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<p class=MsoNormal>I hate to jump to conclusions and make inferences without
any facts to back me up…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>BUT<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Take a look at this, CWRU’s MFA Acting Program
postcard for their production of <i>All’s Well</i>: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.twitpic.com/b02ri">http://www.twitpic.com/b02ri</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“No insipid takes on the script.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>No mosquitoes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Just well trained actors and a great director.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I find it impossible to believe that this isn’t a
slight directed at the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, and perhaps the Ohio
Shakespeare Festival. They are very clearly comparing themselves to outdoor Shakespeare
performances (“mosquitoes”), of which there are only two in the
region and only one in Cleveland. The postcard then links “insipid takes
on the script” and a lack of “well trained actors and a great
director” to the aforementioned outdoor Shakespeare company.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>This may be one of the most brazen, shameless pieces of
advertising I’ve seen in Cleveland theatre. It displays a total lack of class
on the part of department chair Ron Wilson, director Geoff Bullen, and whomever
else at Case signed off on this.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>There are certainly valid criticisms to be made of Cleve
Shakes, but let’s face it: a $35,000/year university beating up on free
Shakespeare in the park is pretty crass, and amounts to nothing more than
bullying.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I like to operate under the naïve impression that Cleveland’s
theatre community IS a community. It’s a pretty rich and diverse
community, too, considering the problems Cleveland faces. We have a lot of
great theatres to fill all kinds of niches, from CSF to Theatre Ninjas to the
Play House to CSU Summer Stages to Cleveland Public Theatre. And to see an
organization say “We’re above all of that. We are separate, we are
better, and we don’t want you philistines dirtying up our Shakespeare”
just gets my blood boiling. At this point, my rant’s starting to lose focus,
so I’ll close with this:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I think Ron Wilson and Geoff Bullen owe CSF a big public
apology.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>James Kosmatka, never affiliated in any official capacity
with CSF, but thinks they’re good people and good artists.<o:p></o:p></p>
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