What's Going On
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
What's Going On : Mothers and Sons
Date posted: March 1, 2016
Posted by: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Photos/images: Tony Arrasmith / Arrasmith & Associates.
Posted by: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Photos/images: Tony Arrasmith / Arrasmith & Associates.
Terrence McNally’s acclaimed play MOTHERS AND SONS, nominated for Tony and Drama League awards in
2014, explores change, reconciliation and what it means to be a family. MOTHERS AND SONS will run in the
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre March 18 through April 17.
Katharine Gerard is stuck in a past that existed only in her expectations. She suffered the untimely loss of her 29-
year-old son Andre to the AIDS epidemic that ravaged a generation of gay men, a loss that also devastated Andre’s
partner Cal.
Fast forward two decades: Katharine, recently widowed, shows up unannounced at Cal’s New York apartment
with her prejudices intact. Cal is now a husband (to Will, a younger man with only secondhand knowledge of the
AIDS crisis) and a father (to a young son, Bud). His current life would have been practically unimaginable in the
era in which Cal and Andre lived and loved. Katharine and Cal circle each other with both the shared pathos of
their past and the realization of how much has changed for a generation of gay men facing a future they — and
society — never imagined.
While MOTHERS AND SONS has been called “a moving reflection on a changed America,” director and Playhouse
Associate Artist Timothy Douglas notes that “there remains a sizable segment of the population of parents of
adult gay children who still believe that same-sex unions are against what Nature (God and religion) intended.
Such powerful convictions all too often erode the powerful bond that exists between parent and child to the point
of impasse, which in turn can render authentic, loving interaction nearly impossible. This play gives clarity and
voice to the compelling points of view on both sides of impasse, but does so with unflinching directness and
emotional rawness, while always rooted in humanity.”
The Playhouse will host its second annual Playhouse Pride event on March 18, a celebratory evening with the
LGBTQ community centering around a performance of MOTHERS AND SONS. The performance will be
bookended by a pre-show cocktail party with fine fare by Jeff Thomas Catering and a post-show reception
featuring live music by Cincinnati's red hot jazz band Young Lions.
The Playhouse Pride event recognizes those who have worked on behalf of the LGBTQ community to advocate for
equity and acceptance of all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. This
season’s partner, GLSEN — the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network — will receive a portion of the
proceeds raised by the Playhouse Pride event, which is sponsored by David C. Herriman and Atkins & Pearce, Inc.
For information, contact the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888.
Ticket prices for MOTHERS AND SONS start at $35. Prices are subject to change, and patrons are encouraged to
buy early for the best seats at the best prices. The show is appropriate for adult and older teenage audiences.
Continuing this season is the popular Sunday College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances priced
at just $10 with a valid student ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances.
Discounted ticket prices for teens and students are available in advance for $30.
Previews for MOTHERS AND SONS are at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19; 7 p.m. Sunday, March 20; 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 22; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23. The official opening night is Thursday, March 24, at 7:
30 p.m.
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturdays, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays.
Free Meet the Artists programs that allow audiences to interact with the cast and others associated with the
production will be held after the following performances: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 27; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3; 7:30
p.m. Wednesday, April 6; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14.
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair
access are available.
Tickets to MOTHERS AND SONS are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-
3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248
for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.
Got a comment on What's Going On? Click here.
Also tweet us at @AGCinspires or follow us on Facebook
2014, explores change, reconciliation and what it means to be a family. MOTHERS AND SONS will run in the
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre March 18 through April 17.
Katharine Gerard is stuck in a past that existed only in her expectations. She suffered the untimely loss of her 29-
year-old son Andre to the AIDS epidemic that ravaged a generation of gay men, a loss that also devastated Andre’s
partner Cal.
Fast forward two decades: Katharine, recently widowed, shows up unannounced at Cal’s New York apartment
with her prejudices intact. Cal is now a husband (to Will, a younger man with only secondhand knowledge of the
AIDS crisis) and a father (to a young son, Bud). His current life would have been practically unimaginable in the
era in which Cal and Andre lived and loved. Katharine and Cal circle each other with both the shared pathos of
their past and the realization of how much has changed for a generation of gay men facing a future they — and
society — never imagined.
While MOTHERS AND SONS has been called “a moving reflection on a changed America,” director and Playhouse
Associate Artist Timothy Douglas notes that “there remains a sizable segment of the population of parents of
adult gay children who still believe that same-sex unions are against what Nature (God and religion) intended.
Such powerful convictions all too often erode the powerful bond that exists between parent and child to the point
of impasse, which in turn can render authentic, loving interaction nearly impossible. This play gives clarity and
voice to the compelling points of view on both sides of impasse, but does so with unflinching directness and
emotional rawness, while always rooted in humanity.”
The Playhouse will host its second annual Playhouse Pride event on March 18, a celebratory evening with the
LGBTQ community centering around a performance of MOTHERS AND SONS. The performance will be
bookended by a pre-show cocktail party with fine fare by Jeff Thomas Catering and a post-show reception
featuring live music by Cincinnati's red hot jazz band Young Lions.
The Playhouse Pride event recognizes those who have worked on behalf of the LGBTQ community to advocate for
equity and acceptance of all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. This
season’s partner, GLSEN — the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network — will receive a portion of the
proceeds raised by the Playhouse Pride event, which is sponsored by David C. Herriman and Atkins & Pearce, Inc.
For information, contact the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888.
Ticket prices for MOTHERS AND SONS start at $35. Prices are subject to change, and patrons are encouraged to
buy early for the best seats at the best prices. The show is appropriate for adult and older teenage audiences.
Continuing this season is the popular Sunday College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances priced
at just $10 with a valid student ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances.
Discounted ticket prices for teens and students are available in advance for $30.
Previews for MOTHERS AND SONS are at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19; 7 p.m. Sunday, March 20; 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 22; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23. The official opening night is Thursday, March 24, at 7:
30 p.m.
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturdays, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays.
Free Meet the Artists programs that allow audiences to interact with the cast and others associated with the
production will be held after the following performances: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 27; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3; 7:30
p.m. Wednesday, April 6; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14.
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair
access are available.
Tickets to MOTHERS AND SONS are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-
3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248
for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.
Got a comment on What's Going On? Click here.
Also tweet us at @AGCinspires or follow us on Facebook
advertisement
