Update — 7/16/2020
Due to the continued ban on mass gatherings and the complex challenges around performing during the pandemic, we are delaying the start of our 2020-21 season until December. “For safety, we are starting off with the smallest cast shows and building up from there through the spring.
The acting, sets, costumes and overall artistry will be at the same level that Playhouse audiences always enjoy,” says Artistic Director Blake Robison.
A Christmas Carol
Our revised 2020-21 season will open Dec. 1 with an imaginative, one-person adaptation of A Christmas Carol, directed by Blake Robison. Two actors will share the role and alternate performances
on the existing set, which audiences will recognize, with new lighting and costuming. The beloved version of the Playhouse’s annual holiday production will return in 2021 if it is safe to do a large-cast show by that time.
2020-21 Season
A seven-show season will follow A Christmas Carol, beginning in January. Newly added to the season is School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, a biting comedy that explores the universal challenges
of teenage girlhood and all the drama that comes with it. Four productions have been removed from the season. Explore the new lineup on our 2020-21 Season page.
Off the Grid
We are also planning both virtual and outdoor interactive theatrical experiences for late summer/early fall as part of our Off the Grid series and are working on virtual education and outreach programs for schools. Details
on these programs will be announced later. Virtual auditions are open now through July 21.
Update — 5/26/2020
Summer Camps Cancelled
On Friday, May 15, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued guidance and requirements for 2020 summer day camps. We have carefully reviewed the details and have decided to cancel all remaining Playhouse summer camps
at all locations. We’re heartbroken that we won’t get to experience a summer of play with your children this year. The health and well-being of our campers, staff and teaching artists is our top priority, and we feel this is the best course
of action for all involved.
Registrants can choose to do any of the following:
• Donate your camp value and receive a tax deduction
• Credit your camp value toward a future purchase with a gift certificate
• Refund your camp value
Thank you for being a superhero to your kids and families during this time.
We salute you and all that you do, and we are here to help make this change to your summer schedule as smooth as possible. Starting in July, we will be posting a FREE series of online summer camp sessions you can access at home on your own schedule. These videos will be full of the activities and games your child would have played at camp. We hope they will bring some creative family fun and enjoyment during the summer months, so stay tuned! You can also explore our new blog page and our Art at Home page, which includes resources like vintage coloring pages from A Christmas Carol, a free playwriting class for teens with playwright Lauren Gunderson, and The Kennedy Center's Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems series.
Season Changes
We are excited to announce that the 2020-21 season will now open with Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, and the humorous and uplifting Becoming Dr. Ruth, presented by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati! That means our trip to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz is going to be postponed for a future season. While we will miss going down the Yellow Brick Road this fall, we're incredibly excited for you to experience this highly anticipated murder mystery. Likewise, our previously scheduled production of the heartfelt and cathartic Tiny Beautiful Things will move later in the 2020-21 season and take the place of the world premiere play Rooted, which we look forward to producing in the future. Please note that performance dates are subject to change. Watch the video above to view the full announcement from Artistic Director Blake Robison. Above all, we hope you will come see these shows in the fall, so that we can share in the joy and connectivity of the arts when we open our doors again.
Ticket Holder Options
We know this announcement will bring up a lot of questions about current tickets, subscriptions and renewals. We are here to help in any way we can and are giving you all the possible options for how to proceed.
The best way you can help us continue to make great theatre is to use your current tickets to join us for the shows in the fall, or to donate your original tickets to these postponed shows. You can also choose to credit your tickets towards a future Playhouse performance or get a refund. Use the forms below to notify
us of your preferred option.
Box Office Timeline
Since our Box Office is currently limited and working remotely, it is taking us longer than usual to process the subscriptions that have been mailed to our offices. If you have sent your renewal to us via mail
and haven’t heard from us, know that we are working on it and will do our best to process your requests as soon as we can. If you have already renewed (thank you!), know that all options available can still apply to you. We are striving to process requests within 10 days. Thank you for your patience.
Update — 3/24/2020
Cancellations
In order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Destiny of Desire and Actually have been cancelled. Our first priority is to ensure the safety of our patrons, artists and staff. While it breaks
our heart not to share these stories and the work of our incredible artists with you, community health and well-being is of the utmost importance in this extraordinary time.
Ticket Holder Options
If you have a ticket to a cancelled performance, you can:
• Donate your ticket and receive a tax deduction for the total ticket value
• Credit your ticket value toward a future performance
• Credit your ticket value toward a 2020-21 subscription
• Refund your ticket price
Box Office Timeline
For the safety of our staff, the Box
Office is running with a limited crew or working remotely. You can
submit your ticket requests through the forms linked by show above. You
will receive a confirmation via email once your request has
been completed. If you’d like a call, please include that in the
request box at the bottom of the form, and a Patron Services staff
member will contact you within 10 days.
Education Programming
We’ve also decided to exercise caution and cancel all Off the Grid and Off the Hill performances, as well as acting classes for the remainder of the season — even though these performances are under the governor’s guideline. People with
tickets to these programs and performances have been contacted directly.
Virtual Programming
In light of recent events, we are excited to share a myriad of ways for you to experience art from home. Our production of Destiny of Desire was available to rent for $35 on Vimeo through April 11, and we have commissioned 10 local playwrights to write Monologues of Hope. These monologues will be performed by local actors, and shared on our Facebook and Instagram. We hope you'll explore these resources, and continue experiencing great art during this time.
Please check back for information and updates.