Know Theatre to Launch 2017 with Dark New Romance DRAGON PLAY

Know Theatre's 19th Season leaps into 2017 with a darkly romantic regional premiere about the extremes to which we'll go for love - and the collateral damage our choices leave behind.

Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters returns to the Know MainStage at the helm of this intense new drama, and she has assembled a fantastic cast to bring to life Jenny Connell Davis' poetic world: where love is complicated, and sometimes, people are dragons.

Dragon Play follows the story of Woman, who suddenly has a choice to make between her mysterious past and the life she's sacrificed everything to build.

Played by Torie Wiggins, Woman's worlds collide when Dragon (played by fellow CCM alumnus ClaRon Hayden) appears, fifteen years after their last goodbye.

Cincy Fringe Festival favorite Paul Strickland, in a rare dramatic turn, plays her embattled husband, who must must defend the life and home they've built from both Dragon's allure and the pull of Woman's past.

Unfolding alongside Woman's story is the unlikely love affair of Dragon Girl and Loser Boy, brought to life by two Cincinnati theatre newcomers, Kearston Hawkins-Johnson and Josh Reiter. Kearston makes her Know Theatre debut in this regional premiere, in between her first semester at Northern Kentucky University; while current UC-CCM student Josh Reiter previously appeared October's interactive horror event The Other Rhine.

Director Tamara Winters says "Dragon Play mixes mythology, legend, and an intensely personal story of longing, obsession, and devotion; crafting a world both like and unlike our own. And though you may not have met a literal dragon in your life before, I'll bet you'll recognize your own longings and triumphs in Davis' fantastical tale."

The Know Theatre design & tech team is gearing up for some theatrical magic, as well.

Says Ms. Winters, "The unique conventions of this script - wherein people can also be dragons, and time is fluid - demand some serious creative thinking. How do you create a world in which dragons hide among us, yet also present a story that feels visceral and true for our audience? We're playing with projection, light, shadow, and other theatrical magic to bring the audience along this emotional journey - and we can't wait for you to enjoy the ride!"

Why is Dragon Play the right show for the Know MainStage in this moment in time? Says Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford, "Dragon Play is a piece of art that helps us learn how to better live in what poet Stephen Dunn calls, 'the despoiled and radiant now.'"

Dragon Play is brought to you with support from the Mitchell S. & Jacqueline P. Meyers Foundation, and runs January 27 - Feb 18 on the MainStage.

Join us for this intense and intimate drama about what you sacrifice for love, and what you do when who you were confronts who you want to become.

Cast:

Dragon Girl - Kearston Hawkins-Johnson

Dragon - ClaRon Hayden

Boy/Loser Boy - Josh Reiter

Man - Paul Strickland

Woman - Torie Wiggins*

*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 - Tamara Winters

Lighting & Scenic Designer - Andrew Hungerford

Scenic Charge & Prop Designer - Sarah Beth Hall

Costume Designer - Noelle Wedig

Sound & Video Designer - Doug Borntrager

IF YOU GO:

Dragon Play by Jenny Connell Davis

Performances at 8:00pm January 27, 28; February 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18; 3:00pm January 29; February 5*, 12.

*A pre-show brunch is available on this date with purchase of $35 "Brunch + Show" tickets in advance. Deadline for brunch reservation is January 30. Brunch provided by Water Tower Fine Wines

At 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.

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

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