Tag Archives: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

October 5, 2026 · 5:45 pm

AMERICAN’T by Jon Bennett On Oct. 21 as Part of OctKNOWber Nights

AMERICAN’T by Jon Bennett
Part of OctKNOWber Nights
On Oct. 21
Know Theatre of Cincinnati [Over-the-Rhine]

American’t is Jon Bennett’s latest comedic storytelling show, where he recounts the absurd and chaotic journey of trying to make the U.S. his home. After spending over a decade traveling the world with his shows, Bennett was forced back to his roots in rural Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Living once again with his conservative, religious family for over a year and a half, he faced a dramatic shift from his nomadic lifestyle.

Once pandemic restrictions eased, Bennett finally secured a way to leave Australia and move to the U.S., only to be arrested upon his arrival at the airport. In classic Bennett style, this show transforms his personal misadventures into a hilarious yet reflective narrative about resilience, identity, and the strange experiences that come with navigating life as an international performer.

As always, Bennett blends humour, personal anecdotes, and poignant observations, taking audiences through his rollercoaster journey—from his time back home to the chaos of moving across the world. It promises to be another of his raw, relatable, and side-splitting performances.

  • Wed, Oct. 21 at 7:30pm

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September 30, 2026 · 5:12 pm

Fri, Oct. 30th: The Anti-Pestilence League Presents…!

As part of Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s second annual octKNOWber Nights event, The Anti-Pestilence League (or The APL) will be offering audience members a twin bill of “Wicked and Whimsy” with their live performance of two classic radio play episodes: INNER SANCTUM MYSTERIES: Terror By Night and MY FAVORITE HUSBAND: Halloween Surprise Party.

Terror is an eerie tale of a lone motorist who gets a lot more than she bargained for one stormy evening while Party tells the story of a couple who can’t understand why they have been excluded from their friends’ Halloween celebration.
This Samhain-inspired evening will feature the talents of Karolina Prokop, Jeremiah Plessinger, Faith Von Handorf, Lisa Dirkes, Kelly Hale, and the incomparable Bill Keeton. Directed by Katrina M. Reynolds.

Tickets can be purchased here. Costumes are not required but are absolutely acceptable – tis All Hallow’s Eve Eve, after all!

The Anti-Pestilence League was born out of artistic frustration during the beginning stages of COVID-19. Harley Quinn Studios decided to gather a group of artists to perform old-timey radio dramas (and comedies!) as a way to entertain themselves while keeping a safe distance from one another. While the group began with recordings, the goal was always to incorporate live performances when the world was safe enough to accommodate them. APL Commissioner and Founder of Harley Quinn Studios Katrina M. Reynolds, a life-long fan of radio plays, has always enjoyed using her voice for both good and evil; therefore, she and this COVID baby were the perfect match. Featuring the talents of regular company members such as Jeremiah Plessinger and Karolina Prokop as well as some warmly welcomed guest artists, the APL lives up to Harley Quinn Studios’ mantra in providing a space “where the voices in your head come to play”. 

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August 12, 2026 · 6:13 pm

MAKE BELIEVE at Know Theatre of Cincinnati Runs Sept. 10-26

MAKE BELIEVE
Know Theatre of Cincinnati
Sept. 10-26
[Over-the-Rhine]

Directed by Bridget Leak

Cast: Ryker Sohmer as Chris, Layla Rowley as Kate, Giselle Aagard as Addie, Bennet Kreit as Carl, Leo Jenkins as Adult Chris, Merritt Beischel as Adult Kate, Tess Talbot as Adult Addie & Nathan Tubbs as Adult Carl

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.

  • Thu-Sat, Sept. 10-12 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Sept. 13 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, Sept. 17-19 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Sept. 20 at 2pm
  • Mon, Sept. 21 at 7:30pm
  • Thu-Sat, Sept. 24-26 at 7:30pm

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August 3, 2026 · 5:23 pm

Know Theatre of Cincinnati Presents the Regional Premiere of MAKE BELIEVE

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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July 23, 2026 · 12:02 pm

Know Theatre Presents THE ROAD TO OZ July 31-Aug. 2

Know Theatre of Cincinnati & InBocca Performance present THE ROAD TO OZ

19 Gen Alpha Summer Campers Take to the Stage in this Imaginative and Contemporary Adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s ‘The World of Oz’

Cincinnati, OH – Know Theatre of Cincinnati and InBocca Performance are pleased to announce the premiere of The Road to Oz, a devised theatre production created by the Know Theatre/InBocca Performance Summer Theatre Youth Education Program. Inspired by the work of L. Frank Baum, this modern adaptation is made possible by the generous support of H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, the Charles H. Dater Foundation, Priscilla O’Donnell and West Shore Home.

Dorothy has returned to Oz, but nothing is quite the way she left it – Glinda now rules Oz with an iron fist and has forbidden the use of magic by anyone but her! With Oz seemingly falling to ruin and her beloved companions vanished, Dorothy and a set of newfound friends embark on a mission to defeat Glinda and return magic for everyone. Can they bring Oz back to life?

Join us and find out!

Researched, written and choreographed by the team of campers and counselors, this new, socially-conscious, movement-based piece of theatre is being created over the month of July and asks the questions: ‘What is community?’ ‘How are we stronger together?’ and ‘What kind of world do we want to live in?’ The production, under the direction of Caroline Stine, stars the 19 children of the camp in collaboration with local performers and teaching artists: Erica Kruse (scenic/graphic design), Perry Hensley (movement/direction), Rachael Hawkins (playwrighting), Krista Noll (choreography and costume design), and Daniela Nenova (scenic/art design).

Performance Information
Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Evening performances on Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st are at 7:00pm, the Sunday matinee performance on August 2nd is at 2pm.

Ticket Information
Tickets may be purchased by phone at (513) 300-5669 or purchased online at https://www.knowtheatre.com/summer-camp-2026/ 

  • Single Tickets: $17 ($15 plus $2 processing fee)

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

The Know Theatre Summer Education Program is made possible by the H.B., E.W. & F .R. Luther Charitable Foundation, the Charles H. Dater Foundation, Priscilla O’Donnell, and West Shore Home.

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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