CCM and Cincy Shakes present vampire play for Halloween

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) present Let The Right One In, a bloody vampire play based on the bestselling novel and award-winning film. Led by CSC Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips, the collaborative performance features professional CSC guest artists and CCM’s student actors.

Let The Right One In runs Oct. 19-22 and 26-28 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

“The production is such a special opportunity for both of these Cincinnati institutions,” Phillips says. “Actors from both CCM and CSC have the opportunity to work on a piece that challenges the imagination, shows the transformative power of adaptation in the theatre, and a brings a uniquely haunting story to life just in time for Halloween.”

Based on the novel by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist, the play follows Oskar, a teenager who is mercilessly bullied by his schoolmates and neglected by his parents. Oskar sees an opportunity for connection in Eli, a mysterious girl who just moved in next door and only comes out at night. Amidst a string of brutal murders by an apparent serial killer, the two form a friendship made more intense by their shared loneliness. But while Oskar’s loneliness stems from the all-too-human struggles of early adolescence, Eli is lonely because she’s been a teenager for a very, very long time.

From Count Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, vampire legends have captured imaginations for centuries. Aside from supplying gore and scares, what can monsters reveal about loneliness, love and humanity? Adapted for the theater by Jack Thorne, Let The Right One In wields the vampire myth to deliver a dark coming-of-age love story that explores horror and compassion in equal measure.

CCM’s student actors will perform alongside CSC actors Barry Mulholland, Kelly Mengelkoch, Geoffrey Barnes II and Billy Chace. All artists involved — from the actors on stage to the designers and technicians backstage — have the challenge of creating a performance that delivers both genuine emotion and genuine chills.

CCM’s Theater Design and Production team has some bloody special effects in store, including an edible heart. Audiences beware: there is a content advisory for Let The Right One In. The production is for mature audiences, and includes sexual situations, violence, blood and gore. The play is not appropriate for children 12 and under; parents strongly cautioned.

By Jack Thorne 
Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist

A collaboration with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) 

“Let The Right One In” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Estimated run time: 2 hours, plus a 15-minute intermission

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct 19
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct 20
  • ASL interpreting available during Friday, Oct. 20 performance. Please call the Box Office and specifically request ASL viewing seating.
• 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct 21*
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct 22
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct 26
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct 27
• 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct 28

*Parking Advisory: Due to the large number of on-campus events occurring on Oct. 21, UC Parking will only allow patrons with pre-paid parking to access the CCM Garage. If you do not purchase pre-paid parking, you will be directed to UC's Eden Garage on Oct. 21. Please expect heavier-than-normal traffic on and around campus that day.

Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village 
University of Cincinnati

Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available

 Experiencing the magic of CCM OnStage has never been easier! Purchase your tickets:

• Online at ccmonstage.universitytickets.com
• Over the phone at 513-556-4183
• In person at the CCM Box Office in the Atrium of UC's Corbett Center for the Performing Arts 

CCM’s Box Office hours are 1-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, and one hour prior to curtain for ticketed performances. Hours subject to change based on the University of Cincinnati calendar. Our Box Office staff is always ready to answer your questions by phone at 513-556-4183 or email at boxoff@uc.edu. 

CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.

Parking is available in UC's CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Effective July 1, 2023, all University of Cincinnati Parking Services locations will become cashless. Pay for parking securely with your credit/debit card. All major credit cards accepted.

CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15. Learn more about parking at UC's CCM Garage.

Parking Advisory: Due to the large number of on-campus events occurring on Oct. 21, UC Parking will only allow patrons with pre-paid parking to access the CCM Garage. If you do not purchase pre-paid parking, you will be directed to UC's Eden Garage on Oct. 21. Please expect heavier-than-normal traffic on and around campus that day.

For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.

There's more to explore — view CCM's full schedule of fall major events at ccm.uc.edu/onstage. 

Stay up to date on CCM news and events by subscribing to our Next OnStage email newsletter, which is published every other Wednesday. Visit ccm.uc.edu/subscribe to sign up for email updates.

Interested in early access to CCM's ticket sales? Join CCMpower and gain advanced access to spring event ticket sales in November. CCMpower members also receive 10% off general ticket prices for the full year. Learn more about CCMpower membership benefits.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit ccm.uc.edu/onstage.