"Other Places", UPTAs, and Understudies!

It's almost time to close Ensemble Theatre's first show of 2015, The Other Place by Sharr White!  Emily has been working as a member of the run crew for the duration of the run and has loved the opportunity to observe and learn from some of the best actors in the area!  She was also so happy to support some of the other remarkably talented ETC interns in their understudy performance this past weekend.  The cerebral drama closes this afternoon, on Sunday, February 15.

Emily also recently attended the 2015 UPTA conference in Memphis, TN!  She and the other ETC interns drove through the night to audition on their day off and be back by rehearsal the following day, providing an exhausting but incredibly rewarding day.  Emily was audition number 956, in the last group of the last day of the conference, and had the opportunity to perform for so many great companies.  After her initial audition, she was able to meet with several representatives who were all incredibly helpful and kind, and reaffirmed some of her own beliefs in theatre.  Emily feels grateful for the opportunity to stretch her abilities as much as possible, and so happy that she was able to share the experience with her dear friends!  To the right is a photo of Emily and her fellow intern, Kadeem Ali Harris, waiting for their turn in the room!

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After closing night tonight and a short break, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will be back in the rehearsal room for their next production, Dominique Morisseau's Detroit '67!  The play is set just as it sounds, in Detroit in 1967, where Chelle and Lank, a brother and sister who have recently inherited money from their parents' deaths, argue about whether to invest it in a new bar instead of holding listening parties for Motown records in their basement.  One night, Lank picks up a white woman, Caroline, who seems to be in distress, and brings her back to their house to make sure she's safe, a dangerous move for a black man.  Chelle and Lank must decide what is best for their business, their family and friends, and themselves, all while raids and police brutality become rampant in Detroit, leading up to the riots.  Emily has just been cast as the understudy for Caroline!  She can't wait to embark on this new journey.  Please get your tickets early if you are in the Cincinnati area!  And if you can, please consider attending the day of the understudy performance, when after the show is performed as normal, Emily and the other understudies will have the opportunity to perform a 20-minute excerpt of the show!