Know Theatre of Cincinnati Presents ZACK

When you wake up in the morning, as the alarm gives out a warning, and you know you'll never make it on time, it's all right, 'cause you're saved by the Know! The Know Theatre is celebrating the holiday season with a heaping dose of pop-culture satire with Zack, by Christian St. Croix. Zack lovingly skewers the popular tropes of the teen sitcom as it introduces us to the lives and loves of Gina and PJ, a Black girl and a Latino boy at an affluent, majority-white Southern California high school, and poses the question: whom does the bell save?

PJ, a lovesick surfer boy, and Gina, a teen fashionista, are overjoyed when they're invited into the inner circle of Zack, the charismatic but prank-happy new kid at school. When Zack plans a prank that goes too far, PJ and Gina race to stop him before it's too late - and along the way, learn to see their peers, and themselves, with fresh eyes.

If you loved teen sitcoms like Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, or Lizzie McGuire, you'll love this shake-up of sitcom tropes. If you couldn't stand those shows, you'll love seeing those tropes get ruthlessly parodied. Zack is set in 1992, but its heart is entirely issues that are rocking 2020: embracing unconditional self-love, dismantling bigotry and biases, and smashing the systems that oppress us. It's time to love who we are, heal our hearts, and unite to keep bullies from rising to the top of the class.

Zack is a fully theatrical experience delivered to you as an entirely online production. The first two weeks of the run will feature livestreamed performances broadcast from the Know Theatre's Mainstage; the final two weeks will offer video-on-demand access to a recording of their favorite livestreamed performance.

Zack will be directed by the Know's Producing Artistic Director, Andrew J. Hungerford. We're delighted to welcome back A.J. Baldwin to their Mainstage as Gina; A.J. previously appeared at the Know in last season's sci-fi political drama, The Absentee. They also welcome David Armando, fresh out of his internship with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, who is making his Know Theatre debut as PJ.

Following the success of their previous show, Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It!, which was performed in public spaces across the city, we're partnering with a few local organizations to produce drive-in screenings of Zack. We're almost ready to announce the details on that; stay tuned for more information!

The Know Theatre takes the potential risks of making theatre in a pandemic very seriously, and we are taking all possible steps to ensure the safety of their cast and crew. Precautions include weekly COVID testing for all members of the production team, clearly delineated working spaces to ensure safe distancing, mask-wearing at all times except when actors are performing, and regular disinfecting of the theatre.

CAST

David Armando as PJ

AJ Baldwin as Gina

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director: Andrew J. Hungerford

Scenic and Lighting Designer: Andrew J. Hungerford

Costume Designer: Noelle Wedig-Johnston

Sound and Projections Designer: Douglas J. Borntrager

Props Design & Scenic Art: Kayla Williams

Original Music: James Allen

Stage Manager: Meghan Winter

Technical Director: Henry Bateman

AT A GLANCE

Production: Zack by Christian St. Croix

Dates: Nov 20 - December 13

Where: Online, streamed from the Know Theatre of Cincinnati

Tickets: The standard ticket price is $20. Audiences may opt to support the Know's initiative to pay all artists and employees a living wage by selecting the $30 Living Wage Ticket. Rush tickets, when available, may be purchased for $10 an hour before performance. On Wednesdays, as part of their Welcome Experiment, tickets are $5 in advance or FREE beginning one hour prior to the show.

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