Four siblings grapple with childhood ghosts in this mystery by Pulitzer Prize-Winning playwright, Bess Wohl, September 10-26
Cincinnati, OH – Know Theatre of Cincinnati kicks off their 29th season with Bess Wohl’s haunting Make Believe, a sprawling family epic about four abandoned siblings in the far flung 1980s and, three decades later, their shell shocked adult counterparts, still recovering from a latchkey childhood. Written by the playwright of Know Theatre’s 2024 production Camp Siegfried and directed by Know Theatre Producing Artistic Director, Bridget Leak, Make Believe invites the audience into a nostalgia-cramped attic where the things that haunt us are never truly packed away, just resting under layers of dust, waiting for us to pick them up again.
The four Conlee kids arrive home from grade school, hungry and tired, but Mom is nowhere to be found and Dad is away on a business trip. From their attic playroom, the kids scrounge for snacks, play dress up, and try on the roles of “Mom” and “Dad,” all the while the phone downstairs won’t stop ringing. Thirty years later, the adult siblings – each at a crossroads in their lives – are reunited by tragedy, discovering details of their childhood that give new context, forcing them to question whether their past will continue to define their future.
“We just have to get through this.”
– MAKE BELIEVE
“This play is so important,” says director Bridget Leak, “because it’s asking if we have a choice in who we become, especially when we have a difficult origin story. In Make Believe we witness a moment in these characters’ collective past where their lives change irreparably, and the present where these lost adults are desperately trying to create a world that is in alignment with the inner child they’re each trying to nurture. They’re choosing to break a painful family cycle, and I think there’s a lot of hope in that.” Running September 10 – 26, 2026, on the Know Theatre MainStage.
Rating: PG-13
CW: Depiction of abandonment, discussion of addiction and sexual abuse
Run time: 80 minutes with no intermission
About the Cast
- Ryker Sohmer (Chris)
- Layla Rowley (Kate)
- Giselle Aagard (Addie)
- Bennet Kreit (Carl)
- Lillian Murphy (Emily & Kate/Addie Understudy)
- James Murphy (Chris/Carl Understudy)
- Leo Jenkins (Adult Chris)
- Merritt Beischel (Adult Kate)
- Tess Talbot (Adult Addie)
- Nathan Tubbs (Adult Carl)
Production Team: Bridget Leak (Director), Sam Reno (Scenic Designer), Marly Wooster (Lighting Designer), Noelle Wedig-Johnston (Costume Designer), Trey Tatum (Sound Designer), Rebecca Armstrong (Properties Designer), Ri Moodie (Fight Choreographer), Adler Tomeo (Assistant Director), Jayley Sams (Youth Actor Coordinator), and Drew Homan (Technical Director.) Production Stage Manager is Rebecca Armstrong.
Performance Information
MAKE BELIEVE runs September 10–26, 2026
Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
All evening performances are at 7:30pm, matinee performances are at 2pm.
Welcome Thursdays ($15 online tickets, Pay-What-You-Wish tickets one hour prior to curtain): September 17 & 24 at 7:30pm
Arts & Service Industry Night: Monday, September 21st at 7:30pm
ASL-interpretation on Friday, September 25th at 7:30pm
Ticket Information
Tickets may be purchased by phone at (513) 300-5669 or purchased online at https://www.knowtheatre.com/make-believe/
- Single Tickets: $40 ($38 plus $2 processing fee)
- Mainstage Subscription : $275
- Reserved Seating and Complimentary Concierge Service
- One ticket for each MainStage production (4 shows)
- Entry to all five Serials performances
- Two complimentary guest tickets to any MainStage Production throughout the season
- Two complimentary tickets to Cabaret Stage Programming (octKNOWber, Serials, etc)
- Discounted drink prices
- Discounted $30 tickets for additional guests
- First Access to Exclusive Know Theatre-produced Performances
- Flex Pass : $190
- Six MainStage tickets for the price of five ($228 value)
- Arts & Service Industry Mondays: $20 tickets for Arts and Service Industry Workers for MainStage productions
- Welcome Thursdays: Each Thursday during a MainStage production we offer $15 advance reservation tickets and Pay-What-You-Wish Walk-Up tickets an hour before the show.
Know Theatre of Cincinnati exists to build belonging through bold theatre.
Know Theatre is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding.
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 Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.
Know Theatre is a member of the League of Cincinnati Theatres and Theatre Communications Group.
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