Cincinnati’s array of theaters is small compared to New York or Chicago, or even the Twin Cities. But we have a full spectrum of theater, enough choices to satisfy most theater lovers’ appetites. All the bases are covered. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is a Tony Award-winning regional theater. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents regional premieres of small-cast dramas and comedies. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company produces an array of classic works. For 26 years, Know Theatre of Cincinnati has annually presented edgy, experimental, boundary-pushing productions as well as the annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival since 2005.
So when a pair of Know’s artistic leaders announced their departures last September and October, it made many fans of Know nervous. To tell the truth, theaters across the U.S. are suffering. The pandemic caused many patrons to stop seeking out live performances, and attendance has not rebounded. The lifeblood of performing arts flows through ticket sales, so theater news has been troubling. Legendary theaters in numerous American cities, from the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles to Victory Gardens in Chicago, have radically scaled back their seasons or closed. Locally, Know postponed a promised December show until next season. Should Cincinnati theater fans be concerned?
Late in 2023, I spoke with four people who are part of this story: Andrew Hungerford, Know’s outgoing artistic director; Tom McLaughlin and Kathryn Hoffman, current leaders of Know’s board of directors; and Jay Kalagayan, Know’s founder and still an engaged board member.
Hungerford’s planned departure after 10 years of leadership was made public on Oct. 11, just two weeks after Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters departed somewhat unexpectedly to pursue other opportunities as a director and fundraiser for the arts. She joined Know in 2014 just a few months after Hungerford stepped up as artistic director after seven years of scenic and lighting design. Winters directed shows and took the lead in fundraising. Out of necessity, Know’s small full-time staff of six often handles multiple tasks. According to these interviews, these departures are not the product of frustration. Winters and Hungerford are both at different points in life than they were 10 years ago.
Hungerford, who reduced his freelance designing career to focus on Know, has divided his 10 years of leadership between Cincinnati and Los Angeles, where his wife, Elizabeth Martin, is an established professional writer. In Know’s October 2023 announcement, Hungerford said, “Being artistic director of the Know is a dream job, the kind that could fill a career. But because I split my time between Cincinnati and a home in Los Angeles, I initially had a three-year contract, thinking that would be my full tenure. And then there was more that we all wanted to do, and it turned into five years. And then seven years.” The pandemic tacked on three more years when his departure seemed ill-advised. “Even without a pandemic,” he added, “10 years in this role always stood for me as a hard limit. Leaders at small arts organizations know that the positions can be all-consuming, and there’s a big difference between having an all-consuming job in one’s 30s and in one’s 40s.”
The board anticipated Hungerford’s departure at the end of the 2023-2024 season. Winters, now a mother, landed a job that builds on her experience but affords a better work-life balance. Her decision to leave was dismaying but understandable. Nevertheless, their departures were troubling, especially when the postponement of the holiday production was announced. However, the balance of the season was quickly shared on the company’s website: The production of Kairos by Lisa Sanaye Dring, a two-person story about immortality and commitment opened on schedule on Feb. 16. The mainstage season will finish with a sci-fi musical, The Light Chasers, in April, written by Hungerford with music and lyrics by Craig Minowa. It will be co-produced with UC-CCM’s acting program. The 21st Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival, led by producer Katie Hartman for the third year, is set for May 31-June 15.
The board is reviewing candidates who have applied to replace Hungerford and hopes to choose a new leader before the 2024 Fringe. Know’s job posting indicated that the artistic director would offer “leadership with a passion for new works, underserved voices, economic justice and equitable and inclusive independent theater that’s rooted in community, collaboration and play.” Winters’s absence means the new artistic leader will need to find an able fundraiser or take a larger personal role in that challenging activity.
McLaughlin, whose term as board chair ended in December, said, “An occasional change in leadership is important for a theater that’s all about producing work about artists and the artistic community.” Know does not have an endowment, a reserve of funds for projects, planned or unplanned. He pointed out that the company’s Jackson Street building is rent-free, thanks to the estate of late donor David Herriman. “But it’s not an asset. We don’t really have a ‘rainy day’ fund for unexpected repairs or other needs. We have to pay for upkeep, heat and air conditioning and maintenance like tuckpointing on the building’s walls.”
The company needs to look toward the future, McLaughlin said. “Know Theatre was an experiment, and experiments are meant to change. How do we keep being a theater and an asset for the artistic community of Cincinnati?” It’s a formidable question.
Hoffman became a board member two years ago and is now its chair, so she brings a fresh perspective. Employed in the finance industry, she brings business acumen to her role as the board’s incoming leader. She has a clear idea of the kind of artistic leader that Know should hire. “We seek a person who can find a way to be in town, represent the Know well, find a way to bring back folks who have drifted away, and bring in new audience members. We need to build seasons that have really wide, broad appeal. We push the envelope, and we want to continue doing so, but perhaps push different envelopes in different ways.”
But Hoffman is also pragmatic. “My financial brain goes to the need to have an anchor show in every season that’s a pretty big blockbuster to raise enough funds and support to enable the smaller, push-the-envelope shows. I envision a theatrical experience for our audience that allows deep thinkers to open their eyes and encourages them to push the boundaries of what is possible. And we need to do this with financial stability.”
Know’s founder Kalagayan provided a longer perspective. “It’s a scary time right now. Theaters I admired when I started Know 26 years ago have closed. But Know has always been adaptable and flexible. During COVID, we didn’t take any breaks. We were still producing. We pioneered the hybrid of performing live and recorded theater.” Know produced an all-digital Fringe in 2020 and a hybrid event in 2021. “I can’t imagine Cincinnati without the Fringe,” Kalagayan observed. “It sets our city apart.”
Cincinnati had a strong theatergoing audience before the pandemic, he recalled. “They’re still trying to find their way back.” Across the country, theater attendance is down about 50 percent. There are many competing options for entertainment. “It’s wonderful, but we need to support theater of all sizes. Know is always evolving, always changing, and we’re better for it.”
Know provides its staff modest salaries. “But we’re going to do a wide call,” Kalagayan said, “and I know that with our history and programming, we’re an attractive opportunity.” Approximately two dozen people have applied. “Many well-qualified local candidates have gained experience because of Know Theatre and the Fringe Festival.” Kalagayan pointed out. “We’ve provided a fertile ground for creators. It’s kind of like we’ve invested in our own creative community.”
Hungerford added, “Know has always had a remarkable resiliency and transformative quality, exemplified by the wide variety of work that we put onstage and the breadth of our programming. From a show at the Mockbee, to Serials! [new plays by local writers], to the Fringe Festival, Know encompasses all these things. A great community of artists feeds into the Know. Know provides works that can’t be seen on any other stage.” He added, “Innovation takes investment and support, so we need to have the resources for our intrepid team, staff and artists to give them space for that innovation to happen.”
The lights might be flickering on Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine, but the collective will of those involved is to build on Know’s long, creative foundation.
Know’s production of The Light Chasers opens on April 5 in a co-production with UC-CCM’s acting program. The 21st Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival is set for May 31-June 15. Information and tickets: knowtheatre.com.
