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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Mr. Dolan, as I type this email 315 students are watching
Gee's Bend, the current offering at the Cleveland Play House, at no cost to
them. During the course of our season over 40,000 students of all ages see plays
at the Cleveland Play House, both our plays for children and our mainstage
productions, at no cost to the student.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>The Play House also has a program that teaches high school
students to be advocates for theatre at their schools, and substantial discounts
for all students. More information on our extensive education programming is
available on our website.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Best wishes,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=163103315-13022008><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face=Arial size=2>Seth Gordon</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face=Arial size=2>Associate Artistic Director</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cleveland Play House</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face=Arial size=2>8500 Euclid Avenue</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cleveland, OH 44106</FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left>
<P><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face=Arial size=2>216 795 7000 x207</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face=Arial
size=2>www.clevelandplayhouse.com</FONT></SPAN>
</P><BR><BR><BR><BR></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> neohiopal-bounces@listserve.com
[mailto:neohiopal-bounces@listserve.com] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Fred
Dolan<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 13, 2008 9:39 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
neohiopal@listserve.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NEohioPAL] State of the theatre
<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When I was a kid in the 50s maybe 5th grade, I
remember going on a field trip to see the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall.
It was a life-changing event. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When I was in high school in the 60s, it was
possible to get student tickets to some of the annual Metropolitan Opera
performances through school for about $1.25.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When I was teaching in the 70s, I offered those
same discounted student opera tickets to my students and sometimes the most
unlikely students would dress up and go to the opera.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I don't know how various theaters handle
encouraging young audiences to attend their performances today, but when I see
empty seats at theater, ballet, and opera performances,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I wonder if any effort is being made to offer
high school or college students those tickets at drastically reduced prices -
like those Met Opera tickets that I grew up using.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I understand that most theaters are
understaffed and that a program like this takes someone to be in charge of it,
but the first order of business in building an audience for
tomorrow</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=2>is getting them in the seats
today.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fred Dolan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>WJCU-FM, 88.7 & wjcu.org</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Arts On The Heights &</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visiting The Folks on Sunday nights from 9:00PM -
Midnight</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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