Know's 20th Season Opens with the Patriarchy-Smashing Comedy MARIAN...

Know Theatre proudly kicks off our 20th Anniversary Season with a tale that flips the script on a legend you only think you know.

Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise, and leads a motley group of Merry Men (very few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John.

As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? What is the cost of revealing your true self in a troubled time?

Modern concerns and romantic entanglements clash on the battlefield and on the ramparts of Nottingham Castle.

Making her MainStage directing debut is Managing Director Alice Flanders, at the helm of this action-packed new comedy.

We asked Alice what made her jump at the chance to direct Marian, straight off the heels of its world premiere with New York's Flux Theatre Ensemble in 2016. Here's what she had to say:

"Playwright Adam Szymkowicz takes a script that we are so used to seeing we don't even notice it anymore, and he turns it on its head.

We get a Robin Hood whose background is the unexpected. We get a merry band of humans, some of which are men, some of which are women, and some of which are trying to figure out where they fall between the two. We get a boatload of representation, and representation in the media matters."

And lucky for us, Alice has assembled a blockbuster cast for this swashbuckling adventure.

Taking on the iconic title role is Maggie Lou Rader, who wowed Know audiences as pioneering astronomer Henrietta Leavitt in 2016's Silent Sky.

Says Rader:

"There's so much to love about this show, the cast is delightful, the script is a riot, and we've been having a ball putting this story together for the stage.

But perhaps most importantly, representation is important and this show gives a platform for so many people to step into the story of Robin Hood and the Merry Men who may not have had the opportunity before.

I think every child pretends he or she is Robin Hood at some point and I still can't quite grasp how lucky I am to embody both Robin and Maid Marian at the same time."

Joining her to bring the outlaws of Sherwood Forest to life are a diverse and hilarious group of local talents - some familiar, and some new to Know fans!

Cincinnati Fringe Festival Producer Chris Wesselman returns to the MainStage for the first time since 2015's All Childish Things as the lovable and loyal Little John. Fans of the Cincy Fringe will also recognize Leah Strasser in her Know MainStage debut. A founding member of perennial Fringe favorites Homegrown Theatre Company, Leah plays Alanna Dale, whose desire to join the Merry Men gets her into adventures she never imagined!

Also making their Know MainStage debuts are Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Geoffrey Barnes, Brandon Burton, and Candice Handy; former Playhouse in the Park Acting Interns Greg Mallios and Ernaisja Curry, and former Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Acting Apprentice Samantha Russell.

And making his triumphant return to the Know after 2016's smash-hit comedy The Fisherman's Wife is Cal Harris, as greedy Prince John!

But beyond the cast, the fights in this story are a character unto themselves! And we are fortunate to have fightmaster Jonn Baca working with us to keep the swash in our buckle. Know fans will remember the excitement of Baca's fights in 2016's Pulp and 2015's Hearts Like Fists, as well many others at the Know and as countless other productions around the region!

Why kick off our 20th Anniversary season with this uproarious tale of derring-do?

Says Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford,

It just felt right to begin this season with a brand new play that reinvents an old story in such delightful ways. At the Know, we have a history of hollowing out traditional narratives for new works. That we can do it while simultaneously celebrating love and individuality (and giving the patriarchy what-for) is deeply satisfying and so much fun.

So, come smash the patriarchy with us and experience the legend of Robin Hood as you've never seen it before!

NOTE FOR MEMBERS OF THE TELEVISION PRESS: Cast members are available for on-screen appearances, including demonstrations of stage combat! Please contact Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters to book cast members of Marian on your programs.

Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood is brought to you with support from Marilyn Scripps, and runs July 28 - August 19 on the MainStage.

Cast in Alphabetical Order

Geoffrey Barnes* as Sheriff/Friar Tuck
Brandon Burton as Lenny/Guard #2
Ernaisja Curry as Shirley/Tommy of No Consequence
Candice Handy as Will Scarlet
Cal Harris as Prince John
Greg Mallios as Theo/Tanner/Guard #1
Maggie Lou Rader as Marian
Samantha Russell as Much/Lucy
Leah Strasser as Alanna Dale
Chris Wesselman as Little John

*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 - Alice Flanders

Lighting & Scenic Designer - Andrew Hungerford

Assistant Director, Scenic Charge & Prop Designer - Sarah Beth Hall

Costume Designer - Noelle Wedig

Sound & Video Designer - Doug Borntrager