[NEohioPAL]Karamu Announces Michael Oatman as Arenafest Coordinator

Mon Jul 2 05:10:30 PDT 2007

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Friday, July 2, 2007

Contact:  Theatre Department

Phone (216) 795-7070 x 242

Karamu House, R. Joyce Whitley ARENAFEST 

Festival of New Plays Coordinator

Karamu House, Inc. announces Michael Oatman as Coordinator for the 16th
Annual R. Joyce Whitley Festival of New Plays. Karamu House the nation's
oldest African American multi cultural arts center in keeping with its
desire to nurture promising playwrights will accept scripts from high school
students through this years festival.  The coordinator will be responsible
for overseeing the selection of the plays and their staged reading
presentations.  ARENAFEST's staged readings will be January 7, 2008 thru
January 18, 2008 at Karamu House.

 Michael Oatman is well-known in the Cleveland area for his experience in
the field of creative writing and for producing, directing and performing
dramas for diverse audiences. He has been a reporter and columnist for the
Cleveland Free Times, City News, I.E., The Crusader, The Cauldron, The
Vindicator and Cleveland Life.  He also served for two months as a reporter
for the Botswana Gazette in Southern Africa.  

Oatman wrote the play Indelible, while pursuing his Master of Fine Arts
(MFA) degree in creative writing at Cleveland State. This summer, he will be
one of the first three graduates of the program, a consortium begun in 2005
between four Northeast Ohio universities (NEOMFA): Cleveland State, Kent
State, Youngstown State and University of Akron.  The MFA is the terminal,
or highest, degree in the creative writing field, and leads to many avenues
in publishing, teaching, advertising, editing and writing

He also worked as an associate teaching parent and child care worker for
Berea Children's Home. His playwriting credits include The Rainy Season at
The Church; Lost Prospect at the Ingenuity Festival in 2006; and Not a
Uterus In Sight, Oglephish and Indelible at the Factory Theater. He has also
directed a staged reading, Hip Hop for Eva at Karamu House. He earned a
bachelor's degree in English from Cleveland State in 2004.

James K. Spriggs, associate editor and theater critic for Black Culture
Magazine and a contributing writer, Cleveland Free Times, Cleveland Monitor
& The Weekly Chestnut, contributing commentator Public Broadcast Service,
remains with ARENAFEST as moderator.  "We are excited and pleased at the
prospect of what these two talented

men will bring to future ARENAFEST events", stated Terrence Spivey, Artistic
Director.

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<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><b><font =
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<h1 align=3Dleft style=3D'text-align:left'><b><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE =
 <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>

<h1 align=3Dleft style=3D'text-align:left'><b><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>Friday, July 2, =
2007<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt'><b><font
size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:
bold'>Contact:  Theatre Department<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Phone (216) 795-7070 x =
242<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Karamu House, R. Joyce Whitley =
ARENAFEST <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Festival of New Plays =
Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><b><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'><o:p> =
</o:p></span></font></b></p>

Karamu House, Inc. announces Michael Oatman as =
Coordinator
for the 16th Annual R. Joyce Whitley Festival of New Plays. =
Karamu
House the nation’s oldest African American multi cultural arts =
center in
keeping with its desire to nurture promising playwrights will accept =
scripts
from high school students through this years festival.  The =
coordinator will be
responsible for overseeing the selection of the plays and their staged =
reading
presentations.  ARENAFEST’s staged readings will be January =
7, 2008 thru
January 18, 2008 at Karamu House.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> Michael Oatman is well-known in the <st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:City
 w:st=3D"on">Cleveland</st1:City></st1:place> area for his experience in =
the
field of creative writing and for producing, directing and performing =
dramas
for diverse audiences. He has been a reporter and columnist for the =
<i><span
style=3D'font-style:italic'>Cleveland Free Times</span></i>, <i><span
style=3D'font-style:italic'>City News, I.E., The Crusader, =
The</span></i> <i><span
style=3D'font-style:italic'>Cauldron,</span></i> <i><span =
style=3D'font-style:italic'>The
Vindicator</span></i> and <st1:City w:st=3D"on"><st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><i><span
  =
style=3D'font-style:italic'>Cleveland</span></i></st1:place></st1:City><i=
><span
style=3D'font-style:italic'> Life</span></i>.  He also served for =
two months as a
reporter for the <i><span style=3D'font-style:italic'>Botswana =
Gazette</span></i>
in <st1:place w:st=3D"on">Southern Africa</st1:place>.  =
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

Oatman wrote the play Indelible,
while pursuing his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative writing =
at <st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Cleveland</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType
 w:st=3D"on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. This summer, he will be =
one of
the first three graduates of the program, a consortium begun in 2005 =
between
four Northeast Ohio universities (NEOMFA): <st1:City =
w:st=3D"on">Cleveland State</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">Kent</st1:country-region> State, =
<st1:PlaceName
w:st=3D"on">Youngstown</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType =
w:st=3D"on">State</st1:PlaceType>
and <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceType =
w:st=3D"on">University</st1:PlaceType> of
 <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Akron</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>.  The =
MFA is the
terminal, or highest, degree in the creative writing field, and leads to =
many
avenues in publishing, teaching, advertising, editing and =
writing<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'line-height:150%'><font size=3D2 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></fon=
t></p>

He also worked as an associate teaching parent and =
child
care worker for Berea Children’s Home. His playwriting credits =
include The Rainy Season at The Church; =
Lost Prospect at the Ingenuity =
Festival in
2006; and Not a Uterus In Sight, =
Oglephish
and Indelible at the =
Factory
Theater. He has also directed a staged reading, Hip Hop for Eva at Karamu House. He earned a =
bachelor’s
degree in English from <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName =
w:st=3D"on">Cleveland</st1:PlaceName>
 <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in =
2004.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>=

James K. Spriggs, =
associate
editor and theater critic for Black Culture Magazine and a =
contributing
writer, Cleveland Free Times, Cleveland Monitor & =
The
Weekly Chestnut, contributing commentator Public Broadcast Service, =
remains
with ARENAFEST as moderator.  “We are excited and pleased at =
the prospect
of what these two talented<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>men will bring to future ARENAFEST events”, =
stated <st1:PersonName
w:st=3D"on">Terrence Spivey</st1:PersonName>, Artistic =
Director.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><b><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>###</span><=
/font></b><b><font
color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-family:Arial;color:black;font-weight:
bold'><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

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