CCM Students and Alumni Present Original Drama on Cincinnati Race Relations

On Friday, March 30, students and alumni from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) present a staged reading of the original drama "When the End of the World Comes...: A Collaborative Piece About Race Relations in Cincinnati." Cosponsored by CCM's Harmony Fund and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the event takes place at the Freedom Center's Harriet Tubman Theater beginning with dinner-by-the-bite at 7 p.m., the reading at 8 p.m., and a post-reading talkback session immediately following. Admission is $55 with proceeds benefiting the Harmony Fund.

Conceived and written by CCM professor Nick Mangano in collaboration with CCM students, "When the End of the World Comes..." was created in response to the events that took place surrounding the 2001 shooting of Timothy Thomas, an unarmed black man, by a white Cincinnati police officer, Stephen Roach. The shooting sparked three days of riots, leading then-Mayor Charlie Luken to enact a citywide curfew. The events received national media attention, and a community-wide debate ensued regarding the impact of the riots and the underlying tensions that led to them.

"When the End of the World Comes..." combines historical information, media clips and one-on-one interviews - including conversations with community leaders, city residents, police officers, and family members of those closest to the Thomas case - in an attempt to shed light on the complex state of race relations in Cincinnati. The title derives from the famous quote often attributed to Mark Twain: "When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always 20 years behind the times."

The first version of the work was developed during the 2003-2004 academic year as part of a CCM directing course for drama and musical theater students titled "Alternative Forms." Though several of the students involved at that time have since graduated from CCM, they continue to be connected to the project and have worked with Mangano and current students to refine the script for this presentation, including additional interviews and media content.

Explains Mangano, "The piece is still very much a work in progress. What we will hear is a script in development with the purpose of expanding the work through the encouragement of community dialogue."

Returning to Cincinnati for this special event are CCM alums Ben Magnuson and Adam Wagner, who will join current students Laura Hall (musical theater), Ian Lokey (drama) and Sarah Stephens (drama) as members of the cast. Additional participants will be announced at a later date.

For tickets and information, please contact CCM's External Relations department at 513-556-3740.

About the Harmony Fund
Founded by members of the Friends of CCM, a volunteer and fundraising organization supporting the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Harmony Fund supports the presentation of productions that address contemporary social issues and fight hate and prejudice.
__________

EVENT DETAILS

"When the End of the World Comes...
A Collaborative Piece About Race Relations in Cincinnati"

Description:
Students and alumni from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) present a staged reading of this original, work-in-progress drama exploring the events leading up to and surrounding the 2001 Cincinnati riots. The evening includes dinner-by-the-bite before the reading and a post-reading talkback session.

Presented by:
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Harmony Fund and the
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Date:
Friday, March 30

Time:
7 p.m. dinner-by-the-bite; 8 p.m. reading; post-reading talkback immediately following

Location:
Harriet Tubman Theater, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
50 East Freedom Way, Downtown

Admission:
$55 ~ Proceeds benefit the Harmony Fund

Tickets and information:
CCM External Relations, 513-556-3740