[NEohioPAL]PRESS RELEASE: CPT's STEP Presents Evenings of Free Summer Theatre! BLOOD WEDDING by Federico Garcia Lorca

[Dan Kilbane]

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Dan Kilbane, Director of Marketing
216/631-2727 ext. 203
dkilbane at cptonline.org <mailto:dkilbane at cptonline.org>
promotional photos are available upon request
July 23, 2004

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE’S
STUDENT THEATRE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM PRESENTS EVENINGS OF FREE SUMMER THEATRE!
Blood Wedding
A classic tale for all ages!
August 5 - 8, 2004

CLEVELAND, OH  -- Cleveland Public Theatre’s Executive Director James Levin
and Producing Artistic Director Randy Rollison are proud to announce an
outdoor production of Federico Garcia Lorca’s classic play Blood Wedding,
performed by members of CPT’s Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP).
The production will take place in two Near West Side neighborhood parks:
Herman Park on August 5 and 6, and Lincoln Park on August 7 and 8.  All
performances are at 7:00 p.m., and admission is free.  The play is suitable
for families.

Lorca is considered to be Spain’s greatest playwright of the modern age, and
Blood Wedding is his most famous work. The classic play follows the story of
a man torn by desire, a bride who wants to forget the past, and a mother who
has only one son left alive.   Blood Wedding is a moving story of love,
loss, and betrayal.  STEP’s production is a highly visual adaptation geared
for the outdoor
environment, with stunning visual imagery, powerful action, and haunting a
cappella music.  Co-Directors Raymond Bobgan and Chris Seibert and the
students of STEP have adapted the script for this production.

STEP is a unique program created by Cleveland Public Theatre, which engages
at-risk teens in long-term theatre training and performance creation. Now in
its eleventh year, STEP has won numerous awards including those from the
City of Cleveland and The National Endowment for the Arts. Teens involved
with STEP attend classes in theatre creation, acting, improvisation,
playwrighting, and design. During the summer months STEP goes into high gear
creating a new performance in six weeks with over 20 teens. Students learn
valuable job skills, increasing their employability in today’s competitive
work environment. At the same time they experience the elegance and beauty
of theatre and language.

“Every year the STEP program gets better and better,” states Bobgan, CPT’s
Director of Education and the Co-Director of the production.  “The work of
the teens improves and flourishes as they grow in experience over time. The
discipline and enthusiasm of our returning students creates a compelling and
focused environment that really challenges and draws out our new students.
Chris Seibert has brought this program to a high level of vibrancy and
artistic accomplishment. The results are clear, a group of highly
professional, incredibly talented, amazing performers doing their best work
in an stunning work of theatre.”

This summer’s STEP participants include students from all over the Cleveland
area.  Longtime STEP student Quinton Perry will enroll at the University of
Toledo this fall.  The STEP program gives them social and work experiences
with their peers, gearing them for their next stage of life.  Below is a
list of the participants, the schools they attend, and their role in Blood
Wedding.

Joella Blount     Max S. Hayes Vocational HS	Girl
Victor Cleveland     John Marshall HS	Woodcutter
Vincent Cleveland   CSU Early College	Dead Father
Jessica Colvin     Jane Adams HS	Neighbor Woman
Troy Congress     John F. Kennedy HS	Leonardo
Niesha Davis     Cleveland Heights HS 	Woodcutter
Alex Dumett     Benjamin Franklin MS	Woodcutter
Ashley Fason     Cleveland School of Arts	Bride
Marché Fitten     Cleveland School of Arts	Mother-In-Law
Courtez Hill     Ohdela Distance Learning	Bridegroom
Owen Arjuna Marroquin    	Father
Joshua O'Neill     Wilber Wright MS	Horse
Chayla Marie Owens    Cleveland School of Arts	Servant
Quinton Perry    CSA grad- University of Toledo	Pastor
Brooke Ratliff     Life Skills Academy	Tech support
Raquel Robinson     Cleveland School of Arts	Wife
Dontez Rowdy      East Technical HS	Bridegroom's Friend
Tyler Slaughter     Glenville MS	Boy
Sheria Smith     Cleveland School of Arts	Mother
Danielle Squire     Elyria HS	Beggar/Death
Chris Webb     Collinwood HS	Moon



Raymond Bobgan (Co-Director), CPT’s Education Director, is Co-Founder and
Artistic Director of
Wishhounds, a group dedicated to creating original theatre works through
long-term collaboration. Bobgan has conceived and directed nearly a dozen
original works including Pinocchio Rising, based on Carlo Collodi’s tale of
human development; Transformations of Lucius, based on Apuleius’ The Golden
Ass; and The Warbling Carousel, a show inspired by the urban folklore of
alien abductions. Other directing credits include Jean Genet’s The Maids and
Mike Geither’s 80.  In 1999, Bobgan served as Robert Falls’ Assistant
Director for both the Goodman Theatre and Broadway productions of Death of a
Salesman. He has also worked as collaborating director with Guillermo
Gomez-Pena for Borderscape 2000. Bobgan is an alumni of the prestigious
National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communication Group’s Career
Development Program for Directors.  Bobgan’s theatre work has been seen
throughout the United States, Canada, Romania, Belgium, Brazil, Wales, and
Denmark. Recently, Bobgan directed the critically and popularly successful
CPT productions of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth and Tennessee
Williams’ Summer and Smoke.  Bobgan was the Acting Artistic Director of CPT
for the 1996-1997 season, while Founder James Levin was on sabbatical, and
has designed and directed multiple educational and outreach programs for
CPT.

Chris Seibert (Co-Director) has run the Student Theatre Enrichment Program
(STEP) for the last two years, and she has led the CPT/Elyria YWCA Women’s
Voices Project.  Through these programs, she has facilitated the creation of
four original works: Ugly in Love, Bliss, Surrendering, and courage of i.
STEP’s most recent production, The Tale of the Emerald Bird, toured to local
libraries, children’s homes and community centers.  Chris has written solo
works, a screenplay, and several plays. Her solo performance, Split, was
selected as a Critic’s Choice by the Chicago Reader and her screenplay, Moon
Tooth, was a semifinalist in the prestigious Chesterfield Screenwriting
Competition. She has performed with Chicago performance companies Redmoon
and Jellyeye Drum Theatre. At CPT, she recently performed in The Cult, a
play which she co-created. She has also appeared in CPT’s productions of The
Vagina Monologues and Discordia. Chris is a graduate of Loyola University
with a B.A. in Theatre and Women’s Studies.

Holly Holsinger (Music Director/Voice Coach/Costume Designer) is a member
and co-founder of Wishhounds, a group which researches and creates
performance. Holsinger currently performs with Wishhounds and Cleveland
Public Theatre and was featured in a collaboration between the two:  Blue
Sky Transmission: A Tibetan Book of the Dead. She has performed throughout
the United States, Canada, Romania, Belgium, and Brazil. Specializing in
voice work and traditional songs, Holsinger creates much of the music for
Wishhounds productions.  Holsinger received an M.F.A. in Acting from The
University of California, Irvine, where she  was a participant in Grotowski’
s Objective Drama Research. She is also a consummate administrator, having
served as
Cleveland Public Theatre’s Managing Director from 1995 -1997. Holsinger has
taught acting and  theatre at Ohio State University, University of Akron,
Lorain County Community College, and Cuyahoga Community College. She is the
director of Cleveland Public Theatre’s CPT Academy.

Aaron Rapljenovic (Stage Design/Set Construction) studied photography and
sculpture at Savannah of Art and Design, as well as Pacific North West
College of Art in Portland, Oregon.  Since moving to Cleveland in 2000, he
has worked as a dancer, musician, and set designer with SAFMOD performance
ensemble and created works for the Cleveland Performance Art Festival and
CPT.  His multi-disciplinary show “White River Crossing”, which he wrote,
directed, and produced, was performed January 2003 at Cleveland Public
Theatre.  Aaron has also participated in Parade the Circle each year since
2000.



Performance locations are Herman Park (in the Detroit-Shoreway
neighborhood), W. 61st Street & Herman on August 5 and 6, and Lincoln Park
(Tremont), W. 14th St. & Starkweather on August 7 and 8.  All performances
are at 7:00 p.m.  No reservations required, but please bring a blanket or
lawn chair.

The mission of CPT is to inspire, nurture, challenge, amaze, educate, and
empower artists and audiences, in order to make the Cleveland public a more
conscious and compassionate community.  Located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, CPT
serves as catalyst for urban development in the Detroit-Shoreway
neighborhood.

STEP and this production are supported by The Martha Holden Jennings
Foundation, Thomas H. White Foundation, Meisel Family Foundation, Women’s
Community Foundation, and The City of Cleveland Community Development Block
Grant, with special thanks to City Councilpersons Joe Cimperman, Nelson
Cintron, Michael Dolan, Ed Rybka, Martin Sweeney, and Matthew Zone.  STEP
Partners include YO! Cleveland, Tremont West Development Corporation, and
PARKWORKS.

Cleveland Public Theatre and its artistic and education programs are funded
in part by funding from The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund
Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Nord Family
Foundation, John P. Murphy Foundation, Kulas Foundation, Theatre
Communications Group, Bruening Foundation, Codrington Foundation, Giant
Eagle Foundation, Thomas White Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater
Lorain, Family Foundations of Jewish Community Federation, The Dolphin
Trust, Saint Ann Foundation, William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation,
Stocker Foundation, Key Foundation, Nordson Foundation, Martha Holden
Jennings Foundation, The Heartland Arts Fund, Wolf Family Foundation, The
Gerson Foundation, The Meisel Family Foundation, The Doll Family Foundation,
Raymond John Wean Foundation, The Ellie Fund, Cyrus Eaton Foundation,
Greater Cleveland Community Shares, Forest City Enterprises Charitable
Foundation, Alcoa Foundation, Capelin Foundation, Nathan and Regina Herman
Foundation, Hankins Foundation, Wilbert Fund of the Cleveland Foundation,
The Cleveland Browns Foundation, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, City
Architecture, Beech, Fried Lander, Copland, & Runoff LPA, Ron and Deborah
Rather, Joan Horvath, Roe Green Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Huntington
National Bank, National City Bank, Markus Brothers Construction, Stewart and
Donna Kohl, and other corporate and individual contributors.

Cleveland Public Theatre Fact Sheet

Production
Blood Wedding
Written by Federico Garcia Lorca
Adapted by Raymond Bobgan, Chris Seibert, and the students of STEP

Where and When
Herman Park (in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood), W. 61st Street & Herman
on August 5 and 6, and Lincoln Park (Tremont), W. 14th St. & Starkweather on
August 7 and 8.
All performances are at 7:00 p.m.

Artistic Staff
Directors, Raymond Bobgan and Chris Seibert
Music Director/Voice Coach/Costume Design, Holly Holsinger
Stage Design/Set Construction, Aaron Rapljenovic

STEP Ensemble

Joella Blount     Max S. Hayes Vocational HS	Girl
Victor Cleveland     John Marshall HS	Woodcutter
Vincent Cleveland   CSU Early College	Dead Father
Jessica Colvin     Jane Adams HS	Neighbor Woman
Troy Congress     John F. Kennedy HS	Leonardo
Niesha Davis     Cleveland Heights HS 	Woodcutter
Alex Dumett     Benjamin Franklin MS	Woodcutter
Ashley Fason     Cleveland School of Arts	Bride
Marché Fitten     Cleveland School of Arts	Mother-In-Law
Courtez Hill     Ohdela Distance Learning	Bridegroom
Owen Arjuna Marroquin         	Father
Joshua O'Neill     Wilber Wright MS	Horse
Chayla Marie Owens    Cleveland School of Arts	Servant
Quinton Perry    CSA grad- University of Toledo	Pastor
Brooke Ratliff     Life Skills Academy	Tech support
Raquel Robinson     Cleveland School of Arts	Wife
Dontez Rowdy      East Technical HS	Bridegroom's Friend
Tyler Slaughter     Glenville MS	Boy
Sheria Smith     Cleveland School of Arts	Mother
Danielle Squire     Elyria HS	Beggar/Death
Chris Webb     Collinwood HS	Moon

?????????? THE STEP ensemble worked in the following areas: acting, set and
prop construction, running and sound crew.

Ticket Prices
Admission is free.
No reservations required, but please bring a blanket or  lawn chair.