Know Theatre of Cincinnati
Encyclopedia
Know Theatre of Cincinnati is a non-profit theatre company located in the historical Over-the-Rhine
neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio
, which produces contemporary and collaborative theatre that tends to be edgy, challenging, and thought-provoking. Season performances occur in a 99-seat versatile black box theatre. Know Theatre produces the annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival
and a national educational tour of Calculus the Musical
. In 2010, Know Theatre launched the Jackson Street Market, a series of programs created to provide resources, foster collaborations, and to strengthen the local community of individual artists and independent arts organizations. Its goal is to retain artists in the city and create opportunities for them to make a living from their artistic endeavors. Know Theatre joins many other arts organizations in Over-the-Rhine
to form an arts district unparalleled in size and caliber within the city.
Know Theatre's Mission & Vision
Our mission is to create evocative and explosive live entertainment.
Our vision is a world awakened to its collective possibility.
We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.
, and changed it's name to Know Theatre of Cincinnati in 2006.
The company was founded in the fall of 1997 when Jay B. Kalagayan formed a ‘tribe’ of artists who traveled to bookstores and venues in Cincinnati to perform original collaborative works. In 1999 the tribe took up its first residence in the basement of the
church at Gabriel’s Corner and produced a full season of plays.
In its early history, Know Theatre was best known for its 2003 production of Terrence McNally
's play Corpus Christi
. The production drew praise by winning a 2003 Post-Corbett Award and drew protests from religious groups, including a letter writing campaign in which over 20,000 post cards were mailed to the theatre.
In 2004, Know Theatre hired Artistic Director Jason Bruffy, founder of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and former company manager of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. In 2006, the company moved into its second permanent home at 1120 Jackson Street, and changed its name to Know Theatre of Cincinnati. The intent of this name change was both to acknowledge the city in which the company operates and to signify that its nomadic “tribe” days were over. Between 2006 and 2009, Know Theatre underwent an expansion of operational capacity, staff, and production value of the theatre produced.
The fall of 2009 marked a transitionary period for Know Theatre, with founder Jay Kalagayan and Artistic Director Jason Bruffy both leaving the company to pursue other opportunities (Kalagayan moving to Cincinnati Ballet
and currently the Cincinnati Museum Center, Bruffy was temporarily with the Salt Lake Acting Company, worked in New York City and is currently with Florida Studio Theatre).
The 2009-2010 season began as Eric Vosmeier as Managing Artistic Director and featured Cincinnati's first professional production of both parts of Tony Kushner
's Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. The production was recognized by the Acclaim Awards as Best Alternative Production and by the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards as Outstanding Play of the season. The production featured a different director for each half (Brian Isaac Phillips of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company directed Millennium Approaches and Drew Fracher directed Perestroika). The cast consisted of Michael Bath, Amy Warner, Christopher Guthrie, Liz Vosmeier, Rob Jansen, Joshua Murphy, Darnell Pierre Benjamin, and Courtney Brown. The 2009-2010 season also featured one of the highest selling productions in the company's history - Sideways Stories from Wayside School by John Olive and directed by Jason Ballweber of Four Humors Theater in Minneapolis, MN.
At the start of the 2010-2011 season, Eric Vosmeier was named Producing Artistic Director. In 2010, Know Theatre launched the Jackson Street Market, a series of programs created to provide resources, foster collaborations, and to strengthen the local community of individual artists and independent arts organizations. Its goal is to retain artists in the city and create opportunities for them to make a living from their artistic endeavors.
In July of 2011, construction began on a new marqee on the facade of Know Theatre's building funded by capital grants from The City of Cincinnati and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Construction is scheduled to be completed by September, 2011.
Cincinnati CityBeat
Cincinnati CityBeat
Cincinnati Magazine
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings...
neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, which produces contemporary and collaborative theatre that tends to be edgy, challenging, and thought-provoking. Season performances occur in a 99-seat versatile black box theatre. Know Theatre produces the annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival
Cincinnati Fringe Festival
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival, produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. It consiststs of 12 Days of Theatre, Film, Visual Art, and Music in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. It is Ohio's Largest Performing Arts Festival. It occurs annually and begins the day...
and a national educational tour of Calculus the Musical
Calculus the Musical
"Calculus: The Musical! is a comic “review” of the concepts and history of Calculus." The musical was originally created by Matheatre, composed of Marc Gutman and Sadie Bowman. The musical used the story of the development of Calculus to tie together songs that Marc had created as mnemonics when...
. In 2010, Know Theatre launched the Jackson Street Market, a series of programs created to provide resources, foster collaborations, and to strengthen the local community of individual artists and independent arts organizations. Its goal is to retain artists in the city and create opportunities for them to make a living from their artistic endeavors. Know Theatre joins many other arts organizations in Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings...
to form an arts district unparalleled in size and caliber within the city.
Know Theatre's Mission & Vision
Our mission is to create evocative and explosive live entertainment.
Our vision is a world awakened to its collective possibility.
We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.
History
Prior to 2006, Know Theatre of Cincinnati was known as the Know Theatre Tribe and was housed in the basement at Gabriel's Corner Church, 1425 Sycamore Street in Cincinnati, OH. Know Theatre moved into it's new home on Jackson Street, merged with the Cincinnati Fringe FestivalCincinnati Fringe Festival
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival, produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. It consiststs of 12 Days of Theatre, Film, Visual Art, and Music in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. It is Ohio's Largest Performing Arts Festival. It occurs annually and begins the day...
, and changed it's name to Know Theatre of Cincinnati in 2006.
The company was founded in the fall of 1997 when Jay B. Kalagayan formed a ‘tribe’ of artists who traveled to bookstores and venues in Cincinnati to perform original collaborative works. In 1999 the tribe took up its first residence in the basement of the
church at Gabriel’s Corner and produced a full season of plays.
In its early history, Know Theatre was best known for its 2003 production of Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
's play Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (play)
Corpus Christi is a passion play by Terrence McNally dramatizing the story of Jesus and the Apostles. Written in 1997 and first staged in New York in 1998, it depicts Jesus and the Apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. It utilizes modern devices like television with anachronisms like...
. The production drew praise by winning a 2003 Post-Corbett Award and drew protests from religious groups, including a letter writing campaign in which over 20,000 post cards were mailed to the theatre.
In 2004, Know Theatre hired Artistic Director Jason Bruffy, founder of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and former company manager of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. In 2006, the company moved into its second permanent home at 1120 Jackson Street, and changed its name to Know Theatre of Cincinnati. The intent of this name change was both to acknowledge the city in which the company operates and to signify that its nomadic “tribe” days were over. Between 2006 and 2009, Know Theatre underwent an expansion of operational capacity, staff, and production value of the theatre produced.
The fall of 2009 marked a transitionary period for Know Theatre, with founder Jay Kalagayan and Artistic Director Jason Bruffy both leaving the company to pursue other opportunities (Kalagayan moving to Cincinnati Ballet
Cincinnati Ballet
The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The current artistic director is Victoria Morgan.-Founding:...
and currently the Cincinnati Museum Center, Bruffy was temporarily with the Salt Lake Acting Company, worked in New York City and is currently with Florida Studio Theatre).
The 2009-2010 season began as Eric Vosmeier as Managing Artistic Director and featured Cincinnati's first professional production of both parts of Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner
Anthony Robert "Tony" Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich.-Life and career:Kushner was born...
's Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. The production was recognized by the Acclaim Awards as Best Alternative Production and by the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards as Outstanding Play of the season. The production featured a different director for each half (Brian Isaac Phillips of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company directed Millennium Approaches and Drew Fracher directed Perestroika). The cast consisted of Michael Bath, Amy Warner, Christopher Guthrie, Liz Vosmeier, Rob Jansen, Joshua Murphy, Darnell Pierre Benjamin, and Courtney Brown. The 2009-2010 season also featured one of the highest selling productions in the company's history - Sideways Stories from Wayside School by John Olive and directed by Jason Ballweber of Four Humors Theater in Minneapolis, MN.
At the start of the 2010-2011 season, Eric Vosmeier was named Producing Artistic Director. In 2010, Know Theatre launched the Jackson Street Market, a series of programs created to provide resources, foster collaborations, and to strengthen the local community of individual artists and independent arts organizations. Its goal is to retain artists in the city and create opportunities for them to make a living from their artistic endeavors.
In July of 2011, construction began on a new marqee on the facade of Know Theatre's building funded by capital grants from The City of Cincinnati and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Construction is scheduled to be completed by September, 2011.
Notable Productions & Playwrights
View a full production history on Know Theatre's Website- 2010 Skin Tight by Gary Henderson (directed by Drew Fracher; scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford; sound design by Doug Borntrager)
- 2010 Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony KushnerTony KushnerAnthony Robert "Tony" Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich.-Life and career:Kushner was born...
(Millennium Approaches directed by Brian Isaac Phillips and Perestroika directed by Drew Fracher; scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford; sound design by Doug Borntrager; costume design by Susan Toy) - 2010 Adding Machine: A Musical by Jason Loewith & Joshua Schmidt (directed by Michael Burnham, musical direction by Alan Patrick Kenney, scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford, costumes by Susan Toy, sound design by Doug Borntrager)
- 2009 Sideways Stories From Wayside School by John Olive (directed by Jason Ballweber of Four Humors Theatre in Minneapolis; scenic design by Andrew Hungerford; lighting design by Josh Mansker; costume design by Susan Toy; sound design by Doug Borntrager)
- 2009 boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb (directed by Drew Fracher, scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford, costume design by Susan Toy, sound design by Doug Borntrager)
- 2009 Eurydice by Sarah RuhlSarah RuhlSarah Ruhl is an American playwright. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.-Biography:Ruhl was born in Wilmette, Illinois. Originally, she intended to be a poet. However, after she studied under Paula Vogel at Brown University , she was convinced to switch to playwrighting...
(directed by Jason Bruffy, lighting design by Sean Savoie; scenic design by Andrew Hungerford, sound design by Doug Borntrager) - 2008 Militant Language: A Play With Sand by Sean Christopher Lewis (World Premiere)(directed by Jason Bruffy; scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford; sound design by Doug Borntrager)
- 2008 Bare: A Pop Opera by Jon Hartmere Jr. & Damon IntrabartoloDamon IntrabartoloDamon Intrabartolo is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor. He attended the University of Southern California and departed before graduation to work with John Ottman on The Usual Suspects.-Work:...
(directed by Jason Bruffy; scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford; sound design by Doug Borntrager) - 2007 Topdog/UnderdogTopdog/UnderdogTopdog/Underdog is a play by Suzan-Lori Parks. Parks received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002 for the work.The play chronicles the adult lives of two African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, as they cope with women, work, poverty, gambling, racism, and their troubled upbringings...
by Suzan-Lori ParksSuzan-Lori ParksSuzan-Lori Parks is an African American playwright and screenwriter. She received the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant in 2001, and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Topdog/Underdog.-Early years:... - 2006 See What I Wanna SeeSee What I Wanna SeeSee What I Wanna See is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa based on three short stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa: "Kesa and Morito", "In a Grove" and "The Dragon". The story is told in two parts with two prologues. Each prologue involves the medieval lovers/killers Kesa and Morito...
by Michael John LaChiusaMichael John LaChiusaMichael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
(Regional Premiere, first production after off-Broadway) (directed by Jason Bruffy) - 2006 In the BloodIn The BloodIn The Blood is a play written by Suzan-Lori Parks which first premiered at The Joseph Papp Public Theatre on November 1999. Parks borrowed many aspects from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and wanted to create a play based on the novel. She originally wanted to call the play Fucking A,...
by Suzan-Lori ParksSuzan-Lori ParksSuzan-Lori Parks is an African American playwright and screenwriter. She received the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant in 2001, and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Topdog/Underdog.-Early years:...
(First production at new home on Jackson Street) - 2005 Tick, Tick... Boom!Tick, Tick... BOOM!Tick, Tick... Boom! is a musical written by American composer Jonathan Larson, who won a Pulitzer and two Tony Awards for his musical Rent. Tick Tick Boom tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to...
by Jonathan LarsonJonathan LarsonJonathan Larson was an American composer and playwright noted for the serious social issues of multiculturalism, addiction, and homophobia explored in his work. Typical examples of his use of these themes are found in his works, Rent and tick, tick... BOOM!... - 2003 Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi (play)Corpus Christi is a passion play by Terrence McNally dramatizing the story of Jesus and the Apostles. Written in 1997 and first staged in New York in 1998, it depicts Jesus and the Apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. It utilizes modern devices like television with anachronisms like...
by Terrence McNallyTerrence McNallyTerrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
(Heavily protested by religious groups, put Know Theatre on the map]
Cincinnati CityBeatCincinnati CityBeatCincinnati CityBeat is an independent local arts and issues publication covering the Cincinnati, Ohio area. It has the second largest readership in the Cincinnati area behind the daily Cincinnati Enquirer.-History:...
Entertainment Awards for Theatre
- 2010 Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Michael Bath, Local Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
- 2010 Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Ensemble Performance
- 2010 Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Outstanding Play
- 2010 Adding Machine: A Musical Robert Pavlovich, Local Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
- 2010 Adding Machine: A Musical Rich Roedersheimer, Local Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- 2009 Eurydice Doug Borntrager & Sean Savoie, Lighting, Sound, or Special Effects
- 2009 Eurydice Robert Pavlovich, Local Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
- 2003 Corpus Christi Best Ensemble
- 2003 Corpus Christi Best Actor
Cincinnati CityBeatCincinnati CityBeatCincinnati CityBeat is an independent local arts and issues publication covering the Cincinnati, Ohio area. It has the second largest readership in the Cincinnati area behind the daily Cincinnati Enquirer.-History:...
Best of Cincinnati
- 2011 Best Live Theater #2
- 2011 Best Big Brother
- 2011 Best Way for Arts to Hang Out on Second Mondays - Jackson Street Market's bARTer Lab
- 2009 Best Theatre Value
- 2009 Best Transformation of Downtown Cincinnati Fringe FestivalCincinnati Fringe FestivalThe Cincinnati Fringe Festival, produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. It consiststs of 12 Days of Theatre, Film, Visual Art, and Music in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. It is Ohio's Largest Performing Arts Festival. It occurs annually and begins the day...
- 2006 Best Hope For Inclusion
- 2005 Staff Pick Jay Kalagayan & Jason Bruffy
Cincinnati Enquirer Acclaim Awards
- 2010-2011 The Dragon Andrew Hungerford, Production Design
- 2010-2011 Skin Tight Drew Fracher, Direction
- 2010-2011 Skin Tight Drew Fracher, Fight Choreography
- 2010-2011 Skin Tight Beth Harris, Non-Equity Lead Performance
- 2010-2011 Skin Tight Jens Rasmussen, Equity Lead Performance
- 2009-2010 Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Outstanding Alternative Production
- 2009-2010 Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Outstanding Non-Equity Ensemble
- 2009-2010 Angels in America: Millennium Approaches Brian Isaac Phillips, Outstanding Direction
- 2009-2010 Angels in America: Millennium Approaches Michael Bath, Outstanding Equity Supporting Performance
- 2009-2010 Sideways Stories from Wayside School Jason Ballweber, Outstanding Direction in an Independent Production
- 2009-2010 Sideways Stories from Wayside School Lindsey Jones & Kim Popa, Outstanding Choreography in an Independent Production
- 2009-2010 Sideways Stories from Wayside School Non-Equity Ensemble
- 2009-2010 Liz Vosmeier, Resident Actress, Most Valuable Player
- 2008-2009 Doug Borntrager, Special Recognition
- 2006-2007 See What I Wanna See Molly Binder, Supporting Performance
- 2006-2007 See What I Wanna See Jason Bruffy, Outstanding Direction
- 2006-2007 See What I Wanna See Liz Holt, Lead Performance
- 2006-2007 See What I Wanna See Alan Patrick Kenny, Musical Direction
- 2006-2007 See What I Wanna See Ensemble Performance
- 2006-2007 See What I Wanna See Outstanding Musical
- 2006-2007 Last Sunday In June Samantha Reno, Scenic Design
- 2006-2007 Songs From An Unmade Bed Know Theatre of Cincinnati & New Stage Collective, Outstanding Cabaret
- 2005-2006 Last Days of Judas Iscariot Nick Rose, Alternative Supporting Performance
- 2004-2005 '4.48 Psychosis
Cincinnati MagazineCincinnati MagazineCincinnati Magazine is a monthly lifestyle magazine concerning life in and about Cincinnati, Ohio.It was created by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce in 1967. It was then purchased by CM Media in 1981....
Best of the City Awards
- 2009 Best Bargains
- 2008 Discount Theater Tickets
- 2005 Best Fest Cincinnati Fringe FestivalCincinnati Fringe FestivalThe Cincinnati Fringe Festival, produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. It consiststs of 12 Days of Theatre, Film, Visual Art, and Music in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. It is Ohio's Largest Performing Arts Festival. It occurs annually and begins the day...