[NEohioPAL] Neil Thackaberry, Actors' Summit Theater Founder, Retires

[MaryJo Alexander via NEohioPAL]

*Press Release*

*For additional information please contact *

*MaryJo Alexander *

*330-374-7568*

*alexanderm at actorssummit.org <alexanderm at actorssummit.org>*





*Neil Thackaberry, Founder, *

*Artistic Director of Actors’ Summit Theater*

*Retires*



In June of 2015, *Neil Thackaberry Founder and Artistic Co-Director of
Actors’ Summit Theater* announced his retirement to the Board of Trustees
of Actors’ Summit at their most recent meeting.



Founded in *April 1999,* Actors' Summit, gave its first performance of *Arthur
Miller's "The Price*” directed by Neil Thackaberry. Neil also performed the
role of Walter.



*Marianne Evett*, former theatre critic for the *Cleveland Plain Dealer*
considered Actors' Summit production of * “The Price”* to be one of the top
10 productions in her career as a critic.



“Neil’s retirement was reluctantly accepted by the Board of Trustees” said
Peter Gerber, current Board President.  “His vision has been remarkable
both artistically and fiscally”.  *Actors’ Summit* mission has been to
“create professional theater using exclusively OHIO artists”.  Actors’
Summit, a 501-c-3 nonprofit professional arts organization operates on a
$300,000 budget and boasts no outstanding debt.



Under Neil’s leadership the theater has produced over 130 full scale major
shows, with Neil directing more than 75 of them over the past 16 seasons.
Neil has performed principal roles in some 20 productions. He has also
designed most of the sets and marketing materials for the theater, and
served as primary grant writer for the theater.



With Neil at the helm,* Actors’ Summit Theater* has commissioned
scripts by *Wayne
S. Turney, Bob & Pamela Noll, and Eric Coble* as well as original
music by *Sebastian
Birch, Daniel Taylor, and Eric Benjamin*;   He also produced the world
premieres of *Eric Coble’s “Girl’s Guide to Coffee” *(Part I of the trilogy
which included the Broadway production of “Velocity of Autumn”) and the *World
Premiere of “Manning Up” for the National New Play Network.  *



Actors’ Summit produced the regional premiers of over a dozen prominent
Broadway shows  including *"Copenhagen," "Freud’s Last Session," "Golda's
Balcony," "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!"* and the New York
Musical Theatre fringe Festival hit *“My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan
Wedding” *which was revived for the 2009 International Gay Games held last
Summer in Cleveland and Akron.


The theater has also relocated the entire theater (sets, lights, costumes,
props, platforms, and seats) 11 times. Neil and volunteers renovated a
former warehouse Hudson which was home for the company for nine years.



You will still be able to catch Neil at the theater, where he will appear
in the Northeast Ohio premiere of “Chapatti” by Christian O’Reilly. Brian
Zoldessy will direct.

 “You’ll see Neil around; but his first priority is playing Grandpa to his
3 grandchildren, then acting and then gardening”, said MaryJo.  “We’ve
created a new title for Neil, Founder and Director Emeritus”.



*MaryJo Alexander*, (Neil’s spouse of 44 years and longtime Artistic
Co-Director), will assume leadership and growth of the theater. “We have an
exciting season underway season full of laughter, love and music underway”
said MaryJo, “season subscriptions are on sale, with complete information
on our website.”



For additional information call MaryJo Alexander  330-374-7568 or visit us
on the web at: www.actorssummit.org.
www.facebook.com/pages/Actors-Summit-Theater .

Neil can be reached at  thackaberryn at actorssummit.org.

-- 
*MaryJo Alexander*
*Artistic Director*
*Actors' Summit Theater*
*Greystone Hall---6th floor*
*103 S. High St*
*Akron Oh 44308 *
*330-374-7568*
*www.actorssummit.org <http://www.actorssummit.org/>*
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