[NEohioPAL]NEWFANGLED PRODUCTIONS presents MAN WITH BAGS

[Newfangled Productions]

Newfangled Productions in collaboration with
The University of Akron Theatre Department present:

Man With Bags
By Eugene Ionesco

"Man With Bags" is a full length Ionesco play, seldom produced in this coun=
try. A man carrying two suitcases is trying to visit the land of his childh=
ood. He arrives with three suitcases, or so he claims. The missing suitcase=
 contains all his manuscripts. He thinks it may have been taken by one of t=
he authorities, who are constantly present. The remaining two suitcases gro=
w heavier as the play progresses. He encounters living relatives he thought=
 to be dead, and dead relatives he thought to be alive. The country he is v=
isiting is never named; however it is at war. At every turn, authorities co=
nfront him and demand his identification. The man loses his identification =
papers, is in constant danger of losing his bags and, finally, loses his na=
me.

This production will be directed by Wendy S. Duke as part of her master=92s=
 thesis project.

Ionesco=92s second to last play, written in 1975, has seldom been produced =
in this country. The relevance of its themes to life in the 21st century ar=
e a main feature of the environmental staging this play by director Wendy S=
. Duke, theatre teacher at Miller South School for the Visual & Performing =
Arts and graduate student in theatre at the University of Akron.=20

The audience will be accompanying the First Man on his journey, moving from=
 space to space as the dream shifts locations. Audience members will receiv=
e passports along with their tickets at the Box Office and the production w=
ill begin in the Sandefur Theatre=92s lobby located in the Atrium of Guzzet=
ta Hall. Two black box theatres will be=20
utilized in this production, as well as an elevator and the hallways and st=
airs that connect the performance spaces. Weather permitting; the productio=
n will end outside with a ballet of travelers, suitcases, wheelchairs, scoo=
ters, and Segways.

A company of 18 creative actors assembled from the University of Akron, Ken=
t State University, Marietta College, Kenmore High School, Firestone High S=
chool, and from the community will play over 50 roles in this production. T=
hey include: Brett DeHaven, Sarah L. Jones, Leah Magnus, Cassie Neumann, Sh=
ellilyn Weese, Christopher Henderson, Robert Keith, David Magnus, Jason Orr=
, Andy Watson, Joseph White - as well as Newfangled alumni Sara Cutlip (Spr=
ing Awakening), Cynthia Deli (Don't Step on my Anthill & Old George : Under=
 Construction), Jacqueline Wren (Purim Carnevale; Spring Awakening), and Ol=
iver Corrigan (Newfangled co-founder and artistic director).

The role of First Man will be played by Ray Luttner, teacher and theatre di=
rector at Brunswick High School in Medina County and is in partial fulfillm=
ent of his master=92s thesis in Theatre Arts.

This multi-media production features lighting design by Josh Douglas (Chekh=
ov in Love; Sexual Perversity in Chicago; A Newfangled Halloween; Beat the =
Heat - Read!), music by former Akron jazz trio Third Plane, videography by =
David Blewett of Grandmother=92s Video, and sound design by Robert Keith.

Newfangled Productions is excited to be collaborating on this project with =
Wendy Duke. Founded in 2002, Newfangled Productions is a non-profit organiz=
ation dedicated to bringing the creative arts to all people in the northeas=
t Ohio area. For more information, check out http://www.geocities.com/newfa=
ngledwebsite.

"Man With Bags"=20
will be performed=20
June 16, 17, 18, 19=20
in and around=20
Guzzetta Hall=20
on the campus of the University of Akron.=20

The production begins at 8 PM in the Atrium of Guzzetta Hall (across from E=
. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall).

Tickets are $8.

Seating for this environmentally staged production is extremely limited.=20
To reserve a seat, call the University Theatre Box Office at=20
330-972-7895.

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