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Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

4.8 (142 reviews)
Closed 12:00 pm - 5:00 PM

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Set wide open for everyone to see all the action
Dan S.

We went for the first time last night to see "The Play Goes Wrong", a very fun evening with a few audience members brought up on stage before the play started. The theater itself is very nicely laid out, not a bad seat in the house. The lobby area is large with seating to allow visiting with friends before the show starts and at intermission. It was a very fun evening and we look forward to attend more shows now that we have found it.

Arianna A.

The Otto M. Budig Theater is a lovely theater located at 1195 Elm Street in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. It is a short walk to SCPA, Washington Park, restaurants, and plenty of parking. My God daughter and I came to see an early, World Premier of the stage play Kindred Spirits. First of all, as soon as you walk into the theater, you feel both comfortable and inspired at the same time. The esthetics are modern but not austere. The staff are welcoming and very friendly...from the guard at the door to the bartender/barista to the ushers that showed us to our seats. We got premium seats in the lower gallery, row F. But honestly, there's not a bad seat in this theater! We really enjoyed Kindred Spirits! It was a wonderful play! We loved the stage props, lighting, and decorations. The actors are very talented, also! We laughed the entire time! We haven't seen the first play in the series, but it was good enough to stand on its own. We do want to see the first play, though :-) Check out this theater. You won't be disappointed!

The Importance of Being Earnest
Whitney V.

So ready to see Gaslight! The play was amazing and so well done! The actors were so good and I believe that anywhere you sit in the theater, you're able to hear the actors and have a good viewing as there are no microphones used and the seats are at a slope to allow the audience to see clearly. The theater is small so even at intermission, there isn't a huge long line with no possibility of getting a drink. There is a variety of options they have at the bar.

Michelle B.

A beautiful theater in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, just steps away from Music Hall and Washington Park. The lobby is wrapped in windows for a beautiful view of life outside the theater doors while you are awaiting your performance. There is a small lobby bar that provides sweet treats as well as libations. Bathrooms are roomy and decorative as well as inclusive. Staff are very friendly and helpful. My recent performance was Kindred Spirits, and it was fantastic! The set was stunning and had some very special effects you do not want to miss! The actors did an excellent job with this unique comedy based on the characters and story of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. There was lots of laughter and even some audience participation in the form of shout-outs at some plot twists in the story.

Program
Johnnie C.

My wife and I had the chance for a night out to visit the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and a performance of "Kindred Spirits". It was a new take on a Blithe Spirit, 12 years beyond and was definitely in the "spirit" of the original. The play was fantastic, and the forum put you right in the middle of the play. Great theater without a bad seat - both for viewing and comfort. I'm ready for more nights out!

Me and the Porkopolis Bard
Dante C.

Everything I know about Cincinnati's theater culture I get from a good friend who lives and works in Cincinnati. It's a thriving culture. Go see something at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, but check out what else might be out there. They do Shakespeare in the Park in Cincinnati, and I am disappointed that I wont be in town to see it (Hamlet!). I was in town for a conference. One of my colleagues suggested that we get a group together to see "The Play that Went Wrong." It was great! I was nonstop laughing during the entire play. The theater is intimate. There is seating down below, very close to the stage. My seat was in the balcony, where I could easily see everything that transpired on stage. The seats were comfortable and padded. There are restrooms upstairs and downstairs, located mysteriously around the corner. Downstairs there is a bar for patrons who need to get lubed before the show. As a visitor from out of town, I had no car, so I cannot say what the parking situation is, but if you are anywhere near the free trolley, it runs through the theater district and right past the Shakespeare Theater.

Kirsten J.

Thank you Yelp and Cinci Shakes for yet another great event. Seeing the premiere of "Wrecking Ball" was amazing. Part comedy but partly very realistic, Wrecking Ball is tackling a serious issue that had been 'swept under the rug' in Hollywood for so many years. The cast played it so well and a standing ovation was well deserved at the end! I loved that the cast stayed after, available to answer questions or simply for a friendly chat! Cinci Shakes: You are by far my fav in Cinci!

Play program
Carolynne P.

When to the Kindred Spirits Orchestra play this evening for our anniversary. So glad we did. What a great venue! Also, the actors were wonderful. Loved every minute. Looking forward to seeing more shows at this fantastic place!

Lorie L.

Wonderful experience! Our company rented the theater for an afternoon business meeting and happy hour. We hosted approximately 125 people. The seating allowed the space to feel more intimate and relaxed than reserving a hotel conference room, and we were able to bring in an AV company to assemble curtains, lighting and microphones. During breaks and after our meeting our guests could get drinks at their bar. It was a fantastic happy hour and the team was ready to handle our crowd. Beautiful bathroom spaces and wall designs. We took a shuttle from our hotel so I'm not able to speak to the parking situation although you'd likely need to hunt for street or garage parking. Payment for the event space was easy to make. A credit card charge is a 4% up charge and very reasonable.

Jisha M.

Have attended several performances here now for a date night or showing visitors the best that Cincy has to offer. It's located on the corner Elm & 12th across the street from Washington Square Park. Street parking is limited but there is an underground parking garage below the park. The building is beautiful, not surprising considering it is located next to more Cincinnati gems. These semi circle stage means a great view from nearly every seat. Attended the preview night of The Rewards of Being Frank and it was fantastic! Dialogue was well written, humorous (seriously did not expect to laugh so much!) and 2 hours passed by too quickly.

Lobby
Wendy K.

Beautiful facility and my first visit. Love Shakespeare and I can't wait for the experience and the production. Heard from another guest in the lobby the director is amazing and she is extremely talented. Love the arts especially theatre.

Vandana M.

We watched the preview of 'The Taming of the Shrew' on the first day. Thank you Bailey (Yelp Community Manager at Cincy) for inviting us to this event! We moved to the area about a week ago from Iowa and this was our first fun outing. To top it off it's the beginning of our 5 yr wedding anniversary week! This was a perfect activity to get things started. We loved the location of the theater as it's in the middle of the city. There is an open air parking lot right next to the theater and event parking was $10 for 4 hrs. There is a bar inside the theater that serves alcoholic and a few non-alcoholic beverages. There is no food, so plan to eat before or after the show. The show was 2.5 hrs in length with a 15 min intermission, so it's good to plan meals around it. Speaking of the show itself, I loved the detailed consumes representing the era the story is based on. The actors we enthusiastic, energetic and put in all the efforts to do justice to the story. There was some comic addition to the show to add special interest for the audience. I personally have not seen a lot of theater so I can't quite comment on the quality of the production, however, we had a good time getting out and doing something outside of our regular entertainment choices.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Jason H.

Always a great night at the theatre! I've attended two performances, as of this writing, at the Cincy Shakes Theatre. Both happened to be Yelp! Elite Squad events. The two I've attended were "Every Christmas Story Ever Told", in 2021 and "The Living Dead", in 2022. In both of my visits, the cast has been fantastic. Personality diversity of characters can be a bit challenging but when you have the right people in the right places, it can all come together nicely. Both the performances that I've seen have been great examples of just that. Each actor portrayed their role in a very captivating manner. Simply put - If I met any of them on the street, I would have a hard time believing that they weren't the character they played in this performance. A job well done by all. If you've been to the Cincinnati Shakespeare theatre before, you already know that this is an outstanding venue. First off - There is truly not a bad seat in the house. Playing an in-the-round setting, with about a 3/4 round audience, it really doesn't matter where you sit. Small and intimate, this theater really brings an in-the-moment feel to it as an audience member. You feel as if you're right there, in the room within each scene. I would be surprised that, because of this intimacy, at times audience members aren't inclined to spontaneously answer a question or project a response during a dialogue. Taking a small space and making it "big" is something that Cincinnati Shakespeare has a real knack for. The transformation of taking this small space and taking your mind "there" is a real sticking point to the Cincy Shakes crew. Beautifully, creatively and thoughtfully designed sets really bring you into the world that the actors are in. It always amazes me to see these transformations from show to show. The crew at Cincy Shakes always treats the Yelp! Elite Squad well and I've found them all to be nothing but helpful and very pleasant to interact with. Aside from performance, also note that Cincy Shakes has a full bar in their large lounge/lobby. You can get a drink and socialize before the performance and you're welcome to bring a drink in with you during the performance as well. Each seat has a drink holder on the back of the seat in front of you. This way you won't be holding your drink the entire time or worrying about kicking it over. The parking situation is actually not hateful at Cincy Shakes. There are plenty of Pay-to-Park lots or you can easily park on the street with Cincy EZPark. For a two-hour performance, you're parking on the street for about $5. There is a valet option at $25, should you prefer this. Would I go back? Without a doubt. This is the second Yelp! Elite Squad event that I've attended at Cincy Shakes and I will always try to make myself available for more. Talking with some of the other audience members, I will remind myself to keep updated on the new performances throughout the year at Cincy Shakes as I've heard great things about some of the performances that I've not seen.

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Ask the Community - Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Review Highlights - Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

However it was a touch too warm during the production of Dracula but not enough so that it bothered me.

Mentioned in 12 reviews

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We live about an hour away, so hadn't been to the Aronoff Center in over 20 years until going to…read moresee Complexions Contemporary Ballet last night. I'm happy to see that it has been kept up so well over the years, it's beautiful! It was an A+ visit from start to finish. Ordering and accessing digital tickets was a breeze, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the show was outstanding! We have a fantastic arts center in Dayton that we have broadway season's tickets to and attend other performing arts shows as well, but we will definitely be back to see shows at the Aronoff from time to time now that we had such a fantastic evening out!

Just had my first experience at the Aronoff and it was truly an unforgettable experience. We…read moreattended the Hamilton show on January 4th, 2026. We had brunch at Nicholson's across the street then walked over and entered the venue at Noon. The check-in process was quick and easy. They had several Hamilton banners through the lobby area to get photos before the show. Right after checking in, you hit the merchandise booth where they had a large selection of items for purchase such as shirts, sweaters, and tons of accessories (I'm sure this various by production so keep that in mind). We took the elevator to the loge level (steps are available as well) and took a seat to relax a bit before they opened the doors to the theater. An attendant approached us and mentioned that our niece would need a booster seat and showed us where we could grab one - this was an incredible display of customer service and that remained true throughout our whole time at the Aronoff. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. They really made you feel welcome and that was a highlight of our experience. They offer light concessions such as drinks, themed cocktails and candy. I would recommend eating at one of the many options around the Aronoff prior to your event or after. The doors opened, we took our playbills and found our seats. The show was phenomenal. This was my first time seeing a musical and I loved it! The stage and venue is spectacular as well. We will definitely be back! We just bought tickets to see the Lion King in July. Highly recommend attending a production here - you won't be disappointed.

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The Glenmore Playhouse - The set for Putting It Together.

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The Drama Workshop is a hardworking and dedicated theatre group that puts on great shows. Very…read morewelcoming and friendly.

In mid- 2011, the Glenmore Playhouse was still known as the Glenmore Bowl, a local landmark that…read morewas known to generations of Cincinnatians on the West side for almost 85 years. When the previous owners decided it was time to call it a day, it was thought by many that this historic structure would go the way of so many others, i.e. succumbing to the fate of the wrecking ball, or simply by dying a slow and painful death from neglect. However, in the fall of 2011, The Drama Workshop (TDW), a local theatre group, purchased the building to make themselves a permanent home. Having produced community theatre in this part of Cincinnati since 1954, and having squeezed in performances at the nearby Westwood Town Hall Recreation Center for years, TDW jumped at the chance to have a place to call their own. I had seen several productions put on by The Drama Workshop while they were at the Westwood Town Hall Recreation Center, and made it a point to come out for their first production at the new location. It was Snoopy! The Musical, in October of 2012. At that time, the Glenmore Playhouse was still pretty rough as a theatre. Plywood filled in the gaps where the alley gutters and ball returns used to be. Temperature control was minimal (it was a warm October that year), and the "bowling alley acoustics" left many in the audience leaning forward and cocking their heads to hear the actors. Seating was of the old metal fold out chair variety sitting level on the floor. While there were sidewalls and a lobby, you could easily see it's bowling alley past. There was a lot of work to be done. Since then, that is in less than 2 years, the transformation here has been amazing. The temperature control problem is now gone, thanks to a new HVAC system. Acoustic panels and a few other additions have greatly improved the sound quality of both the actors and the effects. There is a professional lighting grid, beautiful new carpeting, and everything has been painted. The lobby has been redone. But the most dramatic improvement to the theatre has been the addition of padded theatre seats, complete with armrests, that are affixed to sets of movable risers, stadium style. A great improvement which I believe came from a local university that was replacing their seats, and the change here has been dramatic. For the patrons: they are comfortable, they are inviting, and due to the tiered rows, they improve the sight line to the stage immeasurably. Additionally, and a benefit for both the patrons and the theatre, is that the riser sets break apart and can be arranged to fit the set design needs. Some productions use a straight row style like you see at a movie theater, with everyone facing forward towards the elevated stage. Some are in-the-round style, with the set being in the middle at floor level, and the seats being arranged in groups on three sides of the set. Great flexibility for the production team, and great variety for the audience. Although they are limited to about 99 seats, due to minimum exit requirements, the building has room for a lot more, when the time comes. There is still work to be done, mainly reminders that the building was built in a far different era. Entering the men's restroom is like squeezing college kids into a phone booth. The odd, wedged shape room doesn't lend itself to accommodating the "accommodations" very well. There are plans to move these at some point, however, which will be a welcomed change. The steps into the building are not ADA friendly, but I understand a ramp is pretty much next on the list of things to do. Probably the most impressive thing of all is that this is done mainly by volunteers and by a few paid craftsmen. Local contractors have donated, or else provided at significantly reduced rates, the time and some of the materials to help get this place done. Volunteers are the main source of labor. A hardcore group of weekend help has made this what it is. Ah, local theatre and community involvement at its best. I am just a patron, but I go to a lot of theatre, so I reasonably well know of what I speak. I attended 88 theatre productions last year alone throughout the local Cincinnati area. I can't think of a harder working or more dedicated group of people than those who have banded together to save this beautiful old building, and turn it into this local gem. I highly recommend coming out to see what they have done here, and to watch some of the most enjoyable, affordable theatre that one could hope to see anywhere. I have also reviewed The Drama Workshop on Yelp!, so take a peek at that if you would like a little more insight into the productions and into TDW themselves.

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The Glenmore Playhouse - The very impressive set for "Rumors". February, 2015

The very impressive set for "Rumors". February, 2015

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The Glenmore Playhouse - The very impressive set for "Rumors". February, 2015

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The very impressive set for "Rumors". February, 2015

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company - theater - Updated May 2026

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