French Sex Farce A FLEA IN HER EAR Opens Friday!

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company finishes its 25th Anniversary Season at The Otto M. Budig Theater with a new version of Georges Feydeau's farce by David Ives, A Flea in Her Ear. The production is directed by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Director of Creative Education and Outreach, Jeremy Dubin and features a 14 person cast with CSC Resident Ensemble Members Billy Chace, Kelly Mengelkoch, Sara, and Matthew Lewis Johnson. A Flea in Her Ear is generously sponsored by Murphy Landen Jones PLLC and J.P. Morgan.

Widely regarded as one of the funniest farces ever written, A Flea in Her Ear teems with suspicious spouses, hotel liaisons, crossed wires, and physical comedy galore. Set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century at Paris' most notorious hotel, The Frisky Puss, where the bourgeoist of the bourgeoisie let their peccadilloes out to play. Propriety takes a vacation, and ribaldry rules the roost, as a colorful cast of characters runs amok through the corridors, leaving chaos and occasionally clothing in their wake!

A Flea in Her Ear tells the tale of how, after a brief bout of impotence, Victor Chandebise's wife Raymonde suspects her husband may have a wandering eye. She has a friend, Lucienne, pen a note to him luring him into a meeting with a mysterious lady at a nearby hotel to see if he will show up. Intrigued, Victor sends someone in his stead, leading to a series of mishaps and miscommunications, conjuring strange (and multiple!) bedfellows at the naughty hotel. Audiences who loved last season's smash hit Noises Off will find themselves in similar (comedic) territory with A Flea in Her Ear.

A Flea in Her Ear is a play by Georges Feydeau written in 1907, at the height of the Belle Epoque in Paris, a time when the arts flourished and many masterpieces of literature, music, theater, and visual art gained recognition. This translation and adaptation is by David Ives and was commissioned by Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2006 where it won that city's prestigious Jefferson Award for Best Adaptation. It has since been performed in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC and more. Ives is best known for the Broadway hit and film of Venus in Furs, the book of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, and for the adaptations of 33 musicals for New York City Center's Encores! from 1995-2012. Long considered one of the greatest of the French farces, the Ives version has met with critical praises since its debut. Backstage wrote, "Ives' adaptation maintains the original's dazzling plot while communicating Feydeau's playful use of language to an American audience." Time Out Chicago called the play "[a] crisp, delightfully ridiculous translation, and Chicago Critic said it is "a hilarious evening of classic comedy."

CSC is very pleased to welcome Jeremy Dubin back to the Director's Chair for A Flea in Her Ear. Jeremy has long been a company favorite to helm the comedic and the hilarious including his annual 14 year running, sold-out audience favorite Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!) as well as the comedic summer flings All the Great Books (Abridged) and The Complete History of America (Abridged).

The creative team transforming The Otto M. Budig Theater stage into turn of the century Paris is made up of Will Turbyne (Scenic Designer), Kristeen Willis (Lighting Designer), Kevin Semancik (Sound Designer), Abbi Howson (Costume Designer), and D'Arcy Smith (Dialect Coach). They are joined by Fight Choreographer, Gina Cerimele-Mechley.

A Flea in Her Ear runs May 17-June 2, 2019 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM, as well as Saturday May 18th, May 25th and June 1st at 2:00 PM. Preview performances are Wednesday, May 15th and Thursday, May 16th at 7:30 PM and tickets are $30. Advance sale single ticket prices start at $28. Day-of Student Rush tickets are $14 and may be purchased thirty minutes before a show with a valid student ID if available. This production is a part of this season's subscription package. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees apply. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is located at The Otto M. Budig Theater at 1195 Elm Street in OTR, adjacent to Washington Park. There are many parking spaces available on the street and in nearby lots and garages- for more information visit http://www.otrchamber.com/pages/WheretoPark.

CSC also offers Valet Parking for every performance! Make reservations for $20 in advance when purchasing tickets or visit www.cincyshakes.com/parking. Purchasing in advance guarantees a spot. Valet is available right at the corner of 12th and Elm Street in front of the theater and begins approx. 1.5 hours before a performance. Cars can be picked up for up to one hour following a performance. (After one hour, you will need to arrange pick up with the valet service directly.) The valet will have your name on the list after you purchase- it's that easy!

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