Tag Archives: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

History just got all sexypants

Design by Alexandra Kesman.

Know Theatre is pleased to announce the regional premiere of the Off-Broadway hit musical, BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, with music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman, and a book by Alex Timbers. After a sold-out run at the Public Theatre, the show transferred briefly to Broadway. This rock musical will be making its regional premiere at Know Theatre March 31 – May 12, 2012. The production is being directed by Eric Vosmeier with musical direction by Michael Flohr, Scenic & Lighting Design by Andrew Hungerford, Costume Design by Noelle Wedig, and Sound Design/Mixing by Doug Borntrager.

An audacious mix of historical fact and invention (don’t come for a history lesson), BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON tells the story of America’s controversial seventh president using a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and an infectious rock n’ roll soundtrack. BLOODY BLOODY examines the attraction and terrors of American populism through the story of the man who invented the Democratic Party, doubled the size of our nation, and signed the Indian Removal Act that started the Trail of Tears.

“BLOODY BLOODY was one of those shows I fell in love with right away,” says Eric Vosmeier, Producing Artistic Director. “Timber’s writing is sharp and funny, and Freidman’s emo-rock inspired score is a perfect accompaniment.”

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON will feature live music from Cincinnati’s own The Dukes Are Dead. Members include Luke Darling, Lucas Frazier, Randy Proctor, and Dave Reid. Luka Ashley Carter joins them on keys for this production. Vosmeier says, “I serendipitously met Randy at MOTR Pub one night on the patio. We started talking about the show and the theatre, and about his band. A couple of days later we sat down to talk about the possibility of The Dukes playing for the show and we hit it off so well, I hired them for the project. We’re very luck to have them on board.” The role of Andrew Jackson is played by Know Theatre’s Associate Company Member, Kellen York. Kellen was last seen at Know Theatre in Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party and is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). The Storyteller will be played by Torie Wiggins, Know Theatre’s accidental resident artist for the season. “We hired Torie for Abe to start with, but we liked working with her so much, I offered her the opportunity to stay in Cincinnati for the rest of the season, and she accepted,” says Vosmeier. In addition to Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party, Torie has also been seen in Collapse and The Afghan Women’s Writing Project this season. Torie is also a graduate of CCM and has also been seen at both the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and Ensemble Theatre in her one woman show Your Negro Tour Guide. Martin Van Buren will be portrayed by Chris Wesselman, recently seen at Know Theatre in A Wrinkle in Time, Adding Machine: A Musical, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, and Vigils and is the Associate Producer of the 2012 Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Annie Kalahurka (Female Soloist) has been seen at Know Theatre in The Dragon, A Wrinkle in Time, and Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Annie has also worked regularly at Madcap Puppets. Rachel Christianson (Female Soloist) appears at Know Theatre for the first time. Rachel has recently been touring with Madcap Puppets and prior to that was an acting intern at Ensemble Theatre. Datus Puryear (Black Fox) comes to Cincinnati from Ohio Northern University and makes his debut at Know Theatre. Chance Kilgour (Ensemble) a Cincinnati native and recent graduate of Webster University’s Conservatory Program in St. Louis, makes his debut at Know Theatre. Drew Bowen (John Adams, ensemble) hails from Cincinnati and is a current musical theatre major at Wright State University. Drew was recently seen as Moritz in Spring Awakening at Encore Theatre Company in Dayton, OH. Kathryn Boswell (Ensemble) is a current musical theatre major at CCM and was recently seen in Spring Awakening and Rent. Kelsey Crismon (Rachel) is also a current musical theatre major at CCM and was recently seen in Spring Awakening and Rent. Matt Hill (John Calhoun, Ensemble) is a current musical theatre major at CCM and was recently seen as Moritz in Spring Awakening. Last but not least, Darius Brown, a current student at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, will play Andrew Jackson’s son Lyncoya. Director Eric Vosmeier and Scenic & Lighting Designer Andrew Hungerford have created a design for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON that reflects a dilapidated Hall of Presidents. “When approaching the set for BLOODY BLOODY, we wanted to not just create scenery, but a full world for these characters and their band to inhabit,” says Andrew Hungerford. “It needed to reflect the sense of Americana and patriotism inherent the story. For the last three months Andrew Jackson, his entourage, and the band have been squatting here. And now you’ve been invited into the space to see their show.”

The Club of Jacksons
To support Know Theatre’s production of BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, we’ve created The Club of Jacksons, Cincinnati’s first ever community-sourced production sponsorship opportunity. With your help, we’ll raise 1120 Jacksons ($20 bills) between December 2011 and March 2012. If we are successful, we will have raised $22,400 which will become our community funded production sponsorship for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON.

“We wanted to see what was possible if we collectively harnessed all of our supporters toward one goal – a production sponsorship for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON,” says Vosmeier. “We wanted to create a giving plan that brought our community of supporters together, not just in purpose, but also in reality. The Club of Jacksons preview event was an amazing opportunity to see a large number of our supporters at the theatre at one time.”

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON is an amazing opportunity for Know Theatre, but we need your help in making this production great. Please consider a fully tax deductible gift to Know Theatre of Cincinnati in support of this exciting production. Your support helps guarantee that Know Theatre will be able to continue creating some of the most contemporary works of theatre seen anywhere in the Cincinnati region.

So far, The Club of Jacksons has raised over 600 Jacksons towards the goal of 1120 Jacksons. Benefits for membership are as follows:

$20 You will be recognized with a customized $20 bill (with your picture if you’d like) on the wall at Know Theatre and your name will be listed on our website.

$60 All of the above, plus you’ll receive an autographed poster from the production.

$80 All of the above, plus you’ll receive a special invitation to a preview event on March 15, 2012 at 7pm. You’ll be joined by the cast, staff, and crew for a sneak peak of the show, some delicious food, and cash bar! Additionally you’ll be mentioned in a curtain speech during the run of the production as a production sponsor.

$160 or more All of the above, plus you’ll receive a special invitation to our season preview party in August of 2012 and two free drinks at the bar when you attend the production! BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON premiered in 2008 in Los Angeles. The show’s New York premiere took place in 2009 at The Public Theater in a concert version, followed by a fully-mounted production the following year, before transferring to Broadway. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was nominated for two Tony Awards in 2011 for Best Book of a Musical and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.

This season, tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the week of the performance (beginning Mondays at noon). Season subscription five-show flexible passes are available for $75 and guarantees the advance ticket price all season long. Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 513.300.KNOW (5669)

Cast
Kathryn Boswell – Ensemble
Drew Bowen – John Adams
Darius Brown – Lyncoya
Rachel Christianson – Female Soloist
Kelsey Crismon – Rachel
Matt Hill – John Calhoun
Annie Kalahurka – Female Soloist
Chance Kilgour – Ensemble
Datus Puryear – Black Fox
Chris Wesselman – Martin Van Buren
Torie Wiggins – Storyteller Kellen York – Andrew Jackson

Please visit knowtheatre.com to read full bios for all members of the cast

Musicians
Luka Ashley Carter – Keyboard
Luke Darling – Guitar, member of The Dukes are Dead
Lucas Frazier – Guitar, member of The Dukes are Dead
Randy Proctor – Bass, member of The Dukes are Dead
Dave Reid – Drums, member of The Dukes are Dead

Production Team
Director – Eric Vosmeier
Musical Director – Michael Flohr
Scenic & Lighting Design – Andrew Hungerford
Costume Design – Noelle Wedig
Sound Design – Doug Borntrager
Scenic Painting – Gabriel Firestone & Sarah Beth Hall

Production Dates
8 pm: March 31, April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 and May 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 3 pm: April 15 & 21

Additional Information
Michael Friedman (Music & Lyrics, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) Composer/lyricist for Saved and the Civilians’ This Beautiful City, Gone Missing, [I Am] Nobody’s Lunch and Canard Canard Goose? as well as The Brand New Kid, In the Bubble, Hoover Comes Alive! Co-author: Paris Commune. He last worked in this theatre as the dramaturg on A Raisin in the Sun. He recently performed in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook in a concert of his songs. Barron Visiting Professor: Princeton University. Artistic associate: NYTW; founding associate artist: the Civilians; MacDowell Fellow; Hodder Fellow. Obie Award: Sustained Achievement.

Music Theatre International (Rights, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading dramatic licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theatres from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 60,000 theatrical organizations in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to the

idea of theatre as education and has created special collections for younger performers. The MTI Broadway Junior Collection® includes JR. titles, 60-minute musicals for performance by middle school children; and KIDS titles, 30-minute musicals for performance by elementary school children. MTI School Editions™ are musicals that have been annotated for performance by high school students, and the Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA) Collection are 70-minute musicals designed for adults to perform for children. MTI ShowSpace.com is the theatre world’s online community where practitioners and fans from around the world share advice, photos, videos, sets, props, costumes and more, to help bring their next productions to life.

Alex Timbers (Book, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) is Artistic Director of the downtown company Les Freres Corbusier. Recent directing: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (OCC and Drama Desk Awards, Public/CTG); The Pee-wee Herman Show; Gutenberg! The Musical! (Drama Desk nom., Best Director of a Musical); Hell House (Drama Desk nom., Unique Theatrical Experience); A Very Merry Unauthorized… (Obie Award and Garland Award, Best Director); Heddatron, Boozy, Dance Dance Revolution (all Les Freres, writer of latter two). Former president, Yale Dramat. Thanks to Oskar, Andy, Jeffrey, Jerry and Mike Ritchie.

Our mission is to create evocative and explosive live entertainment.
Our vision is a world awakened to its collective possibility.
We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.

Adapted by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek

Know Theatre is pleased to announce our next mainstage production, THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECT (AWWP). Know Theatre commissioned playwrights Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek to curate a performance piece from the writings available on the project website (www.awwproject.org). Ms. Martin & Ms. Hynek will also co-direct the piece. The staged reading will show March 8 – March 11, 2012. Following the Friday, March 9 performance, Executive Director of THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECT will lead a post-show discussion.

AWWP’s mission is to empower Afghan women to share their voices with the world. Despite deteriorating security, women determined to tell their own stories gather online and in “writing huts” in undisclosed locations in Kabul and Herat to receive mentoring from American women authors and professors, and to participate in writing workshops and reading salons. AWWP’s online magazine is the vehicle through which their stories are shared. The project also aims to promote greater economic independence for these women by strengthening their self-confidence, computer literacy and writing skills, and to encourage the inclusion of women’s voices in Afghanistan’s national dialogue. The project reaches out to talented and generous women author/teachers here in the United States and engages them, on a volunteer, rotating basis, to teach Afghan women online from Afghanistan. The goal of the project is to encourage the women to develop their voices and share their stories, something that was not permitted during the years when Afghanistan was Taliban-held.

“When I stumbled upon a review of the first staged performance of these pieces I was intrigued by the concept,” says Producing Artistic Director, Eric Vosmeier. “Once I spent some time on the site, I knew I wanted our audiences to hear these women. The stories are touching and horrifying, funny and thoughtful. They are inspiring in so many ways. And when you realize that some of the writers put their lives in danger just to write, let alone to find a way to upload their stories to the site, you know that these stories deserve to be heard by as many people as possible.”

In 2010, THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECTt held two highly successful readings of poems and stories by these Afghan women writers: the first in Los Angeles on March 8th and the second in Washington, D.C., on May 24th.

Know Theatre is proud to partner with Women Writing for a Change and Women Helping Women for this production and will be scheduling special post-show discussions with these groups after select performances. Our Media Partner for this production is Ms. Cincinnati Magazine.

This season, tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the week of the performance (beginning Mondays at noon). Season subscription five-show flexible passes are available for $75 and guarantees the advance ticket price all season long. Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 513.300.KNOW (5669)

Cast
Dale Hodges*
Annie Fitzpatrick*
Maliyah Gramata-Jones
Hope Shangle
Lissa Urriquia Gapultos
Torie Wiggins

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

Production Team
Co-directors—Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek
Co-curators – Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek

Production Dates
8 pm: March 8, 9, 10
3 pm: March 11

Additional Information THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECT began as an idea during novelist Masha Hamilton’s last trip to Afghanistan in November 2008. Masha first visited the country in 2004, and was awed and inspired by the resolute courage of the women she met. When she returned, she saw doors were closing and life was again becoming more difficult, especially for women. She began to fear we could lose access to the voices of Afghan women if we didn’t act soon. TTHE AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECT is aimed at allowing Afghan women to have a direct voice in the world, not filtered through male relatives or members of the media. Many of these Afghan women have to make extreme efforts to gain computer access in order to secretly submit their writings, in English, to the project.

Elisabeth Lehr, Acting Executive Director of Afghan Women’s Writing Project, is a college history instructor and writer. She brings to the AWWP extensive management experience in higher education, the creative arts, and non-profit organization, along with in-depth knowledge and respect of Afghan history and culture, and a passion for women’s words. Elisabeth began her association with AWWP as Workshop Director in February 2010, and completely overhauled and updated the workshop portal. In August 2011 she moved to the position of Associate Director and became Acting Executive Director in December 2011.

Our Partners
Women Writing for a Change was founded by Mary Pierce Brosmer in 1991. A former English teacher and practicing poet, Mary gathered a group of fifteen women for a weekly writing class, using circle practices, establishing confidentiality, and creating a safe space for honest feedback. Growth has been organic, coming from within the lives of the founder, staff, faculty members, and the countless women, men and girls who have attended classes. If you need a welcoming environment where you can process your thoughts and feelings as you adapt to the changing world around you, join Women Writing for a Change. They’ll help you tell your story – the story of what it’s like to be you. For more than twenty years, they’ve created a safe space for men, women and girls of all ages to find their voices, celebrate their stories, and create positive change for themselves. They empower individuals to tell their stories by fostering creativity, self-discovery and artistic expression through the art of writing and the creation of community.

Women Helping Women has been empowering women and men in our community to prevail over violence and abuse since 1973. They serve Southwestern Ohio as a unique provider of crisis intervention and support services for direct and indirect survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking and takes a leading role in educating the community to promote awareness and help prevent these types of abuse. It is the only 24-hour rape crisis program and comprehensive non-shelter domestic violence program in Hamilton County. They provide free confidential services to over 12,000 people each year. Women Helping Women recognizes that those who experience abuse and assault are not helpless victims of crime. They are strong, determined individuals who persevere in the face of violence. They are people who do what is needed to survive abuse and make it to the next day; a day that could be a time when they reach out for help.

Our mission is to create evocative and explosive live entertainment.
Our vision is a world awakened to its collective possibility.
We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.