Cincinnati Shakespeare Company at the Otto M. Budig Theater
The building anchors and activates through its transparency the southwest corner of Washington Park and is a complement to the School for Creative and Performing Arts, Memorial Hall and Music Hall.
Unique FeaturesThe main theater has been designed for flexibility and can be configured several ways ranging from a thrust formation mirroring the Globe Theatre to theatre-in-the-round. Designed for an intimate experience, the theater has a maximum of 6 rows placing every patron within 20 feet of the stage. The balcony has a single row of seats to provide the best views. The building has also been designed to reveal the interior activities to the public in Washington Park. The primary rehearsal space is located on the second floor open to the park and the streets below. The building subtly references Shakespeare's career in large gestures such as creating a similar feeling to the Globe in the main theater and referencing Shakespeare's 38 plays by using 38 steps to access the balcony from the main floor with the names of his plays etched in the stair risers.
Associate ArchitectSchuler Shook (theatre consultant) & Kierkegaard Associates (acoustics)
Public AccessHandicap accessible - access during Doors Open OTR will be limited to noon to 1:30 due to a matinee performance of Dracula.
Resourceshttp://cincyshakes.com/
Quotes"We are excited about the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company building its new home in OTR because their resident actors and actresses will thrive as members of the neighborhood's blossoming creative class. Further, the building will create a much-needed world-class venue for start-ups and entrepreneurs to leverage for events and meeting space. With the addition of the Shakespeare Company, no other neighborhood in America will be able to provide comparable live, work, and play opportunities for the creative class." Rob McDonald, The Brandery
Original OwnerCincinnati Shakespeare Company
Completion Date2017
Original FunctionTheater and event center (starting in 2018) for weddings, lectures, community partner events, donor events, and private dinners.
StyleContemporary
ArchitectGBBN Architects
ContractorMesser Construction
1195 Elm St.
Cincinnati, OH