FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 17, 2004
Contact: Christa Skiles
Public Relations Director
513-345-2242, ext. 232
CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK ANNOUNCES 2004-2005
STAGE LEFT SERIES
(CINCINNATI) – The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s
2004-2005 Stage Left series is set with six new events that give participants
a behind-the-scenes look at Playhouse productions in a fun social setting,
all at a discounted price. The series was launched last year and is specifically
designed to attract and engage audience members under the age of 40.
For each event, the Playhouse partners with an existing young professional
organization in the city, whose members serve as co-hosts for each program,
offering participants not only the chance to enjoy great theatre, but also
to network with others who share their interests. Members of the Mt. Adams
Business Guild also partner with the Playhouse to serve as host locations for
some pre- and post-show programs.
The schedule of events features:
• A PICASSO: Sunday, October 3 at 5:30 p.m.
In an abandoned vault below the streets of an occupied Paris in 1941, famed
artist Pablo Picasso meets his match in Miss Fischer, a woman hired by the
Gestapo to authenticate three paintings, each of which is assumed to be “a
Picasso.” What results from this interrogation is a high-stakes cat-and-mouse
game of intrigue with mounting tensions of desire and the lure of power. Stage
Left participants will start the evening at The Wine Cellar where Playhouse
Scenic Artist Lisa Molyneux will lead a discussion about the work of Pablo
Picasso and about the art of scenic painting. Then, the group will head to
the Playhouse for the show. This program is hosted with Cincinnati Internationals.
• A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Wednesday, December 8 at 5:30 p.m.
Take a break before the rush of the holiday season to learn how to be a kid
again. This program features a pre-show demonstration in which participants
will view the preparations of the stage and special effects for the Playhouse’s
technically complex production of A Christmas Carol. Then, our holiday
party includes a Secret Santa drawing, a feast of Christmas cookies and eggnog
and other fun surprises before heading into the theatre for the 14th annual
presentation of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, presented by The Stona
Fitch Family, Gradison McDonald and KeyBank. This program is hosted with the
Greater Cincinnati Jaycees.
• BAD DATES: Wednesday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m.
In Bad Dates, restaurant manager and shoe connoisseur Haley Walker
is re-entering the world of dating, suffering from one dreadful date after
another in this hilarious one-woman comedy. After the show, Stage Left participants — single
or couples alike — will enjoy a post-show discussion at Crowley’s
about the unique challenges of character development associated with a show
in which one actor has to command the stage alone for the entire performance.
• STEVE MARTIN’S THE UNDERPANTS: Sunday, April
3 at 6:30 p.m.
Comedian and playwright Steve Martin’s sidesplitting adaptation of Carl
Sternheim’s classic German comedy was a hit off-Broadway. It all begins
with a mild-mannered housewife who becomes an instant celebrity when her unruly
pantaloons accidentally fall down as she watches a parade. After the show,
Stage Left participants will join Costume Shop Manager Gordon DeVinney for
a behind-the-scenes look at costume design and construction at the Playhouse.
This event is hosted with Cincy Update.
• CROWNS: Wednesday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Crowns is a joyous celebration of black women and their church hats:
wide-brimmed, pillbox, fussy, furry and feathery alike. Adapted from the best-selling
book of the same title, the play features stories of family and faith, love
and loss and finding one’s true identity, told through compelling oral
histories, glorious gospel music and a generous dose of “hattitude.” For Crowns,
the Playhouse is collaborating with the Cincinnati Art Museum, which is bringing
in an exhibit of actual photographs from the book. Before the show, Stage Left
participants will tour this exhibit and enjoy featured specials in the Museum’s
Terrace Café. This event is hosted with the Cincinnati Chapter of the
National Black MBA Association.
• THE LAST FIVE YEARS: Wednesday, May 25
at 6:30 p.m.
This charming and bittersweet musical by a Tony Award-winning composer proves
there really are two sides to every love story. Jamie is a writer enjoying
his first taste of success. Cathy is an actress struggling to make it. Over
the span of five years, they fall in love and fall apart. As he tells their
story from the beginning, she recounts it in reverse, revealing how together
they lived, loved and lost their way. Stage Left participants will see the
show, and then head up to the Blind Lemon for a post-performance discussion
about contemporary musical theater, and the difference between executing music
for a big-scale production versus a more intimate two-person show like The
Last Five Years. This event is hosted with Enjoy the Arts/START and Cincinnati
Tomorrow.
Tickets for each Stage Left event are on sale now individually
or as a series package. Individual events are $25 each ($20 for Enjoy
the Arts/START members). Tickets for the entire series can be purchased
for the discounted price of $120 when paid in advance. For more information
or to purchase tickets, contact the Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888
or toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208. Call 513/345-2248
for TDD accessibility. Information also is available on the Playhouse
web site at www.cincyplay.com.
Artists fly to and from Cincinnati on Delta Connection Comair, the Playhouse’s
official airline.
The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity
of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the
Fine Arts Fund.
The Ohio Arts Council also helps fund the Playhouse with
state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence
and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
The Playhouse also receives funding from the City of Cincinnati.
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