Lynn Meyers came to Ensemble Theatre more than 15 years ago for what she was told was an "interim" appointment as the Over-the-Rhine theater's artistic director. She's still at it and today she's known as one of Cincinnati's finest stage directors. If you need evidence, you can see two fine examples this weekend. —-
At her home base, 25: The Musical is wrapping up its run; it's a collection of tunes from shows that ETC has presented during its 25-year history, from famous titles like Grey Gardens and Hedwig and the Angry Inch to lesser known (but equally good) shows like Mack and Mabel and Violet. (Read my review here.)
And here's a tip: Tomorrow at 2 p.m., I'm sure you can get a ticket for 25. There's a lot of other things going on in OTR and Downtown, and I hear there are plenty of seats left. It's 90 minutes of pure pleasure that will make your weekend even better. Find ticketing and other info here.
And speaking of pure pleasure — Meyers also directs The Pavilion at the Cincinnati Playhouse, which just opened on Thursday evening. I was there and I can report that Craig Wright's play about high school sweethearts who reconnect at their 20th reunion is definitely worth seeing. They review a troubled past and a present that isn't quite working, while they explore questions of "what if?" and "could it be?"
It's not all sweetness and light; in fact, there's some serious anger and unhappiness. But it's a show that will make you think and feel — that's the kind of play that Meyers excels at staging and she has a topnotch cast for this one, including Broadway actor Jeffrey Kuhn (who serves as the narrator) and a host of classmates, male and female, at the reunion. It's a tour de force performance. Find more info and ticket details here.
In case you need more evidence of Meyers' proficiency, she staged Pride and Prejudice for Cincinnati Shakespeare earlier this year and it was one of the best-selling shows for that company during 2010-2011. I urge you to catch a sample of her work this weekend — you'll be glad you did.
