What does it mean to be remembered as a muse rather than as an artist? How long would you wait for the chance to have your voice heard? 

These are questions asked in Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s Olivier Award-winning play Emilia, which imagines the life of Emilia Bassano, an Elizabethan poet whose legacy is clouded by speculated ties to William Shakespeare. CCM's Play Series presents Emilia on Feb 13-15, 2025, in Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

More than 400 years ago, Bassano published Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum, a volume that made her England’s first professional female poet. Despite her trailblazing, her own work is overshadowed by the theory identifying her as Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady,” the mysterious object of desire who is the focus of 25 of his sonnets.

Emilia recenters Bassano as the heroine of her own story — not the muse of someone else’s. The play premiered in 2018 at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, a recreation of the original Globe Theatre.

Despite following a character from Elizabethan England, the world of Emilia feels distinctly contemporary. “It is loosely set in the 1600s, but also set in 2025. We are blurring the lines between then and now,” says director Bridget Leak, CCM Instructor. The production features an all women-identifying cast and creative team, as well as original music that “morphs from the 1600s to a more contemporary feel,” continues Leak.

The play fleshes out Bassano’s life, many details of which have been lost to history, with imagination, humor and empathy. Though the story deals with painful and serious themes, the tone is exuberant, and often hilarious: in 2020, the West End production won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

Over the course of Emilia, the title role is passed between three actresses who portray the character at different life stages, each tracking the ways in which her life was shaped by society’s gender roles, and how she rebelled against them.

“It’s eerie how the words from the 1600s echo the political dialogue of today,” remarks Leak. “It’s a scary and dangerous world for women then and now. Taking the real, actual information we have about Emilia and fleshing her life out, beyond the footnote, is where the art lives and where we get a chance to make her story known.”

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 
• 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14* 
• 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 
• 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 

*ASL interpreting available during Friday, Feb. 14 performance. ASL viewing seating is available upon request by calling the Box Office at 513-556-4183 or emailing Box Office Manager Matthew Wilson. 

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 Tue-Fri from 1-5 p.m. 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. 

UC student, faculty & staff ticket options

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 are 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.

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

There's more to explore — view our full performance schedule by month or visit the CCM Box Office website to buy tickets. 

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