By Jackie Demaline
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The curtain has come down on talks between Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati and the City of Covington about moving the theater's main stage season to the historic Odd Fellows Hall, now under renovation following a fire in May 2002.

Time became an issue, says Covington Mayor Butch Callery, with the 2004-05 ETC season set to begin in September.

Callery says that he and Ensemble artistic director D. Lynn Meyers were still discussing other options as recently as Tuesday, and that he believes ETC would be willing to move to Covington for the 2005-06 season.

Callery says he'd still like to see the renovated Odd Fellows be used by a performing arts company, to be an anchor to a planned arts district surrounding Pike and Madison streets.

Ensemble had put a $3 million price tag for moving its six-play season to Covington. Callery says "substantial commitments" had come in, but not the full amount.

He remains optimistic. "I think people underestimate the interest Northern Kentucky has in the arts. A big league theater over here would be supported."