[NEohioPAL]Oberlin Professor Directs Ohio Premiere at Historic Karamu House

Tue May 15 11:08:24 PDT 2007

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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>MAY 15, 2007</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV align=center><FONT size=3><STRONG>OBERLIN PROFESSOR DIRECTS OHIO PREMIERE OF BROADWAY GIANT AUGUST WILSON'S <EM>KING HEDLEY II</EM>  AT THE HISTORIC KARAMU HOUSE IN CLEVELAND FOUNDED BY OBERLIN GRADUATES RUSSELL AND ROWENA WOODHAM JELLIFFE</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><STRONG>Cleveland (OH) </STRONG>- <EM><STRONG>King Hedley II </STRONG></EM>Has <STRONG>Ohio Premiere </STRONG>At The <STRONG>Historic Karamu House</STRONG>.  The social commentary created by Broadway legend, <STRONG>August Wilson</STRONG>, <STRONG>debuts May 25 </STRONG>at the <STRONG>Jelliffe Theater</STRONG>.  <STRONG>Caroline Jackson-Smith</STRONG>,<STRONG> </STRONG>associate professor of African American studies and theater at Oberlin, directs.  Ironically, <STRONG>Karamu House </STRONG>was <STRONG>founded in 1915</STRONG> by <STRONG>Oberlin graduates Russell and Rowena Woodham Jelliffe</STRONG>.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif">  <STRONG><EM> King</EM></STRONG> <STRONG><EM>Hedley II </EM></STRONG>microscopically examines life in inner-city America circa 1985.  The exploration of pain and poverty in an urban setting takes place in Pittsburgh's Hill District better known as the "Hill" - an archetypal northern urban black neighborhood, a construct of frustration, nostalgia, anger and dream or, August Wilson Country, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>"It's theme of the continuing challenges for Black Americans, particularly in our inner cities are even more powerful today", says <STRONG>Jackson-Smith</STRONG> who also directed Karamu's production of <STRONG><EM>George C. Wolfe's A Colored Museum</EM></STRONG>.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3><EM>Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge/I'm trying not to lose my head/It's like a jungle/Sometimes it makes me wonder/ How I keep from going under </EM>quotes <STRONG>Terrence Spivey, artistic director </STRONG>at <STRONG>Karamu</STRONG> from the 1982 classic rap song <STRONG>"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five </STRONG>describing <EM><STRONG>King Hedley II.  </STRONG></EM>"I'm excited about this production".</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>With one <STRONG>Tony</STRONG>, two <STRONG>Pulitzers</STRONG>, <STRONG>American Theatre Critics</STRONG> awards and seven <STRONG>New York Drama Critics Circle Awards</STRONG>, <STRONG>August Wilson</STRONG> became the flagship of contemporary Black theater with his cycle of plays.  In a series of 10 major plays written by Wilson, all but one were set in the Hill District.  Wilson succumbed to liver cancer at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle in October 2005.  He was 60.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3><STRONG>Cast </STRONG>includes <STRONG>E.B. Smith </STRONG>(King Hedley II); <STRONG>Regan Player </STRONG>(Tonya); <STRONG>Joyce M. Meadows</STRONG> (Ruby); <STRONG>Cornell Calhoun, III </STRONG>(Elmore); <STRONG>Jaribu Sasa </STRONG>(Stool Pigeon) and <STRONG>Anthony Elfonzia Nickerson-El </STRONG>(Mister).  <BR><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3><STRONG>Crew</STRONG> includes director <STRONG>Caroline Jackson-Smith</STRONG>; Technical Director:<STRONG> Richard H. Morris, Jr</STRONG>.; Costumer: <STRONG>Harold Crawford</STRONG>; Choreographer: <STRONG>Dianne McIntyre</STRONG>; Stage Manager: <STRONG>Geraldine S. Harris</STRONG>; Prop Mistress: <STRONG>Lahemma Collins</STRONG>; Stage Crew: <STRONG>Marvin Vance</STRONG> and Light & Sound Operator: <STRONG>Prophet Seay</STRONG>. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><EM>King Hedley II</EM> written by August Wilson.  Directed by Caroline Jackson-Smith.  Opens May 25 and closes June 17, 2007.  Tickets are $18 on Thursday and Sunday.  $21 on Friday and Saturday.  Previews, May 23 and 24 at 7:30 pm are $8.  For more information, call the box office at 216.795.7077 or visit </FONT></FONT></STRONG><A href="javascript:ol('http://www.karamu.com/');"><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>www.karamu.com</FONT></STRONG></A><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>Media Contact:</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>Neal Hodges</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>216.795.7070 (x.249)</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>Vivian Wilson</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=3>216.795.7070 (215)</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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