Tag Archives: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

(Cincinnati, OH) Nora’s back, and this time, she’s kicking down the door! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents the regional premiere of the scintillating comedy that’s sweeping the nation, A Doll’s House, Part 2. Nominated for eight Tony Awards, Lucas Hnath’s completely unauthorized sequel to Ibsen’s theatrical classic is a thoughtful and contemporary commentary on marriage and how the roles of women have—and haven’t—changed over time. Playing March 2-30, 2019. Directed by Regina Pugh. Production Sponsor is John Goering.

Nora famously slammed the door on her marriage, leaving her family behind in Ibsen’s 1879 revolutionary classic, but what happened to the iconic heroine next? This audacious sequel imagines her 15 years later as a changed woman. Universally acclaimed on Broadway, this smart, sophisticated comedy crackles with razor-sharp humor that speaks directly to today’s audiences, giving new voice to its predecessor’s themes of marriage, fidelity, and personal independence.

“I love that this play forces us to confront our own beliefs about marriage and family,” says director Regina Pugh.  “All of the characters in this story make extremely good arguments and extremely flawed arguments and, ultimately, it becomes very hard to tell one from the other. Life is like that. We often feel like we are doing the exact right thing and exact wrong thing at the exact same time.”

About the Cast

Tony Campisi (Torvald) returns to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, having previously appeared in The Humans, Permanent Collection, and Glimmer, Glimmer, and Shine. He was seen at Playhouse in the Park in Men on the Take, Durango, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and You Can’t Take it with You. Other regional theatres include Cleveland Play House, McCarter Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Mark Taper Forum, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Geva Theatre Center, New York Stage and Film, and Hudson Guild, among others. Broadway: Awake and Sing! (Tony Award), The Nerd, and Pvt. Wars. Off-Broadway: Lincoln Center Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, and Primary Stages. His television credits include: Seven Seconds (Netflix), Blue Bloods, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Ally McBeal, Profiler, Matlock, EZ Streets, and several soap operas; film credits include: Cruzando, A Home of our Own, Tyson (HBO), and Green Plaid Shirt.

Christine Dye (Anne Marie) last performed at Ensemble Theatre in The Humans and When We Were Young and Unafraid. She has also appeared onstage in Much Ado About Nothing, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival; August: Osage County, Riverside, and Sarge, Clifton Performance Theatre; Dracula, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; House of Yes, Untethered Theatre; Jeffery, Parallel Lives, and Valhalla, Ovation Theatre; Power Failure, Night of the Iguana, and Bus Stop, New Edgecliff Theatre; and Vagina Monologues, Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, and Shirley Valentine, Middletown Lyric Theatre. Her film credits include Carol, Old Man and the Gun, Donnybrook, A Case of Murder, Mom and Dad, Aftermath, and First Kill.

Connan Morrissey (Nora) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut. Her previous credits include roles in new and classical plays at Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Asolo Theatre Center, Folger Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Round House Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Clarence Brown Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory, Capital Repertory, North Carolina Stage Company, Vermont Stage Company, and Peterborough Players. She has worked as a performance coach for companies including Deloitte, PWC, Unilever, and Fifth Third. Ms. Morrissey has an MFA from the University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill.

Esther Cunningham (Emmy) is a current member of the Professional Acting Apprentice Program at Ensemble Theatre, where she understudied Crabble in Fly by Night and the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Off stage, she works with the ETC Education Department as a teaching assistant for the Hunter Heartbeat Program. She is a graduate of Wheaton College with a BA in Theater, where some of her favorite credits include Julius Caesar, The Sparrow, and Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

Production team includes D. Lynn Meyers (Producing Artistic Director), Brian c. Mehring (Set & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Stormie Mac (Costume Designer), and James Geier (Wig Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

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

Ticket Prices
Ticket prices start at $35 for adults; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. 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 does not apply to children’s 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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2018-2019 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided PNC.

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 of 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 Doll’s House, Part 2—At A Glance

What:  A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath

Where: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 

When: March 2 – 30, 2019
Opening Night: Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 pm

Times: Tues-Thurs at 7:30 pm; Fri & Sat at 8:00 pm; Sat & Sun at 2:00 pm; Sun at 7:00 pm

Tickets: Start at $35 for adults; students, $28 

Content Advisory
This production contains adult language and may not be suitable for all audiences. 

Discounts
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 does not apply to children’s 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. Group discounts available for 8+. Complete details available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org. 

Parking:
Surface lot and Gateway Garage, both at the corner of 12^th and Vine Streets. Parking also available at the Washington Park Garage and Mercer Commons Garage. 

CAST
Torvald: Tony Campisi*
Emmy: Esther Cunningham
Anne Marie: Christine Dye*
Nora: Connan Morrissey*

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Regina Pugh
Costume Designer: Reba Senske
Production Stage Manager: Brandon T. Holmes*
Sound Designer: Matt Callaha
Set & Lighting Designer: Brian c. Mehring
Wig Designer: James Geier
Properties Master & Design Assistant: Shannon Rae Lutz
Production Manager: Matthew Hollstegge

*Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is the proud recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Arts Education. The Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio is a statewide program showcasing and celebrating Ohio artists, arts organizations, arts patrons, and business support of the arts. The award for Arts Education is given to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions through leadership and creativity to advance arts education in Ohio’s schools and community organizations.

ETC was founded in 1986 with the belief that Cincinnati should have an Equity theatre that could support local professional artists and actors. ETC then later expanded its mission to include vital educational opportunities and impactful engagement initiatives for artists and patrons of all ages—particularly among underserved audiences—throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

In recent years, ETC’s educational programming has expanded significantly and now includes: the Hunter Heartbeat, Prelude, and Fairy Godmother programs which focus on providing access to the arts among underserved audiences;

Teen Scene, Student Matinees, and ETC Summer Stock which are dedicated to cultivating young arts patrons and artists; and a variety of other workshops and classes. Although the schools, socioeconomic status, and abilities of participants may vary, the desire to have a creative outlet is universal. The majority of ETC’s education and engagement activities is funded by the generosity of sponsors and donors.

“To have our education and outreach programs be named as a Governor’s Award winner by the Ohio Arts Council is truly an honor and a wonderful celebration of ETC’s identity and spirit,” says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “We are beyond grateful. Even when there were little or no resources for an education department, somehow Ensemble always found a way to have one. Now that we have completed our renovations, now that we have entered the next chapter of our story, it’s paramount that we continue our work for the community.”

Lauren Carr, ETC’s Director of Education, Engagement, and Inclusion, adds, “Being recognized among all arts organizations throughout the state of Ohio is a testament not only to our current and ongoing programming, but also the dedication of the theatre itself to maintaining the important mission of bringing the theatre arts to those who otherwise would not have had the opportunity for decades.”

The Governor’s Awards program is presented by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation.  Nine winners have been selected to receive awards at the 2019 Arts Day & Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio luncheon and ceremony on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The event will take place at noon at the Columbus Athenaeum in downtown Columbus. The Governor’s Awards luncheon, a ticketed event open to the public, is held in conjunction with Arts Day, an annual arts advocacy event sponsored by the Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation. Learn more about the Governor’s Awards at www.oac.ohio.gov/governorsawards.

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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.

2018-2019 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided by PNC. 

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.