Cincinnati Playhouse to Present THE GARDEN OF RIKKI TIKKI TAVI

Rudyard Kipling's classic story about a mongoose, bird and muskrat who band together against a cobra to save their garden home brings the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 2015-16 Off the Hill series for families to a close with performances from April 16 through May 22. Adapted by award-winning playwright Y York, THE GARDEN OF RIKKI TIKKI TAVI is a delightful comedy about sharing and cooperation recommended for audiences ages 5 and up.

When mongoose Rikki Tikki Tavi arrives unannounced in the garden, she threatens the status quo, much to the fury of tailor bird Darzee and muskrat Chuchu. They try everything they can think of to persuade Rikki Tikki Tavi to leave - until they discover that the mongoose causes the garden's cruel cobra Nag to run in fear. That's when they realize that they should work together to protect their shared home.

"Through the journey of the play Rikki Tikki Tavi learns to embrace who she is," explains Playhouse Director of Education Daunielle Rasmussen, who will make her Cincinnati directing debut with the production. "By forging deep friendships and working hard to find solutions with her new friends, she creates a home for herself and takes her place as the protector of the garden."

THE GARDEN OF RIKKI TIKKI TAVI will debut "on the hill" at the Playhouse, with performances at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, April 16. Tickets for the Playhouse performances may be purchased through the Box Office for $5. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day, families are invited to become the art makers with Rikki Tikki Tavi-related crafts, coloring and tons of family fun between the Playhouse's performances.

The cast of THE GARDEN OF RIKKI TIKKI TAVI includes Robert Carlton Stimmel (Teddy/Nag), Erin Ward (Chuchu), Renika Williams (Darzee) and Lilian Wouters (Rikki Tikki Tavi), all members of the Playhouse's 2015-16 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company. Other production team members, in addition to Rasmussen, include set designer Kenton Brett, costume designer Jonathan P. Waters and stage manager Tracy Hoida.

The cast members will explore physicality and vocal techniques in order to embody the various animals in the show. The aim is to strike a balance between the fun of straying from human realism and the challenge of maintaining the integrity of the story being told by these unique characters.

"Our cast and creative team are a group of extraordinary artists whose individual strengths will blend into a tapestry of color and movement, creating a vibrant interpretation of this classic story," says Rasmussen, who has directed theatre for young audiences at Marin Theatre Company in the past. She hopes the show will spark conversations surrounding the definitions of community and family - exploring how we learn to share and work together in the gardens of our neighborhoods, our schools and our nuclear and extended families.

For more information about the Playhouse's education and outreach programs, contact the Education Department at 513-345-2242 or visit www.cincyplay.com.

Off the Hill is supported by the Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, PNC Bank, the John C. Griswold Foundation, ArtsWave and the Ohio Arts Council.
The Cincinnati Playhouse season is presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and Heidelberg Distributing Company. The season sponsor of new work is The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of the community contributors to the ArtsWave campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.

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