COVINGTON, KY- With five Cincinnati premieres in five years and hundreds of productions of her plays nationwide, Sarah Ruhl is perhaps the country’s hottest contemporary playwright. Now her most acclaimed piece, which earned Ruhl’s Broadway debut and Tony and Pulitzer nominations, receives its local premiere at The Carnegie with the exceptional talent of CCM.
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center (The Carnegie) and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Department of Drama (CCM Drama) proudly present the regional premiere of the comedy/drama IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, playing weekends November 4 – 20, 2011, in the historic Otto M. Budig Theatre. Staged by award-winning director Ed Cohen, IN THE NEXT ROOM is the second production of The Carnegie’s 2011-12 Theatre Series and the first of CCM Drama’s Studio Series. Tickets are $16 – $21 and are available at The Carnegie Box Office, 859.957.1940, or www.thecarnegie.com.
Opening weekend of IN THE NEXT ROOM (November 4 and 6) includes the “In The Next Room Expo” in the Carnegie Galleries, featuring the area’s best purveyors of passion and intimacy including Pure Romance by Tisa, Erotic Time Parties, and Votre Vu with Julena Bingaman. Sponsored by CincyChic.
The Carnegie’s 2011-12 Theatre Series is presented in honor of Otto M. Budig, Jr., whose leadership instilled the beauty, elegance and life that The Carnegie’s Theatre now enjoys during its fifth anniversary year.
Hysteria and Paroxysm- The Plot of IN THE NEXT ROOM
The age of electricity has dawned, and in a seemingly perfect Victorian home, proper gentleman and scientist Dr. Givings has invented an extraordinary new device for treating “hysteria” in women: the vibrator. As his young wife struggles with their newborn daughter, a conflicted couple, a passionate artist and a grieving wet nurse enter their lives, shocking mannered society with unexpected amperes of love, attraction and the need for connection.
A Splendid Electrical Instrument- The Co-Production
For the second time in as many years, The Carnegie and CCM Drama partner to produce an unfamiliar but captivating theatrical work for Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky audiences. Their collaborative 2010 staging of BURY THE DEAD garnered critical praise and two Acclaim Awards, and paved the way for future productions such as IN THE NEXT ROOM to allow gifted collegiate actors an opportunity to work in a professional theatre environment.
“IN THE NEXT ROOM will be a treat for Carnegie audiences and a perfect showcase for the talents of CCM Drama students,” predicts Richard E. Hess, A.B., Dolly, Ralph and Julia Cohen chair of Dramatic Performance at CCM. “CCM Drama students benefit from working in the professional setting in an extended run, and gain valuable experience in bringing characters to life over an extended run.”
The offstage talent for IN THE NEXT ROOM will be just as critical to the success of the show as the performers on the boards. Top graduate students from CCM’s Theatre Design and Production program are working with their professional faculty advisors to create the prosperous (and sometimes magical) late 19th century world of the Givings’ home and medical practice, while venerated and award-winning theatre artist Deb Girdler undertakes the Victorian era costuming.
All of the production aesthetics are being crafted under the steady hand of director Ed Cohen. No stranger to either organization, Cohen recently helmed productions of RECENT TRAGIC EVENTS and FALSETTOS at CCM and a well-received BIG RIVER at The Carnegie, the latter two co-directed with Cohen’s wife, Dee Anne Bryll. IN THE NEXT ROOM, however, offers a level of excitement and promise for Cohen that gives this production a sense of anticipation he doesn’t often experience.
“It’s rare when a play can balance jaw-dropping humor with a delicate metaphor on the nature of love,” says Cohen of IN THE NEXT ROOM. “I consider this the best work to date from one of America’s most important playwrights, and I’m thrilled to help bring it to our area’s audiences for the first time.”
The Gifted Physicians of IN THE NEXT ROOM
CCM Drama culls its talented students from across the country, a dynamic reflected in the cast of IN THE NEXT ROOM. Leading the young group is senior Kristopher Dean (playing Dr. Givings), who was last seen at The Carnegie in BURY THE DEAD and whose myriad credits include summer intensives with New York’s renowned SITI Company and in Kenya with the Dadaab Theatre Project. Fellow senior Jared Wilson (Mr. Daldry) joined Dean in BURY THE DEAD, and shares with Clare Ward (Annie) the distinction of being the show’s only Kentucky natives. Another BURY THE DEAD actor, Mariel Tompkins, plays the role of grieving wet nurse, Elizabeth, and the love interest of Parker Searfoss’ Leo Irving. Senior and New Orleans native Caroline Shannon takes on the mantle of Dr. Givings’ yearning wife, Catherine Givings, and the show’s only underclassman, Mary Malloy, is Dr. Givings’ fragile patient, Sabrina Daldry.
Premiering One of the Country’s Top Playwrights
While former MacArthur Fellow Sarah Ruhl has seen her plays produced at major companies nationwide, her work is perhaps more familiar to Cincinnati theatre audiences than anywhere else. THE CLEAN HOUSE (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), EURYDICE (Know Theatre), DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, MELANCHOLY PLAY (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati), and her adaptation of Chekov’s THREE SISTERS (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) have all received local premieres within the past five years, though none of those pieces received the same accolades as IN THE NEXT ROOM.
Transferring to New York’s Lyceum Theatre from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, IN THE NEXT ROOM (and Sarah Ruhl) received its Broadway debut in 2009 under the auspices of Lincoln Center Theatre. In 2010, the play was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play and was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist.
What’s Actually Happening “In The Next Room”
During the two opening weekend performances of IN THE NEXT ROOM (November 4 and 6), patrons are invited to check out a special vendor expo in The Carnegie Galleries, featuring the area’s best retailers in passion and personality. The “In The Next Room Expo” is sponsored by CincyChic.
Ticketing
IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY will feature eight performances:
- Friday, November 4, 7:30pm †
- Sunday, November 6, 3:00pm
- Friday, November 11, 7:30pm †
- Saturday, November 12, 7:30pm
- Sunday, November 13, 3:00pm
- Friday, November 18, 7:30pm
- Saturday, November 19, 7:30pm
- Sunday, November 20, 3:00pm
† Denotes ASL-interpreted and closed-captioned performance
Pricing:
$21 Adults
$19 Carnegie Members, Enjoy The Arts Members, WVXU Perks Card Members
$19 Groups of 10 or more
$16 Students
Tickets may be purchased through The Carnegie Box Office at 859.957.1940 (open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5:00pm) or online at http://www.thecarnegie.com.
Links to all reviews can be found on the BTC REVIEWS page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my FaceBook fan page. You can receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 