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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Contact: Vivian Wilson<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Resource Development & Marketing
Director<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Phone (216) 795-7070 x 215<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h1><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE –Thursday, February 11, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class=MsoBodyText> <span lang=EN><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=left style='text-align:left;line-height:115%'><span
lang=EN style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Karamu House, in collaboration
with Ensemble Theatre, Cleveland and Weathervane Playhouse Akron presents one
of the most dynamic plays of the American stage, <i>The Great White Hope</i> by
Howard Sackler opening on <b>Thursday, February 18</b> and running thru March
14, 2010 in Karamu’s Jelliffe Theatre. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span lang=EN style='font-family:
"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Howard
Sackler’s play <i>The Great White Hope</i> centers around Jack Jefferson,
a fictionalized version of Jack Johnson, the first black world’s
heavyweight boxing champion. Johnson was a proud, articulate man who refused
to be less than he was to please white people. When he married a white woman at
the turn of the century it caused a scandal and led to him being persecuted by
the police and eventually leaving the country. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>A
cast of 45 fill the Karamu stage featuring Anthony Nickerson-El as Jack
Jefferson, Ursula Cataan as Ellie Bachman, Peter Lawson Jones as Tick and Skip
Colton as Cap’n Dan. This remarkable cast has been challenged with the
direction of Karamu’s Artistic Director, Terrence Spivey as they bring
this play to life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span lang=EN style='font-family:
"Cambria","serif"'>Considered a play of its time (in 1967), <i>The Great White
Hope</i> resonated with the unrest emerging throughout the US because of such
explosive events as the Vietnam War, the stripping of Mohammad Ali's
heavyweight title for not serving in it, and the Watts riots. <i>The Great
White Hope</i> dazzled DC audiences and then went on to Broadway to win the
Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award, and the New York Drama Critics Award. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span lang=EN style='font-family:
"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Opening
night is <b>Thursday, February 18</b> with a curtain time of 8:00 p.m.
Performances are Thursday thru Saturday at 8:00 pm and 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets are $24.00 on Thursday and Sunday and $27.00 on Friday and Saturday.
Group, senior and student discounts are available. The play has strong adult
language and content.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><br>
Karamu House is located at 2355 East 89<sup>th</sup> Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
<span style='color:black'>Tickets may be purchased via the <b>Karamu website at
</b></span><b><span style='color:#404040'><a href="http://www.karamuhouse.org"><span
style='color:#404040'>www.karamuhouse.org</span></a></span><span
style='color:black'> or via the box office at (216) 795 7077. Tickets may also
be purchased at the</span></b><span style='color:black'> </span><strong><span
style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Ensemble Box Office: 216-321-2930
website: </span></strong><a href="http://www.ensemble-theatre.com/"
target="_blank"><strong><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue;
text-decoration:none'>www.ensemble-theatre.com</span></strong></a><strong><span
style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>.</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%'><b><span
style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;text-autospace:none'><i><span
style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Karamu House Inc. is supported in part by
The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Ohio Lottery, the
Ohio Arts Council. Karamu House, Inc. is generously funded by Cuyahoga County
residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. This production is also funded by
the Ohio Humanities Council.</span></i><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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