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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Cleveland Play House Announces 2012-13 Season
<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Two World Premieres Part of 97<sup>th</sup> Season at PlayhouseSquare
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">CLEVELAND, OH</span></b><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"> (<i>March 12, 2012</i>) - Artistic Director Michael Bloom announces the lineup for the 97<sup>th</sup> consecutive
season of Cleveland Play House, its second at PlayhouseSquare in downtown Cleveland. Two world premieres and contemporary work contribute to the variety of entertainment Bloom has designed for the 2012-13 Season.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">“Cleveland Play House has experienced an extraordinary transformation in our first season downtown,”
<b>reflects Bloom</b> on the institution’s three new state-of-the-art venues. “And we’ve seen record-breaking single ticket sales.” Building on that success,
<b>Bloom remarks</b>, “With five contemporary plays, including two world premieres, next season affirms the company’s commitment to its vision of being a top-tier contemporary theatre. Our exciting second season at PlayhouseSquare will bring even more variety,
breadth and quality to our audiences and keep CPH in the national theatre conversation about new work.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%">The 2012-13 Season includes two world premieres. The first,
<b><i>A Carol for Cleveland</i></b>, is a family-friendly fable for the holidays adapted by Eric Coble from a story by Cleveland’s master mystery novelist, Les Roberts.
<span style="layout-grid-mode:line">The second world premiere is <b><i>Rich Girl</i></b><i>
</i>by Victoria Stewart that Bloom describes as<i> </i>“a clever and hip comedy about love and money in the age of CNBC,” to be produced in the Second Stage. It is also the anchor production for the New Ground Theatre Festival in May of 2013. Northeast Ohio
is known for being the cradle of professional football, so the city of Cleveland is the perfect place for a production of last year’s Broadway hit
<b><i>Lombardi</i></b>, which Bloom notes is<b> </b>“not just a sports play but a family drama about integrity, teamwork and second chances.” Also in the new season, CPH rediscovers</span> a lost classic in
<b><i>Bell, Book and Candle</i></b>,<span style="layout-grid-mode:line"> “</span>one of the wittiest romantic comedies written by an American playwright,” remarks Bloom.
<b><i>The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith</i><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">
</span></b><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">will turn the Allen Theatre into a jazz club when
</span>performer Miche Braden captures the soulful singing style and the feisty essence of the “Empress of the Blues.”<span style="layout-grid-mode:line"> Two acclaimed dramas complete the season lineup.
<b><i>The Whipping Man</i></b>, to be produced in the Second Stage, “</span>is an utterly surprising and suspenseful period piece set just after the Civil War,” says Bloom. “And the Tony Award nominee
<b><i>Good People</i></b> is in my opinion the best play written so far in this century.”
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="color:black">Subscriptions for all seven (7) plays are available now at prices ranging from $105 (for currently enrolled students under age 25 with valid ID) to $357, with extra discounts for educators.
Additional pricing will be available for a number of flexible partial season packages. To purchase subscriptions or receive more information, call 216-400-7096 or go to
</span><a href="http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com"><span style="color:black">www.clevelandplayhouse.com</span></a><span style="color:black">. Group tickets (10 or more) are available now at savings up to 50% for orders received before April 30th. Tickets for
individual performances will range from $15 (for currently enrolled students under age 25 with valid ID) to $69 and will go on sale August 19th.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;text-transform:uppercase"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;text-transform:uppercase">Cleveland Play House 2012-2013
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;text-transform:uppercase">SUBSCRIPTION Mainstage Season<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Lombardi</u></b><u><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Sept. 14 - Oct. 7, 2012 ~ Allen Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adapted by Eric Simonson, based on the biography <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi</span></em> by Pulitzer Prize-winning author
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">David Maraniss</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Co-produced with Arizona Theatre Company<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Sport produces great human drama and there is no greater sports icon to bring to theatrical life than Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi, unquestionably one of
the most inspirational and quotable personalities of all time. More than a play about football,
</span><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Lombardi</span></em><span style="font-size:10.0pt">
<span style="color:black">is an inspiring tale of dedication, loyalty, sacrifice and second chances. Told through the eyes of a young reporter, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the greatest coach of all time, the players who would do anything for him and
the woman who supports them all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>The Whipping Man<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Nov. 2 - 25, 2012 ~ Second Stage<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Written by Matthew Lopez<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Directed by Giovanna Sardelli<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">It is April 1865. The Civil War is over and throughout the South slaves are being freed, soldiers are returning home and Jewish families are celebrating Passover. In
this gripping new play, a severely wounded young Confederate soldier and two men who used to be his slaves navigate their shifting relationship, wrestle over the past, and struggle to carve out new lives in a chaotic war-torn world.
<i>The Whipping Man</i> is a profoundly compelling and moving story about race, religion, responsibility and freedom which sheds new light on this chapter in American history.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>A Carol for Cleveland<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">WORLD PREMIERE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Nov. 30 - Dec. 23, 2012 ~ Allen Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adapted by Eric Coble, based on a novella by Les Roberts<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Directed by Laura Kepley, Associate Artistic Director of CPH<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">This world premiere play commissioned by CPH is a moving holiday story about family, second chances, and the kindness of strangers. In the midst of one of America’s worst
recessions, Ed Podolak, an unemployed worker from western Pennsylvania, winds up in Cleveland looking for a job. It’s Christmas Eve, and all he has to his name is forty-eight bucks—and that isn’t nearly enough to buy Christmas presents for his wife and his
kids back home. Pushed to the brink, he commits a desperate act which changes his life in ways he never imagined. Hope, forgiveness, and humor fill this holiday tale of redemption.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Bell, Book and Candle<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Jan. 11 – Feb. 3, 2013 ~ Allen Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Written by John van Druten<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Directed by Michael Bloom,
</span>Artistic Director of CPH<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">It’s the 1950s and Gillian Holroyd is living the life of a restless witch in the hip Murray Hill district of New York City. Her handsome upstairs neighbor Shep Henderson
has caught her eye. Gillian longs for love but fiercely guards her independence and her secret career as a high-powered witch. Can this romance work?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Feb. 15 - March 10, 2013 ~ Allen Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Written by Angelo Parra <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Musical Direction and Performance by Miche Braden<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Conceived and directed by Joe Brancato</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">This soulful and stunning musical gives you a glimpse into the life, loves and career of the Empress of the Blues. Sexy and racy, Blues singer Bessie Smith was the definition
of a Red Hot Mamma and the most successful entertainer of her time. On the eve of her tragic death in 1937, Bessie takes center stage in a Memphis “buffet flat.” Now, among friends, she tells the story of her amazing life, career, her loves and losses. Bessie
Smith comes to life and sings the songs that made her so unforgettable, <i>St. Louis Blues, Need a Little Sugar in my Bowl
</i>and <i>Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out</i> and much more<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Good People<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Mar. 22 - Apr. 14, 2013 ~ Allen Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Written by David Lindsay-Abaire<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Directed by Laura Kepley</span>, Associate Artistic Director of CPH<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Co-produced with Syracuse Stage<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Margie Walsh can’t catch a break. Laid off from her job at the dollar store, Margie is faced with the reality that South Boston is providing her the same level of opportunity it always
has: none. Wry, rough around the edges and ready to make a change, she seeks out the one who got away – both from South Boston and from her. Nominated for a 2011 Tony Award for Best Play, Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire's
<i>Good People</i> takes on class, morality, and the American Dream. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Rich Girl<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">WORLD PREMIERE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Anchor production of New Ground Theatre Festival<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Apr. 12 - May 5, 2013 ~ Second Stage<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Written by Victoria Stewart<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Directed by Michael Bloom</span>, Artistic Director of CPH<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">When 26-year-old Claudine meets Henry, a starving artist, she falls head over heels. Her mother, a financial guru, has her doubts. Is Henry everything her daughter has been looking
for? Or is he after only one thing? A modern day adaptation of Henry James' <i>Washington Square</i>, this comedy by up-and-coming playwright Victoria Stewart is about how women relate to men, mothers and money - in that order.
<i>Rich Girl</i> will be a world premiere and the anchor of New Ground Theatre Festival for 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">Lisa Craig<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">Communications & Public Relations Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">Cleveland Play House<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">1901 East 13<sup>th</sup> Street # 200<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">Cleveland OH 44114<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">Phone: 216.400.7022<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black">Email:
<a href="mailto:lcraig@clevelandplayhouse.com">lcraig@clevelandplayhouse.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Archer Book";color:black"><img border="0" width="211" height="60" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01CD0048.E0F8CEE0" alt="Description: CPH Logo for Email Signature"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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