REGIONAL PREMIERE COMEDY
MARCH 2 – 30, 2019
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Offering season ticket holders select discounts at the restaurant. Hope you can join us! 4 •
ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI THE 2018-2019 OTTO M. BUDIG FAMILY FOUNDATION SEASON D. Lynn Meyers, Producing Artistic Director
Production Sponsor: John Goering
A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2 by Lucas Hnath
Directed by Regina Pugh March 2 – 30, 2019 Set & Lighting Designer Costume Designer Sound Designer Wig Designer Properties Master & Design Assistant Production Manager Technical Director Production Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager
Brian c. Mehring Stormie Mac Matt Callahan James Geier Shannon Rae Lutz Matthew Hollstegge Jack Murphy Brandon T. Holmes* Lexi Muller*
A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2 is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Originally produced on Broadway by Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, and John Johnson. Commissioned and first produced by South Coast Repertory. A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2 benefited from a residency at New Dramatists.
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production is a violation of United States copyright law and an actionable federal offense. This Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. *Cast/production member belongs to Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. This theatre operates under an agreement between Actors’ Equity Association, Professional Actors, and Stage Managers in the United States. Understudies never substitute for listed players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance.
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TOGETHER WE MAKE WAVES. TOGETHER WE ARE CINCY.
GIVE TODAY artswave.org
Gratefully acknowledges our 2018–2019 Season sponsors SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
SEASON FUNDER
OPERATING SUPPORT
SEASON TICKET SPONSOR
SEASON SUPPORTERS
Susan Friedlander Mitchell S. and Jacqueline P. Meyers Foundation
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTORS
Chet Cavaliere Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, Interpreter Training Program College Hill Coffee Co. & Casual Gourmet LPK Marty Johnson OMS Photography Suder’s Art Store
FAIRY GODMOTHER SPONSOR
OUTREACH SPONSOR
SEASON DESIGN SPONSOR
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH SUPPORTERS
Anonymous (2) William P. Anderson Foundation Arts & Culture Giving Circle* Cincinnati Rotary The Charles H. Dater Foundation The Thomas J. Emery Memorial* ETC Fairy Godparent Guild Donald C. and Laura M. Harrison Fund The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation The Andrew Jergen’s Foundation* The Johnson Family Foundation P&G Fund Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation * Denotes a Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
2018 –2019 RESTAURANT PARTNERS We are pleased to partner with the following local restaurants this season in offering our subscribers exclusive discounts:
Macaron bar $5 off a 12-piece box
Visit us in store or at macaron-bar.com
Limit one coupon per customer per visit. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. Coupon may not be reproduced, copied, traded or sold. This coupon has no cash value. Good at any Macaron Bar location. Valid: September 1, 2016 - April 30, 2017
P L AT T E
architecture + design
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Learn more at www.artacademy.edu/150
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the arts are the highest form of expression. PNC is proud to be a part of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Because we believe in and support everything the arts can accomplish.
©2018 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
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CAST & CREW CAST, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER Torvald................................................................................................Tony Campisi* Emmy....................................................................................... Esther Cunningham Anne Marie........................................................................................ Christine Dye* Nora........................................................................................... Connan Morrissey* RUNNING CREW Assistant Stage Manager...................................................................... Lexi Muller* 2nd Assistant Stage Manager......................................................Ian Patrick Ashwell Assistant Director........................................................................... Griff Bludworth Assistant House Manager.................................................................. Emily Chodan Dramaturg.......................................................................................... Dorothy Jolly Light Board Operator............................................................................. Ben Jacobs Sound Operator..................................................................................... Jake Stibbe Running Crew............................................................................... Sara Ringenbach Wardrobe Crew...................................................................... Esther Cunningham, Zoe Rose Davidson, Kayla Marie Klammer UNDERSTUDIES Anne Marie........................................................................................ Emily Chodan Nora........................................................................................... Zoe Rose Davidson Torvald................................................................................................... Ben Jacobs Emmy.....................................................................................Kayla Marie Klammer Nora.............................................................................................. Sara Ringenbach SETTING Norway, inside the Helmer house, 15 years since Nora left Torvald. Approximate total running time is 90 minutes with no intermission.
LET’S THEATRE TOGETHER
#DOLLSHOUSE2 @ENSEMBLECINCY 10 •
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DIRECTOR'S NOTES Part 2. That little addition to the title worries some audience members. Is there a Part 1? Do I have to know it? Am I going to be lost? Is there homework? If you have no previous experience with Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, don’t fret. You will not be confused by this play. How much do you need to know about the events that occurred 15 years before the story that unfolds in this play? Nothing. If you know the history of Nora and Torvald’s marriage and how it famously ended, that’s fine, too. Just don’t let yourself spend too much time thinking about it. I want your attention firmly on the marvelous characters and story unfolding in front of you. Enjoy the marital and familial drama and love and laughter. Enjoy taking sides, but don’t get too attached to your choices. You may be surprised with whom you find yourself siding. I say Nora and Torvald’s marriage “famously ended” because Ibsen’s play concluded with Nora, the mother of three young children, walking out the door and closing it behind her. She left and, with that final gesture, made clear she was not coming back. It was scandalous stuff for 1879, and walking out on your children is still considered the ultimate of selfish acts, especially for a woman. Lucas Hnath, our playwright for A Doll’s House, Part 2, thought it would be interesting to consider what might have happened to Nora after she left, to delve into her justifications for leaving and how her life unfolded after making such a decision. He was also curious about what we expected to happen to her, even what we wanted to happen to her. The future he devised for Nora and for those she left behind not only reveals the possible outcomes of her choices, but also shines a light on the current expectations we have of women, of mothers, and of marriage. This is not an old-fashioned story...it is delightfully a current one. I have had such fun working, playing, and creating with this cast during the rehearsal process. They have a delicious treat in store for you. Enjoy.
—Regina Pugh
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IBSEN'S LEGACY:
It was the slam heard ‘round the world. In 1879, the first shots of the Anglo-Zulu war in South Africa and the Guerra del Pacífico in South America had begun; Civil War Reconstruction in the United States ended the war but began much greater, and lingering, hostilities. Countering the sounds of conflict were the sizzle of Thomas Edison’s new lightbulb and the cry of baby Albert Einstein. In the midst of all this noise, the sound of a door slamming on a stage in Copenhagen shook the foundations of contemporary society, not just for Norway, but for the entire world. One of the most important works in theatre history, A Doll's House scandalized audiences with its debut. In the final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking masterpiece, protagonist Nora Helmer makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children. A door slams. The curtain falls on a stunned audience. Held up as both a milestone for playwriting and women's rights, this climactic event instantly propelled world drama into the modern age. A Doll’s House is a portrait of a family life unraveling: Nora and Torvald Helmer believe they are happily married, but Nora has committed forgery and her secret debt incurred during Torvald’s previous illness spurs threats of blackmail. Torvald and Nora tiptoe around each other in attempts to keep up a mutual charade of familial bliss. However, as the truth of their situation emerges and the couple finally faces one another, Nora declares herself unfit to be a wife and mother and accuses both Torvald and her father of treating her like a doll. She must learn to be herself, to be on her own. And so she leaves. Not since Greek mythology's Medea had a woman behaved so heinously onstage. Audiences were appalled. How could she leave her husband? Her children? Her duty? Women at the time were considered little more than property, and the thought of a woman striking out on her own was absurd for most.
Many theatre companies across Europe attempted to present the play with alternate endings to quell the harm done by Ibsen’s original ideas. But the socalled damage had already been wrought. Testament to the enduring power of theatre to spark debate and challenge audiences to reassess entrenched beliefs, Ibsen's questions and ideas—even artistic technique—spread like wildfire across the globe. A Doll's House not only required a new, realistic style of acting (before Ibsen, melodrama ruled the stage); it also demanded audiences to reconsider the role of women, the structure of family, and the distribution of power. Ibsen may have never called himself a feminist, but his work definitively ushered in a new era and made one of the most significant artistic contributions to women's rights from the moment its dialogue first met the audience's ear. Unesco’s Memory of the World register calls Nora Helmer “a symbol throughout the world, for women fighting for liberation and equality,” and the play remains in the top ten most produced plays in the world nearly 140 years later. Lucas Hnath’s continuation of Ibsen’s iconic story began as a sort of joke: What would happen if Nora came back after leaving it all behind? It could be kind of funny… In this play, Nora’s return gets messy, showing that even for modern audiences, discussion about Ibsen’s themes of marriage, gender roles, and honest communication is still merited. So this time, Nora’s flinging the door— and maybe even her heart—wide open.
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SUMMEr STOCK 2019
Jr . SUMMER STOCK
JULY 8-20, 2019 | Ages 7–15
HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER STOCK JULY 22-26, 2019 | Ages 13–18 For those who love being in the spotlight, ETC's summer stock camps explore improv, auditioning, script analysis, and acting for the camera taught by professional teaching artists.
NEW! HIGH SCHOOL TECHNICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE JULY 15-20, 2019 | Ages 13–18 For those who prefer to shine behind the scenes, the technical theatre intensive offers hands-on instruction that includes stage management, costumes, lighting, sound design, and scenic artistry.
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Registration now open: www.ensemblecincinnati.org or (513) 421-3555
ETC ESSENTIALS ETC Essentials is a conversation series with local scholars and community members that explores the themes and context of our productions before the third Sunday matinee performance. This FREE program begins at 1:00 pm before the 2:00 pm matinee. GENDER ROLES IN THE 21ST CENTURY | MARCH 24, 2019 Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll's House scandalized audiences with its 1879 debut when, in its final scene, protagonist Nora shockingly decides to leave her husband and children. Ibsen's play challenged gender roles, a subject Hnath continues in the unauthorized "sequel" A Doll's House, Part 2. Have traditional roles for men and women evolved over time? Join a panel of local scholars and activists for a discussion about gender roles in 21st-century society. AUTO INDUSTRY 101 | MAY 5, 2019 Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew is her third play about Detroit, the epicenter of American motor manufacturing and her hometown. The tristate region, too, has felt the effect of production plants opening and closing. Join employees from local Ford, Honda, and Toyota plants as they share their perspectives on the state of the automotive industry. T-E-A-M: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORTS | JUNE 23, 2019 What does it take to create a team? What does it take to stay mentally and physically prepared for the game? The Wolves depicts a girls indoor soccer team, but how realistic is its portrayal? Educators from Xavier University’s Sports Management Program and University of Cincinnati’s Sports Psychology department will discuss what makes a team and what makes an athlete.
TICKETS ARE FREE, BUT SPACE IS LIMITED!
Reserve tickets through the ETC Box Office at (513) 421-3555
COMING SOON | APRIL 13 – MAY 11
From the creator of Detroit '67 comes a powerful and compelling portrait of camaraderie and courage in blue-collar America.
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We've got a seat with your name on it... well, almost.
The opening of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's expanded theatre facility last fall signaled an important milestone: the completion of the first major renovation in the theatre’s history! Now, you can leave your mark on this exciting new chapter by sponsoring a seat in our renovated theatre. You’ll not only make a vital investment in the ETC productions, performers, and education programs you love, but you’ll also create a tangible legacy, one that honors a loved one or celebrates your own love of this organization.
Naming rights for each seat are $3,000. Monthly payment options are available. Come with friends? Consider purchasing a seat together. For more information or to become a seat sponsor, please contact our Development Department at (513) 421-3555, option 4.
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AS A SEAT SPONSOR, YOU'LL RECEIVE: • A beautiful metal nameplate on one of our new theatre seats with an inscription of your choice. • A commemorative certificate that recognizes your seat number and inscription. • Invitations to exclusive donor events throughout the season. • An annual update about the impact your gift makes at ETC. • A deduction on your upcoming taxes.
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THE CAST TONY CAMPISI (Torvald) is thrilled to be back at Ensemble Theatre where he has appeared in The Humans, Permanent Collection (Acclaim Award) and Glimmer, Glimmer, and Shine. He was seen at Playhouse in the Park in Men on the Take, Durango, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and You Can't Take it with You. Other regional theatre credits include Cleveland Play House, McCarter Theatre, Studio Arena, Pioneer Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Mark Taper Forum, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Geva Theatre, and New York Stage and Film, among others. Broadway credits include Awake and Sing! (Tony Award), The Nerd, and Pvt. Wars. Off-Broadway credits include Lincoln Center Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Promenade Theatre, Westside Arts, and Primary Stages. Television credits include Seven Seconds, Blue Bloods, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Ally McBeal, Profiler, Matlock, EZ Streets, and several soap operas. Film credits incldue Cruzando, A Home of Our Own, Tyson, and Green Plaid Shirt. ESTHER CUNNINGHAM (Emmy) is a current member of the Professional Acting Apprentice Program at Ensemble Theatre, where she understudied Crabble in Fly by Night and the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Offstage, she works with the ETC Education Department as a teaching assistant for the Hunter Heartbeat Program. She is a graduate of Wheaton College with a BA in Theater, where some of her favorite credits include Julius Caesar, The Sparrow, and Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Ms. Cunningham would like to thank her teacher/mentor/friends Jared, Miranda, and Susan for their generous encouragement, her fellow apprentices for their inspiration and support, and her family for their constant love. Amo vos. CHRISTINE DYE (Anne Marie) last performed at Ensemble Theatre in The Humans and When We Were Young and Unafraid. She has also appeared onstage in Much Ado About Nothing, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival; August: Osage County, Riverside, and Sarge, Clifton Performance Theatre; Dracula, Playhouse in the Park; House of Yes, Untethered Theatre; Jeffery, Parallel Lives, and Valhalla, Ovation Theatre; Power Failure, Night of the Iguana, and Bus Stop, New Edgecliff Theatre; and Vagina Monologues, Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, and Shirley Valentine, Middletown Lyric Theatre. Her film credits include Carol, Old Man and the Gun, Donnybrook, A Case of Murder, Mom and Dad, Aftermath, and First Kill. Ms. Dye can also be seen around town as a spokesperson for Miami Valley Gaming Casino, as “Lucy” the Lucky Buckeye Lady. Much love to her family, as always. 20 •
CAST, continued CONNAN MORRISSEY (Nora) is delighted to make her Ensemble Theatre debut. Her previous credits include roles in new and classical plays at Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Asolo Theatre Center, Folger Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Round House Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Clarence Brown Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory, Capital Repertory, North Carolina Stage Company, Vermont Stage Company, and Peterborough Players. Some of her other work experiences include the care and feeding of two teenaged sons; performance coaching for companies such as Deloitte, PWC, Unilever and Fifth Third Bank; and working with the delightful patients and staff at Christ Hospital. Ms. Morrissey holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
HOST YOUR NEXT EVENT @ ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI Corporate meetings Special events Casual gatherings Pre- & post-show receptions Lectures and discussion groups Variety of spaces available to accommodate your group!
FOR MORE INFORMATION: (513) 421-3555 x2111 or events@ensemblecincinnati.org
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Our friends at The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County put together a list of books and movies inspired by A Doll's House, Part 2.
BOOKS Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff (Fiction) A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (Fiction) All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg (Fiction) Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo (Fiction) All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister (Nonfiction) Are You My Mother? By Alison Bechdel (Graphic Memoir)
MOVIES 9 to 5 Mustang I Will Follow Desperately Seeking Susan The Umbrellas of Cherbourg All materials available through your local library branch.
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LUCAS HNATH'S (Playwright) plays include The Christians, 2014 Humana Festival; Red Speedo, Studio Theatre, DC; A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, Soho Repertory; Nightnight, 2013 Humana Festival; Isaac's Eye, Ensemble Studio Theatre; Death Tax, 2012 Humana Festival, Royal Court Theatre; and The Courtship of Anna Nicole Smith, Actors Theatre of Louisville. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service. Mr. Hnath has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2011 and is a proud member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre. He is a winner of the 2012 Whitfield Cook Award for Isaac's Eye and received a 2013 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Citation for Death Tax. He has also received commissions from the EST/Sloan Project, Actors Theatre of Louisville, South Coast Repertory, Playwrights Horizons, New York University’s Graduate Acting Program, and the Royal Court Theatre. He holds a BFA and an MFA from New York University's Department of Dramatic Writing.
CAMERON MACKI NTOSH PRESENTS
BO U B L I L & S C H Ö N B E R G’S
MARCH 19 - 24
APRIL 9 - 21 ARONOFF CENTER
BroadwayInCincinnati.com CincinnatiArts.org • 513.621.ARTS
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THE DIRECTOR REGINA PUGH (Director) has been acting at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati since her first show Promises to Keep in 1989 and directed several productions including Earhart, Vigil, The Skriker, Why We Have a Body, and Melancholy Play. Ms. Pugh teaches acting at Xavier University where she also enjoys directing for the theatre department. She has directed locally for Women’s Theatre Initiative, Performance Gallery, and Cincinnati Playwright’s Initiative. She is privileged to have performed at many of Cincinnati’s wonderful theatres, where some of her favorite projects include The Diary of Anne Frank, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; Silent Sky, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 20 years of various roles in A Christmas Carol, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; and Annapurna, The Other Place, Next Fall, and My Name is Asher Lev, Ensemble Theatre. She is a founding member of the local theatre collaborative, Performance Gallery, which, among other theatrical shenanigans, has presented a new work each of the 15 years of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.
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THE PRODUCTION TEAM BRANDON T. HOLMES (Production Stage Manager) is currently in his seventh season with Ensemble Theatre. He has stage managed with The Lexington Theatre Company for the past two summers, and he served as an Assistant Stage Manager with Music Theatre Wichita for four seasons, where he worked on over twenty productions including Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. He served as Production Stage Manager for LOOK Musical Theatre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2010, he relocated to Cincinnati and spent two seasons with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. His favorite regional credits include Legally Blonde, Violet, Thunder Knocking on the Door, Hands on a Hardbody, Merrily We Roll Along (directed by John Doyle), Tribes, and The Legend of Georgia McBride. Thank you to Lynn and this incredibly talented production staff for imagining such beautiful productions and creating the magic that is theatre. He sends love to his wonderful family and his fiancé, AJ, for their continued love and support. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. LEXI MULLER (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to join Ensemble Theatre for the season! Her previous productions include Sex with Strangers, The House, Legendale, On Golden Pond, 26 Pebbles, Hail Mary!, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and One Slight Hitch with the Human Race Theatre Company. Her other regional credits include Dayton Philharmonic’s Best of Broadway II concert at the Schuster Center. Ms. Muller is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and a graduate of Wright State University, where she received her BFA in Stage Management. BRIAN c. MEHRING (Resident Set & Lighting Designer) has designed over 100 productions at Ensemble Theatre. His favorite productions include Thom Pain (based on nothing), Next to Normal, 33 Variations, Freud's Last Session, and I Am My Own Wife. Mr. Mehring’s regional favorites for set design include The Last 5 Years and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Henry IV, Part 1, The Georgia Shakespeare Festival; and I Am My Own Wife, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Peterborough Players, and Florida Studio Theatre. SHANNON RAE LUTZ (Properties Master & Design Assistant) earned her Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music in 1996 and became Prop Master at Ensemble Theatre. Trained as a performer, she first appeared on ETC’s stage during the 1988-1989 New Works Festival. In 1991, she was granted an ETC internship. Now the Director of Apprentice Programming, she is honored to guide ETC’s essential ensemble: The Professional Acting Apprentice Company. Ms. Lutz would like to thank D. Lynn Meyers, Ruth Sawyer, and the Cincinnati theatre community and patrons for their generous, supportive, and tenacious spirit.
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PRODUCTION TEAM,
continued
JACK MURPHY (Technical Director) is excited to be in his sixth season at Ensemble Theatre. He grew up in the Cincinnati area and studied technical theatre at Hanover College. While there, he spent his summers at several different summer stock theatres such as Georgia Shakespeare Company and the Brevard Music Center’s Janiec Opera Company as a carpenter. After graduation, he moved to Bellport, NY, to work for The Gateway Playhouse as a carpenter and rigger, and he went on to work for Norwegian Cruise Line. After another summer at the Janiec Opera Company, he came full circle and returned home to Cincinnati. Mr. Murphy is eager to continue to do the cutting edge work ETC is known for and has enjoyed working on such productions as An Iliad, Grounded, and The Humans. STORMIE MAC (Costume Designer) is delighted to return to Ensemble Theatre as their Costume Supervisor, as well as the Costume Designer for this production. She is a Cincinnati-based costume designer and technician with a passion for the history of fashion and costume. She received her MFA in Costume Design from Florida State University and a BFA from The University of Mississippi. Her recent costume design credits include St. Nicholas, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Red Velvet, and Bloomsday, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; Sex with Strangers, The Human Race Theatre; and The Diary of Anne Frank, Death of a Salesman, and Emma, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Ms. Mac would like to thank her husband, Joey, for his endless support.
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PRODUCTION TEAM,
continued
MATT CALLAHAN (Sound Designer) was the Resident Sound Designer for Actors Theatre of Louisville for seven seasons. His most recent designs for Ensemble Theatre include Ripcord, Fly By Night, St. Nicholas, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Mr. Callahan was also a co-creator/designer of Rock n’ Roll: The Reunion Tour. He spent two seasons as the Resident Sound Designer at The Eugene O’Neil Center for their National Playwrights Conference. He was formerly the sound engineer for Steppenwolf Theatre, the Assistant Engineer for Blue Man Chicago, and a member of the disbanded Defiant Theatre. He received a Jeff Citation for Red Dragon, a nomination for Fortinbras, and a Kevin Kline nomination for Sherlock Holmes.
JAMES GEIER (Wig Designer) makes his Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati debut with this production after recently completing his fourteenth season at Cincinnati Opera. He formerly worked as a staff makeup artist and wigmakers for a decade with San Francisco Opera and, more recently, as resident wig and makeup designer for Florida Grand Opera. Mr. Geier is a graduate of the Theatre Arts Department at Brandeis University and completed apprenticeships with both the San Francisco and Santa Fe operas. He has worked for several film companies, including Lucasfilms Ltd., as well as an impressive number of opera, ballet, and theatre companies. His credits include the Denver Center Theatre Company, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati Ballet, Spoleto Festival USA, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Baltimore Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Seattle Opera, Tulsa Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Omaha, Portland Opera, and Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Fresno Grand Opera, and American Ballet Theatre.
RACHEL KUHN (Scenic Charge Artist & Production Assistant) is thrilled to be in her third season at Ensemble Theatre. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Multidisciplinary Degree focusing on Fine Arts, Creative Writing, and Neuropsychology, but technical theatre has been a hobby since high school. She is a former scenic artist for 3DX, and has worked in stage management, sound engineering, and special effects makeup for organizations including New Edgecliff Theatre, Falcon Theatre, and Cincinnati Landmark Productions. Ms. Kuhn began to paint backdrops for ETC's Education Department, which led to her current position at the theatre, where some of her favorite credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bloomsday, and When We Were Young and Unafraid.
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513-556-4183 • boxoff@uc.edu • ccm.uc.edu 28 •
Photo by Mark Lyons.
PREMIERE SOCIETY The Premiere Society recognizes individuals who have made gifts totaling $1,000 or more within the past year. The exceptional generosity of these donors enables ETC to present world class new works and works new to the region by having the resources to achieve the highest level of artistic quality possible. The following list was updated February 7, 2019 and includes names of donors whose gifts total $1,000 + since January 3, 2018. For questions or corrections, please contact the Development Department at (513) 421-3555, option 4. WORLD CIRCLE ($10,000+): Anonymous (6) William P. Anderson Foundation Mark & Wendy Armstrong ArtsWave Gale & Dave Beckett^ The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation^~ Tom & Annette Carothers^ The City of Cincinnati^ Burton & Susan Closson^~ The Charles H. Dater Foundation, Inc. Harry & Linda Fath^ William A. Friedlander Fund*^~ John & Gloria Goering Family Gift Fund Linda Greenberg Fund*^ The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./US Bank Foundation^ The Donald C. & Laura M. Harrison Family Foundation* Betty Huck~ William & Mary Jane James^~ The Andrew Jergens Foundation The Johnson Foundation Lorrence T. & Barbara W. Kellar Fund* The H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank & Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees~ Macy's Messer Construction Co.^ The Mitchell S. & Jacqueline P. Meyers Foundation^ Ohio Arts Council P&G Fund*~ Joseph A. & Susan E. Pichler Fund*~ PNC Foundation Jackie Reau, Game Day Communications~ Rotary Foundation of Cincinnati The William S. Rowe Foundation~ Rosemary & Mark Schlachter^ Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee~ The John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust, PNC Bank, Trustee~ The Shubert Foundation, Inc. State of Ohio through the Cultural Facilities Commission^ The Sutphin Family Foundation~ Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation~ The Dudley S. Taft Charitable Foundation Dale & Joyce Uetrecht Irwin & Barbara Weinberg Western & Southern Financial Fund~ The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation * Denotes a Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation ^ Capital Campaign Donor ~ Next Stage Donor
NATIONAL CIRCLE ($5,000-$9,999): Marcia A. Banker & Jeffrey S. Schloemer~ Denise & Martin Chambers The Crosset Family Fund* GBBN Architects^ Jane & Chip Gerhardt^~ The Greater Cincinnati Foundation Debbie Hill Arleene Keller~ Stephen King & Lynne Miller^ LPK^ Kenneth T. & Molly M. Mahler Mr. & Mrs. David E. Moccia~ Moe & Jack Rouse Elizabeth Sawyer Selnick Fund* The Sittenfeld Family^~ Mary Stagaman Estate of Richard Steiner The Dennis B. & Patricia L. Worthen Fund~ REGIONAL CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999): Anonymous Charles Abbottsmith~ Amy Barhorst Karen & Christopher Bowman Mary Fiorini Jonathan & Kristine Garrett Alana & Shelly Gerson~ Helen & John Habbert~ Suzanne Hasl~ Chris Lewis & Alicia Bond-Lewis David & Judith Morgan Fund* Marilyn & Jack Osborn^~ Overbeck Charitable Fund Neal Patel & Dr. Avani Modi^~ Caroline Richards Marvin & Betsy Schwartz Fund* Paul & Jill Staubitz Paula Steiner Thompson Hine LLP Ed Trach Ronna & James Willis Charitable Fund CINCINNATI CIRCLE ($1,000-$2,499): Anonymous (9) Gordon Allen & Linda Baas~ Americana Arts Foundation Nicholas Apanius^
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SUPPORTERS ETC gratefully acknowledges the extraordinary individuals, families, and organizations whose generous support makes it possible for us to present exceptional theatre and unique educational outreach programs for our community. The following list was updated February 7, 2019 and includes the names of donors whose gifts total $125+ since January 3, 2018. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. For questions or corrections, please contact the Development Department at (513) 421-3555, option 4. CINCINNATI CIRCLE CONT. Kathleen Bellamy Malcolm A. & Glenda Bernstein~ Michael Berry & Melanie Garner^ David Brashear~ Mrs. Charlene Breidster Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Matching Gift Program Dale P. Brown~ Dawn & Doug Bruestle Bryson Family Charitable Fund Ken & Joan Campbell Barbara Carr & Bren Blaine Brenda Carter Philip Clayton Brian & Elizabeth Coley College Hill Coffee Co. & Casual Gourmet Meredythe G. & Clayton C. Daley, Jr. Family Fund* Mark Dauner Douglas & Sara Dicken Ehrsam Family Fund*~ Alessandro Ferraris & Maria J. Martinez, in memory of Gordon Greene Bob & Mary Fitzpatrick~ Carol S. Friel GE Foundation Matching Gifts Program Rita & Dennis Geiger^ Bob Gerding Gilman Family Fund* Graeter's Karen Grass Judith B. Green & Thomas M. McDonough Bob & Judy Heaton Karlee Hilliard~ Marilyn P. & Joseph W. Hirschhorn Fund* Emily M. Hodges, in memory of Andy Wolf~ Florette Hoffheimer Erin Houlihan & John Bostick Edward & Ina Loftspring Philanthrpic Fund Anita & Ed Marks^ David Martin Messer Construction Co. Allen R. Middleton & Gary A. Daniels~ Anu & Shekhar Mitra Norah & Joe Mock Netherland Rubber Co. Dr. Patricia O'Connor Marilyn Z. Ott * Denotes a Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation ^ Capital Campaign Donor ~ Next Stage Donor
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Richard Postler & Manuel Hernandez Presidential Plaza Associates, LTD The Reed Family Foundation Steven & Carol Reubel Charles Scott Riley III Foundation George & Caroll Roden Robert & Eleanor Shott Philanthropic Fund Paula Steiner Summertime Kids Grant* Glenda Suttman^ Bob & Sue Trusty Ellen & Ray Van der Horst~ Jennifer Verkamp Steve F. Warkany Fund* Jo Ann Wieghaus~ Andrea Wiot Andi Levenson Young & Scott Young Mike & Liz Zimmer^ ACTORS COLUMN ($500-$999): Anonymous (4) Karen & Fred Abel Chuck Altenau Laura Atkinson~ Walter Blair^ Mary & William Bonansinga Charitable Family Fund* Mark Bowen Philip Clayton William & Catherine Cody David Crotty & Joan von Handorf Susannah Davids & Steve Myer~ Kathy DeLaura & Ron Steinhoff~ Kathryn J. DeLong Jan Denton Fencl Family Fund* The Kenneth Furrier Estate^ Donn Goebel & Cathy McLeod Debra Hartsell & Michael James Linda Holthaus & Richard Zinicola Jim & Robin Huizenga Daniel Hurley Keith & Patti James Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Matching Gifts Program Robert Keith & Kathleen Thornton Keith Carmen & Rich Kovarsky Kroger Community Rewards Program Elizabeth Krone
SUPPORTERS, continued Jane MacKnight & Dennis Johnson Mark D. Manley & Annette J. Wick Sophia McAllister Patricia McKay Meierjohan Building Group, LLC Philip Meyers Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Mielech John & Deborah Moffatt Bill & Ruth Morley Patti Myers & Alan Flaherty Randall Olson Pepper Family Fund* Hera G. Reines Becky & Ted Richards Stephen & Helen Rindsberg John & Ronnie Shore Mike & Laconia Smith Chris Spiess Howard & Nancy Starnbach Dee Stegman Steven & Sue Steller Elizabeth Stites & Kevin Randall The Sweeny Family Charitable Fund, in honor of Jack & Kit Overbeck Marcia Togneri Nancye & Thomas Van Brunt~ Maureen & Larry Vignola Buzz Ward^~ Wuerdeman Family Fund* Nora Zorich & Thomas Filardo Family Fund* STAGE MANAGERS COLUMN ($250-$499): Anonymous (3) Anonymous, in honor of Ruth Sawyer Christine Adams Gail Barker, M.D. Henrietta Barlag~ Norman Bates Jon & Carol Beeson Mike & Juliette Bezold David & Elaine Billmire William & Eileen Bishop Family Fund Dabby Blatt Robert L. Bogenschutz Neil Bortz Katy Brown Daniel Brown & Mark Haggard Ann & Lee Bulger Melanie Burden James Cissell Andrew F. Cone Jacqueline Conner
Margaret & Joseph Conway Barbara Cummins Kelly M. Dehan Charles & Lois Deitschel Paul & Bev Diamond Amy Diamond & Eddie Wolf Igor & Jane Dumbadze Dennis & Catherine Dunwoodie Steven Franks Joanne Glaser~ The Gumbleton Family Barbara & Jack Hahn, in Memory of Ruth D. Sawyer Julia Hawgood & Harry Kangis Linda Holthaus & Richard Zinicola Charles D. King Steve & Laurie Kiracofe Warren Leight John & Pat Leikhim Limestone Fund*^ J.B. Lutz Family mj Dynamics Jackie Mack & Ted Silberstein Charles & Jennifer Margolis~ John & Julie Mellott William & Sibyl Miller mj Dynamics Nora & Michael Moushey The Honorable Norbert & Linnea Nadel Victoria Parlin Terry & Jill Parsons~ Janyt Pockros Irene & Daniel Randolph Donor Advised Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation Al Roane Fred & Sondra Ross Marianne R. Rowe Fund* J.R. Rulon Richard Russell Jane Ruwet Hopson & Larry Pytlinski Abby & David Schwartz Stephen Schwartz Eli E. Shupe, Jr. & Toby Ruben Susan & David Smith John & Martha Spiess Sara & Gunter Storjohann Marty Tomb Rosalie P. van Nuis^ Priscilla S. Walford Ann & Victor Warner Pann & Terry Webb Jay & Kate Wilford Karen Wittenberg Kathryn Wright
* Denotes a Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation ^ Capital Campaign Donor ~ Next Stage Donor
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SUPPORTERS, continued CREW COLUMN ($125-$249): Anonymous (6) Lucy Allen Dan & Susan Ansel Patricia K. Beggs Bill & Janet Berger Allen Bernard The Bloch Family Fund Anna Braam Clint Bramkamp & Sheila Mudd Baker Dee Anne Bryll & Ed Cohen Jeff & Gay Bullock Michele & Kevin Cain Cathy Chapman Anne E. Charles, in memory of Richard Charles & Rebecca Parker Patricia & Robert Clary Susan Cohen & Robert Schmuelling John & Sondra Davis Steve & Daina Dennis Mary & Clyde Dial Peggy Eberhard Charles K. Eckert Charles & Harriet Edwards Jerome & Jean Eichert~ Linda Erpelding Barbara Feldmann Janice Flanagan & Bob Amott Maureen Flanagan & Will Groneman Chuck & Judy Foster Sandi Gans Lynne Meyers Gordon Mrs. Madeleine H. Gordon Judy & Alan Guttman Virginus Hall Conrad & Joy Haupt Patricia Hemmer Ann Hicks Tom & Julie Highley Cathy & Tom Huenefeld Marilyn Hurrell Greg Janowiecki Janice Kagermeier Lorrence T. & Barbara W. Kellar Fund* Steve Krieger The LaBoiteaux Family Foundation Mary LaBolt Scott & Amy Litwin Anne McAdams Julia B. Meister Jane & Len Meranus Nancy G. Messer * Denotes a Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation ^ Capital Campaign Donor ~ Next Stage Donor
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Drs. Jacqueline & Steven Miller Family Hatsuki Miyata Sally Moore Mary Sue Morrow Shawn & Marilyn Nolan Ms. Kathleen O'Connell & Dr. H. Kenneth Peterson Paul & Mary Ann Odegard Fred & Leila Oliver David M. Piatt Fund* Marsha Raanan Alfred & Stephanie Sassler Jim Schmidt~ Peter Seidel Jane Bogart Sellers Elizabeth Sherwood & Tina Stoeberl Julie & Steven Shifman Linda Silvati Jacqueline & Richard Snyder Keven Speece^ Jerome Stein Fred & Anne Straus Charitable Fund Jennifer Stucker & John Eck Dennis & Helen Sullivan Linda Trebbi Charles Wagner Joseph Wessling Anne J. Wrider THE ENSEMBLE (MONTHLY SUSTAINING GIFT) Anonymous (4) Mark Bowen Michele & Kevin Cain Jacqueline Conner Mark Dauner Paul & Bev Diamond Dennis & Catherine Dunwoodie Sandi Gans Donn Goebel & Cathy McLeod Linda R. Holthaus J.B. Lutz Family Jane MacKnight & Dennis Johnson Allen R. Middleton & Gary A. Daniels Al Roane J.R. Rulon Jane Bogart Sellers Eli Shupe & Toby Ruben Sara & Gunter Storjohann Pann & Terry Webb Karen Wittenberg Kathryn Wright
BOARD AND STAFF EXECUTIVE BOARD Chip Gerhardt, Chair Kathy DeLaura, President Nick Apanius, Vice President Dennis Geiger, Treasurer Holli Alexander, Secretary Founders' Circle Ruth D. & John Sawyer Ken & Mary "Murph" Mahler Dr. Charles O. Carothers Mitchell Meyers
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF D. Lynn Meyers The Ruth Dennis Sawyer/Mary Taft Mahler Producing Artistic Director Michael R. Zimmer Director of Fiscal Operations Laura Proto Director of Development Josh Neumeyer Finance & Grants Manager Jocelyn Meyer Director of Marketing & Communications Amy Barbian Marketing Manager Alexis Jade Colón Artistic Assistant & Content Marketing Coordinator Lauren Carr Director of Education, Engagement, & Inclusion Andrew Trimmer Education Associate & Hunter Heartbeat Manager Victoria Hawley Education Associate John Diehl Business Services Manager Jared D. Doren Programming & Events Manager HEAD OF SECURITY Nick Ligon PROFESSIONAL ACTING APPRENTICES Ian Patrick Ashwell Ben Jacobs Emily Chodan Kayla Marie Klammer Esther Cunningham Sara Ringenbach Zoe Rose Davidson Jake Stibbe
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nilesh Patel Alicia Bond-Lewis Richard L. Postler Otto M. Budig Jackie Reau Melanie Burden Rich Roedersheimer Brenda A. Carter Jeff Schloemer Tom Carothers Paul G. Sittenfeld Susan Friedlander Mike Smith Kristine Garrett Mary Stagaman Stephen M. King Directors Emeriti Skip Hickenlooper Edward G. Marks
Financial Advisor Chet Cavaliere
PATRON SERVICES Amy Weinstock Box Office Manager Box Office Associates & House Managers Jared Earland Patrick E. Phillips Becca Howell Sharisse Santos Dorothy Jolly Becca Schall Ben Ochsner Sara Agee Lead Bartender
PRODUCTION STAFF Brian c. Mehring Resident Set & Lighting Designer Matthew Hollstegge Production Manager Shannon Rae Lutz Properties Master, Design Assistant & Director of Apprentice Programming Jack Murphy Technical Director Chris Holloway Assistant Technical Director Brandon T. Holmes Production Stage Manager Lexi Muller Assistant Stage Manager Stormie Mac Costume Supervisor Rachel Kuhn Scenic Charge Artist & Production Assistant Aaron Graham Technical Apprentice
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BOX OFFICE POLICIES ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI 1127 Vine Street | Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 | www.ensemblecincinnati.org | (513) 421-3555 ETC BOX OFFICE HOURS & ACCEPTED PAYMENT Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 2 hours prior to curtain. Weekend hours vary. VISA, MC, Discover, and AmEx are accepted, as well as Downtown Gift Cards. TICKET RESERVATIONS & SALE POLICY Reservations can be made by calling the box office, in person, or online. Ticket reservations are not accepted via email. Single-ticket purchases are final sale with no refund. Single tickets may, however, be exchanged for another performance during the run of a show for a fee, but may not be exchanged from one production to another. If a patron is a no-show for their reserved performance, ETC is under no obligation to reschedule his or her tickets. TAX CREDITS If for any reason you cannot attend your performance and cannot reschedule for another date, tickets released prior to performances by calling the ETC box office are fully deductible as a charitable contribution. No-shows or tickets released after curtain time do not qualify as tax credits. PARKING Patrons may park at the Gateway Garage (accessible via 12th Street) or at the surface lot, both are conveniently located at the corner of Vine and 12th Streets. Parking is also available at Washington Park Garage and Mercer Commons Garage. CHILDREN Children under the age of 4 will not be admitted to productions unless otherwise advertised. Parents with disruptive children will be asked to leave the theatre. LATECOMERS & ADMITTANCE Latecomers will be seated at the House Manager’s discretion and may be denied admission depending upon the demands or structure of a particular production. Should you need to leave the theatre during a performance, readmittance is not guaranteed. ETC reserves the right to deny admission and/or remove any disruptive patrons from the theatre at any time. RESTROOMS Public restrooms are located in the first and third floor lobbies. Should you need to use the restroom during a performance, readmittance will be at the House Manager's discretion. ACCESSIBILITY Please notify the box office in advance if you require wheelchair-accessible seating or have special seating needs and our staff will be happy to accommodate you. Audio-enhancement and large print programs available. Generally, sign-interpreted performances are on the third Wednesday of every production. CAMERAS, CELL PHONES & STAGE Actors’ Equity Association strictly prohibits the use of cameras or recording devices (including camera phones) in the theatre. Kindly turn off any cell phones or pagers prior to the show starting. Text messaging during the show disturbs other audience members and actors and will not be tolerated. For safety reasons, audience members are strictly prohibited from standing, sitting or otherwise being or putting anything onstage at any time. GROUPS & DISCOUNTS Groups of 8 or more can save on single-ticket prices. Student rates, rush discounts, Public Radio Perks Card, AAA, ArtsWave ArtsPass, Enjoy the Arts, and educator and military member discounts available for select shows (please consult your appropriate membership(s) for details and exclusions).
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RANDOM ACT OF CONSERVATION Adding native plants to your yard creates beneficial habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This simple act helps our planet and, ultimately, the human race.
4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150 • www.CincyNature.org