Know Theatre Announces Season 26: THROUGH THE MIRROR

Starting in August, the Know invites you to dive into live theatre in ways you've never experienced it before: from a black comedy about a rising tide of facism, to a heartening affirmation of the boundless love of the father-son bond, to a bittersweet romance of a love soured by the relentless pursuit of unattainable ideals, the Know is ready to take you on life-changing quests around the city and across the stars.

Beginning 26 years ago with the founding of Know Theatre Tribe, the mission has been to bring theatre to all people. No matter who you are, you're welcome at the Know; whatever your own story is, you'll find stories that speak to you. You'll find it in the wide range of shows, and also in the ongoing dedication to keeping theatre economically accessible for audiences with free Welcome Experiment programs and low-cost tickets available for every performance.

They aren't just making art for the community – they're making it with our community. With every production, the company finds, highlight, and invest in the best local talent around, and we remain committed to paying equitable wages so that making a living as an artist is accessible to people from all walks of life.

Come on a season-long adventure as Know presents five very different shows that hold a mirror up to reality, painting the world with a viscerally exciting, theatrical flair that'll keep you excited to come play at the Know – you're always welcome here.

“That's something we've been doing for a long time. Adapting. Evolving. So there's hope. Or there's cake. In light of all that, it can't really be all that awful.”

The company kicks things off with Sleeping Giant, an audaciously funny black comedy about an ancient evil dwelling at the bottom of a lake – and about how, against a rising tide of unsettling events, people will go to terrifying lengths to find something to hold onto. Sleeping Giant was written by Steve Yockey, the playwright behind previous MainStage adventures The Fisherman's Wife and Mercury and the showrunner of HBO's The Flight Attendant, and will be directed by Producing Artistic Director Andrew J. Hungerford. It runs on the MainStage August 5 - 21, 2023.

Monsters of the American Cinema, by Christian St. Croix, takesyou to a family-owned drive-in movie theatre for a haunting and heartening drama about fathers and sons, grief and love, queerness and race, and the struggle of bringing someone back from the brink of becoming one the monsters we fear – all set against the imagery of iconic monster movies. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters, Monsters of the American Cinema runs September 22 - October 8, 2023.

When the temperature drops, we've got something heartwarming on the menu. BLERDS, by J. Corey Buckner, invites you to skip school with a trio of teenage Black nerds as they quest across their city to reach a sci-fi convention – and finally meet Samuel L. Jackson, the coolest Jedi in the galaxy. Directed by Derek Snow, BLERDS runs November 17 - December 10, 2023.

It's a tale as old as time. Girl meets boy. Girl gets boy. Then the world changes. Kairos, by Lisa Sanaye Dring, gives a white-hot romance stretched to its breaking point by the advent of a technology that could extend human life indefinitely. What happens to commitment, community, and care when linear time breaks open? Kairos, directed by Rebecca Wear and running February 16 - March 3, 2024, was originally developed as part of the Geffen Writers' Room.

Closing out the season is a world-premiere musical powered by songs from orchestral-indie-rock band Cloud Cult. Light Chasers, inspired by the album of the same name, celebrates love, family, and the galactic distances we'll go to heal. Light Chasers is a co-production with Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music and runs April 5 - 28, 2024.

 

Cincinnati's Summer Theatre Party, the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, celebrated its 20th birthday with a riotously joyful and successful festival in pop-up venues all across the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

We're delighted to be back for a 21st year of community-building through the power of experimental and independent art. Applications will open in autumn 2023, with the Festival's Primary Lineup announced in April.

No Know season would be complete without the return of Monday Night Theatre Party. Serials! is a biweekly romp through the newest of the new locally-created plays - all unfolding episodically (like TV, but live onstage!). 

Every other Monday from January through March, 2024, you can join the “Underground” (cabaret stage with full bar) for 15-minute-long episodes of new plays by local writers. Then, YOU get to vote to see which three shows get to continue their story for the next week's event! 

Want to become a Serials! writer? Submissions open later this summer!

 

This year, you can choose the ticket price that fits your budget - $25 if you need it, $35 for an average price, and $45 if you want to help to ensure a living wage for all.

Ticket prices should never keep you from taking a chance on a show at the Know. That is why they are proud to bring back The Welcome Experiment: the Wednesday MainStage performances where anyone can reserve a ticket in advance for $10, or get a ticket at the door completely free of charge (subject to availability). Come see a show at the Know - you're welcome here!

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.

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