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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Lake
Erie College playwrights put on a show<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
preview appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I>3/19/10</SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=gen4><A name=OLE_LINK1></A><A
name=OLE_LINK2></A><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=gen4><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT
size=3>In the 1930s and 1940s, a teenage Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney did a
series of “backyard musical” films where the logical solution to any of life’s
problems was to “put on a show.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=gen4><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=gen4><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Babes
in Arms</SPAN></I></SPAN><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">
found the two staging a musical to help revive vaudeville after it had succumbed
to motion pictures.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Strike Up the Band</I>, those crazy kids do
a musical revue to finance their High School’s band competition and, oh yeah,
pay for a pal’s life-saving surgery.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=gen4><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
students at Lake Erie College in Painesville may not be curing what ails the
world by staging their <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">New Play
Festival</I>, which opens tonight and runs throughout the weekend, but it
certainly serves a good purpose nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“It
is important for young writers to see their work on stage,” notes Dr. Jerry
Jaffe, assistant professor of drama at LEC and the inspiration for the
festival.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“It is all a part of
developing their theatrical imagination,” he adds.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
four original plays will be performed by members of the College’s play writing
class and staged by students of the directing class.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Students of the lighting design class
are working with Cleveland-based lighting expert Ben Needham, who teaches
stagecraft, on creating original lighting designs for each play. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Such
communal effort is reminiscent of a Garland and Rooney production, although the
subject matter in these plays is significantly more sophisticated.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Broken</I>, by Joseph Fath, is an ironic
comedy-drama about a failing marriage as symbolized by the couple’s house
falling apart around them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Nothing
lasts, says Fath.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Life goes
on and everything is only for now.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Factory</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
is a social drama about two men working at a factory and the crime they are
considering to help change their lives. “</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I got the idea from a
news story that made headlines last year,” suggests playwright </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Jonathan
Sweet</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">,
“when a card box was stolen from a wedding reception.”<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Nic
Grimsic’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">We’ll Miss You, Michael
Smith</I><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>is a very silly farce
about a funeral with the wrong body on display and the lengths the two men
running the funeral will go in order to cover up their error.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I wrote this in a
haze of other end-of-semester assignments,” admits the author, “and I wound up
misplacing my copy of the script in the frenzy of projects and compositions I
was working on. I'm as excited as anybody else to see what I wrote.”
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A
Simple Lesson</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">,
by Danielle Pitrone, is about a time-obsessed traveler and the troubles he has
with people in a train station.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>“</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I hope
that the audience comes away with an appreciation of how quickly life goes by,”
says Pitrone. “Time is precious and if we waste it arguing or worrying
about frivolous things, we end up missing out on what is actually
important.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">New Play Festival</I>.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">When:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tonight and Tomorrow
at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 20, at 2:00pm. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Where:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>C.K. Rickel Theatre located in the Fine
Arts Building on the Lake Erie College<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>campus,
Painesville.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Tickets:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Free.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Info:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>440-375-7455.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>