Photo By Graham Lienhart

Artistic Director Jason Bruffy (left) and Executive Director Jay Kalagayan put the finishing touches on Know Theatre Tribe's new space in Over-the-Rhine.

The Know Theatre Tribe's slogan for its 2005-2006 season has been "No Turning Back." That theme takes on added meaning this week when the nine-year-old troupe stages the Cincinnati premiere of In the Blood by 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks.

For the first time, Know is operating in a venue where it has total artistic control. While they've flourished at Gabriel's Corner, a church basement at 1425 Sycamore St., the group is bubbling over with creative enthusiasm about 1120 Jackson St., its new Over-the-Rhine address.

In 2001 the 80-year-old two-story building opened as a nightclub called Karma. Now it's being turned into theater space that's larger and more flexible than Know's cramped quarters at Salem United Church of Christ.

While Know Executive Director Jay Kalagayan expresses gratitude to the church, which seldom second-guessed the group's controversial choice of plays, he feels certain the new space will afford opportunities for larger audiences and even more diverse performances.

The building was purchased by Know supporter David Herriman for $500,000 on March 7. He is not charging Know rent for its first year at the new space, and subsequent years will be discounted.

Artistic Director Jason Bruffy says, "I hope this building becomes a haven for new works and contemporary art, for what's fresh and innovative in Cincinnati."

There will be lots of opportunity for experimentation in the two-story facility, he says. The second floor is being converted into a flexible black-box theater that can seat up to 160 (100 was the maximum at Gabriel's Corner), while the first floor will be a sizeable "cabaret lobby" -- larger than Know's previous performing space, Kalagayan points out. With a small stage for intimate performances, solo work, bands, poetry slams and readings, Kalagayan envisions frequent performances beyond Know's theater productions.

The group is seeking a license to sell beer and wine, and expects the bar can be open whenever an audience is present. Kalagayan anticipates that will be every week; a special arrangement has been made with the new Gateway Garage, just across Jackson Street, so that Know patrons can park for $2 for the evening.

Know will announce its next season in July, but Bruffy expects they'll accommodate spur-of-the-moment presentations -- perhaps after hours or between scheduled shows. He plans to reach out to nearby institutions including the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and there are already connections with InkTank, the Main Street organization focused on social activism and writing, and Cincinnati Advance, a "creative class" association that cultivates interest in urban living and entertainment.

Know calls itself "Cincinnati's multicultural and contemporary theatre," and they've lived up to that reputation with edgy productions from the much praised and protested Corpus Christi in 2003 (Terrence McNally's controversial play portrayed Jesus and his disciples as gay) to the current production of In the Blood, a contemporary urban retelling of The Scarlet Letter about a woman and her five miscellaneously fathered children struggling to survive on the streets.

"There's no more perfect show to do in this space," Bruffy says. "Our cast" -- which includes four African Americans -- "reflects the way the city is, the way it could be, the way it should be."

Five of the six actors were featured in Know's recent production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Describing In the Blood, Bruffy notes, "It's urban and raw. It portrays sex in an unapologetic way." He calls it by a writer who is "a product of America."

"It's a great piece of theater about a mom and her kids trying to survive," he says. "It has a railcar pace -- it moves fast."

That pace is one that Know Theatre recognizes. They moved into their new home just 11 days after the deal was signed. Kalagayan laughs, "We moved nine years of history in one morning and afternoon -- five truck loads."

Since then Kalagayan, Bruffy and numerous volunteers have worked overtime to ready the theater for this week's opening. A bar and restrooms on the second floor were removed to make room for performance space; a heavy-duty lighting grid now hangs throughout the room to enable lighting regardless of the stage configuration. The former elevated DJ booth has become the control area for lights and sound.

Kalagayan and Bruffy are Know's only full-time employees, but there is a cadre of others involved part-time. Luke Brockmeier assembles high-quality video for productions, and he's made a display about Know's past productions for the ramped entry on the ground floor. Sean Savoie, production manager at UC's College-Conservatory of Music, has helped plan the new lighting grid, and he'll design many of the upcoming shows. Actor Chris Guthrie (a veteran of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival) will program performances for the first-floor space and curate an art gallery.

Know's operating budget for 2005-2006 is $130,000; they expect that jump to $155,000 for 2006-2007. Kalagayan envisions that revenue could triple in several years if Know executes its business plan. The group is contemplating a capital campaign to generate additional funds to continue improving the building.

Know's new home is another building block in making real the vision first described in CityBeat in 1998 of an arts district in Over-the-Rhine. Perhaps the name of the defunct nightclub -- Karma -- is rubbing off on the new tenant at 1120 Jackson. It's certain that there's "no turning back" for the Know Theatre Tribe.