HEIST to Open Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 2026-27 Season
Blake Robison directs the caper, presented by MC and Tom Brennan at the Rouse Theatre.
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will kick off their 2026-27 season with HEIST, presented by MC and Tom Brennan. A high-tech thriller, Heist begins performances in Moe and Jack's Place – The Rouse Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 12 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
This pulse-pounding caper for the stage features aerial acrobatics, rapid-fire sound cues, lasers and state-of-the-art projections alongside clever surprises and plenty of laughs – promising to take audiences on a fun and thrilling ride.
Heist is directed by Blake Robison, the Playhouse's Osborn Family Producing Artistic Director. Robison is entering his 15th season at the Playhouse in 2026-27, making him one of the most-tenured arts leaders in Cincinnati.
'First and foremost, it's fun,” said Robison about the production. “We need a little pure entertainment right now. Also, Heist allows us to show off the capabilities of our new Playhouse. It's a high-tech show with lasers, actors who fly, and more projections than we've ever done at the Playhouse. A great way to kick off the new season!'
Inspired by movies like Ocean's Eleven, Now You See Me and The Usual Suspects, this theatrical caper is a high-tech mystery for the stage. When Marvin assembles a team of professional thieves to pull off one last job, the heist goes sideways into a web of danger, betrayal and double crosses. What follows is a high-octane production that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Heist playwright Arun Lakra is an India-born, Calgary-based writer of both plays and screenplays. In addition to his creative endeavors, he's an ophthalmologist.
'The most gratifying thing about Heist is that it seems to be attracting a new cohort of folks in addition to traditional theatregoers,' Lakra said. 'Young people — students, young folks in their 20s and 30s .... It's kind of a 'gateway drug” to the theatre. And if plays like Heist can bring a new generation into the theatre, I think that would be fantastic.'
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