Tag Archives: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

September 17, 2025 · 3:47 pm

Saturday, October 11th: The Anti-Pestilence League Presents…!

As part of Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s octKNOWber Nights event, The Anti-Pestilence League (or The APL) will be serving audience members a “double dose of dread” with their live performance of two classic radio play episodes: SUSPENSE: Fugue in C Minor and THE WHISTLER: A Matter of Patience. Fugue is an eerie tale of a widower whose house seems to hold secrets in the pipes of the massive organ around which it was built while Patience tells the story of a frustrated husband who decides to take his wife’s health matters into his own hands.

This Samhain-inspired evening will feature the talents of Jeremiah Plessinger, Karolina Prokop, Faith Vonhandorf, Ted and Samantha Joy Weil, Lisa D. Dirkes, and the incomparable Bill Keeton.

Tickets to this and all other octKNOWber Nights offerings can be purchased here.

^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 “Kat” Reynolds, a life-long fan of radio shows, 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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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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August 26, 2025 · 5:03 pm

Know Theatre Opens the 25/26 Season with KING JAMES by Rajiv Joseph

This clever comedy about loyalty and legacy runs September 11–27, 2025

Cincinnati, OH – Know Theatre of Cincinnati opens its 28th season with a new play about the importance of male friendship.

KING JAMES by Ohio native Rajiv Joseph tells the story of Matt and Shawn, two Clevelanders whose unlikely friendship is forged when hometown hero, “King” LeBron James, shoots to basketball superstardom with the Cavaliers. Weathering together the highs and lows of a twelve-year friendship – from LeBron’s rookie season through his NBA championship – King James is a celebration of basketball and chosen brotherhood. Directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin and staged in the intimacy of the Underground Bar of the Know Theatre, this Regional Premiere runs September 11–27, 2025.

“Over the course of four quarters we witness two men open themselves up to one another because the game gives them permission,” says director Darnell Pierre Benjamin. “There’s something spiritual about sports: a massive group of people in-person and variously dispersed in front of television screens, all focused on the same thing – the cheers, the boos, the chants, the community, the collective holding of breath. Perhaps this play is indeed, the Bible to male friendship.”

About the Cast
Kieran Cronin (Matt)
Phillip Latham (Shawn)

Production Team
Drew Homan (Scenic Designer), Rebecca Armstrong (Props Designer), Jules Cabrera (Lighting Designer), Noelle Wedig-Johnston (Costume Designer), Douglas Borntrager (Sound/Video Designer), Drew Homan (Technical Director). Production Stage Manager is Rebecca Armstrong.

Performance Information
KING JAMES runs September 11-27, 2025
Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
All evening performances are at 7:30pm, matinee performances are at 2pm.
ASL-interpretation on Friday, September 26th at 7:30pm
Industry Night: Monday, September 22nd at 7:30pm

Ticket Information

  • Mainstage Subscription : $250
    • Grants one ticket for each of the four MainStage productions
      plus entry to all five Serials! performances. Subscribers also
      receive discounted drink prices, complimentary MainStage
      tickets for guests and additional discounts.
      ●
  • Flex Pass : $190
    • Six MainStage tickets in any combination for the price of five ($228 value)
  • Single tickets : $38
  • Welcome Thursdays: Each Thursday during a MainStage production we offer Pay-What-You-Wish Walk-Up tickets and $15 advance reservation tickets.

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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August 7, 2025 · 5:09 pm

KING JAMES Runs Sept. 11-27

KING JAMES
Know Theatre of Cincinnati
Sept. 11-27
[Over-the-Rhine]

Directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin

When “King” LeBron James shoots to basketball superstardom with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the city unites to cheer on their hometown hero. Matt and Shawn, an unlikely duo bonded through shared adulation of their sports idol, weather together the highs and lows of a twelve-year friendship – from LeBron’s rookie season through his NBA championship. King James is a celebration of basketball and chosen brotherhood.

  • Thu-Sat, Sept. 11-13 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Sept. 14 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, Sept. 18-20 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Sept. 21 at 2pm
  • Mon, Sept. 22 at 7:30pm
  • Thu-Sat, Sept. 25-27 at 7:30pm

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