CINCINNATI: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has announced their spring season, featuring a return to indoor performances as well as three outdoor productions.
“We are thrilled to be reopening the Marx Theatre and reentering the realm of live, in-person performances after more than a year,” artistic director Blake Robison said in a statement. “The outdoor events and virtual programs provide a variety of alternatives for anyone who’s craving a theatrical experience.”
The season will begin with two concert productions presented by the Schueler Group. Higher and Higher: A Rock ‘n Soul Party with Chester Gregory will run April 30 through May 2, featuring the music of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and James Brown. Higher and Higher is also a co-production with Artists Lounge Live.
The next concert production will be The Skivvies: Live and Literally In-Person! on May 26 and 27. The performance will feature playhouse alums Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley.
Both productions will run in the Marx Theatre, where seating has been reduced to allow for social distancing and masks will be required.
The Playhouse will partner with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, as well as the Cincinnati Music Accelerator, to present a series of live outdoor events featuring theatre artists, musicians, and poets. The socially distanced performances will feature an eclectic mix of scenes, monologues, spoken word poetry, and music. The performances will be held in the parking lots of the Cincinnati Union Terminal on May 8; the Cincinnati Art Museum on May 16; and the Mayerson JCC on May 23.
Additionally, the Playhouse will stream the theatre for young audiences work Dragons Love Tacos by Ernie Nolan, April 16-May 16. The play follows a boy and his dog who are unexpectedly caught up in a television show about dragons and is presented as part of the virtual Off the Hill series.
The theatre will also stream Lauren Gunderson’s The Catastrophist April 26-May 23, in a co-production with Marin Theatre Company and Round House Theatre Company. The play follows virologist Nathan Wolfe in a time-traveling tale about pandemics and mortality. The Playhouse will also offer 25 different virtual enrichment workshops for kids, teenagers, and adults, beginning April 22. Workshops will cover writing, design, crafts, and performance.
In June, the Playhouse will premiere two new audio plays that make use of unique storytelling and Cincinnati locations. The first will be The Edge of Town by local musician and hip-hop artist Deuces. The Edge of Town is a musical podcast play about Black empowerment in Wyoming, Ohio. The second audio play will be a currently untitled work by Carolyn Guido Clifford, and will take place in Eden Park.
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is a professional regional theatre committed to producing and presenting the broadest range of theatre for diverse audiences in an inviting theatrical environment.
