<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3660" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=2><STRONG>NEWS RELEASE </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2><STRONG>Contact: Melanie YC Pepe (330)
836-2626</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><A href="http://www.WeathervanePlayhouse.com"><FONT
size=2><STRONG>www.WeathervanePlayhouse.com</STRONG></FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=6><STRONG>Weathervane
Playhouse</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>1301 Weathervane Lane * Akron, Oh
44313</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=3><B><I>
<P align=center></P></I></B>
<P align=center></P>
<DIV align=center><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#800000 size=6>The Great White
Hope</FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=center>
<DIV><STRONG>A co-production </STRONG>with<STRONG> Cleveland’s Karamu House
</STRONG>and<STRONG> Ensemble Theatre.</STRONG></DIV>A drama by Howard
Sackler</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>April 13 & 14 at 10:00 a.m.</STRONG></DIV>
<P align=center>This drama – inspired by the life of boxer Jack Johnson, the
first black heavyweight champion of the world – examines the American Dream as
seen through the prism of race. <I>The Great White Hope</I> won three of
the most important awards on Broadway: the Pulitzer Prize, the New York
Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and a Tony. When white American fighters
refused to compete with Johnson, he traveled to Australia and defeated Tommy
Burns in 1908, becoming the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Sackler’s work explores with deep consideration the consequences of Johnson’s
achievement in a climate of deep racial unrest.</P>
<P align=center>
<P align=left></P>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4><STRONG>
<DIV align=center><STRONG><FONT color=#800000 size=5><A
href="http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=126667771&ver=102906">CLICK
ME for a PEEK at Project STAGE!</A></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=center><B><FONT size=3></FONT></B> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><B><FONT size=3>Come and See Project STAGE in action! </B>We
use live theatrical performances to awaken, enliven and challenge the minds of
students with issues both interesting and relevant to our time. Thanks to the
support of the Akron Community Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council, we are able
to offer tickets to <STRONG><EM><FONT color=#800000>school day performances at
the rate of $5 each!</FONT></EM></STRONG> We hope you and your students can join
us for one of this seasons’ many
performances.</DIV></FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4><STRONG>As a part of our "Project STAGE" Season
(</STRONG><I><STRONG>S</STRONG>tudents <B>T</B>hrough <B>A</B>cting <B>G</B>ain
<B>E</B>ducation</I>) These productions feature: </FONT></DIV>
<P align=center></P>
<DIV align=left>
<UL>
<UL>
<LI>Pre-performance lecture and discussions for your class (<EM>by
request</EM>)
<LI>Study guides to prepare your class for the performance
<LI>Post-performance discussion immediately after the performance with the
director, actors and fellow students.</LI></UL></UL></DIV>
<P align=left>We at Weathervane Playhouse dedicate ourselves to the belief that
young people should have the opportunity to participate in theater both as
audience members and as artists. Hope to see you here!</P></FONT>
<DIV>Melanie YC Pepe<BR>Director of Education<BR>Young Actor Series
Producer<BR>Weathervane Playhouse<BR> <BR>Office Hours: Mondays ~
Thursdays 9 - 5, Saturdays 9-5<BR>330.836.2626 x 17<BR> <BR>We were
nominated for ParentsConnect.com's Parents Pick award IN 2009! Vote for us at
ParentsConnect.com/ParentsPicks. <BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>