<html><body><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT size=3><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cleveland Public Library</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> will celebrate <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Black History Month</B> with a <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">FREE and open to the public program </B>presentation of the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Ensemble Theatre</B> play, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Lovingly Yours: Langston and Lorraine, </I>on <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Saturday, February 2, 2:00 p.m.</B> in the <B>Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium, Main Library, 6th Street and Superior Avenue.</B><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Written and directed by Lucia Colombi, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Lovingly Yours</I> is a production based on the correspondence between the poet Langston Hughes and the playwright Lorraine Hansberry. Langston Hughes is the African American poet and author who lived in Cleveland. Among his many works are <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Weary Blues, Tambourines to Glory, Simple’s Uncle Sam, and The Dream Keeper and Other Poems.</I> Lorraine Hansberry is best known for her play<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">, A Raisin in the Sun.</I> <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">To Be Young, Gifted, and Black</SPAN></I><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> was adapted from her writings.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Robert J. Williams will portray Langston Hughes. Williams has performed in the Cleveland area for almost 20 years. His recent credits include portrayals of the Negro Resurrectionist in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Venus</I> and<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </I>Howard in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Designated Mourner </I>at Cleveland Public Theatre. He appeared as Seth in Joe Turner’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Come & Gone</I> at Tri-C Metro Theater, and Chuck in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Hard Lovin’ Gone Bad </I>at The Access Theatre, New York. A Cleveland native, Renee Mathews-Jackson returns to play Lorraine Hansberry. Matthews-Jackson is a performance artist who made her theatre debut at Karamu House in 1987. She has directed her original play, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Bone Pickin,</I> about a fantasized reunion between Langston Hughes and Zora Neal Hurston. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1979 by artistic director, Lucia Colombi with the purpose of producing American classics. Ensemble created the PBS series <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Panorama of African-American Theatre, </I>which was syndicated nationally and selected as one of the top 25 educational programs in the country. Call <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">(216) 623-2881</B> for more information. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></body></html>