BY RICK PENDER

Usually when someone makes me a liar, I bear a grudge. But I'm making an exception for NICHOLAS KORN, artistic director of STAGE FIRST CINCINNATI. Back in June I wrote that he'd reached the end of the road for his company, deciding to pull the plug after four seasons. Korn's last year was an excess of belt-tightening and nail-biting over making ends meet while producing classical works and scripts of his own devising on classical themes, such as his Alexander the Great. He was philosophical about the demise of his valiant effort, but prepared to see what might come next. Lo and behold, it's a fifth season. Korn called recently to tell me he unexpectedly located some financial backing, so he's quickly assembling a four-production schedule, returning to the Fifth Third Bank Theater at the Aronoff Center. He'll kick off this fall with Shakespeare's Richard II (Oct. 17-27). In 2003 he will produce Illuzio (or A Man's Best Servant Is Himself) (Feb. 6-16), a new musical work in the style of 15th-century Italian commedia dell'arte he's writing with composer Allen Lindsey. The balance of Stage First's season will be Ibsen's Peer Gynt (March 13-23) and Euripides' The Bacchae (May 15-25). The support came about suddenly, so Korn is in a hurry-up mode to cast Richard II: Auditions will be Aug. 17, noon to 3 p.m. at the Aronoff. Season subscriptions are available, too. Info: 859-446-9288. ...

Speaking of finding new funds: The University of Cincinnati's COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC (CCM) announced on Aug. 5 that it has received a gift of $3.8 million from the A.B., Dolly and Ralph Cohen Foundation (Mr. Cohen was the founder of U.S. Shoe Company, and Mrs. Dolly Cohen was a generous philanthropist who supported many causes in Cincinnati). Part of the gift ($2 million) will create an endowed chair in drama supporting both the leader of the department and programs such as scholarships, master classes and visits by guest artists. The balance of the gift will name CCM's flexible theatrical laboratory space (which can seat audiences up to 200) as the Cohen Family Studio Theater. Drama chair RICHARD HESS calls the gift the "single most important and far-reaching moment in the history of the drama program at CCM." He adds, "This gift is of such a magnitude that I can safely say CCM drama will never be the same again." CCM's two other noteworthy performance programs, opera and musical theater, both already benefit from endowed chairs. Since Hess took over direction of CCM's drama program there has been a steady increase in quality of the students and productions. This new funding ensures that his efforts can be taken to new levels, and that's good news for Cincinnati theater audiences. ...

Cincinnati's fall theater season begins in less than a month: On Sept. 4: ENSEMBLE THEATRE OF CINCINNATI (ETC) opens Anne Nelson's THE GUYS, a tale of a New York fire chief struggling to memorialize several of his firefighters. ETC is the only theater in America outside New York City granted rights to stage the show, but if you head to Edinburgh, Scotland, next week for the legendary Fringe Festival, you can see The Guys on Aug. 14-15, with Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon playing the chief and a writer helping him compose eulogies. ... It's that time of year when fringe festivals happen around the world. There are at least 35 festivals, where anyone who applies can present a production. That means some pretty amateurish shows make it onstage (and some that are bound to offend), but some very exciting stuff gets viewed, too. Now in its 56th year, Edinburgh is the granddaddy of them all -- last year there were 600 groups from 49 countries, presenting 1,462 shows at 175 venues. (www.edfringe.com) ...

Closer to home is the sixth annual NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL.Opening on Friday, it continues for 17 days, offering more than 180 shows at 20 venues, more than 1,000 performances in all. It's the largest fringe festival in North America, with companies from 11 countries and 12 states. There's a lot to wade through on the official Web site (www.fringenyc. org), but you can find helpful guidance from the New York Theatre Experience at www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/f_preview.htm. The festival showcases emerging experimental and Off-Off Broadway companies and shows: Two years ago a little company staged a show that received such a buzz it eventually landed on Broadway where it earned a 2002 Tony nomination for best musical: Urinetown. ...

If you live on the northern side of Cincinnati, you can head to Middletown on Wednesday for a sampler of the shows in the coming season by RISING PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY. For $25 you can have some great food and hear songs from Little Shop of Horrors (which opens Rising Phoenix's season on Sept. 12), Taking Christmas to the Troops and Songs for a New World. They'll also be giving tours of the Temple Arts Center, 4 North Main St., Middletown. Info: www.therisingphoenix.com or 513-705-4131. ...

It's another Phoenix altogether, this one in Indianapolis: THE PHOENIX THEATRE is presenting The Action Against Sol Schumann (running through Aug. 25) by JEFFREY SWEET. The play received a citation (and the playwright earned a $5,000 check) from the American Theatre Critics Association for its annual new play award competition, sponsored by the Steinberg Foundation. Sweet, a respected Chicago playwright whose works are regularly staged at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theatre, will be in Indianapolis to teach a few classes -- on playwriting (Saturday, 1-5 p.m., and Monday 6-10 p.m.) and on improv for actors (Sunday, noon-5 p.m.). There is a registration fee for each class. Info: 317-635-7529. ...

Congratulations to HENRY CEPLUCH who recently earned the 2002 Art Rouse Award from ACT of Greater Cincinnati. The award recognizes someone who has shown exceptional commitment and dedication to community theater. Cepluch has worked with the Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre since 1963, as well as performing professionally and semi-professionally. For the past four years he's been associated with the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton, where he heads the Arts in Common program and is artistic director for the Mad Anthony Theatre Company.

E-mail Rick Pender

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