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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=4
face="Trade Gothic LT Std Cn"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std Cn";
font-weight:bold'>PlayhouseSquare to Host <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cleveland</st1:City></st1:place>
Finals of<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=4
face="Trade Gothic LT Std Cn"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std Cn";
font-weight:bold'>Annual English-Speaking <st1:place w:st="on">Union</st1:place>’s
National Shakespeare Competition <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=4
face="Trade Gothic LT Std Cn"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std Cn";
font-weight:bold'>Saturday, February 28<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=4
face="Trade Gothic LT Std Cn"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std Cn";
font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><font size=2 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>Cleveland</span></font></st1:City><font
size=2 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>, <st1:State w:st="on">OH</st1:State></span></font></st1:place><font
size=2 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'> – In partnership with Great
Lakes Theater Festival, the PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department is hosting
the Cleveland Branch Finals of the annual English-Speaking Union’s (ESU)
National Shakespeare Competition on Saturday, February 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
in the Idea Center at PlayhouseSquare. Students from 37 <st1:place w:st="on">Northeast
Ohio</st1:place> schools are participating. Cleveland City Councilman
Joe Cimperman will deliver the event’s keynote address at 9 a.m.
The event is free and open to the public; tickets and reservations are not
required.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>“We are so pleased to be partnering
with PlayhouseSquare and Great Lakes Theater Festival on this project,”
stated John Rampe, president of the Cleveland Branch of the English-Speaking
Union. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>The winning student from the Cleveland
Branch Finals will travel to the National Shakespeare Competition in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">New York City</st1:City></st1:place> in
April. The winner of that competition receives a full scholarship to the <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">British</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Drama</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Academy</st1:PlaceType>’s
Midsummer Conservatory Program in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Oxford</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>The Shakespeare Competition has been the
primary educational program of the ESU Cleveland Branch for more than 20
years. Started with 500 students in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">New
York City</st1:City></st1:place> schools in 1983, the ESU’s Shakespeare
Competition is now a national curriculum-based program that has helped almost
250,000 high school students develop their understanding of Shakespeare -- the
beauty and scope of his language as well as the timeless themes embodied in his
works -- and their ability to communicate that understanding. Currently the
program reaches 16,000 students and 2,000 teachers annually via competitions
run by 60 ESU branches across the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>“We are excited to bring the
Shakespeare Competition to PlayhouseSquare,” said <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Colleen
Porter</st1:PersonName>, director of arts education at PlayhouseSquare.
“It offers yet another avenue for young people to experience the power of
live theater and we are especially proud to connect them with the expertise of
Great Lakes Theater Festival.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>The participating schools include <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Beachwood</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">High School</st1:PlaceType>,
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Beaumont</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType>,
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Benedictine</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">High
School</st1:PlaceType>, <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Berea</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">High School</st1:PlaceType>, <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Brecksville-Broadview</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Hts.</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">High
School</st1:PlaceType>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Brush</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">High School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, Carl Shuler,
Cleveland Hts. High School, Cleveland School of the Arts, Cuyahoga Hts. High
School, East High School, Fairview High School, Garrett Morgan, Gilmore
Academy, Glenville High School, Hathaway Brown School, Hawken School, Holy Name
High School, Independence High School, James Ford Rhodes High School, John
Adams High School, Lakewood High School, Laurel School, Lincoln West High
School, Magnificat High School, Mayfield High School, Midpark High School,
Normandy High School, North Olmsted High School, Shaker Hts. High School, St.
Edward High School, St. Ignatius, St. Joseph Academy, Success Tech Academy,
Warrensville High School, Westlake High School and Whitney Young High School.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>PlayhouseSquare places incredibly strong
emphasis on arts education and believes that it is essential to improving the
quality of life in our community. Through a variety of workshops and classes
designed for people of all ages, the PlayhouseSquare Arts <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Education</st1:PersonName> Department offers avenues to discovery,
appreciation and development in and through the performing arts, connecting
participants with national and international artists in unique and meaningful
ways. PlayhouseSquare initiates collaboration among educators, artists
and other community organizations, and actively forms mutually beneficial
partnerships with local arts organizations to create and present arts education
experiences of the highest quality. Always striving to fulfill its role
as an asset to the <st1:place w:st="on">Northeast Ohio</st1:place> community, PlayhouseSquare
is an active leader in advocating arts education both locally and within the
performing arts industry.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std";font-weight:bold'>About ESU<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>The English-Speaking Union of the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>
is a non-profit, non-political, educational organization that promotes
scholarship and advancement of knowledge through the effective use of English
in an expanding global community.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std";font-weight:bold'>About Great Lakes Theater
Festival<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'>The first resident company of PlayhouseSquare,
Great Lakes Theater Festival has brought the pleasure, power and relevance of
classic theater to the widest possible audience in northern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State></st1:place> since 1962.</span></font><font size=2
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><u><font size=2 color="#333333"
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std";color:#333333'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:
none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><font
size=2 color="#333333" face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std";color:#333333'>###<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><i><font size=1
face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std";font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>PlayhouseSquare
is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is presenting and
producing a wide variety of quality performing arts, advancing arts education
and creating a destination that is a superior location for entertainment,
business and housing, thereby strengthening the economic vitality of the
region.</span></font></i></b><font size=1 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><font
size=2 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trade Gothic LT Std"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trade Gothic LT Std"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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