditional production of ROMEO AND JULIET opening in March and a slapstick production of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS inspired by vintage Las Vegas opening in April.

And then, to close the season, CSC will reprise the production that was halted only weeks into the performance of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  “This show had already become the most popular production in Cincinnati Shakespeare Company history before the unfortunate closure. We think it will be very fitting for us to close this triumphant new season with the return of this much loved and very jubilant production” said Mr. Phillips.

A detailed line-up of the 2020-21 season is included below and available at cincyshakes.com. In addition, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will continue to present its robust Education and Outreach programs in person and online in the schools and communities of the tri-state including FREE Shakespeare in the Park this summer.

ETC_new_logo_bannerEnsemble Theatre Cincinnati will continue annual community partnerships this winter and plans to open its 2020-21 Season in January with four productions.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will start a four-show season in January, reprising its production of the 2018 Obie Award-winning play PIPELINE by Dominique Morisseau, acclaimed MacArthur “Genius” Grant playwright. Having played a few performances to rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, the show was abruptly suspended the day after it opened this past March as a result of the ban on mass gatherings.

Due to safety precautions for audiences and performers alike, ETC’s previously announced holiday production, SLEEPING BEAUTY, will no longer be included in the upcoming season given its large cast size and singing format. ETC plans to return to its non-traditional fairy tale musicals in 2021 provided large-cast shows are possible by that time.

ETC had been preparing to share the remainder of its 2020-2021 Season this past spring, an announcement which was also delayed in the wake of the pandemic. In the coming weeks, ETC hopes to share the other three productions that will comprise its rearranged upcoming season and which will embrace the spirit of social consciousness that is the organization’s hallmark.

In addition, ETC will continue to adapt its programming wherever possible to be available online, including offering digital versions of its celebrated annual special event Expectations of Christmas along with its general audition call, Meals 4 Monologues, both in December.

All three organizations are supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund them with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK 2020-21 REVISED SEASON
Presented by Schueler Group and Heidelberg Distributing Co.
Season Sponsor of New Work: Rosenthal Family Foundation

 MARX THEATRE:

First Financial Bank presents
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
December 1 – 27, 2020

In an intimate tour de force, one actor takes the stage to tell the story of Ebenezer Scrooge.

THE WEST END
By Keith Josef Adkins
January 16 – February 14, 2021

Set in 1941 in Cincinnati’s West End, this world premiere drama shines a light on a transformative chapter of local history.

Leading Ladies present
STEEL MAGNOLIAS
By Robert Harling
February 27 – March 28, 2021

With beloved characters, heartwarming dialogue and snappy repartee, Steel Magnolias revels in the power and grace of female friendship.

Moe & Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth present
SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY
By Jocelyn Bioh
April 10 – May 9, 2021

This biting comedy explores the universal challenges of teenage girlhood and all the drama that comes with it.

Agatha Christie’s
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Adapted by Ken Ludwig
May 22 – June 20, 2021

Whodunit? Detective Hercule Poirot is determined to find out in this masterpiece from the world’s most popular mystery writer.

 ROSENTHAL SHELTERHOUSE THEATRE:

The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati presents
BECOMING DR. RUTH
By Mark St. Germain
January 9 – March 9, 2021

This heartwarming portrait is a humorous and illuminating one-woman show about America’s favorite sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL
By Lanie Robertson
March 20 – May 16, 2021

Featuring over a dozen jazz standards, Billie Holiday tells the story of her life through music with honesty and a touch of salty humor.

Johnson Investment Counsel & Clark Schaefer Hackett present
INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
By Katie Forgette
May 29 – July 25, 2021

It’s 1973, and the Irish-Catholic O’Shea family muddles through a series of hilarious mishaps that jeopardizes their reputation — and their souls.

CINCINNATI SHAKESPEARE COMPANY 2020-21 REVISED SEASON

Season Sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and The John Bridgeland, Crilley, Long, and Mason Families Honoring James R. Bridgeland Jr.

EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (AND THEN SOME!)
by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, and John K. Alvarez
November 19 – December 27, 2020

CSC’s holiday smash hit is back again for another season of holiday hilarity as we send up everything from Dickens to Dr. Seuss for 90+ minutes of high-octane jollity and frivolity.

William Shakespeare’s
HAMLET
January 15 – February 21, 2021

This much awaited production of the greatest play in the English language finally opens at CSC.  Featuring Sara Clark in the title role.

William Shakespeare’s
ROMEO AND JULIET
March 5 – April 11, 2021

William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of two star-crossed lovers and the feuding families who tear them apart, on stage in all of its everlasting grandeur.

William Shakespeare’s
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
April 23 – May 23, 2021

Shakespeare’s silliest, screwiest, and slapstickiest comedy! Inspired by golden era Las Vegas, this music filled production will be packed with cool cats, rat packs, showgirls, wise guys, and more.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
By Kate Hamill, adapted from the novel by Jane Austen
June 4 – July 3, 2021

One of the single most beloved stories of all time returns in a fresh new adaptation which critics are calling “delightfully different,” “fizzy and festive,” and “unlike any adaptation of Jane Austen one has seen before.”

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