Considering Know Theatre of Cincinnati's 10-year track record of bold moves and departures, their doubleheader staging of Tony Kushner's 'Angels in America: Millennium Approaches' and 'Angels in America: Perestroika' should come as no surprise. Nor should it come as any surprise that Know would offer theater addicts — yes, I confess to being among them — several opportunities to immerse in the entire six-plus hours of both 'Angels' on a single day.  

Jersey Productions' summer season has kicked off with a production that avoids cliches and plays to the strengths of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show that actually established a new way to tell stories, using songs and dancing to advance the plot. Director Jason Bruffy has given this spirited 'Oklahoma!' a straightforward momentum, and Liz Vosmeier has reproduced Agnes de Mille's iconic choreography that was an essential attraction of the original hit.  

Elsewhere on this site, you can read my review of Jersey Productions' 'Oklahoma!', which represents more than the opening of Jersey's fourth season. It's part of an innovative arrangement with Know Theatre. The two companies are moving forward with complimentary programs and strengthening one another at the same time. That's good news for everyone who cares about live theater in Greater Cincinnati.  

Sarah Ruhl's script and Know's production, inventively and fluidly directed by Jason Bruffy, make this telling of the sad tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, with its roots in ancient Greece, more profound. It's not merely about the loss of a passionate love: 'Eurydice' becomes an exploration of the many forms of love and connection, especially between a father and a daughter.   

The neighborhood's professional theater companies (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Know Theatre of Cincinnati and New Stage Collective) had a thrilling year artistically in 2008. They offered shows that spoke to issues of the day, and they brought tens of thousands of visitors to Over-the-Rhine, most of them the young professional types city leaders seem to covet. For their track record of serving Over-the-Rhine, their dedication to thought-provoking artistic work and their perseverance in face of economic difficulties and general apathy from the powers-that-be, CityBeat names Know's Jason Bruffy, New Stage's Alan Patrick Kenny of Collective and ETC's Lynn Meyers our 2008 Persons of the Year.  

All the world's a stage, a famous writer once said, and we're simply players on it. We have our exits and entrances, taking on many roles throughout our lives. The stage we play on today is Over-the-Rhine, the oldest, most abused and most misunderstood neighborhood in Greater Cincinnati. A cast of thousands awaits.  

If you don't know the Jane Austen novel 'Pride and Prejudice,' fear not: You've heard this story befor — breakups, rebounds and opposites attracting. Meticulous greeting-card writer Austin (Fang Du) and his slovenly but good-natured brother Jeff (Daniel S. Hines) share an apartment. When Austins long-term girlfriend cuts him loose, Jeff crassly advises testing the waters.