Category Archives: On Stage

David Armando as PJ & AJ Baldwin as Gina.

Know Theatre of Cincinnati upends nostalgia and parodies the teen sitcoms of yesteryear in:

ZACK
by Christian St. Croix
November 20 – December 13, 2020
Whom does the bell save?

When you wake up in the morning, as the alarm gives out a warning, and you know you’ll never make it on time, it’s all right, ‘cause you’re saved by the Know! The Know Theatre is celebrating the holiday season with a heaping dose of pop-culture satire with Zack, by Christian St. Croix. Zack lovingly skewers the popular tropes of the teen sitcom as it introduces us to the lives and loves of Gina and PJ, a Black girl and a Latino boy at an affluent, majority-white Southern California high school, and poses the question: whom does the bell save?

PJ, a lovesick surfer boy, and Gina, a teen fashionista, are overjoyed when they’re invited into the inner circle of Zack, the charismatic but prank-happy new kid at school. When Zack plans a prank that goes too far, PJ and Gina race to stop him before it’s too late – and along the way, learn to see their peers, and themselves, with fresh eyes.

If you loved teen sitcoms like Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, or Lizzie McGuire, you’ll love this shake-up of sitcom tropes. If you couldn’t stand those shows, you’ll love seeing those tropes get ruthlessly parodied. Zack is set in 1992, but its heart is entirely issues that are rocking 2020: embracing unconditional self-love, dismantling bigotry and biases, and smashing the systems that oppress us. It’s time to love who we are, heal our hearts, and unite to keep bullies from rising to the top of the class. 

Zack is a fully theatrical experience delivered to you as an entirely online production. The first two weeks of the run will feature livestreamed performances broadcast from the Know Theatre’s Mainstage; the final two weeks will offer video-on-demand access to a recording of our favorite livestreamed performance.

Zack will be directed by the Know’s Producing Artistic Director, Andrew J. Hungerford. We’re delighted to welcome back A.J. Baldwin to our Mainstage as Gina; A.J. previously appeared at the Know in last season’s sci-fi political drama, The Absentee. We also welcome David Armando, fresh out of his internship with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, who is making his Know Theatre debut as PJ.

Following the success of our previous show, Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It!, which was performed in public spaces across the city, we’re partnering with a few local organizations to produce drive-in screenings of Zack. We’re almost ready to announce the details on that; stay tuned for more information!

The Know Theatre takes the potential risks of making theatre in a pandemic very seriously, and we are taking all possible steps to ensure the safety of our cast and crew. Precautions include weekly COVID testing for all members of the production team, clearly delineated working spaces to ensure safe distancing, mask-wearing at all times except when actors are performing, and regular disinfecting of the theatre. 

CAST

• David Armando as PJ
• AJ Baldwin as Gina

PRODUCTION TEAM

• Director: Andrew J. Hungerford
• Scenic and Lighting Designer: Andrew J. Hungerford
• Costume Designer: Noelle Wedig-Johnston
• Sound and Projections Designer: Douglas J. Borntrager
• Props Design & Scenic Art: Kayla Williams
• Original Music: James Allen
• Stage Manager: Meghan Winter
• Technical Director: Henry Bateman

AT A GLANCE

• Production: Zack by Christian St. Croix
• Dates: Nov 20 – December 13
• Where: Online, streamed from the Know Theatre of Cincinnati
• Tickets: The standard ticket price is $20. Audiences may opt to support the Know’s initiative to pay all artists and employees a living wage by selecting the $30 Living Wage Ticket. Rush tickets, when available, may be purchased for $10 an hour before performance. On Wednesdays, as part of our Welcome Experiment, tickets are $5 in advance or FREE beginning one hour prior to the show. 

This production is brought to you in part by Welcome Sponsor Thompson-Hine and individual Performance Sponsors including Patrick Cusick and Jeff Syroney. If you are interested in sponsoring a performance of Zack, please contact Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters at twinters@knowtheatre.com. 

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./U.S. Bank 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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A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER
La Comedia Dinner Theatre
Nov. 5-Dec. 30
[Springboro]

We invite you to celebrate the joy of this holiday season as we present A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER. This festive one-act, 90-minute Christmas revue features beautiful costumes, an imaginative set, and many of your favorite holiday songs. We will also celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with a beautiful Nativity featuring our traditional singing of “O’ Holy Night.”

• Thu, Nov. 5 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Fri, Nov. 6 at 5:30pm
• Sun, Nov. 8 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Thu-Fri, Nov. 12-13 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Sat, Nov. 14 at 5:30pm
• Sun, Nov. 15 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Thu-Fri, Nov. 19-20 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Sat, Nov. 21 at 5:30pm
• Sun, Nov. 22 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Fri-Sat, Nov. 27-28 at 5:30pm
• Sun, Nov. 29 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Thu-Fri, Dec. 3-4 at 5:30pm
• Sat-Sun, Dec. 5-6 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Wed-Thu, Dec. 9-10 at 5:30pm
• Fri-Sun, Dec. 11-13 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Wed-Thu, Dec. 16-17 at 5:30pm
• Fri-Sun, Dec. 18-20 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Mon, Dec. 21 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Sat, Dec. 26 at 5:30pm
• Sun, Dec. 27 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
• Wed, Dec. 30 at 10:30am & 5:30pm

Official page | Facebook event

Sierra Bosse, Katrina Ryker Von Kriegenbergh, 2020, digital print, Central Hardin High School, Cecilia, KY.

(Covington, KY) – The Carnegie is excited to announce the opening of two new exhibitions on November 1, curated by Exhibitions Director Matt Distel. Same Again: organized in partnership with Art Academy of Cincinnati, will feature dozens of pieces from students across the region addressing common themes such as societal priorities and common concerns impact emerging artists. The Carnegie’s historic gallery space will also be displaying work from high school sophomores and juniors across multiple disciplines representing over 35 Kentucky high school arts programs as part of the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts Program.

“These two exhibitions highlight student artists across Greater Cincinnati and the entire state of Kentucky, giving them the recognition that they didn’t receive during their Spring semester due to COVID-19,’” said Distel. “Traditionally, these shows would take place earlier in the year to highlight the student’s final senior thesis projects but have been severely delayed due to the pandemic. The Carnegie is proud to support these local artists and their commitment to their education in the arts, even during a pandemic.”

Same Again: Organized in partnership with Art Academy of Cincinnati

• Drawing largely on works created for thesis exhibitions that never had the opportunity for a public audience, Same Again examines how dramatic shifts in societal priorities and common concerns impact emerging artists. The objects and bodies of work on view will reveal the ways in which new circumstances influence how art is both produced and interpreted.
• Participating artists include: Erika NJ Allen, Ally Bachman, Kyros Barton, Caroline Bell, Kevin Dougherty, Elisa Fay, Claire Flath, Caleb Francis, Sydney Greene, Isabel Gregan, Natalie Korfhage, Remi Mahuet, Kile McVey, Jared Miskell, Anna Paulsen, Kaylynn Phillips, Kelly Stevens, Savannah Vagedes, Kimberly Walker, Kelli Wheat, Jordan Haworth Zermeno

Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts

• The Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) is a highly competitive program that offers high school sophomores and juniors a three-week intensive seminar in a variety of creative disciplines. The Carnegie has maintained a longstanding relationship with the GSA offering exhibitions to selected students from the Visual Arts program. This year, The Carnegie is pleased to exhibit works across multiple disciplines representing over 35 Kentucky high school arts programs. The Kentucky GSA has been a catalyst for many young artists who go on to make meaningful contributions to arts communities around the world. The Carnegie has exhibited numerous artists who cite their involvement in the GSA as a foundational experience in their artistic careers.
• Participating artists include: Rhiannon Elizabeth Johnston, Angelida Stewart, Emma Simpson, Maggie Kinnel, Sierra Bosse, Elizabeth Lepley, Madelyn Brock, Jack Bell, Marilyn Buente, Cesca Campisano, Helen Haverstick, Hunter Woolridge, Katie Brown, Jane Roberts, Isaac Pate, Avril de la Llana, Kaden Driver, Katrina Godsey, Brett Phelps, JJ Dyche, Reagan Morsman, Jenna Shriver, Alyssa Senger, Ethan Jenkins, Eloise Apple, Caroline Hirn, Leo Biagi, David Neal, Eden Elwell, Em Mejias, Tarina Henry

Season Sponsor: FotoFocus
Exhibition Sponsor: The Harvey C. Hubbell Charitable Gift Fund

The Carnegie Galleries will be open from 2pm-4pm, Saturday and Sunday, beginning Sunday, November 1. All other hours by appointment only. Email info@thecarnegie.com to set up an appointment. Exhibitions will be on view through late January. Gallery staff are implementing strategies recommended by public health authorities and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) throughout the building. The Carnegie requires patrons to wear masks, complete a brief question form, follow social distancing guidelines and encourages the use of provided hand sanitizing stations.

For more information about exhibitions and The Carnegie Galleries, visit www.thecarnegie.com/exhibition.php.

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About The Carnegie
The Carnegie is Northern Kentucky’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue providing theatre events, educational programs and art exhibitions to the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. The Carnegie facility is home to The Carnegie Galleries, the Otto M. Budig Theatre, and the Eva G. Farris Education Center.  More information about The Carnegie is available at thecarnegie.com or by calling (859) 491-2030.

The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from Cincinnati International Wine Festival, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the City of Covington. The Carnegie is also supported by the generosity of more than 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign.