There will soon be a fresh face at the Playhouse in the Park as the theater has appointed a new managing director.
Abby Marcus — currently the managing director of the Orchard Project “performance laboratory” in Saratoga Springs, New York — will be taking over for Buzz Ward when he retires in July. Ward will become Managing Director Emeritus as of July 1.
Ward joined the Playhouse in 1992, “making him the longest serving executive in its history having managed it for nearly half of its 61 years,” says the theater. During his tenure, the Playhouse won two Tony Awards — one in 2004 for Best Regional Theatre and one in 2007 for Best Revival of a Musical for a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company.
Marcus and Ward will work together during the transition.
In addition to previous leadership roles, Marcus brings with her experience as the finance director of St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, during which time she oversaw that performing arts center’s $32 million expansion. She is also the creative producer of New York’s Vampire Cowboys theater company.
“Abby is the next generation of arts leadership — creative, innovative and inclusive,” says Blake Robison, Playhouse artistic director, in a release. “Her financial acumen and strategic thinking will help lead us into a new era as we emerge from the pandemic and expand our work with all parts of the greater Cincinnati community. I am excited to welcome Abby and look forward to partnering with her.”
Marcus will help shepherd the Playhouse through its own expansion as the theater builds its new $49.5 million complex.
The current Marx Theatre mainstage will be replaced with the “Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre,” named for benefactors Jack and Moe Rouse. The Playhouse complex, which will include the Rouse Theatre, is expected to open in late 2022. It will include new dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, green rooms, a costume shop and backstage areas. The theater will incorporate state-of-the-art technology and enhance the audience experience with better comfort, sightlines, acoustics and entry and exit spaces.
The Playhouse’s smaller stage was renamed the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre in honor of another generous gift and will also undergo renovations. It is the original structure — a onetime park shelterhouse — that first housed Playhouse productions in the 1960s. The new theater will include seats with more legroom and improved accessibility.
“I am thrilled to join the Playhouse and to support Blake, the Board, and the staff of this nationally regarded institution as we bring live performances back to the community and create a beautiful new home for the future,” Marcus says in the release. “It is not every day that one has the opportunity to engage with an organization that has been so well-managed for so many years. Together, we will build on the Playhouse’s many successes and continue to grow in the years to come.”
At the start of this month, the Playhouse announced plans for several upcoming performances, including two socially distant productions inside the Marx Theatre.
From April 3-May 2, the theater will produce Higher and Higher: A Rock ‘n Soul Part with Chester Gregory. Gregory has a Broadway track record (Motown: The Musical,Hairspray, Dream Girls and The Jackie Wilson Storyin which he played the iconic singer) and his Cincinnati performances will include music by Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, James Brown and more. Tickets: $39 and $54.
Then on May 26 and 27, the Playhouse will stage The Skivvies: Live and Literally In-Person! Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley are back in town with their zany act featuring “stripped-down” arrangements of eclectic covers and eccentric originals. Wearing nothing but fancy underwear, the pair has entertained local audiences in appearances at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, the Ludlow Garage and Hamilton’s Fitton Center. (They appeared together in the Playhouse’s 2019 production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Cearley was Seymour in the 2017 production of Little Shop of Horrors.) Tickets: $39 and $54.
For more info about the transition, upcoming performances and tickets, visit cincyplay.com.
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2021.
