BEN BUTLER
Falcon Theatre
May 14-22
[Online]
Directed by Piper N. Davis
Cast: Mike Hall as Major General Benjamin Butler, Rico Reid as Shepard Mallory, Phineas Clark as Lieutenant Kelly & Terry Gosdin as Major Cary
When an escaped slave shows up at Fort Monroe demanding sanctuary, General Benjamin Butler is faced with an impossible moral dilemma—follow the letter of the law or make a game-changing move that could alter the course of U.S. history?
Filed under Online Performance
BEN BUTLER by Richard Strand, Falcon Theatre’s third theater-for-film project of its 2020-2021 season, is currently in production and will be available for streaming May 14 through 22.
What M*A*S*H was to the Korean War, Ben Butler is to the American Civil War. It’s a story that examines the horrors of war, and in this case, of slavery. But the play uses a strong dose of humor to portray the triumph of the human spirit from the cruelest and most dire of circumstances.
An escaped slave shows up and demands asylum at union-held Fort Monroe, Virginia in the early days of the war. Major General Ben Butler, who has been in the Union army for only a few weeks and has never held a rank lower than brigadier general, is faced with a moral dilemma: To follow the letter of the law, which would almost certainly end in the killing of the slave or to create a novel interpretation of the law that would save the slave’s life but that might end his barely-begun military career.
First-time Falcon director Piper Davis says that she was drawn to the play because of its approach to the story. “It certainly isn’t often you see a funny story about slavery,” Ms. Davis says. “But the humor of the play is found in its portrayal of resilience and hope.” Ms. Davis says that one of the challenges of the production is to make sure that the audience understands that, despite such heavy subject matter, it’s OK to laugh and enjoy the story.
The New York Times describes BEN BUTLER as “part comedy, part historical drama, and part biography, often all at once…just call it splendid.” The Times raves that the story’s dialogue is “by turns sarcastic, droll, and witty…clever without being glib, meaningful without being pretentious. It’s a funny and impressive mixture.”
The production’s cast features Michael Hall, Phineas Clark, Rico Reid, and Terry Gosdin.
Details for streaming the presentation will appear soon on Falcon’s website (www.falcontheater.net) and on Falcon’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Filed under Press Releases
TO BE BLACK
Cincinnati Black Theatre Artist Collective & Falcon Theatre
April 9-14
[Online]
Featured plays include: UNMASKED and THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY by Curtis D. Shepard; I AM NOT SAFE by Derek J. Snow; MY MOMMA SAID by Arethia Hornsby Rinfrow; THE TWUNNY FO’ by A.J. Baldwin; and SONS OF LIBERTY by Cris Eli Blak
Directed by Piper N. Davis & Candice Handy
Cast: Includes Geoffrey Barnes & Ernaisjia Curry
Featuring scenes and monologues from local Black playwrights.
Official sites: www.cincyblacktac.com | www.falcontheater.net
Filed under Online Performance
Cincinnati, OH/Newport, KY – Cincinnati Black Theatre Artist Collective (Cincy BlackTAC) with Falcon Theatre will present To Be Black, a virtual event featuring scenes and monologues from local Black playwrights that will stream from April 9 to April 14, 2021.
Cincy BlackTAC is excited to expand their work to focus on new voices. In their successful 2020 summer weekly series, Monologues For Us By Us, they featured the work of August Wilson and his contemporaries. In this new collaboration, they will continue to showcase the stories of Black life in the most varied and multi-faceted way; promoting the awareness that the Black experience is not monolithic. Under the direction of Piper N. Davis and Candice Handy, local playwrights will have the opportunity to have their work brought to life by some of Cincinnati’s favorite faces, including Geoffrey Barnes and Ernaisjia Curry. Featured playwrights include Derek J. Snow, Cris Eli Blak, A.J. Baldwin Arethia Hornsby Rinfrow, and Curtis Shepard.
“The audience will get to hear from a variety of Black voices with To Be Black. I hope that viewers will gain some perspective in subject matters like identity, gentrification and trauma that affect Black people every day in a different way than our white peers. I also hope that the audience will have a good time! There are some new, fresh and comedic voices in To Be Black that truly showcase the vibrancy of Black culture and quick-wittedness of Black folks!” says Cincy BlackTAC Artistic Director, Candice Handy.
Falcon Theatre is proud to bring Cincinnati Black Theatre Artist Collective to their space to produce this virtual theatrical event. “Theatre, at its core, is a collaborative process. Part of Falcon Theatre’s mission is to advocate new voices, foster talent and vision and provide a safe, inviting environment for all artists to grow and share their work. Collaborating with Cincy BlackTAC is a fundamental way Falcon can help support the efforts of BIPOC artists so the momentum gained through tragedy is not lost to complacency,” says Artistic Director and founder of Falcon Theatre, Ted Weil. Falcon is committed to the highest level of safety practices for the artists and crew during the filming process for this streamed production.
HOW TO WATCH
To Be Black will be available for streaming April 9-14, 2021, for $15. Tickets will be available for purchase on both the Falcon and Cincinnati Black Theatre Artist Collective’s websites. Ticketholders will be able to view the show for 48 hours after their purchase.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS
Cincinnati Black Theatre Artist Collective is a new group of artists working to create space for Black stories and artists. They are thrilled to be partnering with Falcon Theatre on this event who have been safely producing virtual theatrical experiences throughout the pandemic. Falcon Theatre is supported by the generosity of the Kentucky Arts Council.
Filed under Press Releases
Elliott Young as Frederick Douglass & Cat Cook as Susan B. Anthony. Photo by Kristy Rucker.
THE AGITATORS
Falcon Theatre
March 12-20
[Online]
Directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin
Cast: Cat Cook as Susan B. Anthony & Elliott Young as Frederick Douglass
A riveting story about the friendship that persisted through the years between Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass as both fought tirelessly for the rights of others. The play struggles with the question “Do you believe there can be a country for all?”
Filed under Online Performance
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 