Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati to Present Regional Premiere of Comedy FORTUNE

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is kicking off the new year with the mystifying regional premiere comedy Fortune by Deborah Zoe Laufer, coming to the stage January 18-February 15, 2020. Sure to spark warmth this winter, this quirky comedy is about finding love, whether it's in the cards or not. The Ithaca Times calls this play "charming and off-beat...the laughter is constant and the romance is sweet in this fine concoction." Directed by Brian Robertson. Production Sponsor is John Goering.

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Maude, aka Madame Rosa, is not your average fortune teller. A true clairvoyant with a bluntness that won't quit, she often scares her customers away with the truth of what their futures hold. However, when love-hungry accountant Jeremy stumbles into her parlor with death in his imminent future, Maude tells a little white lie triggering supernatural consequences and changing both their destinies. In hilarious rom-com style, Fortune sweetly affirms the benefits of the unpredictability of life.

"We chose this play to start the New Year off with a lot of hope and joy. Fortune captures the idea that you think you know what's coming your way, but you never do," says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. "It demonstrates that life is a great adventure, and unexpected romance brings highs and lows. This play follows the journey of two people who start out with a great deal of pessimism but work towards hope, which is what I wish we all find in 2020."

About the Cast

Kelly Mengelkoch (Maude) returns to Ensemble Theatre where she has also been seen in Tribes, The Other Place, This Random World, and Red Velvet. She is an Associate Artist at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and has also appeared at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati, New Stage Collective, The Human Race Theatre Company, Xavier University Theatre, and, most recently, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her film credits include Dark Waters,
The Old Man and the Gun, A Kind of Murder, Perception, Over-the-Rhine, and CSA: The Confederate States of America.

Jeremy Dubin (Jeremy) returns to the Ensemble Theatre stage after his last appearance in Lolita Chakrabarti's Red Velvet. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jeremy has called Cincinnati home for the past twenty years. He is the Director of Creative Education and a longtime ensemble member with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, where he works as an actor, director, educator, and other miscellaneous roles.

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer), Amanda McGee (Costume Designer), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Julia Guichard (Dialect Coach), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager), and Jack Murphy (Technical Director). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

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

Tickets start at $40 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 only applies to adult 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.