premieres

"The Book Club Play"

Rick Pender — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:32:10 +0000

The explosion of book clubs has taken the inevitable turn: a play has been written about them. The Book Club Play is making its debut at Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park now. Rick Pender welcomes Blake Robison, the Playhouse’s artistic director and director of this comedy, into the studio to talk not only about this production, but about his first year at the Playhouse.

"Black Pearl Sings"

Lee Hay — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:32:15 +0000

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens the regional premiere of Black Pearl Sings by Frank Higgins on March 13, and it’s a powerful musical about being a woman in a man’s world, being black in a white world, and about holding on to your soul when the world treats people as a commodity. Lee Hay finds out more about this production from the two stars, Annie Fitzpatrick and Torie Wiggins.

Playhouse in the Park World Premiere: "Leveling Up"

Rick Pender — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:32:30 +0000

Playhouse in the Park’s Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre presents the world premiere of Leveling Up, the newest play by acclaimed playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer. This provocative, yet humorous, portrayal of four 20-somethings transitioning from college to “real” life, deals with all the issues of friendships, maturity and moving on faced by most post-college people. Rick Pender sits down with Deborah Zoe Laufer to discuss this production, which opens on February 14.

"When the Rain Stops Falling"

Jim Stump — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:32:10 +0000

The Know Theatre’s upcoming production is When the Rain Stops Falling by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell. Named “Best New Play of 2010” by Time Out Magazine, Brian Isaac Phillips of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will direct this generational/time shifting play. Jim Stump talks with Brian about this unique drama and the all-star cast of Cincinnati actors he has assembled.

World Premiere: Abigail/1702

Rick Pender — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:32:25 +0000

Playhouse is the Park will soon open the world premiere of a provocative new drama, Abigail/1702, which speculates on the life of Abigail Williams (from The Crucible) if she escaped Salem through the forest and started a new life elsewhere. The play is set 10 years after the infamous witch trials, while Abigail still tries to atone for the sins we know of, and others we don’t. Rick Pender is joined in studio by Stephanie Fieger, the actor who is portraying Abigail, who talks about the play and her debut at the Playhouse.