The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is a regional theatre in the United States. It was founded in 1959 by college student Gerald Covell and was one of the first regional theatres in the United States. Located in
Eden Park
Eden Park is a sports venue in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located three kilometres southwest of the Auckland CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and Kingsland. The main stadium has a nominal capacity of 50,000, and is s ...
, the first play that premiered at the Playhouse on October 10, 1960, was Meyer Levin's ''Compulsion''.
The Playhouse has gained a regional and national reputation for bringing prominent plays to Cincinnati and for hosting national premieres such as
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
' ''The Notebook of Trigorin'' in 1996
and world premieres such as the Pulitzer Prize-nominated ''
Coyote on a Fence'' in 1998
and ''Ace'' in 2006.
The Playhouse facility comprises two theatres, the larger Robert S. Marx Theatre and the smaller Shelterhouse. The Playhouse is among the members of the League of Resident Theatres. In addition to a full ten-month season of plays, the Playhouse also offers acting classes and programs for children.
In 1973-1975, the Playhouse was the first professional regional theatre to be led by
Harold Scott, an early leader of the regional theatre movement.
Scott was followed by
Michael Murray, who was artistic director at the Playhouse until 1985.
The Cincinnati Playhouse was under the leadership of Edward Stern (Producing Artistic Director) and Buzz Ward (Executive Director) between 1992 and 2012. Ward had come to the Playhouse from Yale University, where he had led the Yale Repertory Theatre in the late 1980s. In 2012, Blake Robison became artistic director and Buzz Ward was promoted to managing director.
In the summer of 2021, Ward retired.
Awards
In 2004, the Playhouse received a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Regional Theatre. In 2007, the Playhouse received a second Tony Award for their revival of
Company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
, which won Best Revival of a Musical.
The production was directed by
John Doyle and also won Drama Desk, Outer Critic's Circle and Drama League Awards for Best Revival of a Musical.
References
External links
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park official website*
A 360 degree interactive virtual tour of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
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1959 establishments in Ohio
Eden Park (Cincinnati)
League of Resident Theatres
Mount Adams, Cincinnati
Regional theatre in the United States
Theatres in Cincinnati
Theatre companies in Cincinnati
Tony Award winners
Tourist attractions in Cincinnati