The company will finally produce the educator favorite in October, partnering with Xavier University's theater program. That will take the Young Adult Series out of the cavernous Taft Theatre and into Xavier's beautiful new 350-seat facility, set to open in April. (The Taft never has been a good match for Children Theatre's shows, at least not for the kids in the back rows.)

        “It will lend itself to more intimate presentation and it will make shows more accessible to young audiences,” Children's Theatre artistic director Jack Louiso says.

        He pointed out that Children's Theatre has an historic relationship with Xavier — the late Otto Kvapil was both a director of the company and on the faculty at the university.

        Mockingbird looks like a win-win.

        The Children's Theatre has booked several school performance dates during the Oct. 17-26 run. Xavier's theater program will benefit by casting students among local professionals in the production. Children's Theatre veterans Mary Tensing will direct; Jay Depenbrock will design.

        Mockingbird looks at prejudice and ethical dilemmas through the eyes of children. “It's always been our most requested show,” Mr. Louiso says.

        The drama is so popular that it had two productions in the '90s, by Playhouse in the Park and Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA).

        Two productions were under discussion for next season. CAA and its collaborators were well into the talking stage when they learned of Children's Theatre's plans and stepped back.

        Information: 569-8080, Ext. 15.

        Ready to show off its new theater, Xavier Players plans to introduce an annual summer musical beginning with The Fantasticks. Details to be announced.

        "Ark' triumph: Long before Mockingbird — this week, in fact — Children's Theatre embarks on another collaboration.

        Madcap Productions steps in with a menagerie of almost two dozen giant puppets — chimps, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, a 10-foot snake, even elephants — for Noah's Ark, the second musical David Kisor and Joe McDonough have written this season for Children's Theatre. (They're also the guys who wrote Ensemble holiday musical The Adventures of Pinocchio.)

        Madcap artistic director Jerry Handorf has been providing young puppeteers with instruction — holding your wrist just so inside the puppet body (it's harder than you'd think) and making sure the puppets are looking where they're supposed to (also harder than you'd think).

        He sets a keen eye to loping (tigers) versus galloping (zebras) and making sure the royal blue chimps skim just above the surface of the ground rather than walking on it.

        Mr. Louiso says the two companies have been looking for a way to do a production together for a long time.

        Building the supporting cast of puppets has been an ark-sized endeavor (the elephants took three weeks each) even as Madcap prepares for a March 16 grand opening celebration and open house (noon-6 p.m.) at its new Madcap Puppet Center (3316 Glenmore Ave., Westwood).

        Public performances of Noah's Ark will be 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and next Sunday. Tickets $16, $14 and $5. Call 562-4949 or order at www.ticketmaster.com.

        Town meeting: The quarterly town meeting on the arts is set for 7 p.m. March 11 at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati (1127 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine).

        If you made it to the first one, signed up to volunteer and weren't contacted, organizers Cathy Springfield and D. Lynn Meyers apologize and say you won't be disappointed again. Start-up was a heftier undertaking than they expected, but committees and chairpeople are now in place. “By the time the meeting ends, we want to have people connected where they want to be,” Ms. Springfield says.

        The meeting will include an update and committee reports. Ms. Springfield says the “citizens alliance” will be a part of cincinnatiarts.com. “That will make it easier to stay in touch between quarterly meetings,” she promises.

        They would like a head count: If you're planning to attend call ETC at 421-3555.

        "Mind' games: Opening this week: Ovation Theatre puts some local faves, including Carolmarie Stock and Dennis Murphy, on stage for Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind, opening Friday.

        Uproariously funny Mr. Ayckbourn is in a more serious frame of mind for this black comedy, about an unhappy middle-aged wife who starts losing track of fantasy and reality after a whack on the head from a garden rake.

        Woman continues through March 16 at the Aronoff's Fifth Third Bank Theater. Box office: 241-7469.

        • Ted Weil likes one-acts and he likes playwright Romulus Linney. “He's an extraordinary writer with a wonderfully accessible style but very few theatergoers have ever had the chance to see one of his plays.”

        So Falcon Productions opens Under the Surface: Two Revelations from Romulus Linney on Friday, continuing through March 23 at Westwood Town Hall (Harrison at Montana avenues).

        Opener Why the Lord Come to Sand Mountain is about a holy visit to Appalachia. F.M. is set in a Southern community college where a class presents their writing assignments. Judy Berrens directs Judy Malone, Tracy Schoster, Angel Zachel and Mr. Weil.

        Call 481-9042.

        • Not opening: Queen City Off-Broadway postpones Master Harold . . . and the Boys, announced to open next weekend Upstairs at Carol's, until next season.

        “Casting difficulties,” artistic director Lyle Benjamin says, sighing. He says he's toying with the idea of wrapping up the current season with In Trousers by March of the Falsettos' William Finn.

        "Grand' lineup: Fans of Northern Kentucky Summer Dinner Festival can mark their calendars for the 2002 shows. Rodgers and Hammerstein revue A Grand Night for Singing opens the season (July 5-21), followed by Noel Coward's ghostly comedy Blithe Spirit (July 25-Aug. 4).

        Bicentennial project: Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton has been awarded $33,000 from Theatre Communications Group for a collaboration with the “Wallpaper Project” to (according to TCG) “create a dramatic work celebrating Ohio's Bicentennial.”

        The project will send playwright Eric Coble throughout the state to compile material. The finished play will tour 40 Ohio communities in 2003.

        Mum's the word from Human Race. “It's big,” theater rep Jacquie Vance promises.

        Instrumental to success: The ninth annual LINKS collection days are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. next Sunday at Kenwood Towne Centre.

        LINKS (Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids) brings together used instruments and young musicians in elementary and middle school bands and orchestras throughout the region as well as those in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's Preparatory Department.

        Instruments don't have to be in perfect condition. Buddy Roger's Music has taken on the job of restoring, cleaning and tuning for almost a decade. Gifts are tax deductible.

        Buddy Roger's Music accepts donations for LINKS year-round, but do check out the show at Kenwood, where young performers are booked every hour near the food court.
        Contact Jackie Demaline by phone: 768-8530; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: jdemaline@enquirer.com.
       

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