<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Georgia">FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE</span></u></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Georgia"><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></span></u></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="6" color="#ff0000">FREE Tickets for </font></span></u></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><u><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="6" color="#ff0000">The Importance of Being Earnest</font><font size="4"></font></span></u></i></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"> </span></span></p>


<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><font size="4"><br></font></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><font size="4">Actors’ Summit, Akron’s
Equity professional theater, opens their production of Oscar Wilde’s <i>The Importance of Being Earnest </i>on<i> </i>Thursday, March 29^thwith a
preview performance at 8 pm and an official opening on March 30th.  The production will be presented through
April 22nd.  With the support of the
Knight Foundation, Actors’ Summit
is offering a <b>FREE adult ticket</b> for
anyone accompanied by a full-time student of any age purchasing a student ticket ($9).  (College students must present a valid ID.)<i></i></font></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">This production is one
of three shows this season academically appropriate for the</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia"> <b>“Take-your-parent-to-a-show!”
</b>project.<b>  </b></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4">Actors’ Summit received a significant grant from The Knight Foundation that supports the theater’s ability
to enable and encourage students to attend live theater. </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia">“Take-your-parent-to-a-show!”</span></b><span style="font-family:Georgia"> project allows any full-time student (grade,
middle school, high school or college) to buy a ticket for the regular student
rate of $9 and receive a <b>FREE TICKET</b>
for his or her accompanying parent to that same performance.  Parents and students experiencing live
performances together create additional learning opportunities and encourage
family participation in the arts.  The
project focuses on the social and communal aspects of the arts and supports
arts integrated instruction.</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Georgia">In addition to seeking patronage of younger audiences either
through bringing a parent or a school field trip, Actors’ Summit encourages</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"> including the show
as part of school curricula.</span><span style="font-family:Georgia">  </span><span style="font-family:Georgia">Actors’ Summit
offers special day time </span><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">performances </span><span style="font-family:Georgia">to local schools</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">.  </span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">Woody Guthrie’s American Song</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">, closed on October 30^th, <i>Bully!</i> on February 5^th and <i>The Importance of Being Earnest </i>runs
from March 29^th</span></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">through April 22^nd .</span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:large;font-family:Georgia;background-color:white"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4">In support of these
programs, Actors’ Summit
prepares detailed Student/Teacher Guides for the plays.  The guide for <i>The Importance of Being Earnest</i>, like the ones prepared for <i>Woody Guthrie’s  American </i></font></span><i style="font-size:large"><span style="font-family:Georgia">Song</span></i><span style="font-size:large;font-family:Georgia">
and <i>Bully</i>!, includes information on
significant historical events as well as questions and activities for teachers
and students to prepare them to view the production and to help them
incorporate the experience of the play into their classroom studies.  The guide for <i>The Importance of Being Earnest </i>touches on Oscar Wilde’s life, 19^th
century fashion, the history of tea, Victorian parlor games and cucumber
sandwiches.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4">Arts Integrated Instruction has become an area of great
interest over the past decade.  Schools
across the country are discovering the power of the</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Georgia">arts when used as a catalyst for teaching across the
curriulum.  </span><span style="font-family:Georgia">“Our commitment is to making history, literature,
and theater memorable for the average student,” said Thackaberry. “We try to
bring professional theater experiences to students at the lowest possible
cost.”  </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4">The
classroom support allows students to connect with the artists.  The study guides supports teachers in
achieving State of Ohio
standards in history, social studies, and the arts.  In addition, the free<b> pre and</b> <b>post-performance
discussions</b> with the artists can lock in the emotional and intellectual
experience, creating memories that foster achievement on standardized tests. </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">Oscar Wilde’s<i>
The Importance of Being Earnest</i> premiered 112 years ago and this<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong><i><span style="font-weight:normal">Trivial Comedy for Serious People</span></i></strong></span> <span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">has probably generated more laughter than any other piece of dramatic
literature.  Jack is Jack in town, but Earnest
in the country.  His ward, Cecily is
deeply in love with Earnest's ne'er-do-well brother who doesn't exist.  Lady Bracknell rules all and is certainly not
going to allow her daughter to "form an alliance with a handbag."  Naturally everything works out perfectly and
everyone lives happily ever after.</span><span style="font-family:Georgia"></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><font size="4"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><font size="4">Our season, in its entirety, and more information about Actors’ Summit can be viewed at:</font></span></p>


<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><a href="http://www.actorssummit.org/"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;background:white">www.actorssummit.org</span></b></a><b><u><span style="font-family:Georgia;background:white"></span></u></b></font></p>


<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;background:white">Performances fill quickly, so reserve your seats now!</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia">  To schedule
a future school matinee, to get more information about Actors’ Summit’s <b>“Take-your-parent-to-a-show!”</b> project
or to receive <b>FREE</b> educational
support material for your classroom contact the theater at <b>330-374-7568.  </b></span></font><a name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>