[NEohioPAL] TOM FULTON NAMED TO CHAGRIN FALLS PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY...

[Chris Sobolewski]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2008
Northeast Ohio Performing Arts List


***********MEDIA ALERT***********

Thomas Q. Fulton Named Director
of Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy

First set of auditions to be held February 20, 2008

The newly formed Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy, a new college preparatory program in the Mayfield Excel Technical Education Career Consortium, announced its director today.  Thomas Q. Fulton, a highly regarded theatre teacher, actor and director was named to the position.  The Performing Arts Academy, located in Chagrin Falls School System's newly constructed $6M, state of the art Performing Arts Center, joins a wealth of programs designed to provide expanded options to all students in the consortium. These include college preparatory, tech prep, school-to-work, and other educational learning opportunities.  Through the close cooperation of school personnel, parents, and business and industry, students have exciting choices to grow, learn and prepare themselves for the future.

The Excel Technical Educational Career Consortium consists of nine schools in northeast Ohio, including: Aurora, Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Mayfield, Orange, Richmond Heights Solon, South Euclid-Lyndhurst, and West Geauga Local School Districts.  Juniors and seniors from each of these schools are eligible to audition for the Academy.  More information about the Excel-TECC can be found at the consortium's website: http://www.mayfieldschools.org/exceltecc/webtecc/about.htm

THE ACADEMY
The Performing Arts Academy program will consist of training and performance education in all aspects of theatre from basic acting to musical theatre to Shakespeare and beyond.  The training will include daily acting class, plus classes alternating between voice, movement, theatre history and audition labs. The acting classes will consist of sessions of improvisation, scene study, movement, voice and characterization based on the Stanislavski technique of actor development.  Electives in Shakespeare, styles, directing, stage combat, dance, singing, technical theatre and many others will be offered over the two year, half-day program.

The Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy productions will include one-act plays, full scale productions and student directed projects.

A complete description of the Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy can be viewed at http://www.tomfulton.com/chagrinacademy

ELIGIBILITY & AUDITIONS
Students who will become junior or seniors next fall are eligible for admission.  Admission is by audition and interview.  Auditions for the Performing Arts Academy will be held on February 20, 2008 at Mayfield High School.  Additional audition times will be made available for students who cannot attend the Feb 20 audition.  Students should contact their home-school guidance counselor for the necessary forms and information.
THE DIRECTOR
Thomas Q. Fulton Jr. is a highly regarded theatre professional in Northeast Ohio.  His award winning work as a director, actor and teacher spans 25 years. Tom has served as Artistic Director of several professional theatre companies and worked on the stage for many theatre institutions throughout northeast Ohio.

In 1975, he founded and headed Center Repertory Theatre, a L.O.R.T. "C" company located in Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. There, his work included such critically acclaimed productions as Vanities, by Jack Heifner, which became the 2nd longest-running play in Cleveland history with a production run of just over a year; Streamers, by David Rabe; and the world premiere of Michael Paller's moving adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

In 1980, Fulton became Artistic Director for the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, a company of actors, directors and playwrights, who worked and trained together to develop a production style that arose from the collective creative minds and talents. It was at Phoenix, that Fulton began a professional actor training program focusing on the Stanislavski system of actor development, which he brings to the Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy. A number of acclaimed productions were mounted at Phoenix Theatre under Tom's direction, among them: Chekhov's The Three Sisters, winner of the Cleveland Critics' Circle Award for Best Professional Production, Getting Out, Cyrano De Bergerac, The Seagull, Midsummer Night's Dream, Our Town, Ashes and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

After a 5 year stint with the Cleveland Play House, Fulton took the reigns of the Cleveland Theatre Company. Ultimately the company formed an alliance with The Factory Theatre at Cleveland State University, in associate directorship with actor/director Wayne S. Turney. Here Fulton directed Hamlet, 'night Mother, The Cherry Orchard, his own adaptation of Chekhovs' Uncle Vanya, and others; acting in King Lear, Man and Superman, Uncle Vanya and Two Rooms.

FIRST CLASS
Classes for the Academy begin September, 2008 at the beginning of the school year.

Contact Information:

EXCEL-TECC
6116 Wilson Mills Road
Mayfield Village OH 44143
Mr. Joe Hayes:
440-995-6761

Academy Website
www.tomfulton.com/chagrinacademy<http://www.tomfulton.com/chagrinacademy>


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