Tag Archives: Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative

THE CIRCLE On Jan. 11

CPI_logoTHE CIRCLE
Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative
Jan. 11
Aronoff Center Fifth-Third Bank Theatre [Downtown]

CPI New Voices Series presents a reading of THE CIRCLE by local playwright Michael Defrancesco.

A new inmate is assigned a prison cell. He is dominated by his cellmate who controls everything about their habitation, and who learns information dangerous to the newcomer–who has lived with his increasingly concerned mother as she observes his personality change from that of a passionately committed young man to a furtive alcoholic. The Circle reveals details of his downward spiral and desperate grasping at some sort of salvation.

12/10/21 – COVID-19 Policy

  • Tue, Jan. 11 at 7:30pm

Official page |

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Filed under On Stage, Staged Reading

FOUR SHORT PLAYS On Dec. 7

CPI_logoFOUR SHORT PLAYS
Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative
Dec. 7
Aronoff Center Fifth-Third Bank Theatre [Downtown]

  • Fan Appreciation Night: A hockey tough guy doesn’t know what he’s in for when he’s sent to the penalty box.
  • Kindergarten Form: A personal item on a school questionnaire is too much for a mother to answer.
  • All Our Tomorrows: Two older people who’ve met in an L.A. motel lobby on a stormy night have to be courageous enough to get past a skunk in the courtyard in order to start a life for themselves.
  • Take Care of Grandpa: A twelve-year-old girl is put to the test of how well she can protect her grandfather from himself.

About the Playwright: Roger Brookfield is an original member of CPI, and his first play was in 1997. His plays have been performed in New York (city & state), California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Washington, and Ohio. He has received awards for his plays in L.A., San Diego, Montrose, NY, and Springfield, OH.

11/11/21 – COVID-19 Policy

  • Tue, Dec. 12 at 7:30pm

Official page |

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PLANTING GRANDMA On Nov. 9

CPI_logoPLANTING GRANDMA by Liz Coley
Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative
Nov. 9
Aronoff Center Fifth-Third Bank Theater [Downtown]

Gathered home to their father’s deathbed vigil, middle-aged siblings Bran and Roni plan to undertake his last unfinished business, laying Grandma’s long-neglected ashes to rest. Taking a shovel to the past creates a deeper hole than they bargained for, unearthing family history and exposing personal fears the siblings and their mother have kept buried.

About the Playwright: Liz Coley writes novels (Pretty Girl-13, HarperCollins), short stories, and plays. She manages Next Stage Cincinnati Playwrights, a local critique group, and is producing an upcoming showcase of tens. Her work has been performed in San Diego, Cincinnati, and the Boston area. Follow LizColeyBooks on social media and visit LizColey.com.

10/8/21 – COVID-19 Policy

  • Tue, Nov. 9 at 7:30pm

Official page |

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THE STANDS and AT THE EDGE OF THE LIGHT On Oct. 12

CPI_logoTHE STANDS and AT THE EDGE OF THE LIGHT
Cincinnati Playwright Initiative
Sept. 14
Aronoff Center Fifth Third Bank Theatre [Downtown]

THE STANDS by Eric Thomas
Two sets of parents meet at their sons’ first high school baseball game. Marcus wants his son to love baseball as much as he did. Alex wants her son to be on track toward a scholarship. Pamela wants to protect her son from ridicule. Blair wants to make a friend. All relationships and expectations are challenged when the parents are confronted with a series of surprises, both on the field and in the stands.

AT THE EDGE OF THE LIGHT by Chris Bishop
Three men from different backgrounds share a common secret. Each one must navigate the familial, religious and societal pressures forcing him to hide his true identity from the world and even himself. Each man struggles to find and reveal his true self on the border between the darkness of shame and fear, and the light of honesty and self-love.

Casts include: Burgess Byrd, Jessie Faye, Jeff Weinkam, Elizabeth Hickerson & Derek Snow

9/10/21 Covid-19 PolicyDue to the high levels of COVID-19 transmission in Hamilton County and the surrounding area, all guests, staff, and volunteers are required to wear masks at all times in our venues, regardless of vaccination status. This policy is effective immediately and until further notice.  In addition, beginning September 13, 2021, ticket holders 12 years of age and older will be required to show a proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. Requirements for children under 12 years old will be determined by each of our venue’s resident companies.
Note: Always verify the latest policy changes before attendance.

  • Tue, Oct. 12 at 7:30pm

Official page

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UNFINISHED BUSINESS on Sept. 14

CPI_Unfinished Business logoUNFINISHED BUSINESS
Cincinnati Playwright Initiative
Sept. 14
Aronoff Center Fifth Third Bank Theatre [Downtown]

Written by Susan and Doug Decatur

Gary Douglas is a dejected, recently-divorced, sixty-year-old man. He joins a men’s basketball league thinking he can return to something else he loved before. After joining the Shooting Stars basketball team, he learns that their goal becomes his: to get to the Final Four of the Senior Olympics. During this quest, Gary unexpectedly meets Susie Weston, a frustrated writer pursuing her own dreams and aspirations. Susie and Gary’s fun and poignant journey together with Gary’s teammates, and their spouses and friends, bring them all to a realization that it’s never too late to triumph in life and love.

  • Tue, Sept. 14 at 7:30pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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Filed under On Stage