A tragicomic new play by Steve Yockey
Directed by Bridget Leak
March 10 – April 1
The Minotaur is turning 30. He could use some friends.
Know Theatre’s 19th Season continues with a strange account of the minotaur in the Labyrinth: Asterius the Minotaur turns 30 tomorrow, and he’s facing more than just your average birthday blues…
Seen by the world as nothing but a murderous oddity, Aster must navigate warriors out to kill him, a deceptively seductive Chorus, a plotting sister, and Icarus, a sex-obsessed boy with wings—all while pining to see his estranged Mother.
Steve Yockey, author of previous Know Theatre MainStage hits Pluto (2014) and The Fisherman’s Wife (2016) uses wit, lyric language, and ancient legend to tell a painfully funny and moving story about the families we yearn for versus the families we’re stuck with.
Queen City Flash’s Bridget Leak is back on the Know MainStage to bring this tragicomic mythical mashup to life. Here’s what Bridget had to say about diving into HEAVIER THAN…
Steve Yockey’s script presents us with some really fun challenges – we’re building Icarus’ wings, we’re putting bull horns on an actor; lots of imaginative visual ideas in this one!
But I’m most excited to tackle a script that examines ancient stories through a 2017 lens. I love how this script blends contemporary language with timeless ideas from mythology.
And I’m thrilled to bring together a mix of some familiar faces and newcomers to the Know MainStage – members of OTRimprov, Cincinnati Shakespeare company members, even a dancer! They have such a wide range of talents; each one brings something special to this show.
We are as delighted as Bridget to have assembled such a diverse and talented cast to tell this story:
NKU’s Landon Horton stars as Aster the Minotaur, who longs for his mother’s love and wants to be known as more than a monster. Landon returns to the Know MainStage after a critically-acclaimed turn in last season’s BlackTop Sky and, more recently, as Jim O’Connor in New Edgecliff Theatre Company’s The Glass Menagerie.
Joining him is Piper Davis as his graceful but hard-edged mother Pasiphae, the Queen of Crete—who has a few secrets she’d rather not have get out. Piper starred in Know’s first show at 1120 Jackson back in 2006, and most recently appeared on Know’s mainstage in her 2014 starring role as Harriet Tubman in Harry & The Thief.
Nathan Tubbs makes his Know Theatre debut as Icarus, Aster’s flighty, fickle, and not-so-innocent friend; while Jordan Trovillion, most recently seen in December’s Ken Ham’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, joins the cast as Aster’s crafty sister Ariadne.
Aster’s constant companions are the Chorus, three women who speak as one and hide secrets of their own. The chorus is brought to vivid life by a trio of Know Theatre and Cincy Fringe favorites —Nicole Hershey, Maggie Lou Rader, and Miranda McGee.
Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford has dreamed of bringing this show to the Know ever since he saw the world premiere at the Theatre @ Boston Court in Los Angeles in 2011. Andrew says,
This is the third Steve Yockey play we’re producing at the Know, but it’s actually the first play of his that I encountered. It contains so many of the hallmarks of his work that I love: complicated familial relationships, dark humor, a sense of the ridiculous, big themes, and powerful visual metaphors.
It’s the kind of play that gets my mind racing as both a designer and audience member, contemplating thousands of years of theatrical magic, and how we connect ancient tradition to contemporary, urgent work.
Join us for HEAVIER THAN… and discover a clever and poignant look at the age-old question: Do you control your Fate, or does your Fate control you?
Cast
- Piper Davis as Pasiphae
- Landon Horton as Asterius
- Jordan Trovillion as Ariadne
- Nathan Tubbs as Icarus
- Nicole Hershey, Miranda McGee*, and Maggie Lou Rader as the Chorus.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.
Production Team
- Director – Bridget Leak
- Lighting & Scenic Designer – Andrew Hungerford
- Scenic Charge & Prop Designer – Sarah Beth Hall
- Costume Designer – Noelle Johnston
- Sound & Video Designer – Doug Borntrager
Calendar Listing
Production: HEAVIER THAN… by Steve Yockey
When:
- 8:00pm March 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31; April 1
- 3:00pm March 12, 19**, 26
**A pre-show brunch is available on this date with purchase of $35 “Brunch + Show” tickets in advance. Deadline for brunch reservation is March 13. Brunch provided by Water Tower Fine Wines
Where:
Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.
Tickets:
- $25 regular Price
- $15 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)
- FREE walk-up tickets are available on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment initiative. Advance reservations to Welcome Experiment performances are $5.00.
- Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW).
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.
Additional support for Heavier Than… was provided by the Josephine Schell Russell Charitable Trust, PNC Bank, Trustee
Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.
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THE AUDIENCE HAS SPOKEN!
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