Tag Archives: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

November 1, 2014 · 9:39 am

Double the Antics! Double the Hijinks! Double the Twins! CSC Presents THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Double the antics! Double the hijinks! Double the twins!
Cincinnati Shakespeare’s presents THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Shakespeare’s earliest and wackiest comedy THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
receives a stylish carnival staging at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company!

Jeremy Dubin, Justin McCombs, Jeremy Dubin and Justin McCombs. Photo and design by Cal Harris.

Jeremy Dubin, Justin McCombs, Jeremy Dubin and Justin McCombs. Photo and design by Cal Harris.

CINCINNATI, October 29, 2014— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues with this season’s opening Shakespeare production of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS playing November 21- December 13, 2014.  For this production, Cincinnati Shakespeare is thrilled to welcome the Executive Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Association, Patrick Flick, to the director’s chair for the first time at CSC!  The production features Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Resident Ensemble members including Jeremy Dubin, Paul Riopelle, Justin McCombs and Josh Katawick.  The design is generously sponsored by Towne Properties.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is Shakespeare’s earliest and wackiest comedy and features not one, but TWO sets of identical twins, leading to twice the confusion, and twice the fun. Twin masters Antipholus and Antipholus (Justin McCombs and Josh Katawik) and their twin servants Dromio and Dromio (Jeremy Dubin and Paul Riopelle), separated at birth and each unknown to the other, just happen to end up in the same town on the same day. What ensues is an increasingly unlikely string of misunderstandings and mistaken identities as the twins unintentionally wreak havoc on each other’s lives. Audiences will be doubled over with laughter at Shakespeare’s THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

The setting of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s production will be a stylish vintage carnival in a mythical seaside resort of “Ephesus” in America in the early 1930’s.  The director, Patrick Flick says that “boater hats, bathing beauties and parasols share the stage with an assortment of carnival oddities.  The play has a ‘storm that blows into town on a pleasant day’ sort of feeling so the ideas of magic, enchantment, wizardry and mistaken identities abound.”  The design team, consisting of scenic and lighting designed by Andrew J. Hungerford and costumes designed by Noelle Wedig, will feature all the treatments of a classic carnival atmosphere from the beautiful to the grotesque.  The stage will be populated by all the classic carnies; a gypsy fortuneteller, a half man/half women, the bearded lady, the strong man, carnival clowns, sword swallowers and more!

Patrick Flick is celebrating his directorial debut as Cincinnati Shakespeare Company by helming THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.  Mr. Flick, a four-time Emmy winner (ZDTV), is the Executive Director of The Shakespeare Theatre Association, the former Literary Chair of the National New Play Network, and former Associate Artistic Director of Orlando Shakespeare.  He has directed “The Exit Interview”, “Red”, “The Comedy of Errors”, “Into the Woods”, “Twelfth Night”, “A Little Night Music”, “Private Lives”, “Kiss Me Kate” and many others.  He also produced a staged workshop of an adaptation of “The Tempest”, starring Oscar winning actress Olympia Dukakis in Orlando.

The Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) was established to provide a forum for the artistic, managerial, educational leadership for theaters primarily involved with the production of the works of William Shakespeare; to discuss issues and methods of work, resources, and information; and to act as an advocate for Shakespearean productions and training.  Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of this international organization and has traveled to Canada, California and beyond for the annual conference.  More information on STA can be found only at http://www.stahome.org/.

Performances of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS are scheduled from November 21- December 13, 2014 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm with an additional Saturday matinees on Nov. 29 and Dec. 13.  Preview performances are on Wednesday Nov. 19 and Thursday Nov. 20 at 7:30pm and tickets are $21.  No performance on Thursday Nov. 27.  The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center.  Single ticket prices range from $22-$32 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$36 on Fridays and Saturdays.  This show is a part of the 2014-2015 subscription season.  If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID.  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.

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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 30,000 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.  Last season, 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 2014-2015 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.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of “Henry V” is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.  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.

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Performance Schedule:
Wednesday November 19th at 7:30 pm*
Thursday November 20th at 7:30 pm*
Friday November 21st at 7:30 pm
Saturday November 22nd at 7:30 pm
Friday November 28th at 7:30 pm
Saturday November 29th at 2:00 pm
Saturday November 29th at 7:30 pm
Sunday November 30th at 2:00 pm
Thursday December 4th at 7:30 pm
Friday December 5th at 7:30 pm
Saturday December 6th at 7:30 pm
Sunday December 7th at 2:00 pm
Thursday December 11th at 7:30 pm
Friday December 12th at 7:30 pm
Saturday December 13th at 2:00 pm
Saturday December 13th at 7:30 pm

*Preview night, tickets $21

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October 30, 2014 · 4:59 pm

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Runs Nov. 21-Dec 13

Jeremy Dubin, Justin McCombs, Jeremy Dubin and Justin McCombs. Photo and design by Cal Harris.

Jeremy Dubin, Justin McCombs, Jeremy Dubin and Justin McCombs. Photo and design by Cal Harris.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Nov. 21-Dec 13
Downtown

Directed by Patrick Flick

Cast: Bill Chance, Frank Delaney, Jeremy Dubin, Andrew Gehrlein, Josh Katawick, Courtney Lucien, Justin McCombs, Miranda McGee, Caitlin McWethy, Maggie Lou Rader, Paul Riopelle, Abby Rowold, Tess Talbot & Brent Vimtrup

Double the antics! Double the hijinks! Double the twins! That’s right, Shakespeare’s earliest and wackiest comedy features not one, but TWO sets of identical twins, leading to twice the confusion, and twice the fun. Twin masters Antipholus and Antipholus and their twin servants Dromio and Dromio, separated at birth and each unknown to the other, just happen to end up in the same town on the same day. What ensues is an increasingly unlikely string of misunderstandings and mistaken identities as the twins unintentionally wreak havoc on each other’s lives.

  • In preview Wed-Thu, Nov. 19-20 at 7:30pm. All seats $21.
  • Fri-Sat, Nov. 21-22 at 7:30pm
  • Fri, Nov. 28 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, Nov. 29 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, Nov. 30 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, Dec. 4-6 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Dec. 7 at 2pm
  • Thu-Fri, Dec. 11-12 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, Dec. 13 at 2pm & 7:30pm

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October 20, 2014 · 6:13 pm

CSC’s THE BIRDS Recognized by LCT for Sound and Lighting Design

Brent Vimtrup as Nat & Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Brent Vimtrup as Nat & Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s THE BIRDS recognized by LCT for its sound and lighting design.

THE BIRDS is an adaptation of Daphne Du Marier’s short story which was also the inspiration for Hitchcock’s classic film. For reasons unknown, the birds have turned against man, attacking them maliciously and relentlessly. In a small seaside cabin, a group of strangers find themselves thrust together, each seeking sanctuary from the savage avian menace. But as the situation becomes increasingly dire and the tension between the survivors inexorably grows, it isn’t long before the atmosphere turns ugly, and they discover that the horror hovering outside is nothing compared to that which lurks within.

Panelists praised Andrew Hungerford for lighting design and Doug Borntrager for sound design: “Lighting and sound contribute to the sense of menace and claustrophobia while the actors continue to open and close the shuttered doors and windows between waves of the bird attacks. The lighting is especially dramatic when leaking through the barricaded windows and the continuous sounds of the birds reminds the audience of the outside threat.”

CSC’s THE BIRDS runs through November 8th. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.cincyshakes.com/

Nominations for LCT awards will be determined and announced at the end of the season and winners awarded at the annual LCT party in the summer.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.

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October 19, 2014 · 4:21 pm

THE BIRDS Review

Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

THE BIRDS presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Nov. 8. Click here for more information on the production.

Brent Vimtrup as Nat & Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Brent Vimtrup as Nat & Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Conor McPherson’s version of THE BIRDS begins with the characters of Diane and Nat having recently met. Together these strangers take shelter inside a lakeside cabin from the the legions of birds that are attacking and killing the human race.

The opening scene does a good job of creating a barely-safe haven from the outside threat. As the show progressives and moves more into a character study, the danger from outside becomes less of an issue. Even when a drunk Nat opens the shuttered window to scream at the birds, it has no consequence. Since the bird attacks come and go with the tide, the wide open windows and door display a sense of security that lessens the threat from other roaming survivors. The tension and sense of imposing danger isn’t sustained. Also, the opening/closing of the door and three sets of shutters, by the cast, between scenes, tends to interrupt the flow of the show and sap some of the energy established in the previous scene. In researching the play, I found this complaint echoed in reviews of other productions.

Nicholas Rose as Tierney & Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Nicholas Rose as Tierney & Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Brent Vimtrup as Nat had a tendency to push the emotion a bit too much, especially at the beginning of the play. Pulling it back a bit might make it feel a bit more natural.

I didn’t get a good sense of the emotional dynamics between Diane (Sherman Fracher), Nat (Vimtrup) and Julia (Sara Clark). The reveals came as a shock because I wasn’t getting the growing attachments in the performances.

The scene between Tierney (Nicholas Rose) and Diane was very….odd. Rose’s costume looked like a homemade version of Mad Max with a very bad wig. I found the accent and acting choices strange and couldn’t figure out his character’s motivations. Tierney wasn’t scary or intimidating, but came across as drug-riddled and confused ala Ozzy Osbourne.

Sara Clark as Julia. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Sara Clark as Julia. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

I also think part of the problem, for me, is that I’m a fan of THE WALKING DEAD. Most of the themes that McPherson explores in his script have played out over their five seasons. It didn’t really cover any new territory for me. And let’s face it, the character of Diane has nothing on Carol. 🙂

The reputation of Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS greatly influenced my expectations for the show, but I’ve never seen the the movie itself. I was expecting a thriller for the Halloween season, but on opening night, this production didn’t sustain the thrill for me.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s. You can post your comments below.

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September 29, 2014 · 12:33 pm

Hitchcock Thriller THE BIRDS Wings Its Way to CSC’s Stage for Halloween

The Classic Hitchcock Thriller, “The Birds” Wings its Way to Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Stage for Halloween!

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to present the classic Hitchcock thriller that’s been terrifying audiences for generations, now in a fresh stage adaptation

Sherman Fracher. Photo by Cal Harris.

Sherman Fracher as Diane. Photo by Cal Harris.

CINCINNATI, September 26, 2014— Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues their season with a Regional Premiere for the Halloween season of “The Birds” by Conor McPherson, from the short story by Daphne du Maurier October 17- November 8, 2014. This production is directed by Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips and features Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Resident Ensemble members Sara Clark, Sherman Fracher, Nicholas Rose and Brent Vimtrup. The design is generously sponsored by Raymond James.

“The Birds” is a novelette by British writer Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1952. The story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film “The Birds” released in 1963. In 2009, Irish playwright Conor McPherson adapted the story for the stage setting it in an isolated seaside cabin somewhere in the near future. The production has been presented with great acclaim at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota and The Gate Theater in Dublin, Ireland, among others. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of “The Birds” will be the Regional Premiere!

For reasons unknown, the birds have turned against man, attacking them maliciously and relentlessly. In a small seaside cabin, a group of strangers find themselves thrust together, each seeking sanctuary from the savage avian menace. But as the situation becomes increasingly dire and the tension between the survivors inexorably grows, it isn’t long before the atmosphere turns ugly, and they discover that the horror hovering outside is nothing compared to that which lurks within. The cast features Brent Vimtrup and Sherman Fracher as Nat and Diane, respectively, two strangers who form a bond to survive their harrowing experience. They are joined by Sara Clark as Julia, a mysterious young woman who brings conflict to the desperate situation, and Nicholas Rose as the cryptic, watchful neighbor Tierney.

For additional information or for interviews with any member of the cast or company contact Jeanna Vella, Director of Education and Communications as jeanna.vella@cincyshakes.com or 513.381.2273 ext. 3202.

Audiences are invited to wear a costume to the October 31, 2014/ Halloween evening performance! Please note that this play contains strong language and mature themes.

Performances of “The Birds” are scheduled from October 17- November 8, 2014 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm with an additional Saturday matinee on Nov. 8 Preview performances are on Wednesday October 15 and Thursday October 16 at 7:30pm and tickets are $21. The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center. Single ticket prices range from $22-$32 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$36 on Fridays and Saturdays. This show is a part of the 2014-2015 subscription season. If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID. 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 30,000 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. Last season, 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 2014-2015 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. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of “Henry V” is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. 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.

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