The Goat

Sandy Underwood Actress Zina Camblin writes plays, too. She's performing in one in Indianapolis.

It's a busy week of openings — NEW STAGE COLLECTIVE debuts in its new space on Main Street with Edward Albee's The Goat, ENSEMBLE THEATRE OF CINCINNATI (ETC) offers the final production of its 2006-07 season, Souvenir, and the CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK opens Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. The latter, which runs through May 25, ought to be a well-oiled machine by now: The production, directed by the Playhouse's Ed Stern, debuted at Actors Theatre of Louisville back in February, and it's been enjoyed by audiences at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in March and April. ETC's Souvenir is about Florence Foster Jenkins, a woman who thought she was a great singer and performed recitals at many venues, including Carnegie Hall, despite the fact she was unable to carry a tune. Cincinnati Playhouse's Michael Haney is directing; the production features Neva Rae Powers (she was seen at the Aronoff in the touring production of Little Women last June) in the unusual role. She's joined by Cincinnati pianist Scot Woolley, who plays Cosme McMoon, her longtime accompanist. Call for tickets at the Playhouse (513-421-3888) and ETC (513-421-3555).

If you enjoyed ETC's production of String of Pearls last fall, you'll be interested to know that actress ZINA CAMBLIN from that cast is also a playwright. Her script, And Her Hair Went With Her, is currently in production at Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, where it continues through May 13. It centers on two women who work in a hair salon and their customers; Camblin and Millicent Wright portray all the roles. It's about ambition and beauty.

It's a busy week of openings — NEW STAGE COLLECTIVE debuts in its new space on Main Street with Edward Albee's The Goat, ENSEMBLE THEATRE OF CINCINNATI (ETC) offers the final production of its 2006-07 season, Souvenir, and the CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK opens Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. The latter, which runs through May 25, ought to be a well-oiled machine by now: The production, directed by the Playhouse's Ed Stern, debuted at Actors Theatre of Louisville back in February, and it's been enjoyed by audiences at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in March and April. ETC's Souvenir is about Florence Foster Jenkins, a woman who thought she was a great singer and performed recitals at many venues, including Carnegie Hall, despite the fact she was unable to carry a tune. Cincinnati Playhouse's Michael Haney is directing; the production features Neva Rae Powers (she was seen at the Aronoff in the touring production of Little Women last June) in the unusual role. She's joined by Cincinnati pianist Scot Woolley, who plays Cosme McMoon, her longtime accompanist. Call for tickets at the Playhouse (513-421-3888) and ETC (513-421-3555). ...

If you enjoyed ETC's production of String of Pearls last fall, you'll be interested to know that actress ZINA CAMBLIN from that cast is also a playwright. Her script, And Her Hair Went With Her, is currently in production at Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, where it continues through May 13. It centers on two women who work in a hair salon and their customers; Camblin and Millicent Wright portray all the roles. It's about ambition and beauty. On the subject of Phoenix Theatre, it's worth noting that they have obtained the rights to stage the regional premiere of a recent New York hit, Douglas Carter Beane's The Little Dog Laughed (June 14-July 22). It's a contemporary comedy about being gay in Hollywood. Info: www.phoenixtheatre.org. ...

The Carnegie Center will see a second season from JERSEY PRODUCTIONS, offering three shows this summer and another in December. They'll open with Disney's High School Musical (June 8-17), followed by The Fantasticks (July 13-22) and wrap up the summer with Grease (Aug. 17-26). For the holidays, they'll be back with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Dec. 14-23). Performances will be in the Otto M. Budig Theatre at the center (1028 Scott Blvd., Covington); four-show subscriptions are priced at $85 ($65 for students and seniors). Info: www.jerseyproductions.org. ...

There was an interesting wrinkle with this year's Pulitzer Prize for drama, announced on April 16: None of the finalists recommended by the drama jury earned a majority vote from the Pulitzer board, which instead selected David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole, a play mentioned positively by the jury in its report. The play is the story of parents who lose their only child in a freak car accident. No Cincinnati theater has yet announced plans to stage Rabbit Hole; Lindsay-Abaire's Fuddy Mears was staged by Cincinnati Shakespeare in 2001; Know Theatre offered Wonder of the World in 2004; and New Stage Collective gave us Kimberly Akimbo in 2005. ...

The League of Cincinnati Theatres holds its 2007 UNIFIED AUDITIONS on May 26 and 28 at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Actors 18 or older and available during the 2007-08 season will be considered by local and regional, professional and semi-professional companies. Past theaters seeking talent during this event have included the Playhouse, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Ovation Theatre Company, New Edgecliff Theatre, The Human Race Theatre Company (Dayton), CATCO (Columbus) and the Indiana Shakespeare Festival. Actors have two minutes to perform two contrasting monologues (or a monologue and a song). Non-union actors will be offered appointments on May 26 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.); equity professionals will be scheduled on May 28. Deadline for application is April 30; materials are available online: www.leagueofcincytheatres.com