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<p style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>STEP
right up, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and stop by a Cleveland city
park for a galvanizing performance of <b><i>Song of the Seekers</i></b> by 27
talented teenagers. Working with director Chris Seibert and other CPT teaching
artists, these students have adapted an ancient Indian text and made it
compelling and contemporary. This is free family theater, presented by the
students in CPT’s STEP Program, and their hard work has culminated in an
entertaining hour-long show. Employing a variety of musical formats from beat
boxing to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” the show
follows a group of poets and a troupe of entertainers as they merge, flare up
against each other, and eventually explore what it means to be an artist as
well as an individual of worth. This large cast has a lot on its plate, but it
handles the often stylized movement with the energy and precision this kind of
presentation requires. Plus, the actors enunciate clearly so that very few
words are lost, even when nearby trains or trucks rumble past (one of the
challenges of open-air productions). Among the Poets, David Lewis Jr. as Ares
and Michael McNairy as Leachim handle most of the heavy lifting as the story
unspools, and soon we are introduced to Christopher Dooms as the arrogant and
charismatic King Palaka (or “King P,” as he prefers). The
King’s singers and dancers, dubbed KPEC for King Palaka’s
Entertainment Company, have a new star, the beautiful Vasa, played with a nice
mix of strength and vulnerability by Janette Patterson. Trouble is, there are
two guys with their eyes on Vasa: the poet Charudat (an engaging Dionte Sawyer)
and the King’s bro Roofis (Marcus Howard in an amusingly boastful performance).
Charudat is shadowed by his best friend Maitreya, rendered with comical
goofiness (and irrepressible hunger) by Malcolm Keenon. Amongst the songs and
dances, other performers make themselves known. Isaiah Cancel is loose and
limber as the gambler Lewie, who can predict the future with his dice, and
Shalese Thornton exhibits excellent concentration, never breaking character as
she sings and cavorts as a “court jester.” Biana Carr is effective
as Vasa’s best friend Sookie, and Bianca Carr registers the right amount
of authority as Vasa’s mother Yaya. Kalim Hill skulks with the best of
them as the thief Bartimus and Chatiana Moore is a powerful presence as Shanda,
Charudat’s sister. The rest of the exciting company includes Jocelyn
Newkirt, Brianna Larkins, Jawan Rustin, Sean Eafford, Darryle Barnes, Olivia
Winsteard, Nate Woodland, Dawon Taylor, Matthew McNeal, Tyisha George, Jasmine
Harris, Christian McGinnis, Essence Flores and Syeed Selmon. These performances
are free and easily accessible, so stop by, bring a blanket or lawn chair, and
see what an outstanding group of young people have been doing with their
summer. You’ll be delighted! <b><i>Song of the Seekers</i></b> <b>Produced
by the CPT STEP Program.</b> <b>Through August 8, free, at local parks.</b> <b>Visit
<a href="http://www.cptonline.org/">http://www.cptonline.org/</a> for the
schedule and locations.</b> STEP ’10 is performing tonight @ Fairview
Park in Ohio City, (W.38<sup>th</sup> & Franklin.) Tomorrow the show moves
to Harmody Park in Old Brooklyn, (Irving Ave & South Hills Drive.) 7pm
showtime for both. Free admission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='color:#244061'>Amy Bistok Bunce<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'>Director of
Marketing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'>Cleveland Public
Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'>6415 Detroit
Ave.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'>Cleveland, OH
44102<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'>216-631-2727
ext. 203<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'>216-631-2575
(fax)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#244061'><a
href="mailto:bwood@cptonline.org"><span style='color:blue'>abistok@cptonline.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#244061'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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