Monthly Archives: December 2014

KNOW THEATRE’S ADAPTATION SEASON CONTINUES WITH
THE HANDMAID’S TALE

By Margaret Atwood
Adapted for the stage by Joe Stollenwerk

Directed by Brian Isaac Phillips
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum

Corinne Mohlenhoff in 2011 production fof THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Photo by Rich Sofranko.

In the near future, what’s left of the United States has become a theocracy known as the Republic of Gilead. As with many women in Gilead, Offred has had her name and family taken from her and been forced to become a Handmaid, a vessel for population growth, valued only for her viable ovaries. Amidst the oppressive new regime, and armed with memories of life before the revolution, Offred struggles to maintain her individuality, personhood, and hope for a better possible future.

Know Theatre presents THE HANDMAID’S TALE, Margaret Atwood’s dystopian masterpiece of speculative fiction, adapted for the stage by Cincinnati native, Joe Stollenwerk, January 23-February 21, 2015.

TTHE HANDMAID’S TALE is directed by CSC’s Brian Isaac Phillips and stars Corinne Mohlenhoff as Offred. Creating the world for the show is Know Theatre’s resident design team: scenic and lighting designer Andrew Hungerford, Costume Designer Noelle Wedig, and Sound Designer Doug Borntrager.

“I first read THE HANDMAID’S TALE in a course on feminism and utopia/dystopia in literature in 2002. This was in the wake of 9/11 and it seemed that our country might all too easily be teetering on the brink of something reminiscent of Gilead from this novel. I immediately began thinking about turning it into a play,” says adapter Joe Stollenwerk. The first draft of the script, completed in 2006, was well over six hours long. “I cut, and cut, and cut, always trying to be mindful that I wanted to preserve the plot and characters but also the social/political commentary as well as the marvelous language Atwood employs.”

The resulting script was originally workshopped at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company with a reading in 2009, and produced at CSC as a dark night production in 2011.

Know Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford says, “When I designed the lighting for THE HANDMAID’S TALE at CSC in 2011, I was incredibly moved by what we were able to create using limited equipment and the set from another show. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to have Brian and Corinne join our team at the Know to bring this story to a wider audience in a fully realized, dedicated production. It’s also a great fit for Know’s commitment to second productions of plays and our development of local works.”

Cast: Offred – Corinne Mohlenhoff*

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.

Production Team

• Director – Brian Isaac Phillips
• Scenic & Lighting Design – Andrew Hungerford
• Costume Design – Noelle Wedig
• Sound Design – Doug Borntrager
• Design and Production Associate – Sarah Beth Hall
• Technical Director – Nick Koehlke

Calendar Listing

Production:   THE HANDMAID’S TALE by Margaret Atwood, adapted for the stage by Joe Stollenwerk

When:             8:00pm January 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31; February 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21

3:00pm January 25; February 1, 8, 15

Where:            Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.

Tickets:          $20 in advance

$10 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)

FREE performances on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment initiative. Subject to availability. Please note that pre-reserved Welcome Experiment tickets must be claimed 15 minutes before the performance or be subject to redistribution.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW).

One-year sustaining memberships are available for $20/month or $240.

Since 1997, Know Theatre has been dedicated to creating explosive and evocative live entertainment. We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow. 

Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving. 

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.