Music, Lyrics, and Book by:
Kennen Butler
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Artistically Developed by:
American Legacy Theatre
Playwrights for Change is a program made possible in part through the support of the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation and Greater Cincinnati Nonprofit News.
Thank you!
Producer’s Note
We at American Legacy Theatre (ALT) are thrilled to share the Ohio premiere of HIGHER by Mark Levine, arranged by Eric Knechtges, and developed by ALT in this space courtesy of our community partner, the Contemporary Arts Center. WELCOME!!
Over the course of dozens of free workshops for our community, attendees have asked us to address the topic of the opioid epidemic. While this is a challenging topic, the relevance is unquestionable. This is one way we empower voices for equity.
In HIGHER, Mark helps us better understand how the same sequence of experiences can lead to two completely different realities. His refinement of the work since its world premiere in 2021 has strengthened the storytelling, deepened the characters, and I believe will improve its significance for you and our region.
Thank you for taking the first critical step in changing the landscape of our community. The next step is to engage fully. As difficult as it may be, I encourage you to find one thing each character says that speaks to who you are and one thing that challenges what you believe. By moving outside of our comfort zone as individuals, we provide space to build empathy, and to grow as a community.
ALT is producing HIGHER as a marquee production to be developed in our In Communities program Playwrights for Change, supported in part by Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation. This program has me work 1:1 each week alongside a playwright who has an idea on how to engage all voices in a community-identified challenge. The work is further developed through two public-facing workshops on its way to being published. From there we look to produce its world premiere.
We are producing HIGHER again to exemplify how the artistic process doesn’t stop with a first production. We are producing HIGHER because it is critical for the community, as shared by the community. We are producing HIGHER to reduce stigma around addiction and mental health services. We are producing HIGHER to save lives.
I also encourage you to stretch your perspective on what theatre can be. Do one thing you've never done during a show experience: post a picture on social media, share your thoughts with someone you don't know, get up and dance, etc.
This is theatre for social change. This is #YourNationalTheatre.
Playwright’s Note
HIGHER is a love story.
A tremendous amount of love went into creating every aspect of this show. And the story itself, at its core, is a story about love.
When addiction grips a family love can be hard to find. It's easier to focus on the drama "downstream" and lose sight of what's causing the problem "upstream." The words inside ones head, and spoken out loud are often anything but words of love.
My hope is that HIGHER will promote a discussion that changes internal, and interpersonal dialogue. One out of two Americans admit to having a family member or friend with a substance abuse problem. It's likely much higher than that.
Counseling individuals challenged by substance use and their family members, l've encountered the basic story presented in HIGHER many times. There are multiple meanings to the title of this show. There's one particular dimension that goes to the heart of the potential for those in recovery, or what I choose to call “discovery.”
If you or someone you love could benefit from learning how to access this dimension, please contact me through my website Mindsatpeace.net. There you will also find videos, my blog, a free ebook, and a link to discussion questions based on the show to further enhance your conversation on the way home, and for weeks to come. (But don’t peek at the questions until AFTER the show!!)
When you leave the theater today humming the music, take time to reflect on how you view a family member, the person holding a sign, or passing you on the street, or applying for a job with a spotty resume. There's another piece to their story. At each moment ask yourself, "What can I do to reduce stigma and its deadly impact?" Change starts here, inside you.
With love,
Mark
Director’s Note
“This being human, oh, it’s messy, but one thing’s true. If you step inside the arena, you have the chance to be you. Be alive!”
Living is not merely breathing. Living is done by experiencing that which is around you. For most of us, it seems we seek experiences that bring love, happiness, and belonging. Yet, sometimes we all find that pursuit leads us down a path of heartache, pain, and isolation. Did we intentionally seek negative experiences? My belief is a resounding ‘no.’
Despite our best efforts, hurtful things happen to each of us and that has a ripple effect on those we hold most dear. That sounds pretty messy to me.
What’s even more challenging is that as people come in and out of our lives whether for years at a time or just tonight when experiencing HIGHER you are unaware of the messiness that is happening in the person’s life immediately to your right or left. They seem so put together; and they are. However they also are so much more than you see at this moment; almost like an iceberg with tha majority existing beneath the surface.
This production is exploring that exact reality in a physical manifestation. There will be many times where you do not get the full picture of a person, of a moment, or even a song. This allows you the opportunity to create alongside the artists who built this experience to fill in the gaps with your assumptions, your dreams, and your imagination.
My hope is that as you experience this black and white world you begin to uncover some of your own absolutes, challenge them, and find the beauty in the colorful spectrum as you experience more that which is around you tonight.
And regardless of how you end up feeling after this experience, know that it likely began with the pursuit of love, happiness, and belonging. I urge you to carry that forward and see how that, unto itself, changes how you experience the world around you. You can make a world of a difference.
Be alive! Go HIGHER!
Song List
ACT I
Welcome In
Boom Pop Part 1
Boom Pop Part 2
Post Funeral/What’s Up Bookie?
Boom Pop Part 3
Bang Yo Beat Part 1
Bang Yo Beat Part 2
Morning Huddle I
What’s Up Bookie (Reprise)
Play Cousin
Before The Party
Boom Pop Part 4
Groove
My Prayer For You
Go Off
ACT II
Welcome In (Reprise)
All For What?
Morning Huddle II
What’s Not To Love
Monolith
Boom Pop Finale
Lead Creative Artists
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Kennen Butler
PLAYWRIGHT, COMPOSER, LYRICIST
Kennen is a NYC-based performer-composer, director, choreographer, and storyteller born in Flint, MI, but raised in Newburgh, NY. Their cross-genre career spans musical theatre and commercial music. A proud member of Actors Equity, their diverse theatre credits include the revival of Seussical the Musical Off-Broadway/Tour (Wickersham), Hairspray (u/s Seaweed), Tommy (u/s Acid Queen), Diary of a Payphone (Original Cast Recording), Aida (Mereb), Urinetown (Senator Fipp), Legally Blonde (Emmett), Knock Down Drag Out (Zonna), and Songs for a New World (Man 1) among others. They spent time as a background vocalist for acts like Toby Beau. Abroad, they served as a Creative Consultant for Universal Studios Osaka as well as being a swing for the company. They would also serve as director/choreographer for a Japanese production company called Team Utsubo where they mounted revue musicals in both English and Japanese.
While their love for harmony and stories would be their entry point into music and musicaltheatre, it would be their experiences navigating being black in environments that undervalue you and being nonbinary in a time were there wasn’t a word or place for you that sparked their interest in adding their voice to the current musical climate. Under the name “Kennen Jakhan & the Story” they performed their original English and Japanese commercial music around Osaka and the south of Japan before making the transition back to the United States. They are currently a playwright and composer for American Legacy Theatre’s In Home program to write, compose, and perform one person shows in a week’s time. They graduated magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston where they studied Contemporary Writing and Production with a double minor in Musical Theatre Writing and Vocal Pedagogy. They have returned to NYC to pursue their masters in Musical Theatre Writing at NYU Tisch.
“ALT has been an incredibly safe space for me. I was given room to grow and stretch as myself. Often in this life, others will mold me into the voice they wish me to use. At ALT, I have been able to use my own voice and through that give back to the communities I’m apart of and beyond.”
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Matthew David Gellin
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, DESIGNER
Matthew has successfully acted and directed across the country, in Europe, and in Asia.
Matthew is proud to have served as a U.S. representative at the UNESCO
International Theatre Institute Research Lab in Romania. He was named a Promising Artist of the 21st Century by the International Arts and Cultural Exchange, and he has published papers on directorial theory in international peer-reviewed journals. He has also been recognized as one of Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40.His financial background includes serving as U.S. delegate to the People’s Republic of China for foreign business affairs and and serving on the Association of Fundraising Professionals Foundation for Philanthropy USA Board of Directors.
Now, he looks to lift American theatre back to the top of the world’s stage.
“The power of theatre that has not yet been leveraged completely. It’s the idea of how can we get to a point where wars can be stopped and people can be brought together into a world of true equity because of the power of theatre. How do we truly make an impact in positive way for ALL voices and ALL people? We, at A.L.T. give them a voice and bring that voice to the forefront to be heard.”
THE ALT FOUNDER’S CIRCLE
Melissa & Chris Bauer
Slade & Marcia Gellin
MC & Tom Brennan
John Kirchgraber
Samantha & Matthew Gellin
Founder's Circle members commit at least $10,000 cumulatively over the course of four consecutive years.
To learn more about joining the Founder's Circle please contact donate@americanlegacytheatre.org
Cast + Crew
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Vee Gibson
JERICA
“I am deeply honored to join American Legacy Theater, an institution dedicated to using the power of storytelling to create safe spaces where audiences can confront realities, embrace diverse narratives, and spark vital conversations. I look forward to being a part of this movement—one that doesn’t just entertain but transforms hearts, minds, and communities.”
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Burgandie Roshjai
LYNN
“This is my second time working with ALT. And I must say it is without fail that I walk away learning something new about myself as an individual and as an actor every time. ALT allows for a safe space to fail… but encourages you to get back up and continue growing. And that’s what I love about ALT.”
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Dominique Owen
BOOKIE
“ALT is keeping the arts alive and I’m honored to be a part of that legacy.”
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Anna Ashburn
MINDI
“ALT elevates voices that need to be heard, promites greater empathy and understanding, and truly feels like family by creating a safe space to play and tell stories that are relevant and powerful.”
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Kayla Vogel
VALERIE
“The mission of ALT makes it an exciting organization to work with. Theatre is an incredible way to showcase under told stories and experiences, and "Bridge City" is definitely a story that needs to be shared.”
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Kammeron Frost
DEJA
“I deeply believe in music as one of the greatest forms to communicate emotions, conversation, actions, and reflections from anywhere to anyone in terms of life. I enjoy that ALT uses art to outreach communities about topics regarding our current world and social situations.”
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Garrett H.T. Steagall
IGGY, ARTIST #2, JOHN
“ALT believes in me, engages me with diverse opportunities, and creates impactful art that enriches lives and connects our community."
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Robert Carlton Stimmel
CEO, MICHAEL
“ALT is a place where artists and community members of all different walks of life can come together and feel like they are being seen and heard. The work that ALT does for this city and this area are unlike any other places I’ve worked and I love being a part of sharing these stories with the community I love so much.”
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Tangie Wyatt
MOM
“I appreciate ALT's commitment to impactful work and its collaborative spirit with not only we the actors; but with the community as well.”
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Avery Hammonds
DAD, BUSINESS PERSON #2, EMCEE
“I’m working with ALT because it aligns with a deeper purpose: using the arts not as an escape, but as a lens through which we see ourselves more clearly and take action. ALT brings forward voices that are often unheard, histories that are often ignored, and perspectives that challenge complacency. ALT proves that theatre isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. In a time when meaningful dialogue can feel rare and disconnected, ALT builds spaces where empathy thrives and change begins. It’s not just about entertainment—it’s about legacy, justice, and community. That’s why ALT.”
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Colin Waters
JAMES, LAWYER, SCOTT
"ALT strives to produce new works and theatre for social change at a time when our country needs it now more than ever."
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Anita Anderson
SWANKY GUEST #1, ARTIST #1
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Constance Kavensky
REMY, BUSINESS PERSON #2
“Why ALT? Because we need to talk about real sh*t!”
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Allison Rogers
SWANKY GUEST #2, RECEPTIONIST
“ALT uses art to enrich lives, build empathy, and bring us together as a community. Every show is important and meaningful.“
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Elijah Webster
STAGE MANAGER
“When I needed to feel empowered the most, American Legacy Theatre came to me and lifted me up as a student. Now, I strive to do everything in my power to bring that same life-altering experience to as many people as possible. I am so lucky to get to be a part of a team of people that are all so passionate about making theatre and art accessible, empowering, and as effective as possible.”
The Band
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Stan Ginn
CAJON
“My experiences with ALT have all left me feeling a little bit better than I did before. “
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Sherry McCamley
PIANO
“Why ALT? I enjoy the challenge of doing new works!”
Special Thanks
Family and Friends Supporters
Cheryl Kreindler
Scott Joseph
Amber Gallagher
Rachel Rasmussen
American Legacy Theatre's work is made possible in part through continuing operating support from the Ohio Arts Council, and by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding.
