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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Uprooted actor finds
a home at the CVLT<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT
size=3>News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This review appeared
in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Chagrin Valley Times
3</I>/05/09</SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Eric Oswald
vowed that he would no longer be dressing up as a gorilla by the time he turned
40. Just two weeks shy of his birthday, he quit cold turkey.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Since then, he has been donning woman’s
apparel, a clerical collar, a camouflage outfit and nothing but his birthday
suit.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And he couldn’t be happier.
This is his story.<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">
</B><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">For 16
years, Mr. Oswald was a professional primate for Eastern Onion Singing
Telegrams.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While living in Los
Angeles, he logged 40,000 miles a year driving all over Southern California,
knocking on apartment doors and entering business offices while carrying a song
in his heart and wearing the uniform of choice for conveying sung
sentiments.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Sure, the
work was glamorous. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But he knew
that there was more to life than performing for Eastern Onion.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So he became a manager for Eastern
Onion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After running the L.A. and
San Diego franchises, Mr. Oswald was asked to relocate to Northeast Ohio to take
over the Cleveland office, which had been operating in a mild state of
turmoil.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Apparently, the owner held
herself hostage for three days while corporate officers came in with a federal
court order to remove her from the premises.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is unclear whether they wore gorilla
suits at the time.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">After
serving just nine months as manager and continuing to deliver telegrams out of
habit and for the extra cash, Mr. Oswald was informed that a new owner was
taking over. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His management
position was then terminated, although he was encouraged to continue on as a
musical messenger during nights and weekends. More secure employment was
found at Sherwin-Williams’ corporate headquarters, where Mr. Oswald worked while
attending college to complete his degree and still spreading joy through
costumed telecommunications.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Five years
ago, and nine years after coming to Cleveland, Mr. Oswald finally severed ties
with Eastern Onion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After only a few months of singing
sobriety, however, he discovered that the gorilla outfit was a monkey on his
back.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He missed performing and all
that went with it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Having been a
regular on the community theatre circuit throughout the South Bay area of L.A.,
Mr. Oswald ventured out to see what the local landscape had to offer.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">He quickly
landed the role of Orin, the homicidal dentist in Solon Center for the Arts'
production of <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Little Shop of
Horrors</I>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Having fallen in love
with Chagrin Falls during one of his many costumed drive-bys while with Eastern
Onion, Mr. Oswald auditioned for the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre. He has since
performed in eight CVLT productions, including the role of Harold Nichols in the
musical <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Full Monty</I> and Father
Brendan Flynn in the drama <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Doubt</I>.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Mr. Oswald
moved to Chagrin Falls from the west side in March 2008, to be close to his many
CVLT theatre friends who live in the area but, mostly, to be close to the
theatre he loves.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Believe me,” he admits, “it's very
convenient to be home in just 3 minutes after late-night rehearsals are over,
especially in the winter.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Incorruptable</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">, a Monty Pythonesque
comedy that opens March 20, is his next CVLT production. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It takes place in 1250 A.D. France,
where a local monastery is down on its luck until a larcenous, one-eyed minstrel
appears and teaches the local monks a few tricks to get back in the
black.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Immediately
after that, he has been cast in CVLT’s <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Duck Hunter Shoots Angel</I>. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The play is about two bungling Alabama
brothers who think they’ve shot an angel, not a duck, while hunting in the
swampy southern woods. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mr. Oswald
plays the younger brother, Duwell.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">From
mid-February until mid-May, Mr. Oswald will be spending nearly every night
within the close confines of the downtown Chagrin Falls theatre he now calls his
home with his fellow cast mates he now calls family.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Although he no longer
misses the gorilla suit, Mr. Oswald admits that he would not pass up appearing
in the musical <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Simian’s Rainbow</I> if
the opportunity arises.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>