WORLD PREMIERE DRAMA
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED by Isaiah Reaves
REVAMPED REGIONAL PREMIERE
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. – Helen Keller
The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation proudly supports the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati as it explores themes of tenacity and resilience.
D. Lynn Meyers, Producing Artistic Director
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED by ISAIAH REAVES Directed by TORIE WIGGINS†
YOUR NEGRO TOUR GUIDE by KATHY Y. WILSON | adapted by JEFF GRIFFIN & TORIE WIGGINS Directed by JEFF GRIFFIN†
April 9 – May 7, 2022 Set & Lighting Designer BRIAN c . MEHRING
Costume Designer DARYL L. HARRIS
Wig Designer NIGEL MASK
Sound Designer DEREK A. GRAHAM
Projection Designer BECCA SCHALL
Properties Curator/Design Assistant SHANNON RAE LUTZ
Technical Director JACK MURPHY
Production Stage Manager MARGOT WHITNEY*
Assistant Stage Manager LEXI MULLER*
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.
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED has been commissioned by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. All rights are retained by Isaiah Reaves and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. YOUR NEGRO TOUR GUIDE was adapted from the 2004 book Your Negro Tour Guide: Truths In Black & White by Kathy Y. Wilson.
*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.
†
PREMIERE SPONSOR
DESIGN SPONSOR LKC Foundation
ARTIST SPONSOR
Chip & Jane Gerhardt Mary Stagaman & Ron Kull
| 3
2021–2022 SPONSORS
Photo by Ryan Kurtz
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
SEASON FUNDER
OPERATING SUPPORT
FAIRY GODMOTHER SPONSORS
SEASON SUPPORT City of Cincinnati Susan Friedlander Hamilton County Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation Mitchell S. and Jacqueline P. Meyers Foundation The Shubert Foundation IN-KIND SUPPORT Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, Interpreter Training Program College Hill Coffee Co. & Casual Gourmet LPK OMS Photography Suder’s Art Store
4 |
2021–2022 sponsors
SEASON TICKET SPONSOR
EDUCATION, ENGAGEMENT, & INCLUSION SPONSOR
EDUCATION, ENGAGEMENT, & INCLUSION SUPPORT Anonymous (2) William P. Anderson Foundation Donald C. and Laura M. Harrison Family Foundation In Honor of Marilyn F. Hill Emily Hodges & Charles Spencer Betty Huck Mr. & Mrs. David E. Moccia The Daniel & Susan Pfau Foundation Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation Jennifer Verkamp The Dennis B. & Patricia L. Worthen Fund
The arts reveal what matters most.
PNC is proud to support Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. The arts make us think, make us feel, and make us wonder. Thank you for helping to make our community a beautiful place.
©2021 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC CON PDF 0618-0106
2021–2022 sponsors
| 5
CAST & CREW LIST CAST Betty Daniels, I Shall Not Be Moved..........................................................SAMANTHA RUSSELL* Tour Guide, Your Negro Tour Guide..................................................................... TORIE WIGGINS*
RUNNING CREW Assistant Stage Manager............................................................................................... LEXI MULLER* 2nd Assistant Stage Manager/Wardrobe Crew............................................... CHRISTIAN HALL Assistant Director, I Shall Not Be Moved..............................BREAUNA MARIE JURKOWSKI Assistant Director, Your Negro Tour Guide........................ADRIAN DEVAUGHN SUMMERS Assistant House Manager..............................................................................RACHEL BARKALOW Running Crew......................................................................................................... RANDOLPH GEERS Sound Operator..............................................................................BREAUNA MARIE JURKOWSKI Spot Light Operators...........................MALYSSA QUINN, ADRIAN DEVAUGHN SUMMERS
PRODUCTION TEAM Scenic Charge Artist/Production Assistant.................................................................RAE KUHN Costume Supervisor.............................................................................................. BROOKE ARTHUR Lighting & Sound Supervisor..........................................................................LYSS CUNNINGHAM Production Master Electrician & Video Technician....................................... CHRIS LIPSTREU Sound Technician.......................................................................................................... NICK KOEHLKE DEIA Consultant........................................................................................... NICHOLAS TSANGARIS
UNDERSTUDIES Betty Daniels...................................................................................BREAUNA MARIE JURKOWSKI
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sterling Shelton Steve Miller University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
*Member belongs to Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. Understudies never substitute for listed players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance.
This production will be performed with one intermission. Approximate running time is 2 hours, 15 minutes.
PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES. NO TEXTING. 6 |
cast & crew list
FOR MINDS OF ALL KINDS Materials inspired by I Shall Not Be Moved and Your Negro Tour Guide, courtesy of The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library.
Visit CinLib.org/not-be-moved for more! BOOKS
GRAPHIC NOVEL
Buses Are a Comin' Memoir of a Freedom Rider
by John Lewis
March
by Charles Person
You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Thick
by Tressie McMillan Cottom
Civil Rights Then & Now by Kristina Brooke Daniele
Your Negro Tour Guide: Truths in Black & White
DOCUMENTARY Freedom Riders
MOVIE Back to Natural Borrow these materials online or at your nearest library branch.
by Kathy Y. Wilson
For more content about
June 11–September 4, 2022
this production, including
GET TICKETS NOW:
behind-the-scenes photos,
taftmuseum.org/Austen
videos, interviews and more, visit our website at ensemblecincinnati.org
We are very grateful for our many generous funders of this exhibition. Presented by Exhibits Development Group, USA, in cooperation with Cosprop Ltd., London, England.
| 7
THE POWER OF THE ARTS IS IN OUR HANDS
Whatever happens in our world, the arts give us a place to recharge, connect and awaken. We need the arts — and they need us too. It takes a community to build the arts. One + one equals so much more. Are you in?
GIVE TODAY artswave.org
etc essentials Join us for a FREE pre-show conversation series with local scholars and community members. These panels explore the themes and context of each of our productions in detail and delve into specific topics that are integral to the story being told on stage.
I Shall Not Be Moved / Your Negro Tour Guide HISTORY WE'VE IGNORED | MAY 1, 2022 @ 1:00 PM Hear from local historians and activists as they explore Cincinnati’s own history of Black activism, from Cincinnati’s Black Brigade and the local Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.
Tiny Beautiful Things REMEMBERING ALL THE THINGS | JUNE 5, 2022 @ 1:00 PM Join local writers for a conversation on memoir writing, inspired by author Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things, and discover how to start chronicling your important memories: tiny, beautiful, and otherwise.
Admission is FREE but reservations are required! Limited space | Reserve through the ETC Box Office
| 9
ABOUT US OUR MISSION Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich, and inspire our audiences. OUR HISTORY From its founding in 1986, ETC has focused on providing an artistic home for local theatre professionals, including serving as a training ground for young artists. Each season, ETC produces a lineup devoted to the newest in contemporary theatre that attracts a diverse audience of 30,000 to more than 220 performances. Our work also includes education and engagement programs centered on introducing the performing arts to students from under-resourced schools and children with disabilities. Combined, our productions and educational programs strive to fulfill ETC’s vision of creating an urban arts district that is accessible to all.
(513) 421–3555 1127 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 www.ensemblecincinnati.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Kathy DeLaura, Chair Jeffrey Schloemer, President Kathy Burklow, Vice President Dennis Geiger, Vice President Mike Schueler, Treasurer Meggan Thompson, Secretary DIRECTORS Holly Brians Ragusa Otto M. Budig, Jr. Tom Carothers Sue Friedlander Charles H. Gerhardt, III Linda Holthaus Stephen M. King Shekhar Mitra Nilesh Patel Darryl A. Peal Richard L. Postler Leah Quortrup Jackie Reau Alex Schutte Mary Stagaman DIRECTORS EMERITI Skip Hickenlooper Edward G. Marks FOUNDERS' CIRCLE Ruth D. & John Sawyer Ken & Mary "Murph" Mahler Dr. Charles O. Carothers Mitchell S. Meyers
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. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? Contact our team at Cincinnati Accredited member of the Better Business Bureau.
10 |
Magazine for information: advertise@CincinnatiMagazine.com
ABOUT ETC
OUR STAFF LEADERSHIP
D. Lynn Meyers, The Ruth Dennis Sawyer/Mary Taft Mahler Producing Artistic Director
FINANCE
Michael R. Zimmer, CPA CGMA, Director of Fiscal Operations
ARTISTIC
Brian c. Mehring, Resident Set & Lighting Designer Shannon Rae Lutz, Properties Curator, Design Assistant, & Director of Apprentice Programming Rae Kuhn, Scenic Charge Artist & Production Assistant Professional Acting Apprentices: Rachel Barkalow • Randolph Geers • Christian Hall Breauna Marie Jurkowski • Abby Palen Malyssa Quinn • Adrian Devaughn Summers
DEVELOPMENT
Josh Neumeyer, Finance & Grants Manager
EDUCATION
Victoria Aslanides, Director of Education Becca Howell, Education Associate Teaching Artists: Brianna Bernard • Zoe Davidson Henry Howland • Julie Locker Daniela Nenova • Adrian Devaughn Summers
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Jocelyn Meyer, Director of Marketing & Communications Amy J. Barbian, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications Rachel Kazee, Digital Marketing Coordinator Becca Schall, Creative Media Producer
OPERATIONS
Jared D. Doren, Programming & Events Manager Nick Ligon, Head of Security Anna Sheridan, Administrative Coordinator
PATRON SERVICES
Amy Weinstock, Box Office Manager Box Office Associates/House Managers: Sean Miller-Jones • Emmy Rice Kathleen Riemenschneider • Sharisse Santos
PRODUCTION
Jack Murphy, Technical Director Brooke Arthur, Costume Supervisor Lyss Cunningham, Lighting & Sound Supervisor
STAGE MANAGEMENT
Margot Whitney, Production Stage Manager Lexi Muller, Assistant Stage Manager
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati acknowledges that we gather on the unceded and stolen territories of the Hopewell, Adena, Myaamia (Miami), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee), and Wazhazhe Ma'zha' (Osage) peoples. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it since time immemorial.
| 11
SPACE IS LIMITED, REGISTER TODAY!
ETC SUMMEr camps 2022 Junior Summer Camp JULY 11–22 | Ages 7–15
Technical Theatre Intensive JULY 18–22 | Ages 13–18
High School Intensive JULY 25–29 | Ages 13–18
REGISTER: www.ensemblecincinnati.org or (513) 421-3555 COVID-19 safety: www.ensemblecincinnati.org/health-safety
DIRECTOR'S NOTES One of the questions I always find myself asking when embarking on a theatrical endeavor is “Who gets to tell whose stories?” There is plenty of documentation on the Civil Rights Movement—filmed footage, interviews, and well-crafted documentaries and movies. But Mrs. Betty Daniels Rosemond’s story in I Shall Not Be Moved is deeply personal. Every piece of Isaiah's beautifully woven story made me not only feel like I was there, but that it could have been me. It can be me today. In our current climate, we are not as far removed from fighting for our rights as I imagined we would be in 2022. This story gives me hope . . . it is encouraging. It is uplifting. But it is also empowering. Hope springs action; action springs hope. Be active. Be hopeful. Be inspired. —Torie Wiggins
The closest funeral home to our cemetery is at our cemetery.
Director's Notes
| 13
“A GAME-CHANGING ‘MOCKINGBIRD.’ GENUINELY RADICAL AND PULSING WITH RELEVANCE.” CHRIS JONES
RICHARD THOMAS ATTICUS FINCH HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AARON SORKIN BARTLETT SHER is
in
A new play by
Directed by
MAY 31 - JUNE 12 • ARONOFF CENTER CINCINNATIARTS.ORG | 513.621.ARTS
14 |
CAST BIOS SAMANTHA RUSSELL (Betty Daniels, I Shall Not Be Moved) is so excited to return to Ensemble Theatre, where she was last seen in The Dancing Princesses as Gidela. She was a member of the 2016-2017 Professional Acting Apprenticeship Program at ETC, where she was seen in Cinderella: After Ever After as Socrates and ANTIGONE (born against.) as Antigone. Some of her other favorite theatre credits include Coretta Scott King and the Fight for Freedom, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati; The Color Purple, Cincinnati Black Theatre Company; and Marian: Or The True Tale of Robin Hood, Know Theatre of Cincinnati. Samantha holds a Master’s in Acting from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England, where she currently resides. Samantha is a co-founder of Last Looks Beauty, a multinational organization that addresses the need to hire hair stylists who are skilled in correct hair care practices for Black/ethnic talent on film and television production sets. Samantha is thankful to her family for their love and support and to those who fought so diligently in the civil rights movement. It is because of them, we can. www.samanthaerussell.com
TORIE WIGGINS (Tour Guide, Your Negro Tour Guide) is a multihyphenate artist and ecstatic to be back at Ensemble Theatre this season. Her Cincinnati theatre credits include Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Harry and the Thief, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; Mame, Crowns, and The Revolutionists, Human Race Theatre Company; To Kill a Mockingbird, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; To Kill a Mockingbird, Oliver Twist, A Raisin in the Sun, Fences, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 by Anna Deveare Smith, Diogenes Theatre Company. Here at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, she’s had the pleasure of performing in The Mountaintop, Violet, Alice in Wonderland, Around the World in 80 Days, Cinderella, Cinderella: After Ever After, and His Eye is on the Sparrow. Her directing credits include We Are Proud to Present . . . and Good Kids, Miami University’s Department of Theatre; Dreamgirls and Proof, The Carnegie Theater; and Blues for an Alabama Sky, Falcon Theatre. She thanks her amazing husband, Aaron, whose support knows no end.
LET’S THEATRE TOGETHER
Cast Bios
| 15
Multicultural Awareness Council
MAC MUSIC
INNOVATOR CONCERT
Join 2022 MAC Music Innovator, conductor Antoine T. Clark, for an engaging program exploring themes highlighting the Black experience in America from folk music to social justice and spirituality. The concert, which is the culminating event for Clark’s residency, will be performed by members of the CSO with a special spoken word performance by Elementz.
SAT JUN 11 | 7 pm • Word of Deliverance Church Reserve your FREE tickets at
cincinnatisymphony.org or call 513.381.3300 (M-F 10-5; SAT 10-2)
–––––––––––– The CSO presents the Inaugural
ANDREW J. BRADY
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT SERIES SAT JUN 19 SUN JUN 26
16 |
Maple Ridge Lodge, in partnership with Westwood Works Dunham Recreation Center, in partnership with Cincinnati Recreation Commission
THU JUL 14
Location TBA, in partnership with Crown Jewels of Jazz/JazzAlive!
SAT JUL 16
Laurel Park, in partnership with Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses
SAT AUG 9
Owl’s Nest Park, in partnership with Evanston Community Council
CREATIVE TEAM BIOS ISAIAH REAVES (Playwright, I Shall Not Be Moved) is a young playwright on the rise. His autobiographical plays explore Blackness and Queerness, while spanning multiple genres. Isaiah is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Hip-Hop Theatre Creator Award, a two-time semifinalist of the Ucross and The Blank Theatre Future of Playwriting Prize, a semifinalist of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference, a finalist of the Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition, and an Iowa Arts Fellow. He is currently in pursuit of an MFA at the historic University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop. He would like to thank God and his loved ones for making everything possible. KATHY Y. WILSON (Author & Co-adapter, Your Negro Tour Guide) is a multi-hyphenate nerd: a writer-teacher-closet-poet-communityworker-playwright and sometimes, for the right audience, she will bust a rhyme. Known mostly as the author of the incendiary column Your Negro Tour Guide and the book of the same title, listeners nationwide know her for her National Public Radio commentaries on All Things Considered. Still more audiences know Wilson for the eponymous stage play adapted from her book. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, Wilson has observed white people for fifty-three years. She’s won accolades from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, the Cleveland Press Club, and the Associated Press Society of Ohio and was twice a Fellow at the Knight Center for Professional Journalists and a finalist for a National Magazine Award for her profile of 700 WLW’s Bill Cunningham. She sometimes works on her next book The Dialysis Diaries: How Hattie McDaniel Taught Me to Pee Again. In 2014, the Library Foundation of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County named her its first-ever Writer-in-Residence; in 2016 by secret committee, Wilson was awarded the Sachs Fund Prize for “adding to community discourse through her published works.” In December 2017, the Walnut Hills apartment of Wilson and her partner was recreated as an installation for the Weston Gallery’s exhibit “Kathy Y. Wilson: Living In a Colored Museum.” In 2018, she was inducted into the University of Cincinnati Journalism Hall of Fame. She lives in downtown East Walnut Hills with her partner and a cornucopia of black Barbie dolls. TORIE WIGGINS (Director, I Shall Not Be Moved; Co-adapter, Your Negro Tour Guide) See bio on Page 15. JEFF GRIFFIN (Director & Co-adapter, Your Negro Tour Guide) is in his third season as the Executive Producer of Astoria Performing Arts Center in Astoria, Queens, New York, where he recently staged American Arcana by Cyndi Williams and Theater of the Film Noir by George F. Walker. His other credits include References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot by José Rivera, Big Love by Charles Mee, Last Words by Lannie Hill, Orange by Ron Berry, and The Flu Season by Will Eno.
CREATIVE TEAM BIOS
| 17
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Cheryl Strayed adapted by Nia Vardalos
COMING SOON | MAY 28 – JUNE 25 A funny and deeply touching exploration of resilience.
18 |
PRODUCTION BIOS BRIAN c. MEHRING (Set & Lighting Designer) has designed more than one hundred 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.
DARYL L. HARRIS (Costume Designer) is a veteran of theatre throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. He received the League of Cincinnati Theatres Award for Outstanding Costumes for Northern Kentucky University’s production of Alice Childress’s Trouble in Mind, as well as multiple awards for his costume designs for The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, Theatre Tuscaloosa, and Tuscaloosa Community Dancers productions, including Mame, The King & I, and The Nutcracker. His costumes have been displayed at Canada’s Royal British Columbia Museum. Daryl has an MFA, a PhD, and is a full professor in NKU’s School of the Arts Theatre and Dance Program, where he designs, acts, directs, and teaches “Race, Gender, and Theatre” courses. He regularly presents costume-related papers at national and international conferences. He embraces each design experience as sustained communion with the Master Creator.
DEREK A. GRAHAM (Sound Designer) is excited to collaborate with Ensemble Theatre for the first time! Derek is a sound designer, composer, and audio engineer based in North Carolina. His recent work includes sound design for Kill Move Paradise at Dobama Theatre, and music composition for The Chinese Lady at Artists Repertory Theatre and Toni Stone, a co-production with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and Alliance Theatre. Alongside his wife, Jessica, he is a co-founder of Life by Design Media & Production, a small business that specializes in multimedia production, namely podcasting, videography, and photography. He received his MFA in Sound Design from Ohio University and BA in Music from Elizabeth City State University.
BECCA SCHALL (Projection Designer) is excited to be part of the Ensemble team to help bring these beautiful plays to the stage! She is a freelance videographer and editor in the Cincinnati area and has called Ensemble Theatre her home base since 2013. Becca works with ETC’s marketing team as the Creative Media Producer to create video content for each season. Alongside the incomparable D. Lynn Meyers, she also has the pleasure of casting for the various movies that film in Cincinnati and surrounding regions. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia but a native Cincinnatian who is just lucky enough to live in a city where the arts are always thriving!
Production Bios
| 19
PRODUCTION BIOS NIGEL MASK (Wig Designer) is a hair stylist and entrepreneur that has offered awardwinning services for over fifteen years. A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Nigel is the owner of Nigel’s Gifted Hands, LLC, based here in Cincinnati. He earned a BA in psychology from the University of Cincinnati and his MS in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University. Nigel is a public speaker and consultant who seeks to spread his knowledge of hair education and his philosophy on the relationship between hair care and personal wellness to the world. He has partnered with communitybased organizations and institutions of higher learning to bring enlightenment on various topics related to the beauty industry. His professional work has been featured in Southern Bride Magazine and Cincinnati Magazine and can be seen often on Netflix and ABC Network.
SHANNON RAE LUTZ (Properties Curator/Design Assistant) earned her master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music in 1996 and became Properties 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. Shannon would like to thank D. Lynn Meyers, Ruth Sawyer, and the Cincinnati theatre community and patrons for their generous, supportive, and tenacious spirit.
JACK MURPHY (Technical Director) is excited to be part of another 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 as a carpenter. After graduation, he moved to Bellport, NY, to work for The Gateway Playhouse as a carpenter and rigger and went on to work for Norwegian Cruise Line. After another summer at the Janiec Opera Company as the Assistant Technical Director, he came full circle and returned home to Cincinnati. In 2013, Jack joined the team at ETC, where his favorite productions include An Iliad, Grounded, and Fun Home. He is eager to continue to do the cutting-edge work for which ETC is known.
MARGOT WHITNEY (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be a part of the Ensemble Theatre family this season! Her previous credits include Sweat on Broadway and the first national tours of Mean Girls, Come From Away, Bright Star, The King & I, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and War Horse. She has worked with The Public Theatre, Signature Theatre Company, New York Stage and Film, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, La Jolla Playhouse, Virginia Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (during the 2012-2013 season), and Cincinnati Ballet. Margot received her BFA from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. She would like to send her love and thanks to family and friends!
20 |
Production Bios
PRODUCTION BIOS LEXI MULLER (Assistant Stage Manager) is delighted to be back at Ensemble Theatre, where some of her credits include Fun Home, The Wolves, Skeleton Crew, and Fly By Night. Other regional credits include Sex with Strangers, The House, and 26 Pebbles with The Human Race Theatre Company. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and a graduate of Wright State University, where she received her BFA in stage management. Lexi would like to thank her friends, family, and her extraordinary mother for supporting her every step of the way.
RAE KUHN (Scenic Charge Artist/Production Assistant) is in their fifth season at Ensemble Theatre. Rae graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a multidisciplinary degree focusing on fine arts, creative writing, and neuropsychology, however, technical theatre has been a hobby since high school. Rae 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. Rae began to paint backdrops for ETC's Education Department, which led to their current position at the theatre, where some favorite credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bloomsday, and When We Were Young and Unafraid.
THEATRE IS MEANT TO BE SHARED Groups of 8+ save on single ticket prices. Contact the ETC box office for more info or to book your next group! Production Bios
| 21
WAYS HEADER A TO GIVE From playwrights to apprentices, and every role in between, your tax-deductible gift to ETC enables us to enlighten, enliven, enrich, and inspire audiences, as well as create a thriving urban arts community accessible to all through our world and regional premiere productions and award-winning Education, Engagement, and Inclusion programs. Become a member of our Ensemble today!
DONATE TODAY
DONATE BY PHONE
The box office will be happy to accept your gift via cash, check, or credit card during intermission or after the show.
Please call (513) 421–3555 and select option 4 to speak with Josh.
DONATE ONLINE
Send a check made out to Ensemble Theatre with "donation" in the memo line to:
To make your gift online, visit www.ensemblecincinnati.org/ support.
DONATE WITH STOCK
For instructions on stock transfers, email development@ensemblecincinnati.org.
DONATE BY MAIL
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Attn: Development 1127 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
BECOME AN ENSEMBLE SUSTAINING DONOR Join an essential group of donors who contribute on a recurring basis throughout the year, providing a steady and predictable stream of income to support programming and operations. Most choose monthly amounts charged to a credit card, but options can be customized to meet your giving goals and needs. Email development@ensemblecincinnati.org to become a Sustaining Donor today.
GIVE WHILE YOU SHOP Before you fill your shopping cart, whether in person or online, designate ETC as your nonprofit beneficiary through the Kroger Community Rewards and AmazonSmile programs. It's easy: you shop, Kroger and Amazon donate a portion of your purchase amount directly to ETC, and that's it!
Register your Kroger Plus Card at www.kroger.com and select ETC–organization BM374.
Visit smile.amazon.com/ch/31-1220252 and use your normal Amazon login each time you shop.
22 |
ways to give
THE PREMIERE SOCIETY The Premiere Society recognizes the extraordinary individuals, families, and organizations whose generosity makes it possible for ETC to present world-class new works and awardwinning education, engagement, and inclusion programming for our community. The following list includes donors whose gifts were received between March 25, 2021 and March 24, 2022.
PLAYWRIGHTS ($20,000+) Anonymous ArtsWave Gale & Dave Beckett The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation The City of Cincinnati Burton & Susan Closson The Charles H. Dater Foundation, Inc. Friedlander Family Fund Greater Cincinnati Foundation The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./ US Bank Foundation Hamilton County, Ohio LKC Foundation The Mitchell S. & Jacqueline P. Meyers Foundation Ohio Arts Council P&G Fund* Palmer/Graber Family Fund The Schueler Group The Sittenfeld Family The Shubert Foundation, Inc. State of Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission State of Ohio Development Services Agency US Small Business Administration
PRODUCERS ($10,000-$19,999) Denise & Martin Chambers Dinsmore & Shohl LLP John & Gloria Goering Family Gift Fund The Donald C. & Laura M. Harrison Family Foundation* In Memory of James A. Markley, Jr. PNC Foundation Alis Rule Robinson Dudley S. Taft Foundation Dale Uetrecht
DIRECTORS ($5,000-$9,999) Marcia Banker & Jeff Schloemer† Dan Collopy Corky & Rick Family Foundation Crosset Family Fund* Betty Huck Arleene Keller Kenneth T. & Molly M. Mahler Diane & Dave Moccia George & Caroll Roden Elizabeth Sawyer Selnick Fund* Kate Spencer & Doug Morriss
DESIGNERS ($2,500-$4,999) Anonymous (3) Nicholas Apanius Susan Cohen & Robert Schmuelling Marilyn P. & Joseph W. Hirschhorn Fund* Linda Holthaus & Richard Zinicola† Johnson Investment Counsel Stephen King & Lynne Miller Messer Construction David & Judith Morgan Fund* Overbeck Charitable Fund Caroline Richards Digi & Mike Schueler Sprout Insight LLC Mary Stagaman & Ron Kull Jo Ann Wieghaus
STAGE MANAGERS ($1,000-$2,499) Anonymous Gordon Allen & Linda Baas Americana Arts Foundation William P. Anderson Foundation Judith & Louis Belli Malcolm A. & Glenda Bernstein Michael Berry & Melanie Garner Daniel Brown & Mark Haggard Bryson Family Charitable Fund Jeff & Gay Bullock Barbara Carr & Bren Blaine Cissell Family Fund* Philip Clayton Kathy Collins & Joseph Giglia Meredythe G. & Clayton C. Daley, Jr. Family Fund* Mark Dauner† Kathy DeLaura & Ron Steinhoff† Ehrsam Family Fund* Fencl Family Fund* Bob & Mary Fitzpatrick In Memory of Kathy Fuller Rita & Dennis Geiger Gilman Family Fund* Dr. & Mrs. Richard Glaser Linda Greenberg Fund* Marilyn F. Hill Emily M. Hodges & Charles H. Spencer Florette Hoffheimer William & Mary Jane James Robert Keith & Kathleen Thornton Keith Ginny & Rick Kuertz Chris Lewis & Alicia Bond-Lewis * A Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation † Sustaining Donor
Please bring any errors or omissions to our attention by contacting Josh Neumeyer: jneumeyer@ensemblecincinnati.org or (513) 421-3555 x2104.
the premiere society
| 23
STAGE MANAGERS CONT. Cindy Mason Sophia McAllister Jacqueline Mervis Mack Philanthropic Fund* Jill & Bruce Mitchell Anu & Shekhar Mitra Molly North Neal Patel & Dr Avani Modi† Pepper Family Fund* Richard Postler & Manuel Hernandez Steven & Carol Reubel Mr. & Mrs. Gates T. Richards Charles Scott Riley III Foundation Jessica Ruebusch Jane Ruwet Hopson & Larry Pytlinski Alex & Kim Schutte Marvin & Betsy Schwartz Fund* Robert & Eleanor Shott Philanthropic Fund Richard & Kathleen Strenk Sonia Wagener Woodward Family Charitable Foundation The Dennis B. & Patricia L. Worthen Fund Andrea Levenson Young Charitable Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation
CAST ($500-$999) Anonymous (2) Christine Adams Todd & Ann Bailey Bank of America Charitable Foundation The Blatt Family Fund David Brashear Carol Buschur Brian & Elizabeth Coley Philip K. & Anne Lilly Cone Fund* Margaret & Joseph Conway Jennifer Cook David Crotty & Joan von Handorf Jan Denton Rachel & Bernard Foster Sandi Gans† Bob Gerding Donn Goebel & Cathy McLeod† Hirt Family Charitable Fund Daniel Hurley Keith & Patti James Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Matching Gifts Program Amy Katz & Robert Cohen Dick & Mona Kerstine Beverly Kinney & Edward Cloughessy Sandra Kohn Kroger Community Rewards Program Limestone Fund* Aymie Majerski Charles & Jennifer Margolis John & Deborah Moffatt Bill & Ruth Morley Patti Myers & Alan Flaherty Catherine Northcutt Stratman Charitable Foundation Neda & Bruce Nutley Tory Parlin Adam Parrish Alice Perlman Thomas & Marianne Phillips Presidential Plaza Associates, LTD Irene & Daniel Randolph Donor Advised Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation Hera G. Reines Becky & Ted Richards
24 |
the premiere society
Stephen & Helen Rindsberg Moe & Jack Rouse Susan & Clint Schertzer Arnie & Ina Shayne Kenneth & Kathleen Skau Susan & David Smith Elizabeth Stites & Kevin Randall Ellen & Ray van der Horst Jennifer Verkamp Charitable Fund Karen & Barry Webb Pann & Terry Webb† Wuerdeman Family Fund* Dr. David & Cynthia Zink
RUNNING CREW ($250-$499) Anonymous (5) AmazonSmile Foundation Bob Amott & Janice Flanagan Evelyn Banzhaf Henrietta Barlag Jane & Larry Bennett Teresa & Gordon Benson David & Elaine Billmire Richard Block Mark Bowen† Dawn & Doug Bruestle† Denny & Mindy Burger† Kathy Burklow & John Berlier James & Diane Byerly Patricia & Robert Clary Kelly M. Dehan Steve & Daina Dennis Paul & Bev Diamond† Emilie & David Dressler Fund* Dennis & Catherine Dunwoodie† Barbara Feldmann Larry Freeman Mary Friel Julie Grady Heard Deborah R. Grayson William Groneman & Maureen Flanagan Charitable Fund The Gumbleton Family Lori Hiltenbeitel Teresa Hoelle & Scott Provancher Doug & Marguerite Katchen Sharon Kerns Greg Kloos Carmen & Rich Kovarsky Russell Lascelles & Janet Schultz Warren Leight Carol Leslie† David Logan & Dale Hodges Richard & Barbara Males David L. Martin Anil Menon Dr. Ralph R. Meyer Ric Mierenfeld & Kim Heimbrock Danute Miskinis Norah & Joe Mock Michelle Parsons Nancy L. Phelan David M. Piatt Fund* The Reed Family Foundation Darlene Reifenberger Bartley Reitz Marlene Riess Holly Riffe & Sue Roth† Al Roane† Marianne R. Rowe J.R. Rulon† R. Sapona
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS! To join our family of contributors with a donation of any size, please contact Josh Neumeyer: (513) 421-3555 x2104 Martha & Lee Schimberg Digi & Mike Schueler P. Robert Schwetschenau Jane Bogart Sellers† Eli E. Shupe, Jr. & Toby Ruben† Michael Siegrist William Slutz Sara & Gunter Storjohann† Linda Tache Paul & Marion Thoms Marty C. Tomb Anne Trauten Alan & Margie Ullman Rosalie P. van Nuis Barbara & Tom Waldron Priscilla S. Walford Buzz Ward Ann & Victor Warner Jan Welsh & Bruce Fairbanks Jay & Kate Wilford Jeff Wysel Nora Zorich & Thomas Filardo Family Fund*
APPRENTICES ($125-$249) Anonymous (8) Robert & Janet Banks Wilma & Herbert Beigel Barbara & Wayne Beimesch Bill & Janet Berger Joe & Dianne Berger Mike & Juliette Bezold The Bloch Family Fund Mark Breitenstein Dee Anne Bryll & Ed Cohen Daniel Burr Edward F. Buyniski Michele & Kevin Cain† Rebecca Campbell Ann Cochran Strasser Carol C. Cole College Hill Coffee Co & Casual Gourmet Lee Crooks & Bill Menrath Barbara Cummins Charles & Lois Deitschel Mary & Scott Donaldson Cheryl Durie Richard & Deirdre Dyson PJ Fischesser In Memory of Ardyth Flottman† Melinda Gilbert Debbie Grossblatt Irving Harris Lyle & Jennifer Horvath James & Robin Huizenga Janice Kagermeier Marvin & Gerry Kraus Mary LaBolt Linda Erpelding J.B. Lutz Family Anne McAdams Sherry & Steve McCamley
Dr. & Mrs. Richard A. Meyer Mary Sue Morrow Heide Moser Barbara Myers Shawn & Marilyn Nolan Ms. Kathleen O'Connell & Dr. H. Kenneth Peterson Paul & Mary Ann Odegard Charlotte Otto Charles Powers Laura Proto Lucy Putnam George & Joan Rebeck Ross Royce Richard Ryan Maria Saldivar Sharisse & A. Paloma Santos-Maddox Ronald & Ruth Schmiedeker Mark Silbersack & Ruth Schwallie Barbara Seiver Tim & Michelle Selnick Robert & Eleanor Shott Philanthropic Fund Mary Lee & Louie Sirkin Tim Smith & Penny Poirier Jacqueline & Richard Snyder Laurie & Robert Sternberg Robert P. Streicher Dennis & Helen Sullivan Ida & John Tergerson Beverly Thomas Thomas Thompson Tom & Torey Torre U.S. Bank Employee Matching Program Dorothy Wakefield Mary Watkins Larry Weber Michael Wheatley Michael & Susan Whitehead† Patricia Wilson Karen Wittenberg† David Steven Ziegler†
Ensemble Theatre acknowledges the following Partner Companies, Foundations, and their employees who generously participate in the Annual ArtsWave Community Campaign at the $100,000+ level. Your support helps make our community vibrant and connects people all across our region through the arts. Thank you! P&G Fifth Third Bank and the Fifth Third Foundation GE Aviation Cincinnati Bell Western & Southern Financial Group Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center The Cincinnati Insurance Companies City of Cincinnati Enquirer Media Great American Insurance Group Ohio National Financial Services U.S. Bank The H.B., E.W., and F. R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees Macy's Cincinnati Business Courier The Kroger Co. PNC The E.W. Scripps Company and Scripps Howard Foundation Duke Energy * A Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation HORAN † Sustaining Donor Cincinnati Reds
the premiere society
| 25
PATRON INFORMATION ETC BOX OFFICE HOURS Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm, and 2 hours prior to curtain. Weekend hours vary. CAMERAS & RECORDING DEVICES Actors’ Equity Association strictly prohibits the use of cameras or recording devices (including camera phones) in the theatre. ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS ETC offers audio-described performances, ASL-interpreted performances, wheelchair accessible seating, large-print programs, assistive listening devices, and sensory sensitivity items such as noise-canceling headphones and fidgets. SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES Select performances offered for those with developmental disabilities and their families to enjoy the production with lighting and sound adjustments and other accommodations. SALE POLICY Single-ticket purchases are final sale with no refund. If a patron is a no-show for their reserved performance, ETC is under no obligation to reschedule their tickets. LATECOMERS & ADMITTANCE Latecomers are 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. TAX CREDITS If 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.
26 |
patron information
1127 Vine Street circa 1927 Image courtesy of Fifth Third Bank archives.
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. GROUPS & DISCOUNTS Groups of 8 or more can save on single-ticket prices. Student rates, rush discounts, Public Radio Perks Card, AAA, ArtsWave Pass, and educator and military member discounts are available for select shows (please consult your appropriate membership(s) for details and exclusions).
@OHIOARTSCOUNCIL | #ARTSOHIO | OAC.OHIO.GOV
State and federal dollars through the Ohio Arts Council supported your arts experience today.
WHERE WILL THE ARTS TAKE YOU NEXT ? VISIT ARTSINOHIO.COM
Don and Kaki McClanahan