Know Theatre of Cincinnati Presents
octKNOWber Nights
Seven spine-tingling nights of theatre by local artists
running from October 21–30
Cincinnati, OH – Know Theatre of Cincinnati, known for building belonging through bold theatre, will host octKNOWber Nights from October 21–30, 2026. Get into the Halloween spirit with local artists highlighted in comedy shows, staged readings, secret lineups, and more. Tickets are on sale now.
Starting October 21, Know Theatre fans will be excited to see Jon Bennett return with his Pick of the Fringe Award-winning solo show American’t to kick off octKNOWber Nights. Previously part of the 2025 Cincinnati Fringe Primary lineup, this comedic show takes audiences through Bennett’s journey from being stuck at home in rural Australia during the pandemic to escaping to America after restrictions are lifted and the chaos that ensues.
Voted Audience’s Favorite of the Know Theatre’s Serials 16 lineup, Adventures in Afterlife by Sydney Vollmer and Chance Kilgour is back with three performances from October 22–24. This show follows the comedic hijinks that ensue when two young teens accidentally resurrect their uncle and team up to rescue their mom from the afterlife.
You can catch two performances on October 25. Join us for the matinee for Trick or Treat, Sally Salem! by Zoë Peterson, and follow a local witch who needs her family and friends to find a cure for her magical illness so she can enjoy her favorite holiday: Halloween! In the evening, witness a staged reading of local playwright and co-creator of Die Hard is a Christmas Movie, A.J. Baldwin’s new play, Thief, a dystopian thriller set in a crumbling society.
Erika MacDonald presents Show Us Your Weird: SPOOKY EDITION on October 28, after tremendous success in last year’s octKNOWber Nights lineup. With a program of experimental works, expect the unexpected in this variety show where each act and performer is a secret until the performance begins.
Rounding out octKNOWber Nights’ stellar schedule, comics Janette Pérez and Homer Shadowheart will take the stage in I’m Not Your Costume on October 29, and returning octKNOWber Nights producers The Anti-Pestilence League and Kat Reynolds will perform two classic radio plays in Wicked & Whimsy on October 30.
Founded in 1997, the Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s only Black Box Theatre: an intimate, 90-seat performance space where there’s never a bad seat in the house. With a four-show MainStage Season, Cabaret performances in our Underground Bar & Lobby, and the annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival, the Know Theatre is a place where audiences can access provocative, live performances from living playwrights and local artists. octKNOWber Nights showcases the Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s mission by highlighting a lineup of new works and a variety of performance genres from a plethora of local artists.
Performance Information
octKNOWber Nights consists of seven separate shows with 9 performances, all performed at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati (1120 Jackson St, Cincinnati, OH 45202).
AMERICAN’T by Jon Bennett
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Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 PM
Rated: PG-13
ADVENTURES IN THE AFTERLIFE by Sydney Vollmer & Chance Kilgour
- Thursday, October 22 at 7:30 PM
- Friday, October 23 at 7:30 PM
- Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 PM
Rated: PG for loss, grief, and themes of terminal illness
TRICK OR TREAT, SALLY SALEM! By Zoë Peterson
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Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 PM
Rated: For All Ages
THIEF by A.J. Baldwin
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Sunday, October 25 at 7:30 PM
Content Advisory: Strong Language, Abuse/Violence, Flashing Lights, Loud Noises
SHOW US YOUR WEIRD: SPOOKY EDITION
Produced by Erika MacDonald
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Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 PM
Rated: 18+ for Warnings We Don’t Know Either!
I’M NOT YOUR COSTUME: A Night of Stand-Up Comedy
Featuring Janette Pérez and Homer Shadowheart
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Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 PM
Rated: NC-17 Adults Only
WICKED AND WHIMSY
Presented by The Anti-Pestilence League
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Friday, October 30 at 7:30 PM
Rated: PG
Ticket Information
Tickets are available through the Know Theatre of Cincinnati website or by calling the box office at (513) 300-5669.
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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