Tag Archives: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is pleased to announce the winner of the fifth annual PLAY/write: The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition. The annual collegiate competition nurtures local aspiring dramatists who are helping to shape the future of American theatre and provides a $2,500 juried cash award to support the early work and career of each winner along with staged professional readings of their scripts.

The winner of this year’s prize is Joyce Evelyn Deaton (Northern Kentucky University) for her play Both Hands, which will receive a full-length staged professional reading on August 6, 2023, at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati.

An earlier draft of Both Hands was submitted and received honorable mention in the 2022 competition. The panel of judges were very impressed that the playwright took the time to revisit, rework, and refine her play and submit an updated, more streamlined draft of the piece.

About the Competition
The competition commemorates the life and work of writer, critic, and theatre enthusiast Jackie Demaline. A passionate arts advocate, Ms. Demaline served as an important catalyst for change in the theater community and was an entertainment writer and editor for numerous publications. Her legacy lives on through this competition, providing professional development for emerging writers, amplifying new voices and perspectives, and kick-starting arts careers. 

About the Play

Both Hands by Joyce Evelyn Deaton
Jackie and Niamh, childhood best friends turned strangers, reconnect after ending up at the same university, in the same math class, hours away from home and desperately in search of a carpool. Through road trip conversation over the course of the 1993­–1994 school year, the girls explore the meaning of home, religion, sexuality, love, friendship, and survival. 

About the Playwright
Joyce Evelyn Deaton graduated from Northern Kentucky University with her BA in theatre with an interest in directing, playwriting, and dramaturgy. She is the president and lead producer of the student theatre organization The Henry Konstantinow Studio Theatre, which produces a season of entirely student-run, directed, designed, and produced black box theatre. In her time as president, the organization has doubled in size, funds, and allocated amounts for student productions. She also spearheaded the creation of The Henry Konstantinow Arts Accessibility grant, which assists student directors who may not otherwise have the means to produce and fund their own shows. Other credits include Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (director), NKU’s Twelfth Night (assistant director), NKU/The Carnegie’s Keeper of the Realm (assistant director), and NKU’s Peter and the Starcatcher (dramaturg).

Performance Information
The reading will take place at 2:00 pm on Sunday, August 6, 2023, at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Registration is required for this free event and can be reserved online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org or by calling (513) 421-3555.

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2023-2024 Season Presenting Sponsor is the LKC Foundation.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich, and inspire our audiences.

May 27 – June 18, 2023

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) closes its 2022-2023 Season with the regional premiere dramedy Maytag Virgin by Audrey Cefaly. Two new neighbors put their hearts (and laundry) on the line in this poignant dramedy that tells a witty, romantic, and honest story of connection. May 27–June 18, 2023. Directed by Bridget Leak. Premiere Sponsors are John Goering; Mark Haggard and Daniel Brown.

Good fences make good neighbors, right? But what about clotheslines? When the unflappable Jack Key moves in next door to the endearingly neurotic Lizzy Nash, sparks fly. Over time, neighborly nagging softens, and a deeper connection emerges between the two high school teachers. As the leaves turn yellow and the months march on, kept secrets shake loose, and the pair finds themselves facing the same question: How do you know when you’re ready to live, and love, again?

“Maytag Virgin reminds us that the world is full of possibilities,” says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “It’s the perfect dramedy. You’re going to laugh out loud, and you’re going to be touched by the story that is far more than boy meets girl. It’s about how love really never leaves, even when the people who love each other do. It’s absolutely charming.”

About the Cast

Ryan Wesley Gilreath (Jack Key) last performed at Ensemble Theatre in Queen, and some of his other credits there include Ripcord, Tribes, Other Desert Cities, Next Fall, 33 Variations, and Mary’s Wedding. His TV and film credits include The Bikeriders with Austin Butler; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile on Netflix; Forrest Mars in The Food That Built America; Jack Miller in TURN: Washington’s Spies; Oppenheimer in American Genius; Doc Robinson in Gold Fever; and the pilot of Guilty on Fox. His theatre credits include A Christmas Carol, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Ears on a Beatle, Human Race Theatre; and Burning Desire, Seven Angels, and Deathtrap, Florida Repertory Theatre.

Maggie Lou Rader (Elizabeth “Lizzy” Nash) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. Originally from Oklahoma, she attended William Jewell College, Oxford University, and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She has performed regionally and internationally with Human Race Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Know Theatre, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, The Kitchen Theatre, Birmingham Old Rep, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Some of her favorite credits include Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, June in Alabaster, The Pilot in Grounded, and Marie Antoinette in The Revolutionists.

Bridget Leak (Director) returns to Ensemble Theatre, having previously directed Queen. Her previous Cincinnati directing credits include Actually with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Playhouse’s Off the Hill Series, and the current production of RUH-Roh! at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Her previous honors include People’s Liberty Grant recipient, Cincinnati Art Ambassador Fellowship, Lincoln Center Directors Lab alum, Artist in Residence at Robert Wilson’s The Watermill Center, Directing Fellow at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and an SDCF Observer (Cleveland Play House and Round House Theatre). Bridget has an MFA in directing from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Brooke Arthur (Costume Designer), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Curator & Design Assistant), and Jack Murphy (Technical Director). Production Stage Manager is Margot Whitney. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

Performance Information
Performances Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm; Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 pm. Performances vary. A complete calendar of performances is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket Prices
Tickets start at $35 for adults and student tickets are $28. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount only applies to adult tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich, and inspire our audiences.

A fresh remix on a celebrated favorite.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents World premiere Dramedy
Who All Over There?, April 11 – 30, 2023

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is excited to present the commissioned world premiere dramedy Who All Over There? by Torie Wiggins. Things aren’t always black and white—especially when it comes to relationships. Penned by the one of Cincinnati’s favorite multi-hyphenate artists, this new play is inspired by the classic Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and shines a light on what happens when cultures clash in the name of love. April 11–30, 2023. Directed by Stori Ayers. Premiere Sponsor is Fifth Third Bank.

When Dean, a young professional, and Danya, an aspiring singer, go on a refreshingly candid first date, they keep it real about the dynamics of a potential interracial relationship. As they grow comfortable nestled in the cocoon of their budding love, the real world brings a whirlwind of inflammatory race relations, opinionated family and friends, and troublesome pasts. Can love truly be colorblind?

“The idea came a long time ago to commission an idea from Torie Wiggins,” says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “We bought her play on faith and without a draft, really. That’s what you have to do to give somebody a chance. What’s essential about theatre is the opportunity to have different perspectives and points of view that we could never have in our own experience, and Torie has given us an opportunity with this piece to be a fly on the wall in someone else’s world.”

About the Cast

Kenneth Early (John Martin) last performed at Ensemble Theatre as Aldrin in The Dancing Princesses, and some of his other credits there include Pipeline, Red Velvet, The Whipping Man, Grey Gardens, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, and Around the World in 80 Days. He has also been seen in productions at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, The Human Race Theatre Company, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Jay Wade (Sebastian “Truck” Martin) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in Sweat and Pipeline. He also appeared as Omari in Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s production of Pipeline. He is from St. Louis, MO, and earned his BFA in Acting from Southeast Missouri State University.

Maliyah Gramata-Jones (Danya Martin) returns to Ensemble Theatre, where she was last seen in The Wolves. Some of her other Cincinnati credits include Puffs and Red Bike at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Titus Andronicus at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and many beautifully “weird” projects through the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.  

Spencer Lackey (Dean Willis) returns to Ensemble Theatre, where he was last seen in the virtual production of Side Man. He is an actor and composer based in Brooklyn, NY. His regional theatre credits include Barefoot in the Park, Queens Theatre; Shakespeare in Love!, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; and The Other Rhine, Know Theatre of Cincinnati. His film and TV credits include Notzilla, Healing River, and Dead of Winter on Discovery ID. Spencer has a BFA in Acting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. 

Blake Gehring (Scot Lancaster) makes his Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. He received his BFA from Northern Kentucky University, where he studied Radio/TV/Film and Theatre. He most recently attended the Theatre Training Institute under the direction of Ken Jones. Following graduation, Blake spent several years in Los Angeles pursuing acting and stand-up comedy. A few of his favorite theatre credits include The Brighton Beach Memoirs, Young Frankenstein, The Shape of Things, The Full Monty, and Dearly Departed.

Kyndra Dyanne Jefferies (Petunia “Aunt Toonie” Thompson) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. She is a native of Cincinnati and an alum of the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Kyndra has performed in various productions in the area including Disney’s Descendants, The Wiz Jr., Annie Jr., Superman, and Mary Poppins Jr., The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati; Bourbon at the Border, Falcon Theatre; Memphis, Loveland Stage Company; and Disney’s Newsies, Warsaw Federal Incline Theater. Her film credits include Dark Waters and The Old Man and the Gun.

Keisha L. Kemper (Deirdre Martin) is a native of Cincinnati and makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music with her BFA in Dramatic Performance. Her regional credits include Weezy in Alabaster and Harry in Harry and the Thief, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; Chorus/Nurse in Prokofiev: Suite from Romeo and Juliet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; (Story)Teller in The Bradbury Tattoos: An Experimental Rock Opera, Concert:Nova; Maria, Captain, and First Officer in Twelfth Night, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare in the Park; and Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, New Edgecliff Theatre.

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Aharon Simone (Costume Designer), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Nigel C. Mask (Wig Designer), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Curator & Design Assistant), and Jack Murphy (Technical Director). Production Stage Manager is Margot Whitney. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

Performance Information
Performances Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm; Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 pm. Performances vary. A complete calendar of performances is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket Prices
Tickets start at $35 for adults and student tickets are $28. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount only applies to adult tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich, and inspire our audiences.