Tag Archives: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

The Dark Comedy THE DEFINITION ASSOCIATION Debuts at CincyFringe!

CFF22_The Definition Association logoSet to be presented as a VOD June 3 to 18

St Louis, Mo based Maatology Productions is set to stream The DEFinition ASSOCiation, a dark comedy/“mental horror” about two  neighboring couples. One is sophisticated, The Fitzgeralds—a well to do husband and wife. The husband, Stewart, is a straight-laced, stiff shirt who is a successful business owner of security installments for businesses and residences. His wife, Clara, classy yet snooty, is a successful syndicated fashion columnist and fashionista who focuses more on her etiquette skills than her husband’s needs.

The other neighbors are the unsavory Lavingways. The husband, Lindell aka D Lavis an on the grind hip-hop music producer with an arrogance to match and his wife/manager is Denise aka Coffi Brown, an around the way event producer/host who takes no prisoners when it comes to telling people off.

So when The Lavingways first meet The Fitzgeralds after an outside loud scuffle , their public personas are challenged. They discover they have more in common than their differences after secrets are revealed with un/intended force.

The DEFinition ASSOCiation will take you on an emotional journey all the way to the denouement where you will even wish there was more to what is revealed.

The stage play, which was first staged at the 2021 Hollywood Fringe Festival, was written and directed by Emmy-Award nominated writer//Fringe veteran Marcus Maat Atkins, co-directed by former Los Angeles talent agent/Fringe veteran Andrea Jacobs and produced by Los Angeles-based actor/writer Wes Hubbard, who stars in the VOD presentation as Stewart.  Los Angeles based talent Laqutte Milner (as Clara), Jataun Gilbert (as Lindell), Randal Brisco (as Denise) and Leo Claude (as Stabnley) round out the cast.

WHERE: Cincy Fringe Video Online

PERFORMANCE DATES June 3-18 Video On Demand

RUNNING TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MIN.

TICKET PRICE: $20

MORE INFO: https://cincyfringe.com/the-definition-association/

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Come Cheer on the Start of Cincy Fringe Season on April 25

Greetings Fringe FANatics! 

Join us as we get into the Fringe Spirit with a Fringe Pep Rally and Tailgate Party on April 25!

CFF_Fringe Tailgate

We’ll be celebrating outdoors with BBQ, brews and the first view of the 2022 Cincinnati Fringe Festival Schedule. Hooray!

Featuring…

  • Halftime Performances from local artists!
  • A Meet-and-Greet with new Fringe Producer, Katie Hartman!
  • *A Fringe Tailgate Decorating Contest with fantastic prizes! (see details below)
  • And the first Channel Fringe Hard-Hitting Action News Update of the season, where we will announce all the exciting details about what’s coming up at the 19th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival!
Plus, all single tickets to the 2022 Cincinnati Fringe Festival will be on sale. Pick up your copy of the Fringe Schedule at the party and start booking YOUR pathway through the 19th Annual Fringe!

WHAT: The Cincy Fringe Fauxpening Day Tailgate Party & Pep Rally

WHEN: Monday, April 25 6-11pm

             6-6:30pm Arrival

             6:30-7:30pm Art Car Tailgate Viewing & Halftime Performances

             7:30-8:00pm Channel Fringe Hard-Hitting Action News

             8:00-11:00pm BBQ, Beer, and Cheer!

WHERE: the ArtsWave Parking lot on the corner of 12th & Jackson Street, next to Know Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio

WHO: You!

HOW: Pay-What-You-Wish (all proceeds help make the 2022 Cincy Fringe possible!)

WHY: To get Hyped about Fringe!

* The Fringe Tailgate Decorating Contest is open to all and SPACE IS LIMITED. Entry is first come, first served to the first 10 cars to RSVP by emailing katiefringe@knowtheatre.com.

Contestants will receive free parking in the ArtsWave parking Lot in order to display their Fringe-tastic Tailgates and the chance to win Flex Passes to the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, June 3-18, 2022.

Go! Fringe! Weird!

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The Cincinnati Fringe Festival Returns to OTR! Live! In-Person! and Better than Ever!

CFF_Orange logo text onlyPresenting the 2022 Fringe Festival Primary Lineup

Know Theatre proudly presents The 19th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival – the region’s largest and longest-running annual performing arts festival – June 3–18, 2022! A 14-day celebration featuring hundreds of live performances from independent local, national, and international artists, the Cincy Fringe is Cincinnati’s Summer Theatre Party. This year, our Primary Lineup Productions return indoors and in-person, and are, as always, Kinda Weird. Like You!

The best part of Cincy Fringe has always been the connection between artists and audiences.
We’ve listened to both and this year’s Cincy Fringe returns with all the best elements:

  • 33 Primary Lineup Productions (30 in-person, 3 streaming online)
  • 40+ Productions (including 2 FringeDevelopment projects and several Special Events) to entertain at 8 venues across in Over-the-Rhine: Know Theatre, Art Academy of Cincinnati, and Gabriel’s Corner
  • Outdoor Stage and Beer Garden with free programming, (All Ages friendly on the Weekends)
  • Free After Hours Events every night Outside and in the Know Theatre Underground Bar
  • Pay-What-You-Wish “No Experience Necessary” Workshops
  • And we’re closing down Jackson Street for art-making and Block Party Vibes!

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!
On Monday, April 25, 2022, from 6-11pm, we’re throwing a “Cincy Fringe Fauxpening Day Kickoff Tailgate Party!” Join us in the ArtsWave Parking Lot for BBQ, local brews, and the unveiling of the official Cincinnati Fringe Festival 2022 Schedule! Halftime performances and a Tailgate Decorating Contest! At Cincy Fringe, we root for the Home Teams and the Away Teams! Go! Fringe! Win!

TICKETING INFORMATION

  • 50% of all Box Office revenue is given to the Performance Fringe artists.
  • Single tickets to the 2022 Cincy Fringe are on a sliding scale of $16-$20.
  • The All-Access Pass ($275) is good for one entry into as many productions as one person can see.
  • Our 6-ticket Voyeur Pass ($80) can be used in any combination of shows or individuals.
  • All passes are currently on sale at www.cincyfringe.com

Primary Lineup Details

This year’s Primary Lineup totals 33 productions (30 in-person and 3 online) and features new work from 12 local creators, 20 productions from across the country, and 1 international participant from Adelaide, Australia.

With 12 world premieres, 16 regional premieres and 18 producing companies that have never-been-seen-before in Cincinnati, audiences are guaranteed to experience something brand new!

The Primary Lineup

Sadec 1965: A Love Story, from Flora Le out of Washington, D.C. “Motorcycle Diaries” meets “Eat, Pray, Love” set in Vietnam.

The Real Black Swann, Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen, from Les Kurkendaal-Barrett out of Los Angeles, CA. A true story: former slave becomes the Queen of Drag.

Out of Character, from Honour Hook out of Cincinnati, OH. One-woman sketch comedy monologues and pre-recorded shorts.

Laertes Word, from James Word and Prison Performing Arts out of St Louis, MO. Crime is easy. Hamlet is hard. My reformation through Shakespeare.

Changing My Major to Joan, from Boris Dansberry out of Philadelphia, PA. A queer musical powerpoint presentation exploring Joan of Arc’s legacy.

meSSeS, from Janoah Bailin out of Peaks Island, ME. Precarious unicycling, shimmering puppetry, jaw-dropping juggling, learning and labor.

Wuthering: a musical on the moors, from Hannah Gregory out of Cincinnati, OH. Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff romp through moors in this moody musical.

Junkmail Oracle, from Fallen Players out of Cincinnati, OH. A 1960’s Cleveland poet’s obscenity trial ends in tragedy.

Charlotte Van Helsing Befriends a Vampire, a Crow, and (Possibly) Her Father, from Emily Borst out of Cincinnati, OH. Growing up bites.

Keeping My Torch, from Pones out of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky. What is love? Who knows… we might.

Sexy Sexy Mattress Time, from Kelly Morton out of Cincinnati, OH. Disillusioned artist Annie falls in lust with a mattress store.

A Morgue of the Forgotten, from Performance Gallery and Solasta Theatre Lab of Cincinnati, OH. Just forget it. Shall we? Should we? Can we?

Jinkies! from Queen City Flash out of Cincinnati, OH. If the Hardy Boys felt like burning this shit down.

Banned from Heaven, Barred from Hell, from Autumn Kaleidoscope out of Cincinnati, OH. Four immortals are presented with a bargain from Death.

Sally Salem and the Spooktacular Birthday Extravaganza, from Zoë Peterson out of Cincinnati, OH. It’s Pee Wee’s Playhouse – but with demons!

The Barn Identity, from Erika Kate MacDonald out of Covington, KY. A lush dark comedy about falling-down barns. Yep. Enjoy!

Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger, from Jennifer Howd and Maggie Perrino out of Cincinnati, OH. The campy musical adventures of a renegade dildo runner in Texas.

UPLINE: It’s Not a Show, It’s an Opportunity, from Megan Stern out of New York, NY. Satirical solo show of an MLM makeup party gone insane.

Rosegold, from Donna Kay Yarborough out of Portland, OR. A woman reveals the literal dark specter behind her addiction.

Father, Daughter and Holy Toast, from Barbara Brady of San Francisco, CA. Dad brought you into this world and now you’re seeing him out.

The Sex Lives of Butterflies, from Martin Dockery of Brooklyn, NY. A comedic, ridiculous, and deeply personal story about love, death, and butterflies.

Bent Compass, from Neil Brookshire out of Egg Harbor, WI. The journey of an Iraq War Army Medic combat veteran.

Make A F*ckin’ Show, You P.O.S., from Bradley Kristian Wrenn and Sarah Knittel out of Philadelphia, PA. Unhinged clown is live directed and creates a masterpiece from nothing.

Destiny, USA, from Laura Anne Harris out of Vancouver, WA. Can Laura discover the hidden humanity of the American people?

BE MY THIEF, from Gideon Productions out of Astoria, NY. A man believes his wife was replaced by a duplicate.

Jon Bennett: Fire in the Meth Lab, from Jon Bennett out of Adelaide, Australia. Dear Brother, How’s jail? I’ve written a show about you.

HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, from Heather Massie out of New York, NY. Celebrating actress/inventor Hedy Lamarr as a woman of science!

Soft, from Paper Soul out of Minneapolis, MN. A “nice guy” endures bloody experiments from a dating app.

Help Me Help You Help Yourself, from Daniel Wightkin out of Chicago, IL. A silent clown show that everyone gets to participate in.

ExperiMENTAL – An Evening of Mind Reading with Steven Nicholas, from Steven Nicholas out of Los Angeles, CA. Your reality will be twisted in the most delightful way.

The Definition Association, from Maatology Productions out of Los Angeles, CA. Two neighboring couples’ secrets are revealed from a random meeting. ONLINE

Take A Chance with Toybox, from Toybox Theatre out of Asheville, NC. Absurd online interactive game show hosted by America’s Favorite Cartoon Witch. ONLINE

The Gorgeousity, by The Gorgeousity, Limited, out of Philadelphia, PA. An irreverent, audience-activated, art-making party and collaborative adventure. ONLINE

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.

The 19th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival is made possible by a generous partnership with our neighbor, the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

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 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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THE TWUNNY FO’ at Know Theatre of Cincinnati

KTC_The Twunny Fo cast“Whose bricks? My bricks!”

THE TWUNNY FO’ by A.J. Baldwin
April 15 – May 8, 2022

A world-premiere comedy about work and the work. 

To close out our 24th season of new works, the Know is delighted to present a brand-new workplace comedy, set in the third shift of a 24-hour convenience store and written by Cincinnati playwright and performer A.J. Baldwin.

As rents go up and people move away, Tyra works to finish her M.B.A. so she can move out of the neighborhood for once and all. By night, she works at her local corner store, which has just been bought out by “family owned” chain The 24, open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. When a life-changing event rocks the store, Tyra and the rest of the third shift push back to reclaim the block for the future of their neighbors. 

The Twunny Fo’ comes to you from the mind of A.J. Baldwin, an Over-the-Rhine based actor and playwright familiar to audiences at both the Know and at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s touring and MainStage productions. And bringing A.J.’s vision to life is director Candice Handy, Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Education Director, who makes her Know directorial debut after having previously appeared on our MainStage in Marian: or, The True Tale of Robin Hood (2017).

A sharp-tongued comedy with plenty of edge, The Twunny Fo’ is a story of community and solidarity, set against the grind of a corporatized retail job in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Fast, funny, and full of characters pulled straight from life, The Twunny Fo’ asks tough questions, like “What does it mean to get ahead?” and “Who does it mean you’ll leave behind? 

Know Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford immediately knew there was something both timeless and immediate about this world premiere.

Says Hungerford, “The Twunny Fo’ exists at the crossroads of theatrical traditions like the workplace comedy and the purgatory play. But more than that, it’s an opportunity to spend a couple hours with compelling characters, great actors, and a story that feels tailor-made for not only our neighborhood, but all the neighborhoods like ours across the country. What a fantastic way to cap off our 24th season!”

The Twunny Fo’ began its life as a pitch for a Cincinnati Fringe Festival show, but it was clear to us that it had potential beyond a two-week Fringe run. Following developmental readings with both the Know and the Cincinnati Black Theatre Artists Collective (co-founded by director Candice Handy), a selection from the play was featured in To Be Black, a collaboration between the CBTAC and Falcon Theatre in April 2021.

This story speaks to our own history here on Jackson Street, as well – where we’ve watched the kind of rapid change that The Twunny Fo’ explores, as well as the toll it takes on the people who aren’t included in the “redevelopment” plans.

Who is this show for? The Twunny Fo’ will speak to anyone who’s found a community at a grinding job, anyone who has had to hold a friend’s hand even as they’re barely holding it together themselves, and anyone who has had to face the choice to either walk away or stay and fight.

Playwright A.J. Baldwin appears as Tyra, whose ambition stretches beyond the convenience store where she works the night shift. Her previous Know credits include the Beacon in The Absentee (2019), Gina in Zack (2020), and in Theatre: A Love Story (2021). 

Fan-favorite James Creque returns to the Know to play Kingsley, the store’s pre-buyout owner who has been reduced to just a regular customer in the business he built. Know audiences will remember James from Hearts Like Fists (2015), The Fisherman’s Wife (2016), Mercury (2019), and All’s Faire (2021). 

Jasimine Bouldin (previously seen at the Know in Serials!, OTRimprov shows, and Cincy Fringe) makes her MainStage debut as Rissa, the new girl whose flippant exterior hides a wise and generous heart. Also making his Know Theatre debut is CCM student Eli Lucas. Lucas plays Shaw, whose divided loyalties threaten his place in the workplace hierarchy (and whose interest in Tyra is more than just collegial).

Join us for this edgy new comedy that asks “Whose bricks are these?” and highlights the human cost of “improving” a neighborhood without considering the people who already live there. The Twunny Fo’ runs April 15 – May 8, live at the Know, and livestreaming on select dates to your home.

Tickets are available on our website, knowtheatre.com, or by calling our box office at 513-300-5669.

CAST

  • A.J. Baldwin as Tyra
  • Jasimine Bouldin as Rissa
  • James Creque as Kingsley
  • Eli Lucas as Shaw

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Director: Candice Handy
  • Lighting & Scenic Designer: Andrew J. Hungerford
  • Costume Designer: Noelle Wedig-Johnston
  • Sound Designer: Douglas J. Borntrager
  • Props Designer: Kayla Williams
  • Technical Director: Jim Stark
  • Stage Manager: Char Williams 

AT A GLANCE

Production: The Twunny Fo’ by A.J. Baldwin

Dates: April 15 – May 8, 2022; Wednesday – Saturday shows are at 8 PM; Sunday matinees are at 3 PM.

Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine.
Livestreaming on select dates TBA.

Tickets: The standard ticket price is $25. Audiences may opt to support the Know’s initiative to pay all artists and employees a living wage by selecting the $35 Living Wage Ticket. Low-cost

admission available for $15. On Wednesdays, as part of our Welcome Experiment, tickets are $5 in advance, or FREE at the door.

The Welcome Experiment is bright to you this season by Judge Mark P. Painter (Ret). 

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. 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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THE TWUNNY FO’ Runs April 15-May 8

KTC_The Twunny Fo logoTHE TWUNNY FO’
Know Theater of Cincinnati
April 15-May 8
[Over-the-Rhine]

A world premiere play by local actor and playwright A. J. Baldwin
Directed by Candice Handy

As rents go up and people move away, Tyra is trying to finish her MBA so she can leave the neighborhood once and for all. Meanwhile, The local corner store has been bought by “family owned” chain The 24, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the last 24 years.  While working the third shift, Tyra and her coworkers are forced to confront the question: what is our responsibility to ourselves, and what is our responsibility to our community?

  • Fri-Sat, April 15-16 at 8pm
  • Sun, April 17 at 3pm
  • Wed-Sat, April 21-23 at 8pm
  • Sun, April 24 at 3pm
  • Wed-Sat, April 27-30 at 8pm
  • Sun, May 1 at 3pm
  • Wed-Sat, May 4-7 at 8pm
  • Sun, May 8 at 3pm

Official page |

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