FRINGE FESTIVAL

Hit the Lights | Photo: Joshua Albanese

ENTERING ITS 18TH ITERATION THIS YEAR,

the Cincinnati Fringe Festival describes itself with an iconic slogan: “Kinda Weird, Like You.” From June 4 to 19, 37 oddball performances will be available, with presentations shaped by the pandemic. A few will be in-person outdoor events on two stages near Overthe-Rhine’s Know Theatre, which puts on the annual fest; some will be livestreamed shows online at specific times; and others can be watched as video-on-demand.

That’s a lot of weirdness.

One of the 37 productions embodying the Fringe slogan comes from a theater troupe with Cincinnati roots. Hit the Lights is a five-performer company based in New York City with an origin story at the University of Cincinnati, and they’re returning to the Queen City with a video-on-demand show that revolves around puppets.

Horsetale is a video production that weaves together handmade shadow puppetry created using vintage overhead projectors. In it, two Country Western musicians share their story of love, heartbreak and redemption through the tale of a horse that’s been separated from its tail. Interlaced with live, original music, homages to Looney Tunes cartoons and American iconography, the Hit the Lights show is self-described as “a story as wild and expansive as the West itself!”

But this won’t be the first time Hit the Lights has entertained Cincy Fringe audiences. Back in 2015, their very first show, Dungeon — inspired by video games and Japanese Kabuki — was awarded the Audience Pick of the Fringe. And they returned to the Queen City in 2016 to collaborate with Know Theatre on The Other Rhine, an original, site-specific immersive experience.

The group is now well established in New York, but their path has a deep local connection. Four of the five members of Hit the Lights are drama grads from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Casey Scott Leach, who conceived of Dungeon, was in the class of 2010. Mikayla Stanley graduated in 2011, and Claron Hayden and Kristopher Dean were classmates in 2012. Leach and Stanley are now married. Dean’s wife, Samantha Blain, who majored in musical theater at Boston’s Emerson College, is the fifth member.

Leach, Stanley, Hayden and Dean found their way to CCM, attracted by the creative curriculum at the core of the school’s drama major, especially its annual Fringelike set of student-produced shows, Transmigration.

“The tools that that festival gave us were so invaluable, just the confidence that we could do something like this,” Stanley says. “It also gave us the business skills we needed to create a company. We’ve been able to make this come to life and keep on going.”

When Stanley was still a high school student in Tampa, Florida, she surprised a CCM interviewer by describing her aspiration to start her own theater company. No applicant had ever voiced such a goal. She remained true to that vision throughout her time in school. Once she and the others landed in New York City, Hit the Lights was almost inevitable, building on their experiences crafting productions for Transmigration.

But the quintet had to get past five individual egos to create and focus on the human element that makes their work appealing.

Hit the Lights’ modus operandi is “Less Talk/More Rock.” Hayden explains that they seek out “a beautiful moment where you have an idea that’s fresh and vibrant, and you feel inspired. Too often what happens is that you talk it to death, and you don’t know how to start doing anything with it.”

Instead, they take that idea, let it briefly be, “then immediately just work,” Hayden says. “Just jump in. It’s a

way to never let stagnation happen, never let things become too intellectual or conceptual. We always put the focus on ‘Do you really need dialogue here?’ The first thing is just tell the story.”

Cincy Fringe’s 2015 Dungeon was Hit the Lights’ first production.

“We hold this place and this festival very dear in our hearts,” Stanley says. “It was the place where we decided, ‘Oh, this is something.’ Our first show was Casey’s brainchild. He’s a video gamer, and he wanted to do a show that created the world of video games. He gathered together our friends from Cincinnati to make the show. It was a magical moment: We knew this was what we wanted to be doing.”

And Hit the Lights has been very busy since then: Dungeon was an editors’ pick at the Minnesota Fringe, and another show, Whales, was nominated for three New York Innovative Theater Awards. They created a live cinematic puppet adaptation of hit podcast The Habitat, collaborated with the New York Botanical Garden and contributed to a live music video for Grammy Awardnominated Sammy Miller and The Congregation.

Among other Off-Broadway credits, they were nominated for an Off-Broadway Alliance Award for “Best Family Show” for their theatrical adaptation of Rita Marshall’s children’s book Taste the Clouds. They also host workshops and return to Cincinnati to share their skills and experience with students at CCM. Recently, they developed original shadow puppets for Vogue magazine’s March 2021 cover shoot featuring international supermodel Gigi Hadid.

And they’re excited to once again have their work showcased at Cincy Fringe. “We’ve been to a lot of fringes, but there’s something very special going on here in Cincinnati,” Stanley says.

Hayden adds, “This is one of the friendliest I’ve ever been to. It’s not just the staff or the volunteers, it’s also the audiences and the culture. Know Theatre is so good at putting on a vibe — the whole thing ends up feeling like a kind of mini-carnival. I’ve seen some of my favorite fringe pieces here.”

For the 2021 Fringe, Hit the Lights chose to offer Horsetale as video-on-demand, rather than bring its stage production to Cincinnati.

“The original Horsetale was similar to what audiences will see, but it’s also drastically different,” Hayden says. “We find new ways to express ourselves and bring that back into the previous shows. They’re all almost constantly in a state of evolution and growing. They continue to breathe and never get stale.”

The video will combine shots of what a theater audience would typically see, and then goes “backstage” to show how the performers manipulate the projectors to illustrate the story.

“We’ve used multiple close-ups, camera angles and behind-the-screen, even a full overhead shot going down on the entire stage,” Hayden says. “All of that’s been blended together in a way that will give the experience of what your eyes would naturally want to do as the show goes on.”

His video work will give the viewer “the best ride possible, the best you could expect from being in the theater with us.” And Stanley expects that Hit the Lights will find ways to produce video versions of their shows going forward.

blends shadow puppetry and Country Western tunes | Photo: Marzio Fulfaro Horsetale

| Photo: Cincinnati Fringe Festival Poster for Away, Now Paul Strickland at a previous Cincy Fringe Photo: Cincinnati Fringe Festival | Photo: Cincinnati Fringe Festival On Maintenance (How to Keep a Life), Poster for

Hit the Lights won’t be the only company using puppets in the 2021 Cincy Fringe. In fact, seven other productions have employed this element, perhaps to enable social distancing during a year when everyone is still factoring pandemic precautions into their efforts.

“I couldn’t help but think that lockdown had something to do with it,” says Fringe artist Peter Michael Marino, who will offer Planet of the Grapes Live, a mash-up of the Victorian Era’s toy theater movement, grape puppets, corks and the classic science-fiction film, Planet of the Apes. “As a newly minted puppeteer, I can safely say that a year with no opportunities for in-person collaboration led me in this wild new direction.”

Cincy Fringe favorite storyteller Paul Strickland and puppeteer/actress Erika Kate MacDonald are presenting Away, Now, a video-on-demand piece using a suitcase toy theater, shadow puppets and masks. Cincinnati’s Leave No Trace Productions is performing On Maintenance (How to Keep a Life), an outdoor piece on a stage near Know Theatre; they’ll use life-sized origami and abstract puppets in a dance of construction and deconstruction.

Other video-on-demand shows include puppets on fire and puppets underwater in Unintentional Significance: A Puppet Show About Everything and Nothing, by Cincinnati-based Autumn Kaleidoscope. A troupe from Mount St. Joseph University Theatre Arts has produced a video, Empty Space, a comedic drama about an astronaut saved by puppets. Kaleidoscopic Bone House from New York City’s Cookie Tongue is a Freak-Folk musical that promises a mix of puppetry, original songs and animation about mythology, fairy tales, childhood and ghost stories, plus a bit of magic. There will also be a pair of livestreamed shows featuring puppets. Performance Gallery, back for its 18th Cincy Fringe in a collaboration with Solasta Theatre Lab, will offer Continuum, a mind-bending take on reality and demons. And Marino’s aforementioned Planet of the Grapes Live.

Of course, the 2021 Cincy Fringe offers more than puppets. There will be humor and music, serious and satiric themes, and mind-bending storytelling. This year's fest promises six outdoor shows, 10 livestreamed productions — plus the popular “Channel Fringe Hard Hitting Action News Update” nightly — and 21 video-ondemand shows from artists around the country.

In addition to primary performances, there will be special events, works-in-progress, the popular Visual Fringe gallery exhibits (available to view in-person and online) and the Fringe After Hours bar series. That late-evening feature, which usually takes place in Know Theatre’s Underground bar, will move to the parking lot just north of the theater building, beneath the vibrant “Lookin’ Good” mural facing 12th Street in OTR.

You’ll still need tickets to enjoy this year’s Cincinnati Fringe Festival, no matter if you’re outdoors and in-person or at home. A $275 all-access pass gets you into all 37 shows in the primary lineup (plus special events) and for $80, you can get a six-show Flex Pass. Individual tickets are available for around $10-$15. Fringe divides ticket revenue 50/50 with the artists.

The Cincinnati Fringe Festival takes place June 4-19. For more information, show descriptions, a schedule and tickets, visit cincyfringe.com.

Caring For Our Watersheds is a joint program of the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District and Nutrien Ltd. Caring For Our Watersheds is a program that empowers students to imagine, develop, and create solutions in their local watersheds. The program promotes watershed awareness and stewardship, values student ideas, and offers support when turning theoretical ideas into action. Judges in the environmental field score student entries and ten projects are selected to compete in the final competition which was held on April 27th. $10,000 in implementation funding (up to $1,000 per project) is available to all participants, allowing each and every idea to be turned into a reality. At the final event, students presented their projects and finalists received cash awards and matching grants for their schools.

Caring For Our Watersheds is a joint program of the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District, Nutrien and the Nutrients For Life Foundation.

CARING FOR OUR WATERSHEDS FINALISTS

1st First Place: West Holmes High School Garrett 2nd Second Place: Wyoming High School Caitlin & Stefanie 3rd Third Place:

Wyoming High School

Mark & Owen

OUT OF ALMOST 130 ENTRIES submitted this year, these ten teams advanced to the Final Competition where students competed for $12,000 in awards for themselves and their schools.

Project: LET’S CATCH THE RAIN!

Student: Morgan & Allison School: Wyoming High School Description: Acknowledging all of the rain Cincinnati gets in the spring paired with its combined sewage system, Morgan and Allison wanted to reduce the amount of runoff in their community. Working with their city manager, city representatives, and school district, they were able to install two rain barrels at a local elementary school and community garden that experience high precipitation in the spring. By bringing these rain barrels into a public space, more people in the area will be exposed to the benefits of reducing rain runoff and water consumption.

Project: THE BUTTERFLY OASIS

Student: Ava, Madeline & Becca School: Mount Notre Dame High School Description: Ava, Madeline, and Becca wanted to help improve air quality and increase pollination in the area around their high school, leading them to create a butterfly garden. This project will both beautify the grounds at their school while leading as an example pollinator habitat in the area. In collaboration with their school administration and environmental club, their butterfly oasis will remain for years to come.

Project: SALIX PHYTOEXTRACTION

Student: Clarke School: Wyoming High School Description: Growing up, Clarke grew a fondness for the creek behind their home, exploring it with their brother as often as possible. As they grew older, they began to learn and see the impacts of heavy metals in the Mill Creek and wanted to develop a solution for it. A Salix, or willow tree, helps prevent erosion with its root systems while also removing heavy metals from soil and water. Clarke’s project includes collaborating with local parks in order to plant willow tree along the Mill Creek.

Project: COMMUNITY THRIFTING EVENT

Student: Caitlin & Stefanie School: Wyoming High School Description: As avid thrifters and advocates for secondhand clothing, Caitlin and Stefanie wanted to create an event for their school to reduce the impacts of fast fashion. They will be collecting donations of used clothing a month in advance so that they have time to sanitize, mend, and sort the items they receive. The money collected at their thrifting event will be donated to their Community Green Team, allowing the embodiment of “think globally, act locally” in their project.

Project: GO 2 BAT FOR OUR WATERSHED

Student: Mark & Owen School: Wyoming High School Description: A healthy watershed is the key to a healthy community, and the animals that could help contribute to that are bats! Mark and Owen want to improve bats’ reputation as pollinators and consumers of insects, so they plan to create an educational website and flyers to distribute in their community. With this new information, they hope to encourage people in their area to install bat houses to support the local population.

Project: LIGHTING OUR WAY TO A GREENER FUTURE

Student: Hannah, Brenna, Kayla & Sarah School: Mount Notre Dame High School Description: At Hannah, Brenna, Kayla, and Sarah’s high school, excessive electricity consumption is a major problem. In an effort to reduce this, they are working to replace the outdoor lights around walkways and signs with solar powered ones instead. This simple switch will cut back on electricity consumption and open doors for new ways to rely on renewable energy sources.

Project: PRECISION CONSERVATION IN THE MOHICAN RIVER WATERSHED

Student: Garrett School: West Holmes High School Description: Nitrogen runoff from agriculture is one of the major sources of pollution in the Mohican River Watershed. Garrett, working with the Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District, wants to provide farmers with access to data modeling and educational resources in order to implement the best fertilization methods on their land. With these tools, the amount of nitrogen runoff polluting the watershed will slowly decrease while also improving the efficiency of local farms.

Project: REDUCE, REUSE, SHAMPOO!

Student: Megan & Meredith School: Mount Notre Dame High School Description: Shampoo and conditioner bottles so often find their way into landfills, creating waste instead of being recycled or reused. Megan and Meredith want to reduce this waste in their school and will be creating solid shampoo and conditioner bars. Their classmates will be encouraged to bring in three empty shampoo or conditioner bottles in exchange for these low-waste alternatives, allowing more to try out a plastic-free option while the traditional bottles are diverted from the trash.

Project: INCREASING CLEVELAND’S DEPLETED TREE CANOPY

Student: Ehthyu & Emeraude School: John Marshall School of Engineering Description: With the urbanization of the Cleveland area, many trees have been removed, leading to increased runoff with heavy rain and an urban heat island effect in warmer months. Ehthyu and Emeraude, in looking to find a solution to these problems, proposed to plant red oak trees in the surrounding community. These native trees can absorb up to 50 gallons of water a day and will provide shade as they grow, creating a more habitable urban space.

Project: SCOOP THE POOP

Student: Kk (Calyn) School: Mount Notre Dame High School Description: Winton Woods Park is popular in its area for its walking and hiking trails with many bringing their dogs along for an adventure. Kk found that despite its popularity, there were no stations in the park for pet waste. In collaboration with park staff, the duo is working to install and maintain waste stations with biodegradable bags.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Educating the Future of Our Watershed

Jake, Chris & William (Wyoming High School)

Pollution Cleanse with White Pine Trees Arishta, Faith, Izzy (Wyoming High School)

PRECISION CONSERVATION IN THE MOHICAN RIVER WATERSHED

Most high school students have enough on their plates as they juggle school and extra-curricular activities, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Writing and submitting a proposal on their own to improve the health of their local watershed is not normally at the top of their to-do list, but that’s exactly what West Holmes High School sophomore Garrett Houin did. Houin developed a proposal that would reduce nutrient loss from farm fields into the streams and rivers of the Mohican Watershed. “My dad works in precision agriculture, and my mom works for Ashland Soil and Water, so we have a lot of very nerdy conversations in our house about how precision agriculture can be an important tool to address water quality concerns,” Houin said. Houin’s research found nutrient runoff from farm fields and bacteria from failing septic systems and livestock manure are the biggest threats to water quality in his watershed. His proposal helps area farmers use computer modeling tools to make better nutrient management choices. Houin’s proposal includes 100 percent cost-share for farmers to use the Adapt-N nitrogen model as well as Winfield United’s R7 Field Forecasting tools. The tools provide an in-depth look at current nitrogen availability in farm fields as well as a forward-facing, predictive model of what nutrient levels will look like weeks and even months into the future. “Using theses crop modeling tools, producers can see how the four Rs, right rate, right time, right source and right place, can benefit the bottom dollar for farmers, all while managing nutrients to reduce the risk of nutrient runoff,” Houin said. “That’s good news for farmers, good news for the environment, and good news for those of us who live and work in the watershed.”

INCREASING CLEVELAND’S DEPLETED TREE CANOPY

Trees play an important role in our environment. They provide oxygen, shelter, improve air quality, water quality, and can do more. One tree can produce nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year, so many trees can really help to create a safer environment. That’s why we have decided to focus on trees. Planting more trees would mean, increasing Cleveland’s tree canopy, which has massively decreased over the last 80 years, and reducing stormwater runoff, which has also become a huge issue in our community. Ever since Cleveland’s tree cover has begun to decrease, the Lake Erie watershed has become exposed to many harmful pollutants that enter through stormwater runoff, which leaves our environment unsafe. In order to keep this from happening, we have decided to plant trees and encourage people to plant trees as well, so that we can create a healthier environment. We are planning on teaching a lesson on trees to fifth graders so that they can know how crucial they are in our environment. We also plan on distributing red oak seedlings and brochures to 190 fifth-grade students on the East and West side of Cleveland and planting trees on our campus ground. We made a brochure that contains information on native trees, how to plant and care for trees, and are planning on distributing them throughout the community to spread awareness. We are also planning on partnering up with a neighborhood organization called the BellairePuritas Development Corporation and Dominion Gas, which will use our brochure to spread the word and keep people more informed of this issue. Our goal and hope are to increase Cleveland’s tree canopy, by planting more trees, which will have a huge impact on the environment in the city of Cleveland and keep the Lake Erie watershed healthy for all.

CARING FOR OUR WATERSHEDS – COVID EDITION

As with everything else this past year, Caring For Our Watersheds changed a lot to account for the coronavirus pandemic, adhering to all CDC and statewide mandates. While some students remained in person for most of the school year, some districts were mostly remote, and others had hybrid schedules, changing back and forth based on the current community spread. This is most definitely not the ideal way to learn, but students, teachers and parents did an amazing job adapting to this ‘new normal.’ We all did our best to learn, teach, adapt, stay connected while staying apart and hopefully finding time for some self-care. The Caring For Our Watersheds contest was no different. We switched all of our presentations to virtual zoom presentations and helped students and teachers through online chats, email and phone calls. We had seven new schools participate in the contest this year for the first time and we truly hope they enjoyed their experience and will be back to participate next year, with all being well, in-person. All of the top 10 students deserve an extra shout-out. They did am amazing job adapting their projects to comply with current safety standards, finding ways to be creative and educate people in a virtual world and adjusting to the ever-changing deadlines we threw at them because we had to change our finals to a virtual event. Everyone did such an amazing job and deserves all the praise (and cash prizes). It has been a pleasure working with you and I hope our paths cross again someday. IN the meantime, do everything you can to stop the spread.

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

Organizations dedicated to creating the next generation of land stewards in Hamilton County

Nutrien, The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Nutrients for Life Foundation understand the importance of protecting our watersheds and conserving natural resources. But it’s equally important to cultivate future land stewards and tomorrow’s advocates for the environment. That’s why the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Nutrients for Life Foundation have partnered with Nutrien to establish Caring For Our Watersheds, a unique program that enhances classroom learning through the practice of environmental research, writing skills, public speaking and hands-on stewardship. The program asks high school students to propose ideas on how to improve local watersheds. Students with strong proposals will then have the opportunity to put those ideas into action. As projects are planned and implemented, students develop strong leadership skills, learn sustainable practices and contribute to creating a healthier ecosystem. Students also have opportunities to connect with environmental professionals who volunteer and mentor the students as they learn new skills and develop deeper connections with the community in which they live. Caring For Our Watersheds is open to all high school students who live in or go to school in Ohio.

Caring for Our Watersheds is sponsored by Nutrien, a worldwide producer and retailer of fertilizers and other agricultural products and services. As the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services, Nutrien plays a critical role in Feeding the Future by helping growers increase food production in a sustainable manner. With nearly 20,000 employees, operations, and investments in 14 countries, Nutrien’s crop inputs and services reach every major growing region of the world.

The Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District (HCSWCD) is responsible for the conservation of natural resources within Hamilton County, Ohio. They have a special emphasis on soil and water with a focus on assisting landowners in planning and applying conservation practices on the land. HCSWCD is dedicated to the sustainable use of our natural resources and to encouraging positive behavioral changes that produce a higher quality of life for our citizens. The District assists all Hamilton County residents, schools, and jurisdictions through their services and dynamic partnerships that continually provide innovative solutions for the challenges of our region.

The Nutrients for Life Foundation is a global organization consisting of members and collaborative partners that develops and distributes science-based materials to improve plant nutrient literacy, soil health knowledge and promotes fertilizer’s role in sustaining a growing population. Plant nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, are also required to keep our parks, gardens, playgrounds, sports fields and golf courses green and healthy in communities from coast to coast.

CARING FOR OUR WATERSHEDS PARTNERS

PARTICIPATING TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS

Jeff Bakunas - Rutherford B. Hayes High School Deborah Brookbank - Winton Woods High School Mary Brown - John Marshall School of Engineering Joe W Carstensen - Clay High School Ashley Chorba - John Marshall School of Engineering Kelly Dye - West Holmes High School Taylor Freeman - Port Clinton High School Maggie Little - Valley STEM Tracy Majors - Wyoming High School Monika Nuñez - Ursuline Academy Mary Beth Rieth - Mount Notre Dame High School Tony Riley - Athens High School Tricia Schoen - Genoa Area High School Kat Sickinger - Summit Country Day School Shannon Thomas - Twinsburg High School

JUDGES AND VOLUNTEERS

Emma Brandt - CFW Intern Pat Bruns - former OH Dept of Education member Rachel Cranmer - Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Lori Dorn - Greenacres Foundation Sara Fehring - HC Conservation District Gia Giammarinaro - Cincinnati Park Board Cory Gonya - Nutrien Scott Huber - HC Conservation District Sarah Kitsinis - Coyle SWPPP Professionals Christen Lubbers - Architectural Fdn of Cincinnati Kara Luggen - Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Anne Lyon - Mill Creek Alliance Sue Magness - Office of Environment & Sustainability Katie Nainiger - Nutrients for Life Fia Turczynewycz - Guide Us Green