“Glass meets his temple and EXPLODES!”
DICKLESS
by Aisha Josiah
January 27 – February 12, 2023
An internet rumor. An incriminating photo.
A heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled pursuit of revenge.
Know Theatre of Cincinnati prepares to bust through the winter blues with this electrifying dive into the seedy underbelly of a small Northern English town.
Saff’s best friend is being slandered online by her ex. Oli’s being blackmailed by a mysterious stalker who somehow knows his most-guarded secret. Smith Henry is broke and scrambling to pay off a debt that’s come due. They’re all out for revenge – but they’re about to learn that vengeance is wilder, bloodier, and far more unpredictable than they bargained for.
Dickless, the fourth production of our 25th Anniversary season, is a lightning-fast whirlwind through one single violent night in the underworld of Dunningham, England (pop. 3,230). Don’t let the small-town vibe fool you … it only looks idyllic on the surface.
Ride along with Saff and Oli as they dive down a rabbit hole in pursuit of revenge. Sure, they might both be craven, horny, slightly unwashed, and nearly feral, but they definitely know where you’ll find all the best action in town. Playwright Aisha Josiah will have you on the edge of your seat as this story upends social mores, gendered expectations, and everything you think you know about small-town life.
Director, actor, writer, and UC professor Brant Russell joins us to direct Dickless. Brant’s work as a director has been seen on our MainStage in Darkest Night at the Gnarly Stump (2016), The Man-Beast (2018), and In The Night Time (Before the Sun Rises) (2020); as an actor-musician, he appeared in Whisper House (2018), and audiences will see his playwriting work at the Know later this spring when his newest play Bankers closes out our MainStage season.
Dickless is presented at the Know following its world premiere at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For the first time, our production combines the text of that original production with Drowners, the companion play that Aisha Josiah wrote of the further adventures of Smith Henry and Titch, the antagonists of Dickless.
Why Dickless, right now?
“This is the show you’d get if you put My So-Called Life and Reservoir Dogs into a blender. It combines the kind of storytelling you’d get from The Moth with a story that unfolds in front of you in real time, in a showcase of style you’d only ever see at the Know. It digs into the question: when we’re all caught up in self-care and self-soothing as the only way we’re getting through the day, who’s being left unsupervised – and what are they getting up to?” – Brant Russell, Director of Dickless
Who is this show for?
Dickless is for anyone who craves excitement, who loves the exhilaration of a wild night out, or who (even just secretly) loves the messiest of other people’s personal dramas.
It’s for anyone who’s ever dreamed of being the protagonist in a criminal-underworld drama, a la the films of Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino.
It’s for all the people who have struggled with decisions about which parts of themselves to show the world. It’s for anyone who’s been hurt by someone they trusted, and who fantasized, even fleetingly, about revenge. It’s for people who know that even the most peaceful-seeming places buzz with activity under the surface, for those who know where to look.
It’s for you.
Get ready for a wild night. Here’s who you’ll meet at the party:
We welcome Tess Talbot back to the Know MainStage to play the dual role of revenge-plot conspirator Saff and volatile blackmail victim Oli. Tess has previously appeared at the Know in Listen for the Light (2017), Ada and the Engine (2018), Mercury (2019), Girl in the Red Corner (2019), and Shock!: The Spine-Tingling Tale of Miss Spidra (2021).
Also returning to the Know MainStage is Jared Earland as Smith Henry, the handsome but frankly dim bloke who finds himself in over his head as his smear campaign against an ex spirals out of his control. Jared was last seen on the Know Mainstage in 2019 as a “Puff” in our smash-hit wizard spoof Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.
Rounding out the cast is Sydni Charity Solomon in her Know Theatre debut as Titch, the little sister who’s out for revenge of her own. Sydni is a junior Acting student at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; we’re so pleased to welcome her to the Know.
Join us on this electrifying quest through the seedy forgotten places where we’ll seek justice … but we’re prepared to settle for revenge. Dickless runs January 27 – February 12, 2023, at the Know, and livestreams online on select dates.
Tickets are available on our website, knowtheatre.com, or by calling our box office at 513-300-5669.
CAST
- Tess Talbot as Saff/Oli
- Jared Earland as Smith Henry
- Sydni Charity Solomon as Titch
PRODUCTION TEAM
- Director: Brant Russell
- Lighting & Scenic Designer: Andrew J. Hungerford
- Costume Designer: Noelle Wedig-Johnston
- Sound & Projections Designer: Douglas J. Borntrager
- Props Designer: Danielle Robison
- Assistant Director: A.J. Baldwin
- Technical Director: Jim Stark
- Stage Manager: Grace Wohlschlegel
AT A GLANCE
Production: Dickless, by Aisha Josiah
Dates: January 27 – February 12, 2023. Wednesday – Saturday shows are at 8 PM; Sunday matinees are at 3 PM.
Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine.
Livestreaming on select dates TBA.
Themes: thriller · gender identity · street culture · anti-heroes
Tickets: The standard ticket price is $25. Audiences may opt to support the Know’s initiative to pay all artists and employees a living wage by selecting the $40 Living Wage Ticket.
Low-cost admission available for $15. On Wednesdays, as part of a program we call “The Welcome Experiment,” tickets are $5 in advance, or FREE at the door.
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. 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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