Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents ST. NICHOLAS, 10/12

Just in time for Halloween, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents a spine-chilling, two-week-only performance of St. Nicholas by Conor McPherson. Starring renowned regional actor Bruce Cromer, this amusingly gothic ghost story winds its way through the fog of memory towards a supernatural and suspenseful conclusion. Playing October 12-27. Directed by Brian Robertson. Production Sponsor is LPK.

A jaded theatre critic spins a tale beginning with obsession and ending with a descent into a macabre world of vampires. Is it all a drunken lie? A tantalizing fairy tale? Or is it his own version of a higher truth? Bruce Cromer sinks his teeth into this hauntingly funny one-man play that is storytelling at its spooky best.

"Conor McPherson's [writing] is a joy to experience. I think his take on the idea of encountering vampires is more broad-reaching than the typical jump-scare," says Director Brian Robertson. "[St. Nicholas] reminds us of the power of simple storytelling-that one individual spinning a tale can encompass us on so many levels: our senses, our own imagination, our emotional state. It's something not to miss."

Bruce Cromer (Man) has been a member of Actors' Equity Association since 1981, performing in over 170 professional stage productions at organizations such as Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and Milwaukee Repertory. He has been seen at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati in the one-man shows An Iliad and Underneath the Lintel, as well as the productions The Legend of Georgia McBride, Next Fall, and Blue/Orange, among others. He was one of the original resident artists at the Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton, Ohio. A busy voice-over artist for ThinkTV, he has also done one-man shows with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Cromer is a Certified Teacher of Stage Combat with the Society of American Fight Directors, and has been a Professor in the BFA Professional Actor Training Program at Wright State University since 1987.

Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket prices start at $35 for adults; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day's performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount does not apply to children's tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.