Convergence-continuum concludes its 2016 Season with the world premiere of Cleveland playwright Jonathan Wilhelm's noir comedy mystery thriller, THE KNIFE IS MONEY, THE FORK IS LOVE. It's 1932, and Tobias, a young man enamored with radio serials and pulp fiction, receives a puzzling package which leads him on a search for the members of a secret society. In the theater, meanwhile, a group of actors struggle to provide historical context and work with the audience to solve Tobias' Depression-era enigma. Confusion, and much comedy, ensues as both the characters and actors try to untangle this mysterious and thrilling tale for us.
THE KNIFE IS MONEY... is directed by Geoffrey Hoffman, and features actors Amy Bistok Bunce, Lucy Bredeson-Smith, Rob Branch and David Thonnings.
THE KNIFE IS MONEY... opens Fri, Dec 2 and runs Thurs-Sat at 8 pm through Dec 17 at the Liminis Theater, 2438 Scranton Rd, Cleveland 44113 in the historic Tremont neighborhood. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 seniors (65+), $10 students. Reservations and information at http://convergence-continuum.org and 216-687-0074.
Jonathan Wilhelm has had a long and varied career in the theatre from being the youngest intern at Oberlin Music Theatre, to fabricating leather armor for Great Lakes Theater's production of King Lear with HAl Holbrook. As a performer he has been a professional children's storyteller (Mr. Hatbox), a Cleveland Christmas icon (a ten-year stint as Mr. Jingeling), and most recently appeared in Lucas Hnath's Isaac's Eye at convergence-continuum as The Narrator/Dying Man. As a playwright, his work has been performed at Ensemble Theatre (Miracle and Wonder, 2012), John Carroll University (Household Tales, 2010) and Cleveland Public Theatre (Public Displays, 2010). He was also a Heidemen Award Finalist for his 10-minute play The Opponents. He has directed productions at Lorain County Community College (The Crucible, Oliver!), Workshop Players (Morning's at Seven, The Curious Cavage), and more murder-mystery dinner theatre productions than he can count. For seventeen years, he worked at Borders Books & Music where he organized book signings/events for Gen. Colin Powell, Judy Collins, Sandra Brown, Suze Ormond and Bob James, among others. He lives in Cleveland Heights with his partner Michael and cat Edgar.
The Knife is Money, the Fork is Love, the company's 80th production, is the sixth and final production of the 2016 Season (our fifteenth). The company's season runs from February (during which we stage the NEOMFA Playwrights Festival) through December. Almost all of the cast and crew of Knife / Fork have been involved in previous convergence-continuum productions in many and various capacities. The company seeks to create a core ensemble that continues to work together over the long term in exploring and developing its artistic voice, and performance and production practices, to create up-close, environmentally-staged productions that challenge the status quo and extend the boundaries of theatre.
The company's artistic home, in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, is the Liminis Theater, an intimate, versatile, storefront performance space, with maximum seating of 40-50 depending on the set-up for each show. The company produces alternative/experimental theatre work by living playwrights, and completely transforms the Liminis for each show, immersing audiences into the world of the play in up-close productions.
The company now faces the possibility of losing its artistic home, as the Liminis Theater building is slated to be sold at the end of 2016. Convergence-continuum is currently in the midst of a fund-raising campaign to buy and secure it for the company for the years to come.
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