[NEohioPAL]NEOHPAL Discount to the World Premiere of BLIND NESS

[ELISABETH MADDEN]

KSU's School of Theatre & Dance is offering a special discount to all=20
members of NEOHPAL for the World Premiere of BLIND NESS: The=20
Irresistible Light of Encounter.  Mention this ad and receive two=20
tickets for the price of one adult ticket. BLIND NESS runs through=20
April 25 in the Music & Speech Center on the main Kent State University=20
Campus.=20

Presented by the Roe Green Visiting Director Series,this=20
full-production, work-in-progress is being written and directed by=20
world-renowned directors Ping Chong and Michael Rohd.  Considered a=20
multi-disciplinary theatre work, the piece can be categorized as a=20
prismatic exploration of the reverberations of colonialism in Africa. =20
The production is based on a premise inspired by Joseph Conrad's Heart=20
of Darkness (the same book on which the 70=92s blockbuster movie=20
Apocalypse Now was based); Arthur Conan Doyle's Crime of the Congo; and=20
Adam Hochschild's King Leopold's Ghost in addition to other historical=20
texts and archival materials.=20

This work has been referred to as a =93poetic documentary=94 by Ping Chong,=
=20
and will be =93like nothing audiences have ever seen.=94  The unique=20
feature of BLIND NESS is it incorporates live performers with shadow=20
puppetry, projected images and text, unique sounds, and dance.=20

=93This is adventurous theatre about racism, money and conscience,=94 said=
=20
Co-Writer and Director Michael Rohd.  =93It=92s basically the story of=20
history=92s first CEO (Leopold - a Belgium King) as he battles history=92s=
=20
first mass media human rights campaign.=94

After its development and premiere at Kent State University, BLIND NESS=20
will be presented in June 2004 at La MaMa Theatre in New York City and=20
will then tour.

Remaining performances are April 21, 22, 23, and 24 at 8 PM, April 24=20
at 2 PM and April 25 at 2:30 PM.  Tickets are $25 for Adults, $20 for=20
KSU Faculty, Staff and Alumni and $7 for all students under 18 or with=20
any valid school ID.  The two for one discount is only valid on adult=20
tickets prices.  There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be=20
purchased with this discount.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the=20
box office at 330-672-2497.  Box office hours are Monday - Friday from=20
12 PM - 5 PM and Saturday from 3 PM - 7 PM.  All phone reservations=20
must be held with a credit card.  The box office accepts MasterCard,=20
Visa and Discover.

-------------------------------
Elisabeth Madden
Managing Director
Porthouse Theatre
KSU's School of Theatre & Dance
emadden at kent.edu
330-672-0103