Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati will be presenting the regional premiere of Mauritiu$ by Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck while USITT is holding its Annual Conference & Stage Expo.

Illustration/Courtesy ETC

Kathie Brookfield
Cincinnati Promotions

Cincinnati has a plethora of performing arts organizations. Several will be in production during the week of the 2009 USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Anyone interested in attending any of these performances may find performance dates and ticketing information in several ways.

A list of member groups’ performance schedules, including ticketing information, links to maps, and directions, can be found at www.cinstages.com or by going directly to the website of a particular theatre or performance group.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, located at 719 Race Street, will be in its final week of performance of Timon of Athens. The first professional production in Cincinnati of Bent performs at the New Stage Collective at 1140 Main Street. Of special note is Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati’s production of Mauriticu$ by Pulitzer Prize-nominated Theresa Rebeck, a Cincinnati native. This play, part of the Premiere Series, opens March 18.

The Know Theatre, a group that has been hit by the economic downturn, has revamped its performance schedule and will perform Eurydice March 7 to 28 in their theatre space located at 1120 Jackson Street, about a 15 minute walk from the convention center. The Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative presents one performance only of two, one-acts, Redshoes/White Shoes by Roger Brookfield and The Long Way Home by Roger Collins, for the New Voices Series of play readings at the Aronoff Center’s Fifth Third Theatre (corner of Main and 7th Street) Tuesday March 17 at 7:30 p.m. These readings are followed by question and answer sessions with the playwrights giving them the opportunity to take away feedback to help them develop their work to the next level.

These four theatres are within a 15- to 20-minute walk from the Duke Energy Conference Center. The Tony Award-winning Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will show The Foreigner in the Robert S. Marx Theatre. The area’s oldest community theatre company, Wyoming Players, will present its production of Home or Future Soap at the Monmouth Theatre, 636 Monmouth St., Newport, Kentucky. This performance space is located next to The Costume Gallery.

Enjoy dance? Check out the Contemporary Dance Theatre for information on Gesel Mason Dance Projects, No Boundaries: Dancing the Visions of Contemporary Black Choreographers, performing March 20 and 21. The Cincinnati Ballet will host a Ballet & Beer event on Thursday, March 19. This event, described as “a fun and informal occasion to explore behind-the-scenes and share drinks with friends and artists,” showcases Sinatra Suite + More which opens March 27. The program includes the work of choreographer Twyla Tharp in Sinatra Suite, George Balanchine in Tarantella, and world premieres from Devon Carney and Alexander Schneider, who brings his dynamic “polyrhythmic” ideas in dance and computerized lighting effects to the Aronoff stage. Reservations are recommended.

For information about the diverse music scene in Cincinnati, those interested can explore by events, genre, and location by clicking on cincinnati.metromix.com/music. Click on Historic Landmark under the “Features” category for a look at great music in historic architectural settings. Be sure to check for performance times. Some begin at 7:30 p.m. on week nights. Most theatres will have student discount ticket prices with proof of school identification.

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