Fall means a new season of music, theatre, dance, and art exhibitions to explore.  As part of our Fall Arts Preview, ArtsWave spoke with local artistic directors about their programming for the coming year.  This week, we connected with Lynn Meyers, Producing Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Which performance are you most excited for this fall?   Why?

I am very excited about Luna Gale, its a remarkably honest look at our society and the value we need to place on the lives of our children. Rebecca Gilman is the playwright and she is fiercely honest. The cast we have is stellar and the subject matter is both provocative and compelling. ETC always examines the state of our world on our stage and this show is a true example of ETC at its best. Luna Gale tells a story which needs to be told in a unique and personal way.

Which performance do you think will be a hot ticket?

I think Cincinnati will rush to see Buyer and Cellar! It's a delightful and unexpected comedy featuring Nick Cearley who is a terrific performer. It's a completely different story line than anything you have ever seen before. We are doing a season about "coming of age" since it is our 30th anniversary and this little show will have a big impact on our audience.  

Can you offer any interesting insight about the upcoming fall season?

Show onstage were chosen to exemplify our mission of producing new work with a social conscience and as we enter this anniversary season that mission is center stage. Our fall offerings will lead the way for three more great shows to follow after the first of the year including the regional premiere of Grounded. With drones in the news daily, this story looks at the humanity won and lost as we fight unseen enemies, within ourselves and our nation.
 

Is your organization trying anything new this fall?

We have a great new program called Caffeinated Conversations that will open our doors to anyone in the community to join us for in-depth looks at our operation from the page to the stage and everything in between. It's an exciting new way to be part of our ensemble. We are also extending our Education Programming to embrace more children with special needs including those with autism. While we have worked in this area before, a new program with Children's Hospital will extend our reach into this underserved community. And we are planning an amazing anniversary celebration this season and the continuation of our renovation plans for our facility.


Cinderella at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Photo Credit: Sandy Underwood