Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
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Everyone has a story—the question is how it ends.
Bella Baird is a brilliant writer and Ivy League professor who prizes her solitude. But when she faces a challenge she cannot tackle alone, she allies herself with a talented and enigmatic student, Christopher. As their lives and the stories they tell about themselves become intertwined in unpredictable ways, Bella asks an unthinkable favor of Christopher—but is it undoable? Deeply moving and brimming with suspense, this thrilling play explores the power we hold over each other and questions the limits of what we can ask of others.
Run time: ~1 hr, 30 min with no intermission
Content warning: As two creative academics, Bella and Christopher don’t shy away from adult language and explicit sexual references. Through their unique companionship, they have a space to discuss darker topics like alcohol and drug use, cancer, violence, murder, and mental health between talks of their favorite authors.
Trigger warning: Some mental health elements of this show could be potentially triggering to audience members with sensitivities to those topics. If you want to be furthered informed and don’t mind spoilers, please call our box office.
The Sound Inside
Preview
Preview & ETC Essentials
Preview
Opening night!
Meet the Artists
ASL-Interpreted
Meet the Artists
Audio-Described
You'll love this show if you love...
- Cerebral shows that ask big questions you’ll be brewing over days later
- Unreliable characters you’re not sure you can trust
- Intimate, deeply felt shows with powerful performances
- Stories about creativity, isolation, and unique friendships
- Dark academia, classic literature, and moody atmospheres!
Similar ETC shows:
- Morning Sun by Simon Stephens
- The Humans by Stephen Karam
- The Other Place by Sharr White
Similar media:
- The Goldfinch (Warner Bros.)
- Lost in Translation (Focus Features)
- Whiplash (Sony)
Events & accessibilty
ETC Essentials
Sunday, Apr. 6 at 1:00 pm
Dive even deeper into each show with a FREE conversations series that explores our productions’ themes and context with local scholars and community members. These start an hour before show time, and registration is recommended.
Show Up! Young Professionals Event
Saturday, Apr. 12 at 2:00 pm
Join other Young Professionals (at a special YP price) for the performance then mingle and discuss the show over bites and a free drink at ETC’s bar!
Meet the Artists
Thursday, Apr. 17 at 7:30 pm | Thursday, Apr. 24 at 7:30 pm
Stay after the show for a FREE post-show behind-the-scenes discussion with artists from the production.
ASL-Interpreted Performance
Wednesday, Apr. 23 at 7:30 pm
Interpreters perform a translation of the play into ASL alongside the performance in a position with great sightlines to see both the action of the play and the interpreters.
Ask for an assistive listening device at any performance from our box office.
Audio Described Performance
Saturday, Apr. 26 at 2:00 pm
Patrons can use a headset for one ear to hear descriptions of key visual elements inserted into natural pauses in the show, allowing patrons to still hear dialogue, sound effects, and music.
Ask for large print or Braille playbills at any performance from our box office.
Subscriptions
Banish the box office blues and say see ya to sold-out shows! Become a subscriber for the best prices along with other perks.
Ticket Discounts
There are great deals to be found at ETC! Explore the various ticket discounts we have available.
Photo credits | First Timer’s Guide, Brooke Steele in The Frog Princess; Ticket Info, Bryant Bentley, Burgess Byrd, and Leslie Goddard-Baum in Detroit ’67 (Mikki Schaffner); Subscriptions, Cast of Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Ticket Discounts, Torie Wiggins in Your Negro Tour Guide. All images by Ryan Kurtz unless otherwise noted.
1127 Vine Street