I laughed myself silly this weekend at the wonderful SPEECH AND DEBATE and ALL NEW PEOPLE (which is running through the end of the month) and also made the trip to see MAME at Human Race Theatre yesterday. This week is a little less busy with openings but there are three diverse theatrical choices to help you get your theatre fix!
First, tonight is the debut of a brand new theatre company called QUEEN CITY QUEER COLLECTIVE. They will produce a reading of THE BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES at Below Zero Lounge in Over the Rhine on Walnut Street. (They own that parking lot next to Know Theatre; the bar is behind the Know across the street). Here’s a synopsis of the play from the press release:
“Set in pre-Stonewall Greenwich Village, THE BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES follows the lives and loves of Laura, Beth and Beebo as they navigate uncharted territories of desire. Beth and Laura, secret lovers in college, went separate ways after graduation: Beth married and had children; Laura moved to New York. Both pine for each other, but before they can reunite, they find themselves entangled in the web of Beebo Brinker, a butch denizen of the bars with a soft spot for young lesbians fresh off the bus. Adapted from the 1950’s and 1960’s lesbian pulp novels by Ann Bannon, the play celebrates the era when “the love that dares not speak its name” began breaking the old rules.”
The reading features area favorites Darnell Pierre Benjamin, Jon Kovach, as well as Erin McCamley, Linnea Bond, Alexa Glaser, and Mia Vera. The show is directed by Lindsay Augusta Mercer, who just concluded THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED with New Edgecliff Theatre. Admission is free. Why not check it out?
Then on Tuesday night, there will be a reading of NOT OUR TOWN by David Greenberg, the latest from the Cincinnati Playwright’s Initiative. I’ve been to two of these readings lately and I appreciate what they’re trying to do even if the plays have been mediocre at best.
This particular reading tonight is apparently some sort of dystopian take on the classic “Our Town.” It might be good? Ticket are only $8 and the show will be produced in the Fifth Third Bank Theatre in the Aronoff Center for the Arts. It begins at 7:30 PM. I’d be interested to hear how this goes if anyone is able to attend.
Tickets and info can be found here.
I’ll be at the Aronoff on Tuesday night but I’ll be seeing opening night of ONCE, the latest Broadway Across America production. The winner of eight Tony Awards, this lovely piece of theatre runs November 11th – 23rd. It’s based on a movie (also called “Once“) and tells the story of an Irish busker and a Czech immigrant and how they form a relationship over their love of music. From my podcast earlier this year, we learned that there will be a working bar on stage that patrons may access before the show and at intermission. Also, most if not all of the performers play their own instruments! I am so excited about this new musical coming to town and can’t wait to see it.
Tickets start at $29 and go up from there. More information can be found here and here.
Don’t forget that there are still other shows running in the area including ALL NEW PEOPLE, DRIVING MISS DAISY, SAFE HOUSE, INTO THE WOODS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, and MAME. Click here for a complete listing on Rob Bucher’s amazingly comprehensive web site.
Of the lot, I’d recommend ALL NEW PEOPLE followed by DRIVING MISS DAISY as my favorites. What are you going to go see this week?
PS Look for a feature interview with Michael McCrary from MAME on the blog tomorrow morning!
The Sappy Critic 