It begins with a light, a sliver, a flash. Then comes a sound, a pulse, a beat, a crash — like a giant hammer smashing through the sky. This is the mythical story of Boom, the son of Thunder, who sets out to discover his true self in The Last Firefly.
Playhouse Artistic Director Blake Robison took a few minutes before heading into rehearsals for Shakespeare in Love to discuss the fun of journeying back in time to Elizabethan London and of exploring the magic of first love.
Written by Dayton-native playwright Daniel Beaty, Mr. Joy is a thoughtful drama that weaves together the personal narratives of nine different characters who unravel the mystery of Mr. Joy’s disappearance.
Throughout the course of his writing, William Shakespeare invented more than 1,700 words by either devising new ones or re-tooling existing words to fit his script. He also coined (or popularized) more than 100 phrases that we still use today.
Though he never meanders far from the spotlight, William Shakespeare is, as they say, having a moment. This summer, he made national headlines thanks to a production that proved once again how his play’s timeless themes can be reimagined in very timely ways. And, in even more boisterous fashion, the Bard debuted as a punk rock 20-something in cable television’s Will, a fictionalized account of the author’s early, largely undocumented, years in London.
In 1963, suburban housewives rushed out of their homes to purchase what would quickly become one of the most subversive books of the decade: "The Feminine Mystique," written by feminist author and activist Betty Friedan.
It’s likely no surprise that theatre fans are often avid readers. A good story is a good story, after all. This year some of the best stories in the Playhouse season — from A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY and JANE EYRE to ERMA BOMBECK: AT WIT'S END — were all inspired by great books.
In 1992, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park introduced the Play Team program, which was designed to give deeper insight into the theatre’s development of its own productions. Play Team members could peek behind the curtain for an exclusive look at the process of taking a story from the script to the stage.
Michael Evan Haney discusses the nuances of directing the Playhouse’s holiday production of A Christmas Carol each season.
Bruce Cromer, who returns for his 12th season as Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday season, took a moment before starting rehearsals to reflect on what he enjoys most about the Playhouse production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
