Happy Opening to Rising Senior Student @adrianjgraff leading the world premiere of ‘THE HOUSE ON WATCH HILL’ with @ensemblecincy 🏚️🧟♂️ Richard Oberacker (CCM Acting Alumnus, class of 1993) is the librettist, lyricist, & composer of this thrilling new musical. He's been working with Adrian and the rest of the cast since Day 1!
Performances run MAY 13 - 31 ✨
Congratulations to our sophomores on their successful SAFD testing day! The entire class of 2028 passed their combat test, and a few even passed with recommendation. ⭐️
Our students showcased their semester of hand-to-hand combat training for adjudicator Michelle Ladd. Michelle has worked as a stunt performer on many widely recognized projects such as Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, and Baby Driver, and is recognized by the Society of American Fight Directors as a Fight Director on the Master level.
Special thanks to our professors k. Jenny Jones and Gina Cerimele-Mechley, whose dedication and hard work make such a huge difference for us!
-CCM ACTING NEWS- Our seniors capped off their four years at CCM Acting with a week of workshops, masterclasses, and meetings in New York. You can see their Digital Senior Showcase website to enjoy the Class of 2026's digital performances on demand: ccm.uc.edu/acting showcase ✨
- STUDENT NEWS -
Congratulations to Junior Student @adrianjgraff on opening the world premiere of ‘HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON THE MUSICAL’ with @tctcincinnati at the Emery Theatre! 🐉⚔️
Performances run APR 17 - MAY 3!
Thank you to Jamie Castro, who came in this past week to lead workshops on auditioning & self tapes, co-staring, and scene work! Jamie is an Emmy-nominated casting director with two decades of experience across film and television. ⭐️
Some of her credits include Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Friday Night Lights, The Bucket List (directed by Rob Reiner), and Frost/Nixon (directed by Ron Howard).
We loved having you @jamiecastro_casting !!!
Check out CCM Acting Professor D'Arcy Smith’s feature on WLWT News 5 Cincinnati!
"Fire Escape will soon be available at the Cincinnati Fire Museum, with plans to expand to fire museums across the country—turning a Cincinnati idea into a potentially life-saving tool nationwide." 🚒
Happy opening to the cast of Antigone! We are extremely proud to announce that this is a SOLD OUT run! ⭐️
Video shot and edited by Jackson Frazer.
ANTIGONE
Greek Text by Sophocles
Original Score by Ellen Harrison
English Scene Translations by Oliver Taplin
Directors | Anna Conser, Brant Russell, Samuel Sticklen
Music Directors | Anna Conser, Ellen Harrison
Technical Director | Blake Yavuz*
Lighting Designer | Kassidy Schley*
Scenic Designer | Ella Stumpf*
Sound Designer | Daniel Massey*
Production Stage Manager | Bethany Untener*
Costume Designer | Maura Kesterson*
Props Manager | Emmy Buckley*
Fight and Intimacy Director | k. Jenny Jones
*Denotes CCM Student
Happy opening night to "Antigone," a collaborative performance with UC Classics Department presented as part of CCM's Play Series on April 9-11 in Cohen Family Studio Theater.
All performances are SOLD OUT!
ANTIGONE
Greek Text by Sophocles
Original Score by Ellen Harrison
English Scene Translations by Oliver Taplin
Directors | Anna Conser, Brant Russell, Samuel Sticklen
Music Directors | Anna Conser, Ellen Harrison
Technical Director | Blake Yavuz*
Lighting Designer | Kassidy Schley*
Scenic Designer | Ella Stumpf*
Sound Designer | Daniel Massey*
Production Stage Manager | Bethany Untener*
Costume Designer | Maura Kesterson*
Props Manager | Emmy Buckley*
Fight and Intimacy Director | k. Jenny Jones
*Denotes CCM Student
- CCM ACTING NEWS -
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Antigone, as they begin performances this week in Cohen Family Studio Theater! We are so proud of the hard work and dedication put into this show. Be sure to get your tickets at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music | Ticketing - Antigone (Play)
As Antigone mourns her brothers who have murdered each other in a civil war, she must decide if she will sacrifice her life to balance the scales of justice. Her victorious brother is posthumously exalted; her treasonous brother is left unburied by order of King Creon, Antigone’s uncle and adversary. Antigone deliberately defies the king’s edict and buries her traitorous brother, igniting a devastating chain of events and thrusting urgent questions of justice to the fore. The performance features Greek choral odes written by CCM Composition Professor Ellen Harrison.
Written by Sophocles
Translation by Oliver Taplin
Directed by Brant Russell, Samuel Stricklen, and Anna Conser
A collaboration with UC Classics Department
April 9-11th
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village, University of Cincinnati
Audition Workshop for Actors. Limited spots available. UC-CCM Acting is bringing in a Casting Director from LA and they have openings for outside actors who are interested. It will be hosted at the Digital Performance Lab. The workshop is free, but registration is required.
SIGN UP HERE:
https://forms.gle/GTsuk4y7n8SzFn6Q7
Those selected will be contacted with more information. There are 10 spots for each of the two workshops.
To cap off the rollout of our education issue, we’re celebrating university productions from around the country. Here’s “Rope” at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati (February 2026). Image features Gavin Elbert, Carson Mehlbauer, Mallory Bolser, Victor Brame, Kathuure Miriti, Lilia Villaflor, Maria Leigh, and Jordyn Hill. (Photo by Mark Lyons Photography)
Adapted by Amy Berryman and Brant Russell from the play by Patrick Hamilton
Directed by Brant Russell
Fight and intimacy director: k. Jenny Jones
Stage manager: Indy Caramelli
Assistant directors: Kiki Hellerman, Bryce Nevison
Scenic designer: Charlie Calvert
Costume designer: Julia Schillaci
Hair and makeup designer: M O’Donnell
Lighting designer: Lucas Inman
Sound designer: Daniel Massey Technical director: Morgan Terry
Prop manager: Ruth Wartman
Producer: Rebecca Bromels
Catch these #CCMstars in the Acting Class of 2026 Senior Showcase! Presented live and in person TODAY at Chicago's Den Theatre.
You can also visit our Acting Senior Showcase website to enjoy the Class of 2026's digital performances on demand. Enjoy a variety performances, including excerpts from TV and film, self tapes, voice over demos and more at ccm.uc.edu/actingshowcase.
*Content advisory: Some film scenes include adult language.
Joining us in person? Enjoy live scenes presented by CCM Acting's Class of 2026 TODAY at Chicago's Den Theatre!
- 4 p.m. Monday, March 16
- The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622
