Tag Archives: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

July 9, 2014 · 10:53 am

HARRY AND THE THIEF Runs Aug. 8-30

KTC_Harry and the ThiefHARRY AND THE THIEF
Presented by Know Theatre of Cincinnati
Aug. 8-30
Over-the-Rhine

Cast: Darnell Benjamin as Knox, Burgess Byrd as Shiloh, Keisha Kemper as Harry, Ken Early* as Maddox, Jon Kovach as Overseer Jones, Rico Reid as Jeremy, Meggy Hai Trang as Anita, Sola Thompson as Vivian, Brent Vimtrup* as Orry Main Scarlett & Torie Wiggins* as Mimi

Jeremy has a PhD in physics from Harvard. And a time machine. And a plan. Jeremy’s plan is to send his thieving cousin back in time to 1863 to find Harriet Tubman and give her guns. Lots and lots of guns.

HARRY AND THE THIEF is an epic summer blockbuster, a socially conscious riot of a play that mashes up costume melodrama with an over-the-top action movie to tell a story full of adventure, social relevance, and answering the call of destiny.

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July 6, 2014 · 2:34 pm

SERIALS! Pilot Reviews

KTC_SerialsTomorrow night, July 7th, Know Theatre of Cincinnati presents the second episodes of their summer theater experiment, SERIALS!

If you missed the pilots on June 23, there will be a brief recap before each episode.

Having seen only the first 15 minutes of the six plays, below are some thoughts on the pilots.

  • FLESH DESCENDING – Cooked meat has fallen from the sky. A married couple hate each other and bicker, the wife is having an affair. You get about 7 1/2 minutes on each without alot of forward momentum. Not much too pull you in for the next episode.
  • FETUS AND THE GOD – A fetus walks into God’s study…and they talk…alot…about stuff. The script tends to meander with no real setup for the second episode.
  • THE LISTENER – A fun tongue-in-cheek concept that fully embraces the serialized concept. Good setup and it even includes a tag for the second episode. I wouldn’t mind seeing the lead have a stronger presence on stage. Given that you seem to be going for updated noir fiction, it might be fun so have some of the modern references in the classic-style narration.
  • SATURDAY THE 14TH – Miranda McGee & Nik Pajic make a entertaining couple who decide, independently, to jump off a bridge in deference to Valentine’s Day. The pilot serves as an entertaining setup with some fun physical comedy. Looking forward to seeing what is in store as the couple delay their demise to jointly crash a party.
  • THE FUNERAL – Jon Kovach and Tara Williams are totally believable as son and mother in this smart, tightly-written and emotionally true script. Kovach packs alot into just 15 minutes without it feeling too dense or hurried. Definitely intrigued by the big question of the son’s reluctance to attend the funeral being held downstairs.
  • MARS VS. THE ATOM – This one I had a hard time getting into. The main storyline with Erin Ward & Paul Kerford Wilson seemed under-rehearsed and uneven. I was totally confused by the costuming of Wilson’s agoraphobic? and entomophobic? character. He was dressed in a bee keeper’s helmet (the seam of which constantly blocked part of his face), oven mitts and poncho, but nothing to cover his exposed legs. So apparently he is only worried about being bit/stung from the waist up? It’s hard to get into a show when the main character is so undefined.

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June 24, 2014 · 1:37 pm

KTC Announces THE WELCOME EXPERIMENT & Opens 17th Season with SERIALS!

KNOW THEATRE ANNOUNCES
THE WELCOME EXPERIMENT
AND OPENS THEIR 17TH SEASON WITH SERIALS!

KTC_logoAt last night’s opening of Serials! at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, new Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford announced a bold programming initiative called The Welcome Experiment.

The Welcome Experiment

In the coming season, Know Theatre is adding Wednesday night performances to our MainStage schedule with a special twist: these Wednesday performances will be offered FREE of charge to anyone who wants to see a show.

Inspired by Mixed Blood Theatre Company of Minneapolis and their Radical Hospitality initiative, Know Theatre’s Welcome Experiment will benefit anyone for whom the price of a regular admission ticket is too high a barrier.

Know Theatre hopes that by offering opportunities to see productions free-of-charge, a wider audience will be able to take part—be they neighbors facing economic hardship, fellow artists, students struggling to make ends meet, or even people who simply don’t regularly attend live theatre and might be more willing to take a chance on a show if it is offered for free.

Season 17: Adaptation

This announcement marks the kickoff of Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s 17th season exploring the theme of “adaptation.” Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford and new Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters have selected a season that celebrates a variety of voices and perspectives—including more plays written and/or directed by women, and more performers of color to be represented on Know’s MainStage.

Fringe: Encores and Extras

In addition, Know Theatre will expand the programming associated with the highly popular annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival to include Encores from favorite Fringe productions, and Extras from like-minded artists whose work fits within the Fringe aesthetic. These special events will take place throughout the year, making it possible for Cincinnati to enjoy the spirit of the Fringe Festival beyond the months of May and June.

MainStage Season

Harry and the Thief by Sigrid Gilmer. Directed by Holly L. Derr. (August 8-30, 2014) Travel back in time. Find Harriet Tubman. Don’t f*** it Up.

Jeremy has a PhD in physics from Harvard. And a time machine. And a plan. Jeremy ‘s plan is to send his thieving cousin back in time to 1863 to find Harriet Tubman and give her guns. Lots and lots of guns. Harry and the Thief is the regional premiere of an epic summer blockbuster that mixes a contemporary action movie with antebellum melodrama to tell a story full of adventure, social relevance, and answering the call of destiny.

Moby Dick adapted by Julian Rad from the novel by Herman Melville. Directed by Andrew Hungerford & Michael Burnham. (Oct. 10-Nov. 8, 2014) Obsession. A Whale. Revenge.

Overwhelmed by the enormity of existence in the 19th century big city, Ishmael finds his only recourse is to go to sea. When he signs aboard the whaling ship Pequod, Ishmael is thrust into a momentous tale of revenge as one-legged Captain Ahab desperately pursues the white whale that maimed him. One of the most enduring, and daunting, works of American literature is stripped to its essence and re-imagined for our intimate theatre.

Bureau of Missing Persons by Lila Rose Kaplan

Directed by Tamara Winters. (November 29-December 20, 2014) People don’t just disappear.

A piece of chalk. A blue scarf. A pocketful of leaves. These clues lead Angela on a quest from her NYC apartment to a cave in Moscow to search for someone who is missing. Inspired by the stories of Borges, Bureau of Missing Persons is a magical tale that explores how we heal.

TBA (winter 2015)

Hearts Like Fists by Adam Szymkowicz. (March 27-April 25, 2015) Directed by Tamara Winters.

Love is a battlefield. Where Superheroes fight Crime.

The hearts of a troubled city and its citizens are intertwined. Doctor X is sneaking into apartments and killing lovers while they sleep. Can the elite Crimefighters stop him? “A fun, twisted exploration of what it means when someone Hulk-smashes your heart on the ground into a million pieces.” – Village Voice

Underground Stage

Know Theatre is excited to be producing a second stage of Underground programming on our bar’s cabaret stage and other locations around the city. The Underground season kicked off with the Serials! program that will continue through the summer. Additional surprise Underground programming will be announced throughout the season.

Pricing:

  • MainStage Tickets for Thurs-Sat Performances are $20.
  • Wednesday Night MainStage Tickets are free-of-charge.
  • Rush tickets for MainStage shows are available for $10.All Fringe Extra, Encore, and Underground Performances are $15.

    One-year sustaining memberships are available for $20/month or $240.

Where:

  • Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit: http://www.knowtheatre.com or call 513.300.3669 (KNOW).

Since 1997, Know Theatre has been dedicated to creating explosive and evocative live entertainment. We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.

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.

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play

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June 19, 2014 · 11:16 am

KTC Presents SERIALS All Summer Long

KTC_SerialsBrand new episodic plays presented in 15 minute episodes all summer long!

Every two weeks, you’ll catch a fresh episode of your new favorite shows. You can linger on every cliff hanger, with just a fortnight until the next episode when you can find out whether Sean Bean dies.

Pilot episodes on June 23.
Season Finales on September 8.

Tickets can be purchased here.

By the end of the summer your have seen a full hour and a half of story for 6 different shows.

We hope you’ll come out, pull up a couch, drink some beer, eat some popcorn and join us all for some must see TV. On stage.

Season 1 of Serials Features:

  • Mars Vs. The Atom by Trey Tatum.
  • Flesh Descending by Chris Wesselman.
  • The Funeral. by Jon Kovach.
  • Fetus and The God. by Ben Dudley.
  • The Listener by Michael Hall
  • and one more surprise!

Pilot Episode!
Mon, June 23, 2014, 8:00 PM

Episode 2!
Mon, July 7, 2014, 8:00 PM

Episode 3!
Mon, July 21, 2014, 8:00 PM

Episode 4!
Mon, August 11, 2014, 8:00 PM

Episode 5!
Mon, August 25, 2014, 8:00 PM

Season Finale!
Mon, September 8, 2014, 8:00 PM

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April 7, 2014 · 11:03 am

Know’s TWENTIETH-CENTURY WAY Earns 4 Star LCT Rating

Michael McKeogh as Brown & Jens Rasmussen as Warren.

Michael McKeogh as Brown & Jens Rasmussen as Warren.

Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized Know Theatres TWENTIETH-CENTURY WAY with a 4 Star rating.

Long Beach, California ,1914. A scourge of homosexuality plagues the city.The Long Beach Police hire two actors to entrap gay men in the crime of “social vagrancy.” In an empty theatre, two actors meet while awaiting an audition. As tension between them mounts, they find themselves playing the story of a near forgotten piece of American history — a story from a time when people were prosecuted for daring to be themselves. But the truth of who these actors really are is slowly exposed as the story unzips.

Panelists called the play “a gem of a production” with a “fascinating, multilayered” script: “The Know Theater has another hit with TWENTIETH-CENTURY WAY.” Director Kimberly Fait Hickman was praised for “her fast-paced direction, for the balance between pathos and humor, and for making sure that the playwright’s thought-provoking points were emphasized.” Both lead actors in this two person play, Michael McKeough and Jens Rasmussen, were also commended: “A dazzling display of acting for both…McKeogh’s performance was clever, energetic, and at times created a level of empathy I haven’t felt in years at the theatre.”

The Twentieth Century Way continues through May 3rd. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.knowtheatre.com.

League of Cincinnati Theatre panelists evaluate productions on a 5 star scale and recommend shows at either a 4 star or 5 star level. Nominations for LCT awards will be determined and announced at the end of the season and winners awarded at the annual LCT gala in the spring.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.com.

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