Know Theatre of Cincinnati Announces 25th Anniversary Season

Come with them on a season-long adventure about what it means to be alive, how our lives intertwine, and more.

By: May. 26, 2022
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Know Theatre of Cincinnati Announces 25th Anniversary Season

Know Theatre's twenty-fifth MainStage season will whisk you from the Grand Canyon to small-town England, hunt for magic in the Seattle streets and the Texas plains, and unravel secrets hiding in your household items and in post-apocalyptic forests - all within the walls of their 99-seat black box theatre in Over-the-Rhine.


Come with them on a season-long adventure about what it means to be alive, how our lives intertwine, what the risk of truly living can be, and (most importantly) What We Owe to Each Other.

The Know's 25th Anniversary Mainstage Season

"It's no small thing, when your drug dealer dumps you.
I would think it occasions a self-reflection."

They kick things off with Sunrise Coven, by Brendan Borque-Sheil, a sharp-tongued comedy about healers, healing, pharmaceuticals, and witchcraft in a little town that's just barely hanging on. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters, Sunrise Coven was a finalist in Southwest Theatre Company's "Plays With A Strong Female Lead" competition in 2020. It runs on our MainStage August 5 - 21, 2022.

"I need - I don't know if I know what I need."

In it's not a trip it's a journey, by Charly Evon Simpson, pack up for a cross-country road trip with your four new best friends. It'll be a journey that tests and strengthens their bonds as they explore their own ways of being Black, femme, and American. Directed by Northern Kentucky University's Daryl Harris, it's not a trip it's a journey runs September 23 - October 9, 2022. They are producing it's not a trip it's a journey as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, alongside productions at Round House Theatre (Bethesda, MD) and Good Company Theatre (Ogden, UT). For more information, please visit nnpn.org.

"I used to think it was a better choice to hide /
You took my hand and reminded me of who I am inside."

When the season turns cold, Know will heat things up with a new indie-rock musical called Lizard Boy, by Justin Huertas. This thrilling queer fable, inspired by comics and packed with music, monsters, and adventure, is a timely reminder of the restorative powers of loving and being loved. Directed by Lindsey Augusta Mercer (director of 2015's Girlfriend), Lizard Boy runs November 18 - December 11, 2022.

"Glass meets his temple and EXPLODES!"

An internet rumor. An incriminating photo. A heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled pursuit of revenge. Join them as they bust through the winter blues with this electrifying dive into the seedy underbelly of rural England: Dickless, by Aisha Josiah, running January 27 - February 12, 2023. Directed by College-Conservatory of Music's Brant Russell.

"Absolute Cleanliness is Godliness!"

In the spring, they'll present All-One! The Doctor Bronner's Play, by Beth Hyland. Join a riotous celebration of life's darkness and light, as seen through the lens of the only soap that's ever made you want to read the label, top-to-bottom. Cincy Fringe favorites Erika Kate MacDonald and Paul Strickland team up to create an unforgettable theatrical experience. This extremely-unauthorized-by-Dr.-Bronner's production will run March 10 - March 26, 2023.

"Given the condition of the world, I feel it's important people
treat each other with dignity."

What do you do when you think you and your town are the last people on Earth - and then it gets worse? They'll close the season with the world premiere of the post-apocalyptic Bankers,written by Cincinnati playwright Brant Russell and directed by the Know's Producing Artistic Director, Andrew J. Hungerford. This world premiere began its life as a developmental production at the 2019 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, and runs April 21 - May 14, 2023.

Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford sums up the season like this:


"A big anniversary has us thinking a lot about the idea of community, on small and large scales, how we connect, how we care for our fellow humans, and what our social responsibilities are. This season we have a collection of shows that explore the multiplicity of those connections, in a diverse array of styles befitting the Know's history. We'll be working with old friends and new collaborators. We'll be putting work on stage that Cincinnati has never seen before. It's exactly the kind of season we owe to each other for our 25th season. What a great privilege it is that we get to share it with you."

The 20th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival

This season is a watershed moment for the Know - not only does it mark a quarter-century of theatrical innovation on our MainStage, but it also marks the 20th Anniversary of Cincinnati's Summer Theatre Party, the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.

After its joyful return to form in 2022, Cincy Fringe will celebrate twenty years of building community through the thrill of experimental art in 2023. Applications will open in autumn 2022, with the Festival's Primary Lineup announced in April.

Serials!

No Know season would be complete without the return of their Monday Night Theatre Party. Serials! is their biweekly romp through the newest of the new locally-created plays - all unfolding episodically (like TV, but live onstage!).

Every other Monday from January through March, 2023, you can join them in the "Underground" (their cabaret stage with full bar) for five 15 minute episodes of new plays by local writers. Then, YOU get to vote to see which three shows get to continue their story for the next week's event!

Want to become a Serials! writer? Submissions open later this summer!

Get in the Know:

Single Tickets for all MainStage shows will go on sale JUNE 13!

This year, you can choose the ticket price that fits your budget - $15 if you need it, $25 for an average price, and $40 if you want to help ensure a living wage for all.

The Welcome Experiment

Ticket prices should never keep you from taking a chance on a show at the Know. That is why they are proud to bring back The Welcome Experiment: their Wednesday MainStage performances where anyone can reserve a ticket in advance for $5, or get a ticket at the door completely free of charge (subject to availability). Come see a show at the Know - you're welcome here!

Become a Subscriber!

Want to sample a few shows this season? Our Flex Pass subscription for $110 lets you pick 6 entries to any MainStage or Second Stage event throughout the season, in any combination you like - and it never expires!

Want to see it all? We have an Annual Membership for $250 that is valid for one full year from time of purchase and includes your admission to every MainStage and Second Stage event. You'll also get priority seating at MainStage events, artist-priced drinks at the bar, and access to special Members Only experiences throughout the season.

(Plus, your Annual Membership goes a long way to helping them maintain a living wage for MainStage artists - thank you!)

Season 25 begins in August - Let's Play!

Know Theatre is Cincinnati's Theatrical Playground.

The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.



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