Jane Austen's EMMA Comes to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its season with Jane Austen's "Emma" by Jon Jory. This production is directed by Kelly Mengelkoch. This production features Cincinnati Shakespeare's Resident Ensemble members including Courtney Lucien and Jeremy Dubin. Sponsors for this productions are LPK and Graydon Head.

Jane Austen's sparkling wit returns to CSC's stage. Amateur matchmaker Emma Wodehouse has a penchant for meddling in the love lives of others. Her latest mission is to find a promising prospect for her less than promising friend Harriet. But when her efforts to play cupid go awry, Emma finds herself struggling to undo the damage. Audiences clamored for CSC's past productions of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility" breaking all box office records and demanding extended performances. "Emma" has already been scheduled for an additional full week of performances to meet the increasing demand as Austen's trademark storytelling returns to the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company stage in "Emma".

12 Year CSC Resident Ensemble Member, Kelly Mengelkoch makes her mainstage directorial debut with "Emma" having previously directed CSC's touring production of "Julius Caesar". Kelly says that "this play is a celebration of love (romantic and otherwise), friendship, and kindness. It is also one of Austen's cheeky commentaries of love, friendship, and 'kindness'." She is thrilled to bring this story to life saying, "I love Jane Austen. I love romance. I love period pieces. I love this world of society and manners and style. I love how the rules of propriety result in delicious underlying tensions and intrigues- be they romantic or competitive."

2nd Year CSC Resident Ensemble Member, Courtney Lucien is featured as Emma. Her CSC credits include her critically acclaimed performance as Amy March in last season's "Little Women" and as Pauline in "One Man, Two Guvnors." Courtney said that "the character of Emma is incredibly flawed - arguably the most flawed of all of Jane Austen's heroines. Needless to say, when I was approached for this role, I was scared out of my wits. But as with Amy March (in "Little Women") last year at CSC, I was more than willing to accept the challenge of falling in love with a complex and often highly disliked character!" In addition to her work on the Cincinnati Shakespeare Touring Company, she has also appeared as Biondello in "The Taming of the Shrew", and Boy in "Henry V" at CSC. Courtney has also worked with Cardinal Stage Company, Jewish Theatre of Bloomington, and Shakespeare Dallas. She holds a BA in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University.

This production of Jane Austen's "Emma" has been adapted by Jon Jory. As the Producing Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Jon Jory directed over 125 plays and produced over 1,000 during his 32-year tenure. He conceived the internationally lauded Humana Festival of New American Plays, the SHORTS Festival, and the Brown-Forman Classics-in-Context Festival. He was also the Artistic Founding Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, and he has been inducted in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame. Mr. Jory has directed professionally in nine nations, and in the United States has directed productions at many regional theatres including Washington's Arena Stage, San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, Hartford Stage, the McCarter in Princeton, Guthrie Theatre, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has received the National Theatre Conference Award and ATA Distinguished Career Award. For his commitment to new plays, he has received the Margo Jones Award twice, the Shubert Foundation's James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, Carnegie Mellon's Commitment to Playwriting Award, and the Special Tony Award for Achievement in Regional Theatre. He currently teaches acting and directing at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.

Performances of "Emma" are scheduled from February 26- March 26, 2016 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm as well as on Saturday Mar. 26 at 2pm. There is no performance on Sunday Feb 28. Preview performances are on Wednesday Feb. 24 and Thursday Feb. 25 at 7:30pm and tickets are $25.

The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center. Single ticket prices range from $22-$35 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$39 on Fridays and Saturdays. Previews are $25. If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID. This production is a part of this season's subscription package. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees may apply. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as AAA members. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.

Images and interviews available upon request.

About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages. Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season. The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors' Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 34,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street. In 2014, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to "Complete the Canon" by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati's stage for the classics!

About the 2015-2016 Season:

This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The season design sponsor is Mark & Sue Ann Painter. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.