Cincinnati Shakespeare to Announce Debut Season at the The Otto M. Budig Theater on Feb. 1

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) continues to reach important milestones as it prepares for its move into The Otto M. Budig Theater. This next celebration in a series of Milestone Events will be an event to reveal the titles of the shows that will be produced in 2017-2018 for the debut season at The Otto M. Budig Theater. All contributors to the Making History Unexpected Capital Campaign and Press are invited, and the event is open to the public.

There will be a hard hat tour and a "Guess the Titles" game for those that want to see the progress of the theater and try to predict the shows CSC will produce in their brand new space. At each stop on the tour participants will receive clues about the shows and can try to guess the titles and the lineup of the season. Guests who participate in the game will be entered into a drawing to win door prizes including a pair of tickets for an invitation-only preview of the first show in the new theater. The celebration will continue across the street at the Transept with a cocktail party and the official season reveal of titles by Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips.

The hard hat tour and "Guess the Titles" game begins at 6:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased with a donation of $15 per person, and include a reservation to the cocktail party. For those who just wish to attend the cocktail party and titles release, the Transept will be open at 6:30 PM. Brian Isaac Phillips will announce the titles and line up of all the shows starting around 7:15PM. The event at the Transept is complimentary, although reservations are required.

In November 2015, CSC announced a $17 million capital campaign titled "Making History Unexpected" to construct a new theatre at 12th and Elm Streets, in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. The new facility will incorporate space for modern theatrical technology, increased seating capacity and lobby, expanded education and community outreach opportunities, as well as on-site production areas and administrative offices. The theatre will also become the "finale" of a planned "Classical Arts Corridor" connecting Music Hall, Memorial Hall, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and Washington Park.

The project is on schedule and on budget to begin operations this summer and for the first production's opening on September 8, 2017.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages. Currently located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season. In the summer of 2017, the theater will relocate to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. CSC's 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 over 50,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions. In 2015, 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!

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 Ohio Arts Council helped fund this 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.