Tag Archives: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI ANNOUNCES ONE-NIGHT-ONLY READING OF
DUSTIN LANCE BLACK’S NEW PLAY “8” ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 AT 8:00 PM
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Joins Nationwide Productions of Landmark Marriage Equality 
Play by Academy Award-Winning Screenwriter of Milk & J. Edgar

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC), in collaboration with Clifton Performance Theatre, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, is proud to announce a one-night-only staged reading of 8, a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. Written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black, 8 will be presented at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine Street, on Monday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m. Directed by Kevin Crowley.

“Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati has a long history of presenting readings that add to and complement our season offerings,” says ETC Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “8 is an excellent script about an important issue, penned by a gifted playwright. As our country moves forward, this is the right time to bring the play to our stage and the most effective way to make that happen now is through this reading,” she concludes.

“Equality Cincinnati welcomes the opportunity provided by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and Clifton Performance Theatre to see this play about the Perry v. Schwarzenegger gay marriage case. We look forward to the day that gay marriage is legal in the United States, and this play will be an interesting historical piece,” says local attorney and Equality Cincinnati board member Scott Knox.

8 is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry. Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based 8 on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

“In light of the federal court’s refusal to allow the release of video recordings of the Proposition 8 trial, which sought to deny basic rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans, it is incredibly important that as many people as possible see 8. This show helps uncover the truth about marriage equality and expose the appalling arguments used against it,” explains Council Member Chris Seelbach, who will lead a post-show discussion following the staged reading.

Tickets for the reading are $20 and all proceeds benefit Equality Cincinnati and Human Rights Campaign. For tickets, please contact the Clifton Performance Theatre at (513) 861-SHOW or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

ABOUT THE PLAY
8 had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

8 had its West Coast premiere reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. The West Coast premiere reading of 8 featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson. The benefit reading was directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner, and raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black. “The goal of 8 is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing 8 for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

The story for 8 is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark decision upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples. The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. After bringing together Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality for all Americans. http://www.AFER.org

ABOUT BROADWAY IMPACT
Broadway Impact is the only grassroots organization of the theatre community and its fans mobilized in support of marriage equality. Tony Award-nominees Rory O’Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Gavin Creel (HAIR) and Production Coordinator Jenny Kanelos founded the organization in direct response to the passage of California’s Proposition 8 in November 2008. Currently, Broadway Impact, in partnership with AFER, licenses and coordinates readings of Dustin Lance Black’s 8 at regional, community and university theaters around the world. Broadway Impact was the recipient of the 2009 Human Rights Campaign Community Award and proudly operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. www.broadwayimpact.com

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.

2012-2013 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Season Sponsors: PNC Bank, John & Ruth D. Sawyer, Dr. & Mrs. Charles O. Carothers, and the Mitchell S. & Jacqueline P. Meyers Foundation. Season Fairy Godmother Sponsor: William and Susan Friedlander. Additional support provided by Garfield Suites Hotel, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

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.

DON’T BE LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE:
ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI PRESENTS FAMILY FRIENDLY HOLIDAY MUSICAL
ALICE IN WONDERLAND, NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 30, 2012

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) presents the return of one of its most cherished holiday musicals Alice in Wonderland, by local playwright Joseph McDonough with music and lyrics by David Kisor, playing November 28 through December 30, 2012. In the tradition of ETC’s “fractured fairytale” holiday productions, Alice in Wonderland is a modern spin on the classic fairytale by Lewis Carroll and features exuberant colorful costumes, and an updated fantastical set design that will delight audiences of all ages. ETC’s sassy version is the toe-tapping tale of a lost girl, a cool cat, a wild hare, and the original “dancing queen.” Moreover, this year’s version features several new songs along with the return of several Cincinnati’s favorite actors reprising their roles for returning and new audiences alike. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers. Premiere Sponsor is Macy’s.

Each season, ETC produces a magical fairy tale musical written with families in mind. As a theatre that also seeks to nurture new audiences, ETC has specifically commissioned these shows that take classic fairy tales and give them a fresh, modern spin with contemporary cultural references to make the shows’ message accessible for the next generation of arts patrons.

Following the success of recent holiday musicals, ETC has expanded its performance schedule to include over 30 chances for audiences to see this popular production. ETC will also offer a convenient show calendar for families with many weekend matinees, early 6:00 pm Sunday evening shows, and 7:00 pm evening shows throughout the holiday season. ETC’s Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers says, “What’s so great about David and Joe’s fairytale creations is that the lessons are timeless and will always appeal to and engage new audiences, especially all the children who get to explore this revamped Alice in Wonderland for the first time. Alice needs to learn a lesson and each of the show’s characters, as well as the audience, become part of her learning this lesson.”

About the Cast
Sarah M. White makes her ETC debut as Alice. Ms. White is a member of ETC’s 2012-2013 Acting Intern Company. She is a recent graduate of Ball State University’s Musical Theatre program, where some of her favorite credits include: One Flea Spare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, All in the Timing, Macbeth, Company, and Hair. She also appeared in the Downtown Dinner Theatre production of A Grand Night for Singing.

Deb G. Girdler reprises her role as the Queen of Hearts/King/Mom. She has appeared numerous times on ETC’s stage, often as the villain in the holiday shows. Her ETC credits include the evil fairy Wisteria in Sleeping Beauty, The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Betty in the smash hit The Great American Trailer Park Musical, as well as Old Bones in The Frog Princess. Ms. Girdler has appeared at the Olney Theatre as the Fairy Godmother in the now official version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as well as in La Cage Aux Folles at the Gateway Playhouse in New Jersey. A CCM graduate, she began her career on the Showboat Majestic and has worked off-Broadway, in regional theatre, and in summer stock for over 30 years.

Michael G. Bath (White Rabbit) returns to ETC’s stage, having most recently appeared in ETC’s productions of Snow White, Next Fall, Cinderella, Becky’s New Car and My Name is Asher Lev. Other regional credits include Superior Donuts with The Clifton Players and Angels in America at Know Theatre. Mr. Bath has also performed with Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Children’s Theatre, the Performance Gallery, Showboat Majestic, and Stage First Cincinnati.

Shannon Rae Lutz (Mad Hatter) first performed on ETC’s stage in the 1989 New Works Festival. In 1991, she joined the Acting Intern Company. She has been seen on ETC’s mainstage in Fiction, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Chronicles of Plague, A School for Scandal, Cinderella (1992), Zorro, Poor Super Man, The Frog Princess (1997, 2002), Sleeping Beauty (2000, 2009) and Alice in Wonderland (1998, 2003, 2008). A CCM graduate, she earned her M.F.A. in Theatre Performance in 1996.

Torie Wiggins (March Hare) makes her mainstage ETC debut with this production. She co-adapted and performed her one-woman show, Your Negro Tour Guide at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, as well as other venues in Cincinnati and across the country. She has appeared on All My Children and the feature film Love Me Through It. Her Know Theatre of Cincinnati credits include Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party, Collapse, Afghan Women Writer’s Project, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. She was recently seen in To Kill A Mockingbird at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Jared D. Doren (Mock Turtle) was a member of the 1995-1996 ETC Acting Intern Company. His ETC credits include: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Princess, Alice in Wonderland, A Question of Mercy, as well as the stage readings of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later (An Epilogue), Campaign, The Musical and Anne of Green Gables, The Musical. Mr. Doren’s other local performance credits include The Baker’s Wife in Concert (Carnegie Arts Center), Of Mice and Men (Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati) and 1776 (Downtown Theatre Classics). This spring, he will direct And Then There Were None with Falcon Theatre.

Kate Wilford (Dormouse) has been seen in ETC’s productions of Snow White, Becky’s New Car and Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and the world premieres of Don’t Make Me Pull This Show Over and Keeping The Faith. Her other ETC credits include Women Of Lockerbie, Wayfarer’s Rest, and Death Defying Acts. Her Cincinnati Shakespeare Company credits include Bedroom Farce, The Cherry Orchard, Romeo And Juliet, and All My Sons. Ms. Wilford also appeared as Linda Lohman in New Edgecliff’s Death Of A Salesman, which earned her both a CEA and an Acclaim Award for best leading actress.

Buz Davis (Tweedledum) has appeared in three previous holiday shows at ETC: last season in Snow White as the Jester in Jack In The Beanstalk, and a one-night performance as the Czar in The Frog Princess. His other ETC credits include: A Package Deal, A Slice of Buffalo, a Peace of Paris, Buckminster Fuller: In and Out of Universe and Mauritius. Mr. Davis’ other regional credits include Superior Donuts with The Clifton Players, All’s Well That Ends Well with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, The History Boys with New Stage Collective, among others.

Sara Mackie (Cheshire Cat) recently was seen on ETC’s stage in Snow White, Winter Wonderettes, 25 The Musical, Cinderella, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Sleeping Beauty, Mauritius, and Alice in Wonderland. This spring, she will return to reprise her role as Betty Jean in Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns. Her other credits include Linoleum in the uproarious The Great American Trailer Park Musical as well as the role of Izzy in Rabbit Hole. A graduate of Wright State University, she has previously performed on this stage in Ugly Duck, Cinderella, Cripple of Inishmaan, A Sense of Place, War Games, Sleeping Beauty, and Around the World in 80 Days.

Ken Early (Caterpillar/Butterfly), Tess Talbot (Tweedledee), Andrew Maloney (Card 5), and Acting Interns Nick Tsangaris (Card 7) and Spenser Smith (Card 2), round out the ensemble cast.

Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Set Designer), Aaron Clements (Technical Operations Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Lighting Designer, Production Coordinator & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Chuck Hatcher (Sound Designer), Scot Woolley (Musical Director), Dee Anne Bryll (Choreographer) and Reba Senske (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon Holmes.

Ticket Prices
Tickets are $38 for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday performances.
Tickets are $42 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances.
Children’s tickets (ages 12 and under) are $16 for all performances.
Current subscribers receive $5 off each ticket.

For the 2012-2013 season, ETC will continue its popular half-price rush tickets and $15 student rush tickets for all performances, which are available two hours prior to show time. Tickets and seating subject to availability.

Performance Schedule
Runs Nov 28-Dec 30. 7:00 p.m. performances Fri.; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. performances Sat. and select weeknights; 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. 2:00 p.m. only performance on Dec. 30. No performances on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. A complete calendar is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Other Single Ticket Discounts
Military/Educator, Public Radio Perks Card, ArtsWave FunCard, AAA, Senior and Enjoy the Arts discounts available; tickets and seating are subject to availability. ETC accepts all major credit cards, Over-the-Rhine Merchant gift cards, and Downtown Cincinnati gift cards. Group rates are available for 10 or more people.

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. 

2012-2013 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Season Sponsor: PNC Bank. Season Fairy Godmother Sponsor: William and Susan Friedlander. Additional support provided by Garfield Suites Hotel, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. 

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.