Tickets now on sale for performances Sept. 12 through Oct. 11
CINCINNATI (Aug. 28, 2026) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will kick of their 2026-27 season with HEIST, presented by MC and Tom Brennan. A high-tech thriller, Heist begins performances in Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 12 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
This pulse-pounding caper for the stage features aerial acrobatics, rapid-fire sound cues, lasers and state-of-the-art projections alongside clever surprises and plenty of laughs – promising to take audiences on a fun and thrilling ride.
Heist is directed by Blake Robison, the Playhouse’s Osborn Family Producing Artistic Director. Robison is entering his 15th season at the Playhouse in 2026-27, making him one of the most-tenured arts leaders in Cincinnati.
“First and foremost, it’s fun,” said Robison about the production. “We need a little pure entertainment right now. Also, Heist allows us to show off the capabilities of our new Playhouse. It’s a high-tech show with lasers, actors who fly, and more projections than we’ve ever done at the Playhouse. A great way to kick off the new season!”
Inspired by movies like Ocean’s Eleven, Now You See Me and The Usual Suspects, this theatrical caper is a high-tech mystery for the stage. When Marvin assembles a team of professional thieves to pull off one last job, the heist goes sideways into a web of danger, betrayal and double crosses. What follows is a high-octane production that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Heist playwright Arun Lakra is an India-born, Calgary-based writer of both plays and screenplays. In addition to his creative endeavors, he’s an ophthalmologist.
“The most gratifying thing about Heist is that it seems to be attracting a new cohort of folks in addition to traditional theatregoers,” Lakra said. “Young people — students, young folks in their 20s and 30s …. It’s kind of a “gateway drug” to the theatre. And if plays like Heist can bring a new generation into the theatre, I think that would be fantastic.”
ARTISTS
Cast
- Marvin Brian Vaughn*
- Ryan Alex Purcell*
- Angie Jessica Fishenfeld*
- Kruger Brian Thomas Abraham*
- Fiona Angel Lin*
- The Spider Kate Goehring*
Creative Team
- Playwright Arun Lakra
- Director Blake Robison
- Set Designer Tim Mackabee
- Costume Designer Shahrzad Mazaheri
- Lighting Designer Jaymi Lee Smith
- Sound Designer/Composer Matthew M. Nielson
- Projection Designer Joe Payne
- Fight/Intimacy Directors Sordelet Inc: Rick Sordelet & Christian Kelly-Sordelet
- Associate Director Brendon Fox
- Casting Director Stephanie Klapper, CSA
- Stage Manager Andrea L. Shell*
- Assistant Stage Manager Brandon T. Holmes*
- Production Assistant Erin Speno-Stout
- Co-Producers Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and Gulfshore Playhouse
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
TICKETS
Tickets from $39, depending on seat location and performance day.
Preview performances take place on Sept. 12, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. Prices vary depending on performance. Opening performance is Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances will take place on Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A matinee performance will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit cincyplay.com. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.
EVENTS
Preview Performances: Be among the first to see the show before opening night and save! Preview performance tickets are discounted.
- Sat., Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- Tue., Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
- Wed., Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights!
- Thu., Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
College Night: Join other students who love theatre for College Night! Enjoy an exclusive pre-show gathering with an artist from the production. College students can purchase advance tickets for just $15 and take part in a curated discussion with one of the artists — with free pizza! Student ID required.
- Sat., Sept. 22.
Deep Dive Screenings of Iconic Heist Movies: Heist stories have been a movie mainstay since 1903’s The Great Train Robbery, the first work of “narrative cinema.” Plotting thieves have thrilled audiences in hundreds of great films since, and in conjunction with our production of Heist, the Esquire Theatre is screening some of the best robbery capers ever. Starting with Film Noir classic filmed in Cincinnati, The Asphalt Jungle, the film series features legendary directors Hitchcock (To Catch a Thief), Kubrick (The Killing) and blacklisted screenwriter Jules Dassin’s Rififi and Topkapithat combine to make him the “master of the heist film,” before closing the series with more recent classic The Usual Suspects. Join us for a deep dive on these iconic heist movies with Film Professor Joe Horine, who will give a brief intro and lead an optional Q&A after the film.
- Thu., Sept. 17, 7 p.m. -Asphalt Jungle(1950)
- Sun., Sept. 20, 7 p.m. -To Catch A Thief (1955)
- Wed., Sept. 23, 7 p.m. -Rififi (1955)
- Tues., Oct. 6, 7 p.m. – Topkapi (1964)
- Thu., Oct. 8, 7 p.m. – The Killing (1956)
- Sun., Oct. 11, 2 p.m. – The Usual Suspects (1995)
Art Talks (Formerly Meet the Artists): Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.
- Sun., Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. Buy Tickets
- Thu., Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Buy Tickets
- Wed., Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Buy Tickets
Pay What You Can: Pay What You Can performances are an additional way we try to make live theatre accessible to those who otherwise might not be able to attend our shows. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 513-421-3888 or in person beginning at noon, day of the performance only. Tickets are subject to availability.
- Wed., Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
- Wed., Sept 30 at 1 p.m. (Tickets available for purchase at 11 a.m.)
Audio-Described Performance: Trained volunteers describe the visual elements of the production via a hearing enhancement system, allowing patrons to hear dialogue, music and other sound effects. The description is timed to avoid interfering with dialogue. Before the show and during intermission, show and actor information are shared.
- Sat., Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.
Signed ASL Performance: Each Rouse Theatre production offers one signed ASL performance during the show’s run.
- Sun., Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.
ADVISORY
Heist is recommended for teenage and adult audiences. This thrilling crime caper has all the elements you enjoy from this genre, including a motley crew who love quick-witted banter (with some strong language) and an elaborate plan that involves guns and discussions of violence.
SPONSORS
Heist is presented by MC and Tom Brennan. Production Sponsors are Johnson Investment Counsel and Clark Schaefer Hackett. Honorary Producer is Barbara Weyand. Design Sponsor is Skidmore Sales and Distributing. Artist Sponsors are FBT Gibbons and Barbara and Irwin Weinberg. The 2026-27 Season is presented by The Scheuler Group.
The Playhouse 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 the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
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