[NEohioPAL]Cancelled Matinee of BLIND NESS at Kent State

[ELISABETH MADDEN]

Due to a lack of ticket sales the matinee performance of BLIND NESS:=20
The Irresistible Light of Encounter on Saturday, April 24 at 2 PM has=20
been cancelled.  Remaining performances of this world premiere are=20
Friday, April 23 at 8 PM, Saturday, April 24 at 8 PM and Sunday, April=20
25 at 2:30 PM.

=96 Kent State University=92s School of Theatre & Dance celebrates its 20th=
=20
anniversary with the world premiere of Ping Chong and Michael Rohd=92s=20
production of BLIND NESS: The Irresistible Light of Encounter.  BLIND=20
NESS runs April 16 =96 25.  This world premiere is brought to Kent State=20
University 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

BLIND NESS features an ensemble of 17 actors, including two Actor=92s=20
Equity Association union actors - Bobby Bermea and Kent State Theatre=20
Alum, Jeff Randall; co-director Michael Rohd; veteran actor M. Burke=20
Walker of Manhattan, NY; along with 13 Kent State University School of=20
Theatre & Dance graduate and undergraduate students.  This work has=20
been referred to as a =93poetic documentary=94 by Ping Chong, and will be=
=20
=93like nothing audiences have ever seen.=94  The unique feature of BLIND=
=20
NESS is it incorporates live performers with shadow puppetry, projected=20
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 of BLIND NESS are April 23 and 24 at 8 PM, April=20
and April 25 at 2:30 PM.  Tickets for BLIND NESS can be ordered by=20
calling 330-672-2497.   Adults - $25; Seniors, Alums & KSU Faculty &=20
Staff - $20; Students with a valid ID or under 18 - $7. Discount=20
tickets are available for groups of ten or more.  The School of Theatre=20
& Dance Box Office is located in the Music & Speech Center and is open=20
12 p.m. =96 5 p.m. Mondays =96 Fridays, 3 p.m. =96 7 p.m. on Saturday durin=
g=20
the run of the show.  School of Theatre & Dance performances are=20
Tuesday =96 Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.  The Box Office=20
accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and personal checks.

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