Tag Archives: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

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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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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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

Official page |

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Know Brings WHITE GLADIS: The Vengeful Orca Matriarch to Northern Row Distillery on Aug. 17

One-Night Only! Know Theatre presents
WHITE GLADIS: The Vengeful Orca Matriarch
at Northern Row Distillery

Enjoy this hilarious dark comedy with a 4-course dinner and specialty drink pairings at the historic taproom

Cincinnati, OH – Know Theatre of Cincinnati and Northern Row Distillery announce the exciting pairings of dinner and episodic live theatre! Straight from its successful run at last year’s Serials! comes White Gladis: The Vengeful Orca Matriarch. This one-night only event pairs a 4-course menu and 4 specialty drinks with the hilarious tale of a vengeful orca matriarch’s efforts to sink a superyacht off the coast of Spain.

Written and directed by local theatre artist, Patricia Mullins, this darkly comic tale of amphibious love, loss, and evil billionaires stars local actors Heather Abbott, Rachel Baker, Cat Cook, & Ally Knizner and will be presented in the historic taproom of Northern Row Distillery.

Performance Information
Northern Row Distillery, 111 McMicken Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Sunday, August 17th at 7:00pm

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

  • Single Tickets: $102 ($100 plus $2 processing fee)

We are Know Theatre of Cincinnati: where artists and audiences can come together to produce and experience work that you’ve never seen before. We strive to build a community around viscerally theatrical, exciting new works.

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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Know Theatre Education Production Runs Aug. 1-3

Know Theatre of Cincinnati and InBocca Performance are pleased to announce the premiere of OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD, a devised theatre production created by the Know Theatre/InBocca Performance Summer Theatre Youth Program.

Who answers when the people need a hero? How do the people rise up when they have nothing left? They must take matters into their own hands and who better to guide them than Robyn Hood? Join Robyn and her Merry Men as they join forces to fight the powers of Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Cheer them on as they fight back against unfair taxes, cruel arrests, and the loss of their homes and dignity.

Completely devised (written, conceived of, and choreographed) by the team of campers and adults, this original new piece of theatre asks the questions of who has power, why, and what we can do to shift perspectives.

This production stars the children of the camp in collaboration with six of our treasured local adult performers: Nicole Hershey, Sarah Spurling, Perry Hensley, Krista Noll, Grace Wagner, and Amira Beck-Borden.

Performances are August 1st and 2nd at 7pm and 3rd at 2pm at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati at 1120 Jackson St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.

To order tickets, please visit inboccaperformance.com or follow the link: www.knowtheatre.com/special-events/

InBocca Performance utilizes experimental theatre methods to create devised works highlighting women specifically, which build actors’ craft and produce a unique experience for the audience; all under general direction from producer Caroline Stine.

History of the Companies

InBocca Performance began as the Cliffview Players in a basement in 1997 and became a main stage company in 2008. Artistic Director Caroline Stine began working with young actors to devise theatrical pieces in the summer of 2011 at The Village Players in Ft. Thomas, KY. In 2016, they created The Maid of Orleans, an emotionally charged production about Joan of Arc. InBocca is known for creating devised and deconstructed art within Greater Cincinnati, including notable productions: Charlie’s Girls, Nellie Bly: A Menace to Propriety, Rappings, and most recently The Last Witch in Ireland at Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Ms. Caroline Stine received her Bachelor degree from Butler University and her Masters in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. She received theatrical training in Italy and Russia and participated in the Crisis Arts Festival in Arezzo, Italy. She is currently teaching at Miami University and Mount St. Joseph University. She is the General Manager to Blue Marble Books, the third oldest children’s bookstore in the nation.

Know Theatre was founded by Jay Kalagayan and a group of Xavier University alumni in 1997 as the Know Theatre Tribe, a nomadic theatre troupe that performed new and experimental works celebrating diverse voices. In 1999, Know Theatre moved into its first resident home at Gabriel’s Corner, a community performance space, and produced its first full season of plays. In 2006, the Know joined with the Cincinnati Fringe Festival to become one organization, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, with a permanent home in the heart of Over-the-Rhine.

Every season, Know Theatre produces 4 MainStage productions of new works, highlighting historically excluded voices and early-career artists. The Know also produces year-round theatrical experiments on its Second Stage, as well as the annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival, a 2-week celebration of the newest and most experimental works of live performance.

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