Tag Archives: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Brian Isaac Phillips directs the next installment in CSC’s 5 year, 8 play history cycle

Darnelle Pierre Benjamin as Henry VI. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

CINCINNATI, Dec. 23, 2015— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its season and multi-year history cycle with HENRY VI: The War of the Roses, Part 1 by William Shakespeare.  This production is directed by CSC Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips.  This production features Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Resident Ensemble members including Darnell Pierre Benjamin at King Henry VI.  The History Cycle sponsor is Osborn, Rohs, Williams & Donohoe, LLC.  The costume design sponsors are Vantiv and Dave Herche & Wendy Thursby.

Shakespeare’s game of thrones continues with this first installment of the Henry VI trilogy. King Henry V, one of England’s most beloved monarchs, brought unity and peace to his fractious country and victory over the rival nation of France. But when Henry’s untimely death leaves his infant son to inherit the crown, the country falls back into chaos as rival families of York and Lancaster seek to seize the throne for themselves. Featuring some of history’s most controversial characters, including Joan of Arc, this first installment in the epic War of the Roses trilogy sets the stage for the exciting conclusion soon to come.

Darnell Pierre Benjamin, a sixth season resident ensemble member of CSC, will be playing King Henry VI in this production.  “I hold a great deal of responsibility in my hands,” says Darnell, “I am a Black male from St. Martinville, LA; and, despite how much I’ve always fixated my interests on the classics, I never thought that I’d have the honor of representing one of Shakespeare’s history kings.”  Darnell has appeared on CSC’s stage many times to to critical acclaim including as Tom Robinson in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Aaron in “Titus Andronicus”, and Valentine in “The Two Gentleman of Verona.” Darnell says he “hope(s) to open people’s minds and hearts to seeing the core of this story as it is: A young man coming into his own as he learns that there are forces, both good and bad, that can alter his perception of himself; but, if he holds fast onto who he is and who he is becoming, regardless of what the outcome will be, he will maintain leadership of his truest self.”

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is only the 2nd theater company in the United States to present Shakespeare’s 8 play history cycle in chronological order.  The 2013 production of “Richard II” began this multi-season history cycle at Cincinnati Shakespeare and was followed by 2014’s “Henry IV: Part 1 & 2” and 2015’s “Henry V” and now with 2016’s “Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses, Part 1”.  The cycle will conclude with “Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses, Part 2” and “Richard III”.

Performances of HENRY VI: The War of the Roses, Part 1 are scheduled from January 22- February 13, 2016 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm as well as on Saturday Feb. 13 at 2pm. There is no performance on Sunday Jan. 24.  Preview performances are on Wednesday Jan. 20 and Thursday Jan. 21 at 7:30pm and tickets are $25.

The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center.  Single ticket prices range from $22-$35 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$39 on Fridays and Saturdays.  Previews are $25.  If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID.  This production is a part of this season’s subscription package. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.  Ticketing fees may apply.  Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as AAA members.  To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.

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 a dozen mainstage productions each season.  The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 34,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street.  In 2014, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About the 2015-2016 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave.  The season design sponsor is Mark & Sue Ann Painter.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.

The popular Cincinnati holiday tradition, EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVERY TOLD (AND THEN SOME!), appears on CSC’s stage for a limited run of 13 performances December 16-27, 2015!

Justin McCombs, Sara Clark & Billy Chance.

CINCINNATI, Nov. 24, 2015 – For the 10th straight year, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is thrilled to offer a full season of holiday cheer in just 90 minutes with EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVERY TOLD (AND THEN SOME!) by Michael Carleton, James Fitzgerald, and John K. Alvarez.  This hilarious production is a non-stop holiday romp through everyone’s favorite Christmas stories performed by just four actors in ninety minutes.  Justin McCombs and Sara Clark, both now 10 year veterans of the company, return to poke fun at the holiday season, joined by Billy Chace, a ninth year company member.  Miranda McGee, sixth year company member, returns as a special guest.  CSC Artistic Associate, Jeremy Dubin, returns to the director’s chair.  This production is one of the most popular events in Cincinnati Shakespeare Company history breaking attendance and sales records every year.  All tickets are $30, making this show an affordable holiday treat.  Audiences are encouraged to get their tickets soon as some date are already sold out!

What starts as an annual performance of “A Christmas Carol” quickly descends into a playful skewering of everyone’s favorite “Beloved Holiday Classics.”  Using just three actors and a little help from the audience, EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVERY TOLD (AND THEN SOME!) crams an entire season’s worth of stories, carols, and television specials into ninety minutes of non-stop laughs. EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVERY TOLD (AND THEN SOME!) premiered in 2005 at Orlando Shakespeare Company under the direction of Artistic Director Jim Helsinger.

Audiences and critics have made the show a sold-out success for the last seven Decembers.  Rick Pender of CityBeat wrote of the show, “If you’ve laughed yourself silly watching any of the scripts developed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company – you’ll find yourself in similar territory.  Michael Carleton, James Fitzgerald, and John K. Alvarez clearly went to the same school… This production will certainly appeal to audiences looking for relaxing, adult holiday amusement.”   Director Jeremy Dubin remarks, “This cast has so much fun together that the show has become a very personal holiday tradition for all of us. Returning audiences will enjoy a fresh round of new fruitcake jokes, and new audiences will be amazed at Sara Clark’s frighteningly accurate Jimmy Stewart impression.”

This show will be appreciated by adults and older teens, but is not recommended for anyone young enough to still believe in Santa. The Canon Club Bar will be open before, during, and after the production featuring a full bar, Moerlein’s Shakes“beere”, custom cocktails and signature jell-o shots!  All drinks can be taken into the theater.

Performances of EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVERY TOLD (AND THEN SOME!) are scheduled for a limited run of 13 performances from Dec. 16-27, 2015.  Performances on Dec. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 26 are at 7:30pm.  Performances on Dec. 19, 20, 26, and 27 are at 2:00pm.  All performances are held at CSC’s Theatre, 719 Race St.  No passes, subscriptions, group rates, or discounts apply.  All tickets are $30.  Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are accepted.  To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273), or visit us online at www.cincyshakes.com.

Performance Schedule:

• Wed, Dec 16th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Thu, Dec 17th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Fri, Dec 18th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Sat, Dec 19th, 2015 at 2:00 pm
• Sat, Dec 19th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Sun, Dec 20th, 2015 at 2:00 pm
• Sun, Dec 20th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Mon, Dec 21st, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Tue, Dec 22nd, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Wed, Dec 23rd, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Sat, Dec 26th, 2015 at 2:00 pm
• Sat, Dec 26th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
• Sun, Dec 27th, 2015 at 2:00 pm

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 a dozen mainstage productions each season.  The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 34,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street.  In 2014, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About the 2015-2016 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave.  The season design sponsor is Mark & Sue Ann Painter.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.

Theatre to be Named for Otto M. Budig

CINCINNATI (Nov. 17, 2015)— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC)  announced today a $17 million capital campaign titled “Making History Unexpected” to construct a new theatre at 12th and Elm Streets, in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. The new facility will incorporate space for modern theatrical technology, increased seating capacity and lobby, expanded education and community outreach opportunities, as well as on-site production areas and administrative offices. The theatre will also become the “finale” of a planned “Classical Arts Corridor” connecting Music Hall, Memorial Hall, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and Washington Park.

“Our new theatre will be the realization of the long-term vision for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to become a world-class classical theater,” said Brian Isaac Phillips, Producing Artistic Director. “We need more capacity to execute our bold artistic vision, deeper community engagement, and to transform students’ lives in this region and beyond.”

Thirteen million dollars–or 75%– of the total seventeen million required has already been raised in the campaign’s private phase. The “Otto M. Budig Theatre” will honor the campaign’s lead contributor. In addition to the lead gift made by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, other lead gifts have been made by Don and Linda Tecklenburg and the Tecklenburg Family Foundation, James R. Bridgeland, Jr., Richard L. and Debbie L. Westheimer, Vicky and Rick Reynolds, Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trusts Fifth Third Bank Trustee and The P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.  The City of Cincinnati also committed $200,000 in matching grants.

Otto M. Budig has been a long-time supporter of CSC, generously sponsoring the season for the past 10 years. Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips said that “Cincinnati wouldn’t be the great city that it is without Otto’s support of the arts.  It will be an honor for his name to grace the front of our new building for generations to come.”  Mr. Budig also commented that “we wanted to have Cincinnati Shakespeare be a part of what is rapidly becoming the Classical Arts Corridor in the city and at last it is!  It is my pleasure to provide a major grant to see to it that the building becomes a reality.”

Mr. Budig also urged others to support the capital campaign saying that “although the grant we are providing is somewhat consequential, the fact of the matter is, it is not all that is needed to make this campaign a success.  I urge you to do what is necessary to make sure you are fiscally involved because this opportunity is too good to miss.”

The project will feature a 244-seat mainstage theater (CSC currently seats 150), with 197 seats on the main floor and 47 seats in the balcony.  Plans call to maintain the uniquely intimate experience of attending a Cincinnati Shakespeare Company production, with no more than 6 rows included in the new design. In fact, the back row will now be only 20 feet from the stage, a shorter distance than in the current theater.  It will also have a  thrust stage uniquely designed for classical theatre, ample backstage, vertical and horizontal space, a loading door into the theater, and on-site scenic and costume design and construction shops. Beyond the performance space, the facility includes a full-size rehearsal and event space and a designated classroom for educational programs. There will be robust patron amenities available in  full ADA compliance, including a more spacious lobby, increased restroom facilities, a separate box office, and a stylish bar.

GBBN Architects and Messer Construction are leading the project. CSC also engaged Schuler Shook Theatrical Consultants and Kirkegaard Associates to advise on the acoustics.

The process for this move began nearly 2 years ago. After years of operating within an inadequate space lacking amenities for patrons and limitations for artistic production (lack of wing/fly space for sets and minimal backstage, among others), the CSC board engaged a “Move Committee,” which  conducted a facility analysis and feasibility study to determine the need, feasibility, and vision for a new space. CSC explored the possibility of sharing space with another organization, but it was determined to be impossible due to the nearly 300 stage nights needed by CSC.  The committee reviewed  35 locations over 9 months, and narrowed the search to a short list of four.  Endorsed by 3CDC and the CSC board,  CSC was able to secure an option for purchasing the land located at the corner of 12th and Elm in Over-the-Rhine. The feasibility study was completed with a grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

“History may be the past, but at CSC we are making history unexpected every day by disrupting conventional notions of theater, education and community,” said Jay Woffington, executive director. “Otto Budig and our other generous donors have made a commitment to our vision. Now we are asking the community to help us complete it.  The public phase of the campaign is called “Making History Unexpected” because of all the ways that CSC does this every day. And now the public can be a part of it as well!”

CSC, the only professional classical theater between Pittsburgh and Chicago, was the fifth-ever U.S. theater to complete Shakespeare’s 38-play canon. Now in its 22nd year, patron and subscribers continue to grow, with an average of 25,000 in annual attendance. Educational and outreach programs also continue to grow, and now serve more than 34,000 students each year through summer camps, matinees and classes.

“We’ve done all that we can in our current facility,” Woffington explained. “The new facility will allow for a further increase of attendance and revenue,  and expanded reach for our educational programs.”

Ongoing outreach includes a FREE Shakespeare in the Park series that takes place each summer,  providing free plays to 30 communities, including Washington Park. The new theater will enable more community performances in Washington Park, along with providing additional programming space for performing arts organizations without their own facilities, and available presentation space for the myriad nearby startup organizations downtown.  The “Cincinnati Development Fund is very excited about the prospect of the new development, and would consider the new theatre to be a cornerstone for the neighborhood and a catalyst for continued and increasing economic development in Over The Rhine,” said Joe Huber, Chief Operating Officer of the Cincinnati Development Fund.

The projected timeline includes a ground breaking in early 2016 with a completion date of summer 2017.  The 2017-2018 Season will be the first in the new space.

Four million dollars is needed to reach the goal for the new theater.  The “Making History Unexpected” campaign welcomes all supporters of CSC’s mission to bring Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages and the expanded opportunities a new theater would offer to help fulfill this mission. All CSC subscribers and patrons will receive an email asking for support of the campaign later today. Every donation counts and CSC will have a myriad of naming and sponsorship opportunities available giving donors a tangible and unexpected way to get involved in supporting the theatre.  “In fact, for every donation made the donor will receive a chance to win naming rights to The Grand Stair. This is a privilege normally reserved for 6 or 7 figure donors. You can make a donation of $100 and have the opportunity to put your name on The Grand Stair for 3 years! You will receive an entry for every donation you make,” said Development Director Joeliene Magoto.  Interested donors can visit www.cincyshakes.com/makinghistoryunexpected for more information on how to support and/or to make a donation.Images and interviews available upon request.

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 a dozen mainstage productions each season.  The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 34,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street.  In 2014, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About the 2015-2016 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave.  The season design sponsor is Mark & Sue Ann Painter.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at http://www.cincyshakes.com.