[NEohioPAL]FEED YOUR SOUL - TRAGICAL HISTORY OF D FAUSTUS THIS FRIDAY & SATU RDAY

[Graham, Suzie]

"Interesting stuff." - Kerry Clawson Akron Beacon Journal

"I cannot compliment you enough on Faustus. Once again, you have amazed and
thrilled me. I must be projecting my own spiritual conflict when I tell you
that I was profoundly affected." - Audience Member (no, not a stage Mom)

Date: Nov 1, 2005 
Contact: Mark Williamson willima at ci.akron.oh.us
Suzanne Graham, Coordinator  (330)375-2877    grahasu at ci.akron.oh.us 

Summary:          Local teens unite in the City of Akron's Ingenue Theatre
Ensemble to                  
                            modernize the Christopher Marlowe classic, The
Tragical History of  
                            Doctor Faustus in an Akron/Cleveland premiere 

When and where: Performances are November 11 and 12 at the Orthodox Church,
a block east of Cleveland Public Theatre in Cleveland 6203 Detroit Ave
44102. Tickets are $5 general admission.

	"Oh what I wouldn't do to have your soul".  Whether it's 1604 or
2005, the question of the value of a human soul is ever present.  28 local
teens ages thirteen to seventeen have taken on the challenge of modernizing
Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and will
present it as a Cleveland premiere November 11 and 12.
	The familiar tale of a human being who sells their soul to the devil
has permeated our culture for ages.  Medieval morality plays, operas, folk
tales, hymns, ghost stories and films have all taken up this age-old story
and spun it in a number of ways with a myriad of results.  The Ingenue
Theatre Ensemble spins it again in The Tragical History of D. Faustus.  The
title character of Faustus is transformed into a teenage girl who,
frustrated by the hypocrisy, boredom, and condescension of suburbia, runs
away to the gritty underbelly of the city.  There she turns to magic and the
dark arts to conjure the demon Mephistopheles as her bodyguard and
unintentional paramour.  Each other's worthy adversary, the two embark on a
yearlong journey searching for answers to questions that elude them -
justice, hope, free will, and faith, and finally the existence of God.  
	Archangels and fallen angels observe and intervene in said Faustus'
fate disguised as club kids, junkies, street evangelists, schizophrenics and
the homeless.  Who better to weigh the deeds of common people than those
perceived as being less than human themselves?
	The Ensemble's director, Suzie Graham, wrote the script specifically
for the production.   "It is a parallel of sorts to the original script,
with similar events occurring in modern circumstances", said Graham, "the
dialogue is casual and contemporary, but the root of the discussions remain
the same".  
	Actors playing street musicians create a musical "soundtrack".
Senior David DiDomenico (Raphael) has led the band's efforts - "Some of the
pieces are covers of existing songs, some are original compositions". Also
featured in the band is Joe Chenevey (Beliar) of Ellet High on bass.
	The Ingenue Theatre Ensemble is a program of the Akron Recreation
Bureau.  The program is truly unique to the area as participants are
selected based upon their commitment to the project, not on an audition. 
	Cast members include Akron Public Schools students from Kenmore,
Miller South, North, Firestone, Buchtel and Ellet as well as Our Lady of the
Elms, St Vincent/St Mary, Copley and Tallmadge.  
	Of her directing experience, Graham states, "The challenge of
working with teens is convincing them that they are capable of doing great
things that people never would expect.  The joy is seeing them realize that
they are capable of doing things they never expected themselves." 

	Performances are November 11 and 12 at the Orthodox Church, a block
east of Cleveland Public Theatre in Cleveland 6203 Detroit Ave 44102,
Tickets are $5 general admission.

END


Suzie Graham
City of Akron Recreation Bureau
220 South Balch Street
Akron, Ohio 44302
330.375.2877
grahasu at ci.akron.oh.us