<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><b><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Cleveland
playwright’s A GIRL’S GUIDE TO COFFEE delights at Actors’ Summit</span></span></a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Roy Berko</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style><span style><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino">(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association & Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></i></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormal"><font><span><span><span style="text-transform:uppercase">E</span></span></span><span><span>ric Coble, the author of <span style="text-transform:uppercase">A Girl’s
Guide to Coffee</span>, which is getting its world premiere at Actors’ Summit,
is on a roll.<span> </span>Next month his new
play, </span></span><span><span>VELOCITY OF
AUTUMN, which will star Dorothy Silver, the grand dame of Cleveland theatre,
will be performed at Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormal"><font><span><span> </span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormal"><font><span><span>Coble has the ability to take a
minor incident and translate it into an amusing, yet meaningful theatrical
experience.<span> </span>This is the case,
again, with A GIRL’S GUIDE TO COFFEE.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormal"><font><span><span> </span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormal"><font><span><span>In A GIRL’S GUIDE TO COFFEE, we
find a</span></span><span><span> java barista who’s trying to
figure out her path in life.<span>
</span>Twenty-two years old Alex has a degree in biology, seems happy without
roots, and is wiling her time as the queen of lattes at the Steamed Bean.<span> </span>Her specialty is a “mandala,” which is
a latte with a sacred Buddhist diagram created in the steamed milk.<span> </span>She can also do portraits and other images
in this temporary art form.<span>
</span>Temporary, as it is soon consumed and disappears.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span>She’s good, but, as she
confides to the audience in one of her many talks to her listeners, she isn’t “as
good as Lucy,” whoever that is.<span>
</span>She’s good enough, however, that, according to Danny, her boss, one of
her cups "brought one guy back from the dead.”<span> </span>She’s so good that Danny wants to enter her in the
international barista competition in Barcelona, Spain.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span>In spite of the nagging by her
parents, Alex’s plan for life is to have no plan at all.<span> </span>But into her life accidentally flows
handsome, artist and some-time repairman, Christopher, who seems, in his
subtle, and often bumbling way, to have other ideas for Alex’s existence.<span> </span></span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span>Coble obviously has spent a
lot of time hanging around coffee shops.<span>
</span>His knowledge of the kinds and recipes for various drinks is
amazing.<span> </span>In one long speech, Alex
relates so many that it becomes overwhelming to realize that that many
creations can be conceived by using one of the three types of beans available
and some hot milk.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span>The play is filled with
clever put downs of Starbucks (“the cockroach of the coffee world”), pointed
criticism of consumerism,<span> </span>and the
lack of clear focus in this text-addicted age.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span>The Actors’ Summit
production, under the direction of Constance Thackaberry, is nicely paced, most
of the characterizations well textured, and the clever lines correctly pointed
for humor.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span>Pretty Margo Chervony is
character right as Alex, <i>the Barista
Extraordinaire</i>.<span> </span>She has a nice
touch with humor, and interplays well the other characters.<span> </span>Rachel Gehlert, as Alex’s roommate and <i>Barista Better-Than-Ordinaire</i>, has some
great comedy moments, as she gives obsession and hyperactivity, a new
meaning.<span> </span>Frank Jackman is fun as
the <i>Owner of the Steamed Bean</i>.<span> </span>Laura Stitt, as <i>Alex’s Mother</i>, does all those “mom” things that make her real.<span> </span>As <i>Alex’s
Father,</i> Alex J. Nine, is fine in most scenes, but lacks the emotional
presence needed for the segment when his wife’s life is in danger.<span> </span>Handsome Mark Leach displays the right
degree of social uneasiness that adds a special quality to his Christopher, <i>A Particular Customer</i>, who seemingly is
going to help Alex find a course of action for her life.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="font-family:courier new,monospace" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span><span><i>CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:<span> </span>A GIRL’S GUIDE TO COFFEE is a delightful evening of theatre
that allows for a pleasant escape from the world of reality, adds knowledge to
most people’s awareness of lattes, and showcases some pitfalls of life without
a plan.</i></span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><font><span style="font-family:courier new,monospace"><span>For tickets
to A GIRL’S GUIDE TO COFFEE, which runs through March 11, call 330-342-0800 or
go to <a href="http://actorssummit.org">actorssummit.org</a>. </span></span></font><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></p>
<style></style>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></span></a><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></p>