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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#ff0000>Weathervane Playhouse’s<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#ff0000>‘A Tuna Christmas’ Repeats the Sounding Joy of a Wacky Texas Town
Named Tuna<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
color=#ff0000 size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><EM><FONT color=#008000 size=5
face=Arial>Two Men Portray All 22 Wacky Characters</FONT></EM></H1>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><EM><FONT color=#008000 size=5
face=Arial>in this Hilarious Holiday Romp</FONT></EM></H1>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">O
come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, to the little town of Tuna, Texas,
where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never really died! Christmas
comes early this year to Weathervane Playhouse, where two men portray 22 of the
most outrageously loveable characters in the hilariously wacky <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I> – playing for only nine
performances between Dec. 2 and 18, 2010<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It’s
Christmas time in Greater Tuna, Texas and, as usual, the community is buzzing
about the annual Christmas Yard Display Contest — even though Vera Carp looks to
win it again, what with the addition of live sheep to her
exhibit!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Adding
to the Yuletide excitement, the infamous Christmas Phantom is wreaking havoc
across town. Bertha Bumiller has a mean, ugly, stray cat giving birth in her
closet. Waitress Inita Goodwin is wielding a hair dryer to thaw the hamburger.
And then there’s Didi Snavel (of “Didi’s Used Weapons”), who reminds us all how
dangerous it can be “to ride unarmed in a one-horse open
sleigh.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">That’s
only a sample of the endearingly dizzy denizens of Greater Tuna and their
stories — all played by two actors! Somehow, despite the mayhem, all manage to
have a Merry Christmas — and to take audiences along for the
ride!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Under
the direction of Eileen Moushey, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna
Christmas</I> pokes gentle fun at rural America – but this theatrical gift comes
wrapped in a nuttier-than-a-partridge-in-a-pear-tree Yuletide warmth and
fondness for the eclectic folk of Tuna, Texas. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3><FONT color=#ff0000>The <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna
Christmas </I>Cast and their Ohio
Hometowns<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT color=#008000><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Gabriel
Riazi </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">(of
Akron) <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT color=#ff0000><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Gerard
Neary </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">(of
Wadsworth)<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">
</B><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#008000><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">About the
Director of </SPAN></STRONG><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A Tuna
Christmas</SPAN></I></FONT><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#ff0000>EILEEN MOUSHEY</FONT> </SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">is
a freelance writer/director whose most previous directing assignment for
Weathervane was 2009’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Mrs. Bob
Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge</I>. Her company, Mysteries by Moushey, performs
interactive murder mysteries throughout Northeast Ohio, and her scripts have
been produced by more than 1,000 theaters and schools all over the world. She
also writes video scripts and is a two-time regional Emmy Award winner. She has
also been active at Weathervane Playhouse for over 25 years as a volunteer and
has received several of the Playhouse’s Chanticleer Awards for designing sound,
lighting and stage properties for Weathervane productions. She also has a “Best
Actress” Chanticleer Award. Her other Weathervane directorial credits include
Mitch Albom’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And the Winner Is</I> and
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum</I>. She has also served on the Playhouse’s Board of Trustees (including
one stint as president) and she has served as the chair of Weathervane’s two
most recent capital-expansion campaigns. She lives in Kent with her husband,
Stephen (the sound designer for this production).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<P
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><FONT color=#008000><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas </I></SPAN></B><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT size=2> </FONT></SPAN></SPAN></I><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Backstage
Team and their Ohio Hometowns<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></P></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN><FONT face=Arial>Stage Manager – Mary Kate
Clancy (of Munroe Falls)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN><FONT face=Arial>Costume
Designer – Jasen J. Smith (of Akron)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><FONT face=Arial>Lighting
Designer – Susan Stout Davis (of Cuyahoga Falls)</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN><FONT face=Arial>Properties
Designer – Tom Abdoo (of Clinton)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN><FONT face=Arial>Sound
Designer – Stephen Moushey (of Kent)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><FONT face=Arial>Scenic
Designer and Technical Director – Alan Scott Ferrall (of Cuyahoga
Falls)</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN><FONT face=Arial>Technical Director – Kathy
Kohl (of Akron)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
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<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3>Ticket and Performance Information<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A
Tuna Christmas</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
plays on Weathervane Playhouse’s Founders Theater stage between Dec. 2 and 18,
2010.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Performances are Thursdays,
Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. with one 3:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Dec.
18.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><FONT face=Arial>Tickets for
all performances of the play are $21 each. Discounted tickets for seniors and
college students are $19 each for all performances; tickets for children (ages
17 or younger) are $17 each for all performances. Groups of 12 or larger can
save even more when they ask about a special group-rate discount.</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">For
tickets, call the Weathervane Box Office at (330) 836-2626 or connect online to
<A href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/"><FONT
color=#800080>www.weathervaneplayhouse.com</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
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<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3>About the Play and the Playwrights<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><U><FONT
face=Arial>About the Play’s Production History<o:p></o:p></FONT></U></SPAN></H2>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A
Tuna Christmas</SPAN></EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
is a sequel to <EM>Greater Tuna</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal"> – but
even those who have not seen the first play will be able to fully enjoy the
amusingly eclectic citizens in this Yuletide-themed outing</SPAN></EM>. Creative
collaborators Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams first created the “<I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Tuna</I> phenomenon” more than 20 years ago
as a party skit in Austin, Texas. After this whimsical, improvised beginning,
the men crafted a full-length play, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Greater Tuna</I>, which had its first
production in Austin in the fall of 1981. Two of the creators, Sears and
Williams, played all the characters in the play – and after much critical
acclaim in Texas, the show took to the road.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
resulting <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Greater Tuna</I> tour proved to
be such a success that even “sophisticated” New York City took notice, and the
show enjoyed a 13-month, 501-performance run off Broadway at Circle in the
Square Downtown. Next came a 1984 HBO cable-TV special, which increased the
show’s popularity. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">By
1985, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Greater Tuna</I> ranked among one
of the most-performed plays in America. And thus was born the idea for a sequel
– <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I>. In the fall of
1989, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I> had a
“pre-Austin” try-out in San Francisco prior to opening in Austin in November of
that year. In the years thereafter, Sears and Williams continued to tour across
America with <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I> show
each Yuletide season. Ultimately, the two men took the show to Broadway in 1994,
where <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I> played for a
limited run of eight previews and 20 performances. For his multiple-character
portrayals, Sears was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. In
the years since, two more plays have been added to the <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Tuna</I> canon -- <EM>Red, White and
Tuna</EM> and <EM>Tuna Does Vegas</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">. As
of December 2010, Sears and Williams are still touring with </SPAN>A Tuna
Christmas</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">, which is booked for several
engagements in Tennessee and Texas between now and January 2011. (Check out the
tour schedule and learn more at <A
href="http://www.greatertunavisitorscenter.com./">www.GreaterTunaVisitorsCenter.com.</A>)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><U><FONT
size=2>About the Playwrights<o:p></o:p></FONT></U></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#ff0000>ED HOWARD</FONT></SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
collaborated with Joe Sears and Jaston Williams to create the four Tuna plays
(and their multitudinous characters): <EM>Greater Tuna</EM>; <EM>A Tuna
Christmas</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">;</SPAN></EM> <EM>Red, White
and Tuna</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">;</SPAN></EM> and <EM>Tuna
Does Vegas</EM>. His other plays include <EM>Romeo and Thorazine</EM>, <EM>I’m
Not Lying</EM>, <EM>Morning Star</EM>, <EM>A Little Iffy</EM>,
<EM>Splendora</EM>, <EM>The Tempest Tossed</EM> (co-written with Dennis West),
and <EM>Coming Attractions</EM> (based on the novel <EM>Daisy Fay and the
Miracle Man</EM> by Fannie Flagg). As a director, his Broadway credits include
<EM>A Tuna Christmas</EM> and his off-Broadway credits include <EM>Greater
Tuna</EM>, <EM>A Tuna Christmas</EM> and Romulus Linney's <EM>Laughing
Stockby</EM> (starring Frances Sternhagen).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#008000>JOE SEARS</FONT></SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#008000> </FONT>collaborated with Ed Howard and Jaston Williams to create
the four Tuna plays (and their multitudinous characters): <EM>Greater Tuna</EM>;
<EM>A Tuna Christmas</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">;</SPAN></EM>
<EM>Red, White and Tuna</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">;</SPAN></EM>
and <EM>Tuna Does Vegas</EM>. For his performance in <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I>, he received a 1995
Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play. His other acting credits include
many roles in summer stock, outdoor drama, a season at TheatreworksUSA in New
York City, television, films and several Shakespeare plays. He wrote the
Cherokee Nation's outdoor drama, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Trail of
Tears</I>, which runs during the summer months in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Among his
awards, he received the 1993 Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for Best Actor in <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas</I> and the Theatre L.A.
Ovation Award for Best Actor in 1999.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#ff0000>JASTON WILLIAMS</FONT></SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
collaborated with Ed Howard and Joe Sears to create the four Tuna plays (and
their multitudinous characters): <EM>Greater Tuna</EM>; <EM>A Tuna
Christmas</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">;</SPAN></EM> <EM>Red, White
and Tuna</EM><EM><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">;</SPAN></EM> and <EM>Tuna
Does Vegas</EM>. For his performance in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A
Tuna Christmas</I>, he received a nomination for Washington D.C.’s Helen Hayes
Award, and he holds another Helen Hayes Award nomination for his performance in
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Foreigner</I>. His hometown is
Austin, Texas, where he has appeared at the State Theatre in <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Chairs</I> and at the Zachary Scott
Theatre in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Laramie Project</I> and <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Tru</I> (for the latter of which he received
the Austin Critics Table Award for Best Actor in a drama). As a playwright, his
shows include <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Romeo and Thorazine</I>, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">I’m Not Lying</I> and <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Cowboy Noises</I>. Among his awards, he
received the L.A. Dramalogue Award for both <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Greater Tuna</I> and <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Tuna Christmas </I>and the Texas
Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts by a Native
Texan.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">* * * * * *
* * * * * *<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>Weathervane Playhouse and its dedicated volunteers offer vital performing
arts resources for the people of Northeastern Ohio. We create exciting and
thought-provoking shows with impressive production values. Through educational
programs and volunteer opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds,
Weathervane serves the theater community, our patrons and our
volunteers.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to
encourage economic growth, education excellence and cultural enrichment for all
Ohioans.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>Additional 2010-2011 season sponsors<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></U></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>89.7 WSKU-FM<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>OMONOVA Solutions Foundation<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>Sisler McFawn Foundation<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>Akron Community Foundation<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>Kenneth L. Calhoun Charitable Trust<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoHeading7><EM><FONT size=2
face=Arial>Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation</FONT></EM></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Janis Harcar<BR>Director of Advancement<BR>Weathervane
Playhouse<BR>330-836-2323 X16<BR><A
href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com">www.weathervaneplayhouse.com</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>