CINCINNATI: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has announced its 2016–17 season, its final one in its current location. The lineup includes The Diary of Anne Frank, A Raisin in the Sun, and the conclusion to Cincinnati Shakespeare’s four-year Shakespeare history cycle project with Henry VI and Richard III.
“We have big things planned and a special move to make in the near future,” said producing artistic director Brian Isaac Phillips in a statement. “But before we go, we have one last season here on Race Street. We will present a slate of titles that are as nostalgic as they are timeless and represent the next phase of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. This is the perfect chance to join us this season as we bid a fond farewell to Race Street, because this goodbye is only the beginning.”
Opening the season will be The Diary of Anne Frank, adapted by Wendy Kesselman from Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s play (Sept. 9–Oct 1).
Following will be The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance (Oct. 14–Nov. 5), which retells the true story of Joseph Merrick, who overcame severe deformity to become a celebrity in his day.
Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing will be next (Nov. 18–Dec. 10).
In the new year, Cincinnati Shakespeare will present two of Shakespeare’s history plays: Henry VI (Jan. 20–Feb. 11, 2017) and Richard III (Feb. 17–March 11, 2017). Since 2013, Cincinnati Shakespeare has committed to presenting the entirety of Shakespeare’s history cycle in order.
Following that will be Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (March 24–April 15, 2017), about a black working-class family in 1950s Chicago.
The season will close with Shakespeare’s The Tempest (April 28–May 20, 2017).
In addition to its subscription season, the theatre is also offering two special events. First up is All the Great Books (Abridged) by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor (July 22–Aug. 13), in which three actors cover 90 notable novels in 90 minutes. Then for the holidays, the theatre will present is annual production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!), a revue of holiday classics in 90 minutes.
Founded in 1993, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents Shakespeare and the classics. The 2016–17 season will be the final season at its current Race Street location before the company moves to the Otto M. Budig Theater beginning 2017–18.
