In its 2018-2019 season, the Know Theatre stared down our fears with our season-long theme of “Fear Itself.” When faced with darkness, what can we do but keep up the fight? We stand together as we unveil our theme for the coming season: “The Fight.”
In the 2019-2020 season, we invite you to stand alongside us as we fight for ourselves, for our family, for our friends, for the world. We take control. We fight for the future. We find our magic, chase the light, and heal our wounds. We fight for truth. We fight to Know.
Welcome to the Know’s twenty-second MainStage Season:
GIRL IN THE RED CORNER by Stephen Spotswood
Directed by Tamara Winters
July 26-August 17, 2019
Unemployed, fresh off a dead-end marriage, and searching for a way to take control of her life, Halo walks into a gym and signs up for mixed martial arts lessons. Her trainer thinks she’s a light-weight. Her mother and sister think it’s just plain weird. Very quickly the lessons she learns in the ring bleed into the rest of her life and Halo finds herself battling against everyone around her.
As she prepares for her first match, Halo realizes that life inside the cage and outside the cage are disturbingly similar. And that the only way to survive either is to fight.
10 words or less: Warrior woman remakes herself and her world.
Rated: Probably PG-13.
THE ABSENTEE by Julia Doolittle
Directed by TBA
September 13-October 5, 2019
Far out in the Milky Way, “Beacons” serve as lighthouses for warping spaceships around the galaxy. When a U.S. Space Forces ship explodes near Beacon 44.AR.90, its Operator finds herself alone in deep space with only her ship’s A.I. for companionship. That is, until a persistent canvasser calls, desperate to convince her to vote absentee in the 2088 election.
A semi-finalist for the Relentless award, and winner of the 2019-2020 Woodward/Newman Drama Award.
10 words or less: In space you can’t outrun grief. Or love. Or duty.
Rated: PG-13.
PUFFS, OR SEVEN INCREASINGLY EVENTFUL YEARS AT A CERTAIN SCHOOL OF MAGIC AND MAGIC by Matt Cox
Directed by Andrew Hungerford
Regional Premiere!
November 22-December 21, 2019
Heroes. Made. Not Born. Except sometimes they are born. On a gloomy night in a far away magical land called: England. Follow a trio of friends, three Puffs, as they study magic at school of female magic and male magic concurrent with a certain boy wizard and his friends.
Magic, sports, and a battle against evil in a hilarious new play for anyone who’s ever felt like they weren’t the hero of their story.
10 words or less: #ThirdOrNothing
Rated: PG-13.
IN THE NIGHT TIME (BEFORE THE SUN RISES) by Nina Segal
US Premiere
Directed by TBA
January 17-February 8, 2020
A baby cries. A bottle breaks. A window smashes. In the small hours of the night, a couple try to soothe their screaming infant – but as the hours grow longer, the world becomes elastic around them, and the horrors that scar our planet threaten to crash into the baby’s room.
Should they ever have brought this child into such a wounded world?
10 words or less: How do you make it through the night?
rated: PG-13.
ALABASTER by Audrey Cefaly
National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
Directed by TBA
February 28-March 21, 2020
A noted photographer sets out to explore the topography of “scars.” Her journey lands her in the mysterious realm of an undiscovered folk artist hiding away in North Alabama.
A beautiful new play that explores what it means to be truly “seen,” how we pick up the pieces, how we move forward and how we heal. Narrated by a goat.
10 words or less: Show our scars together.
Rated: PG-13.
LASSO OF TRUTH by Carson Kreitzer
Directed by Tamara Winters
April 17-May 9, 2020
Who is Wonder Woman and where did she come from? Lasso of Truth explores the knotty origin story of our preeminent female superhero, created by William Marston, inventor of the first lie-detector machine. This smart, seductive, wild ride features the two women Marston lived with in a polyamorous relationship – both of whom inspired the famous character – plus a girl in search of answers about her childhood heroine, and a guy trying to hold on to his prized first issue.
10 words or less: The intoxicating appeal of (super)power(s).
Rated: R.
Behind-the-Scenes in Season 22
Gender Parity
The Know is committed to gender parity in the playwrights we produce, as well as in the makeup of our creative teams. Season 22 is our fourth season in a row with at least 50% of the plays in the MainStage season written by women. Additionally, this season marks the third in a row where 60% or more onstage roles are specifically for female or non-binary actors.
Nationally, only 30% of new plays produced in the 2018-19 season were written by women (up from 26% in 2017-18). We believe that it is part of our ongoing responsibility to change that statistic.
Accessibility
In our continuing efforts to make theatre accessible, regardless of economic circumstance, we are keeping our base ticket price for MainStage shows at just $25, with $15 rush tickets for anyone 10 minutes before curtain as long as seats are available. We’re also continuing our Welcome Experiment for Wednesday night performances, with $10 tickets available for advance reservation, and half of the seats available as walk up tickets, free of charge. The cost of a ticket inherently limits who is able to attend live theatre, and we believe that theatre should be for everyone.
Living Wage
Know Theatre is committed to efforts to pay all artists in our MainStage season a living wage. In order to help make that possible, we also offer a $35 living wage ticket for those patrons of higher economic means. Artist pay defines who gets to make theatre, and by continually pushing to increase wages, we help empower voices that would otherwise be silenced.
And here’s what Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford has to say about Season 22:
“When we settled on the theme Fear Itself for our 21st season, we knew that we’d need to follow it up with something equally compelling, and equally drawn from the zeitgeist.
To me, The Fight is not just about the themes that we’re putting on stage, it’s about what we’re doing behind the scenes.
How do we combat economic inequality through the art we make? How do we ensure that everyone gets paid a fair wage? How do we fight for more underrepresented voices? How do we get a better quality of life for all? As a small theatre company that’s continually challenged with doing more with ever fewer resources, how do we change the world?
And how, while doing all that, do we make the best work possible for our community?
I think the plays we have in this season encompass all those thoughts in a beautiful way. So maybe we won’t change the whole world, but in this collection, I think we’ve got at least one show this season that can change your world. And that’s the first step.
Let’s keep fighting.
See you at the Know.”
Tickets and subscriptions are on-sale now at knowtheatre.com.
About Know Theatre
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.
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.
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THE CRUCIBLE
9 TO 5 The Musical
LEGALLY BLONDE
The Loveland Stage Company has begun production of its summer children’s musical BUGSY MALONE JR which opens on July 12 and continues for two weekends. Director Pia Rider is using her experience to skillfully unify a young (ages 8 to 18 years) and talented cast which is delightfully frolicking through this hilarious musical. In addition to coaching the young performers, award-winning members of the Loveland Stage Company are teaching children hands on technical skills in producing and presenting a stage show. Bugsy Malone is a musical for kids by kids to be enjoyed by kids at heart!
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 