[NEohioPAL]Weathervane Commissions Play - "Mr. Lewis Rules"

[WcpAkron at aol.com]

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WEATHERVANE PLAYHOUSE
COMMISSIONS NEW PLAY
Mr. Lewis Rules, Stories of the Juvenile Justice System

Myron Lewis, in collaboration with Paul Linke, director, writer, and 
monologist and director Jacqi Loewy, has been commissioned by Weathervane Community 
Playhouse to write a play with the working title of Mr. Lewis Rules: Stories 
from the Juvenile Justice System.  This play-building project is sponsored by the 
John A. McAlonan Fund of the Akron Community Foundation.  The project was 
conceived by Jacqi Loewy when she worked with Myron Lewis during the run of the 
Playhouse's award-winning 500th production of The Laramie Project.  The play 
will be presented Monday and Tuesday, February 16 & 17 at 7:30 p.m. on 
Weathervane's mainstage.  Tickets are $10.  The play then will tour for interested 
groups in the community.

The play is based on stories told by Mr. Lewis.  Lewis is an Akron native who 
is now an adolescent chemical dependency counselor for the Akron Health 
Department where he has worked since 1998.  He attended Buchtel High School where 
he was an outstanding football player.  He received an athletic scholarship to 
Morehouse College in Atlanta where he received his college degree.  He has 
appeared in three Weathervane productions -- The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars and 
The Laramie Project.  In 1999 he was cast by the Detroit Theater for the 
Dramatic Arts in a play that toured South Africa.  Lewis also owns a small business 
named "Direct Drama" that focuses upon conflict resolution through the medium 
of drama.  He is actively involved at St. Phillips Episcopal Church and is 
interested in Aikido-a martial arts program.

"This play building project sponsored by the John A. McAlonan Fund of the 
Akron Community Foundation is such an important project and Weathervane is proud 
to be working with the foundation to present it," commented Elynmarie Kazle, 
Weathervane's executive director.  "It is through foundations like these, who 
look beyond an organization's accomplishments and see what their greater 
capabilities are, that Akron has become such a great community in which to live and 
work.  If your law firm or agency would like to host a performance of Mr. 
Lewis Rules, please contact Sean McConaha, director of education at the playhouse 
330-836-2323 X17.

Weathervane Playhouse has hired Paul Linke, writer, director and monologist, 
to work on the script for our Mr. Lewis Rules, Stories from the Juvenile 
Justice System project.  He will serve as creative consultant and assist Myron 
Lewis in shaping his original stories into a play.  Jacqi Loewy will continue to 
serve as director for both the step-up production and the touring production.  
Linke will travel from California to join the other members of the artistic 
team the weekend of January 23 - 25, 2004.

Paul Linke, a professional actor for almost thirty years, is best know as 
Artie Grossman on the NBC-TV series CHiPs.  Mr. Linke's motion picture credits 
include Motel Hell, Parenthood and K-PAX.  An MFA graduate of the University of 
Southern California, Mr. Linke co-founded the Garden Theatre Festival (LADCC 
Award) and was a member of the Company Theatre.  He was the founder and 
original artistic director of the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica where he created 
his internationally acclaimed Time Flies when You're Alive, which was later 
filmed as an HBO Showcase special and nominated for a Cable Ace Award.  Mr. 
Linke continued his autobiographical solo work with Life After Time, directed by 
Robert Egan, which premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse.  Mr. Charles Nelson 
Reilly directed the third installment of Mr. Linke's "Time Trilogy" FATHER TIME, 
at the Pacific Resident Theatre.  Most recently, Mr. Linke staged Nobody 
Don't Like Yogi starring Ben Gazzara, which played at the Bay Street Theatre, 
Syracuse Stage, and Off-Broadway at the Lamb's Theatre on 44th Street.  As a 
director, Mr. Linke has developed and staged many other solo plays including Y
ahrzeit, The Law of Return (with Shelly Berman), Swingin' Wild, It Ain't Nuthin' 
Nice, Wilde and Wonderful (Two Ovation Nominations), "but first, Sammy Shore" 
(w/ veteran comic Sammy Shore) for which he won the ADA for best direction of an 
original play in 2002, Waiting at the Famous Deli, and Murderers Are My Life. 
 Mr. Linke was co-author and director of Save it for the Stage - The Life of 
Reilly starring comic legend Charles Nelson Reilly, which ran in Los Angeles, 
San Francisco (winner best traveling show), and New York City at the Irish 
Repertory Theatre, where it was nominated for a Drama Desk and Outer Critics 
Circle Award.  A published author, Mr. Linke lives in Los Angeles with his wife, 
actress Christine Healy, and their four children Jasper, Ryan, Rose, Lily and 
dog Suds.


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><P ALIGN=3DCENTER><FONT  COLOR=3D"#0000ff=
" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10>WEATHERVANE PLAYHOUSE
<BR>COMMISSIONS NEW PLAY</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" sty=
le=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" F=
ACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff0000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COL=
OR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=
=3D"0">Mr. Lewis Rules, Stories of the Juvenile Justice System
<BR><P ALIGN=3DLEFT></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">
<BR><B>Myron Lewis</B>, in collaboration with <B>Paul Linke</B>, director, w=
riter, and monologist and director <B>Jacqi Loewy</B>, has been commissioned=
 by Weathervane Community Playhouse to write a play with the working title o=
f <I>Mr. Lewis Rules: Stories from the Juvenile Justice System</I>.  Th=
is play-building project is sponsored by the <B>John A. McAlonan Fund of the=
 Akron Community Foundation</B>.  The project was conceived by Jacqi Lo=
ewy when she worked with Myron Lewis during the run of the Playhouse's award=
-winning 500th production of <I>The Laramie Project</I>.  <B>The play w=
ill be presented Monday and Tuesday, February 16 & 17 at 7:30 p.m. on We=
athervane's mainstage.  Tickets are $10</B>.  The play then will t=
our for interested groups in the community.
<BR>
<BR>The play is based on stories told by Mr. Lewis.  Lewis is an Akron=20=
native who is now an adolescent chemical dependency counselor for the Akron=20=
Health Department where he has worked since 1998.  He attended Buchtel=20=
High School where he was an outstanding football player.  He received a=
n athletic scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta where he received his=
 college degree.  He has appeared in three Weathervane productions -- T=
he Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars and The Laramie Project.  In 1999 he was=
 cast by the Detroit Theater for the Dramatic Arts in a play that toured Sou=
th Africa.  Lewis also owns a small business named "Direct Drama" that=20=
focuses upon conflict resolution through the medium of drama.  He is ac=
tively involved at St. Phillips Episcopal Church and is interested in Aikido=
-a martial arts program.
<BR>
<BR>"This play building project sponsored by the John A. McAlonan Fund of th=
e Akron Community Foundation is such an important project and Weathervane is=
 proud to be working with the foundation to present it," commented <B>Elynma=
rie Kazle</B>, Weathervane's executive director.  "It is through founda=
tions like these, who look beyond an organization's accomplishments and see=20=
what their greater capabilities are, that Akron has become such a great comm=
unity in which to live and work.  If your law firm or agency would like=
 to host a performance of <I>Mr. Lewis Rules</I>, please contact Sean McCona=
ha, director of education at the playhouse 330-836-2323 X17.
<BR>
<BR>Weathervane Playhouse has hired <B>Paul Linke</B>, writer, director and=20=
monologist, to work on the script for our <I>Mr. Lewis Rules, Stories from t=
he Juvenile Justice System</I> project.  He will serve as creative cons=
ultant and assist Myron Lewis in shaping his original stories into a play. &=
nbsp;Jacqi Loewy will continue to serve as director for both the step-up pro=
duction and the touring production.  Linke will travel from California=20=
to join the other members of the artistic team the weekend of January 23 - 2=
5, 2004.
<BR>
<BR>Paul Linke, a professional actor for almost thirty years, is best know a=
s Artie Grossman on the NBC-TV series <I>CHiPs</I>.  Mr. Linke's motion=
 picture credits include <I>Motel Hell, Parenthood</I> and <I>K-PAX</I>. &nb=
sp;An MFA graduate of the University of Southern California, Mr. Linke co-fo=
unded the Garden Theatre Festival (LADCC Award) and was a member of the Comp=
any Theatre.  He was the founder and original artistic director of the=20=
Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica where he created his internationally accl=
aimed <I>Time Flies when You're Alive</I>, which was later filmed as an HBO=20=
Showcase special and nominated for a Cable Ace Award.  Mr. Linke contin=
ued his autobiographical solo work with <I>Life After Time</I>, directed by=20=
Robert Egan, which premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse.  Mr. Charles Ne=
lson Reilly directed the third installment of Mr. Linke's "Time Trilogy" FAT=
HER TIME, at the Pacific Resident Theatre.  Most recently, Mr. Linke st=
aged <I>Nobody Don't Like Yogi</I> starring Ben Gazzara, which played at the=
 Bay Street Theatre, Syracuse Stage, and Off-Broadway at the Lamb's Theatre=20=
on 44th Street.  As a director, Mr. Linke has developed and staged many=
 other solo plays including Y<I>ahrzeit, The Law of Return </I>(with Shelly=20=
Berman), <I>Swingin' Wild, It Ain't Nuthin' Nice, Wilde and Wonderful</I> (T=
wo Ovation Nominations), "but first, Sammy Shore" (w/ veteran comic Sammy Sh=
ore) for which he won the ADA for best direction of an original play in 2002=
, <I>Waiting at the Famous Deli</I>, and <I>Murderers Are My Life</I>. &nbsp=
;Mr. Linke was co-author and director of <I>Save it for the Stage - The Life=
 of Reilly</I> starring comic legend Charles Nelson Reilly, which ran in Los=
 Angeles, San Francisco (winner best traveling show), and New York City at t=
he Irish Repertory Theatre, where it was nominated for a Drama Desk and Oute=
r Critics Circle Award.  A published author, Mr. Linke lives in Los Ang=
eles with his wife, actress Christine Healy, and their four children Jasper,=
 Ryan, Rose, Lily and dog Suds.
<BR></P></P></FONT></HTML>

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