<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16608" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Though certainly not nearly as extensive as the Play House program, Beck Center likewise is making the effort in reaching out to students. Our production of "<EM>The Diary of Anne Frank</EM>" has been specifically geared toward student matinees where it will play to almost 5,000 students this month. The price for many is $6 and for many others is free. We specifically sought some underwriting to aid us in this project.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The words and thoughts of this original thread are not lost though~~~we need to keep reinventing the wheel and keep it turning so as to inspire the new generations of tomorrow's theatre goers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Scott Spence</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Artistic Director</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Beck Center</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 02/13/08 11:29:21 Eastern Standard Time, sgordon@clevelandplayhouse.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid">
<DIV>
<STYLE type=text/css>
.aolmailheader {font-size:8pt; color:black; font-family:Arial}
a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
</STYLE>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16587" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
<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>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<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>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV CLASS="aol_ad_footer" ID="uc03dd49a8d514529848ed8956f1f0392"><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. <A title="http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565" href="http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565" target="_blank">AOL Music takes you there.</A></FONT></DIV>
</BODY></HTML>