Category Archives: Events

September 16, 2025 · 7:57 pm

Know Theatre Presents a Month of Spooky Programming from Local Artists with octKNOWber Nights

16 Nights of Spine-Tingling Theatre runs October 2–30, 2025

Cincinnati, OH – Know Theatre of Cincinnati announces an entire month of live entertainment – created by local artists – that dares you to close your eyes, hold your breath,  and venture into the shadows.

With ten different live productions over 16 nights dedicated to the eerie, the uncanny, and the supernatural, octKNOWber Nights promises to raise the spirits of the Halloween season. Audiences will be treated to a lineup that ranges from original one-act dark comedies to the spookiest of golden era radio plays, a classic horror film screening with live musical scoring, stand-up and improv comedy, and cabarets that run the gamut from the musical and macabre to the truly bizarre.

With a costume contest (Oct 29), late night drag shows (Oct 24 & 25), and the festive atmosphere that only an underground bar full of theatre artists can create, octKNOWber Nights is just the trick to get you into the Halloween spirit.

octKNOWber Nights Lineup

October 2–5 – Katie Scarlett presents Z is for Zebra

A limited run Encore of the sold-out 2025 Cincy Fringe Development show from Cincinnati-based artist and activist Katie Scarlett. Directed by Liz Carman.

October 9 – Not Welcome At Home

A night of stand-up comedy from two Indigenous comedians, Janette Perez & Homer Shadowheart – and a great ally, Erica Russell.

October 10 – A Sad Vampire by Aleah Vassell

A harmless vampire spends Halloween in an Applebee’s facing her demons. A staged reading directed by Candice Handy.

October 11 – The Anti-Pestilence League presents A Double Dose of Dread

A live performance of two of the spookiest radio plays of the Golden Era: SUSPENSE: Fugue in C Minor and THE WHISTLER: A Matter of Patience.

October 12 – Death Defying presents CREEPSHOW

Horror meets humor in five twisted tales brought to life by a killer cast of actors and improvisers. A live script reading with only a little improvisation.

October 17–19 – A to Z Productions presents Ghost Stunters

Fake ghosts make good television. Real ghosts make GREAT television. A paranormal comedy by Alexx Rouse & Zach Robinson.

October 24–26 – Bard & Bandit presents Madhouse the Musical

Experience the drama. Embrace the darkness. A cabaret of musical theatre – with a sinister spin. Plus: Odd Presents the Madhouse Unleashed Drag Show after the cabaret on October 24 & 25.

October 29 – Show Us Your WeirdSpooky Cabaret + Costume Contest

One night. 20 unforgettable acts. Presented by Erika MacDonald.

October 30 – InnerSpace Collective Presents: Nosferatu

The 1922 silent film with a live, improvised score.

Performance Information

octKNOWber Nights runs October 2–30, 2025
Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
All evening performances are at 7:30pm, Sunday matinees are at 2pm.

Ticket Information

Know Theatre of Cincinnati exists to build belonging through bold theatre.

The 22nd Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival was made possible by a generous partnership with our neighbors at First Lutheran Church, the Miami University Center for Community Outreach in Over-the-Rhine, and Coffee Emporium. 

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 Theatre Communications Group and an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.

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September 8, 2025 · 5:02 pm

Z IS FOR ZEBRA Enlivens Arts as Advocacy Through Disabled Artists Telling Disabled Stories

An encore performance of a show critics called “tightly executed, deeply personal, and often
wickedly funny”

[Cincinnati, OH] Back by popular demand, after a sold out run at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Z IS FOR ZEBRA is returning to the Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s stage for a limited run in early October. Hailed as “a tightly executed, deeply personal, and often wickedly funny piece” (Kirk Sheppard) Z IS FOR ZEBRA, written by Katie Scarlett, explores the relationship between chronic illness and grief told through the eyes of a professor giving a lecture on Kubler-Ross’s “stages of grief.” But what happens when the professor’s overconfident (and unwanted) TA takes her on a whirlwind journey through her own hardships with chronic illness? Together, they navigate the path to acceptance (no matter how fleeting) through a series of successes and struggles with humor, heart, and a lot of pill bottles.

The show will run from October 2nd- 5th at The Know Theatre on 1120 Jackson Street. The cast includes: Ben Dudley, Kate Stark, and Katie Scarlett. Production team includes: Liz Carman (director), ErinMarie Suscheck (stage manager), and designers Becca Schall, Jared Earland, and Rupert Spraul.

Scarlett, who is disabled herself, strongly believes in art as a form of advocacy. “For a lot of chronically ill people self-advocacy starts young in medical settings. You must learn how to stand up for yourself because often you’re not believed by medical professionals or you receive a lot of pushback,” Scarlett says. “This show for me was a way of broadening my advocacy past myself. My story isn’t unique. I can name multiple people in the disabled and chronic illness communities who have shared similar experiences. Most people don’t know how hard it is to navigate a complex healthcare system when the chronic part of being ill never ends. It’s exhausting to live in a body that defies you every step of the way and the medical system that is meant to help shouldn’t be part of that exhaustion.” This message is important as, according to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States are disabled. Most people have someone in their life that has struggled with their health, this story provides more context to relate on a deeper level.

It was important to Scarlett to build a team of disabled artists. She believes disabled stories need to be told, and by disabled artists whenever possible. “I was astounded by the amount of people who came up to me afterwards and told me they felt like they were watching their story, or a part of their story, unfold onstage,” Scarlett says. “If it wasn’t their personal story, it was the story of a loved one or a friend. I was honored that so many people suggested the show as a must watch for medical professionals. I think it points to the unfortunate shared experience of navigating the medical world as a patient who doesn’t fit into traditional boxes. I’m so excited so many people wanted to come back and experience the show again.”

AT A GLANCE
What: Z IS FOR ZEBRA, by Katie Scarlett
When: October 2 – 4, 7:30 PM; October 5, 2 PM.
Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St, Over-the-Rhine
Tickets: From $20. Available at knowtheatre.com/octknowber-2025 or by phone at 513.300.5669.

For tickets and more information please check out the Know Theatre’s octKNOWber lineup:
www.knowtheatre.com/octknowber-2025

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September 8, 2025 · 5:01 pm

ARTS BY THE RIVER FESTIVAL Runs Sept. 13-14

Arts by the River is just over a week away!

Stay tuned for vendor spotlights, experience raffle information, appearances from local community members and SpongeBob teasers!

  • Saturday, September 13 – 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Sunday, September 14 – 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Kids area with 4 bounce houses (Saturday only)
– Raffles including per show 50/50 raffle and experience raffles
– Over 25 arts/crafts and food vendors
– Visits from local community groups/members
– Children’s Performing Arts of Miamisburg

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September 2, 2025 · 5:23 pm

ACT Summer Forum On Sept. 20

ACT Summer Forum 2025

Mark your calendars! We’re excited to invite you to the Summer Forum on Saturday, September 20th, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at 8 North, home of the Village Players of Fort Thomas.

Our esteemed panelists—John Wesseling, Mary Stone, Dan Cohen, and Carissa Sloan—will present strengths in response writing, highlighting aspects of quality responses.

Location
Gallery (street level)
8 N Ft Thomas Ave, Fort Thomas, KY 41075
Accessibility: ADA access is available via the main front door.

This gathering is:

  • Required for current responders
  • Encouraged for presidents
  • Open to all community members

We look forward to seeing you there for an engaging and informative morning of learning and connection. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow and strengthen your ties within the theatre community!

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August 26, 2025 · 5:02 pm

Family-Friendly Block Party at The Emery Theater On Sept. 7

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati invites the community to
celebrate the rebirth of a historic landmark

Cincinnati – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) will host a family-friendly Block Party on Sunday, September 7, from 12 PM to 4 PM (rain or shine), to celebrate the reimagining and future opening of its permanent home: the jaw-dropping Emery Theater in Over-the-Rhine.

When The Emery reopens in October 2025, it will be the most technologically advanced proscenium-style theatre in the United States—a dazzling blend of historic preservation and industry-leading innovation.

The party takes place outside 1112 Walnut Street between Central Parkway and 12th Street, which will be closed to traffic for the festivities.

Block Party Highlights

Guests of all ages can enjoy:

  • A first look inside the historic and reimagined Emery Theater
  • Delicious eats from LaRosa’s, Graeter’s, Kroger’s On-The-Rhine Eatery, and more
  • Music from Q102
  • Complimentary face painting, balloon animals, glitter tattoos
  • Character meet-and-greets with TCT favorites
  • Available viewing of the Big Game on a screen outside
  • And much more!

Learn more here: https://thechildrenstheatre.com/emery-theater-block-party/

A Historic Moment

At 12:30 PM, a short program will feature Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, hosted by Local 12’s Bob Herzog. In a playful twist on a ribbon-cutting, Mayor Pureval and Bob Herzog will activate the rotation of the giant crown on The Emery’s marquee, officially opening the doors of the restored theater.

Why It Matters

In 2022, TCT launched a $51.5 million campaign to restore and reimagine The Emery Theater—an acoustic marvel once compared to Carnegie Hall by famed conductor Leopold Stokowski. After decades of abandonment and false starts, TCT is achieving what no other group could: returning The Emery to life as a permanent home for America’s oldest children’s theatre company.

This is not simply a restoration—it’s a reinvention. The Emery will combine its legendary acoustics with cutting-edge technology, including:

  • A fully automated stage lift and turntable
  • Automated SLOAT system and line sets
  • Digital LED rear wall
  • Projection mapping across the proscenium and house walls
  • All powered by a single NISCON control system

“No other venue in the country combines all of these,” says theatre infrastructure expert Tom Neville of Apeiro Design, TCT’s theatrical consultant on the project. When The Emery reopens in October 2025 with TCT’s production of The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, its full suite of cutting-edge technology will set a new national standard as the most technologically-advanced proscenium-style theatre in the United States.

Through this remarkable technology and planned expansion of programming, TCT will revitalize an icon, return it to its original home, and put Cincinnati on the map as a family-friendly theatrical destination.

Coming Soon

The 25-26 Season of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati at The Emery features the following productions:

  • The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition — October 10-26, 2025
  • Elf: The Musical JR. — December 5-21, 2025
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical JR. — February 20 – March 8, 2026
  • DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon: The Musical JR. — April 17 – May 3, 2026

Tickets and subscriptions on sale now https://thechildrenstheatre.com

Block Party Media Sponsors

The TCT at the Emery Block Party is made possible in partnership with Cincinnati Magazine, Local 12, and Q102.

-end-

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