Cincinnati Playhouse to Stage Terrence McNally's MOTHERS AND SONS

Terrence McNally's acclaimed play MOTHERS AND SONS, nominated for Tony and Drama League awards in 2014, explores change, reconciliation and what it means to be a family. MOTHERS AND SONS will run in the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre March 18 through April 17.

Katharine Gerard is stuck in a past that existed only in her expectations. She suffered the untimely loss of her 29-year-old son Andre to the AIDS epidemic that ravaged a generation of gay men, a loss that also devastated Andre's partner Cal.

Fast forward two decades: Katharine, recently widowed, shows up unannounced at Cal's New York apartment with her prejudices intact. Cal is now a husband (to Will, a younger man with only secondhand knowledge of the AIDS crisis) and a father (to a young son, Bud). His current life would have been practically unimaginable in the era in which Cal and Andre lived and loved. Katharine and Cal circle each other with both the shared pathos of their past and the realization of how much has changed for a generation of gay men facing a future they - and society - never imagined.

"Terrence McNally is one of the most celebrated and distinguished dramatists in the country. Any time he writes a new play, it is a significant theatrical event," says Playhouse Artistic Director Blake Robison of the inclusion of MOTHERS AND SONS in the 2015-16 season. "I'm thrilled to bring his most recent work to our audiences. Each season, we program plays that celebrate the diversity and complexity of American life, and the extended family in this play - including a same-sex couple - is one that we don't see on stage that often."
While MOTHERS AND SONS has been called "a moving reflection on a changed America," director and Playhouse Associate Artist Timothy Douglas notes that "there remains a sizable segment of the population of parents of adult gay children who still believe that same-sex unions are against what Nature (God and religion) intended. Such powerful convictions all too often erode the powerful bond that exists between parent and child to the point of impasse, which in turn can render authentic, loving interaction nearly impossible. This play gives clarity and voice to the compelling points of view on both sides of impasse, but does so with unflinching directness and emotional rawness, while always rooted in humanity."

McNally, who was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1996, has authored 20 Broadway productions over the course of 50 years. He is a four-time Tony Award winner, for Kiss of the Spider Woman (best book of a musical, 1993), Love! Valour! Compassion! (best play, 1995), Master Class (best play, 1996) and Ragtime (best book of a musical, 1998).

The cast for MOTHERS AND SONS includes Stephanie Berry as Katharine Gerard, Ben Cherry as Will Ogden, Alvin Keith as Cal Porter and Austin Vaughan as Bud Ogden-Porter. The creative team for MOTHERS AND SONS, in addition to Douglas, includes set designer Junghyun Georgia Lee, costume designer Gordon DeVinney, lighting designer Michelle Habeck and sound designer Matthew M. Nielson. Brooke Redler is the stage manager.

MOTHERS AND SONS is sponsored by David C. Herriman and Atkins & Pearce, Inc. The production honors the support of Lee Meyer.

The Playhouse will host its second annual Playhouse Pride event on March 18, a celebratory evening with the LGBTQ community centering around a performance of MOTHERS AND SONS. The performance will be bookended by a pre-show cocktail party with fine fare by Jeff Thomas Catering and a post-show reception featuring live music by Cincinnati's red hot jazz band Young Lions.

The Playhouse Pride event recognizes those who have worked on behalf of the LGBTQ community to advocate for equity and acceptance of all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. This season's partner, GLSEN - the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network - will receive a portion of the proceeds raised by the Playhouse Pride event, which is sponsored by David C. Herriman and Atkins & Pearce, Inc. For information, contact the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888.

Ticket prices for MOTHERS AND SONS start at $35. Prices are subject to change, and patrons are encouraged to buy early for the best seats at the best prices. The show is appropriate for adult and older teenage audiences.

Continuing this season is the popular Sunday College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances priced at just $10 with a valid student ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances. Discounted ticket prices for teens and students are available in advance for $30.

Previews for MOTHERS AND SONS are at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19; 7 p.m. Sunday, March 20; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23. The official opening night is Thursday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays.
Free Meet the Artists programs that allow audiences to interact with the cast and others associated with the production will be held after the following performances: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 27;

2 p.m. Sunday, April 3; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14.

The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.

Tickets to MOTHERS AND SONS are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.