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style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">FAA’s
annual ‘One-Act’ fest tops itself <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The
Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
American Theatre Critics Association <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review will appear in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">on
4/27/12</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Willoughby Fine
Arts Association’s annual one-act play festival </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">is
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">now in
its 16<SUP>th</SUP> year of production.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>A frequent highlight of the season, this year’s collection of original
works has outdone the others.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Not only did director
and founder Ann Hedger receive a record 693 scripts from over 400 playwrights
from 12 countries and <SPAN style="COLOR: #333333">38 U.S. states</SPAN>, but
the 11 plays selected for the festival are being performed by one of the
strongest ensembles of actors in its history. Dominated by comedies and ranging
from stark realism to absurdist fantasy, this nicely diverse group of 10-minute
pieces demands a core of talented players to carry it off.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
highlight of the first act is Greg Freier’s “Rage Against Nothing.”<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The flat-out funniest play of the
evening, it also boasts the funniest performances, which are turned in by Don
Knepper and Paul Felden.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This
one-act takes us inside the cars of two men who fear retaliatory fits of
road-rage that exist only in their fertile imaginations.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The actors’ physicality and their
characters’ escalating anxiety are hilarious.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">This
piece is immediately followed by the most dramatic play of the evening, “One for
My Baby,” which is written by yours truly and inspired by </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Frank
Sinatra’s version of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s song of the same
title</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For obvious reasons, the quality of the
play can’t be addressed, but the stellar performances by Bob Kilpatrick, as a
man of unclear intentions, and Diana Frankhauser, as an angry 16-year-old
hitchhiker, are apparent to everyone in attendance. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">For
those who desire something thought-provoking in an evening of one-acts, Trace
Crawford’s “An Unfamiliar Waltz” will not disappoint.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here, three strangers—the wonderful Paul
Felden, Nancy Shimonek Brooks, and John Busser—are caught in a surreal encounter
when they come upon a seemingly threatening object.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Their debate as to what to do with the
object, as well as the stage direction, suggest an intriguing and intricate
dance.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Rounding
out the first act are three additional comedies of varying quality.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The first, Andy Haynes’ “Hack,” offers a
meeting between a playwright, played by Carl Simoncic, and his agent, played by
Mark DePompei.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Their reading of a
theatrical review cleverly parallels precisely what is happening in this
play.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“The Party,” a fun but futile
skit by Michele Markarian and featuring Nancy Shimonek Brooks and Matthew
Mortensen, explores the divide between those who enjoy human interaction and
those intrigued by the virtual social networking today’s technology has to
offer.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Finally, “It Jungle Out
There” by John Busser offers a very funny piece of sketch comedy that finds
Tarzan, played by Matthew Mortensen, at a dating service in </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #222222; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Des
Moines, Iowa.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN><I><BR></I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">The</SPAN> second act keeps the momentum
going thanks to the </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">best player-pairing
of the festival.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One-act veterans
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Mark
J. DePompei and Vonnie Pilarczyk team up in </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Edward
Versailles’ “The Cat Fanciers,” a charming piece about two feline fanatics
seeking a suitable mate for their Siamese cats.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>DePompei and Pilarczyk have mastered the
art of making something out of nothing and turning it into memorable
theater.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“Hanging
Chad,” by Brett Hursey, is a silly but thoroughly enjoyable tale about angry
sperm, represented by Don Knepper; dying ova, wonderfully depicted by Nancy
Shimonek Brooks; and the couple responsible for them, played by Elvis L. Sverko
and Evie Koh.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
other three plays in the second act don’t quite have the same appeal as the
others, but the acting remains solid.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">D.J.
Sylvis’ “No End Boss,” which starts the act, is inspired by </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>Jean-Paul Sartre’s “No Exit.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>takes us inside the world of characters
who inhabit a videogame.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The play
features a very game Brendan Sandham, Sam Portzera and Lincoln Sandham.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“GRTC,” by Irene Ziegler, captures a
poignant, private moment when a young boy, played by Ben Whitney, attempts to
recapture the memory of his mother amidst sympathetic strangers, played by Gail
Steindler and Bob Kilpatrick.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
final play, “Who’s There” by Gar Godfrey, is an interesting but disjointed piece
that offers a running narration of Donald’s pathetic life, with Paul Feldman as
Donald, Evie Koh as the girl that does not love him, and Shannon L. Sidorick as
the narrator. <BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Every play is
efficiently staged with limited but sufficient production values courtesy of
Brett Harris (set and sound), Paul Gatzke (lighting) and Kristen Buchs
(costuming).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Director Ann Hedger
manages to never repeat herself from play to play or, more impressively, from
year to year, and keeps upping the ante with each passing one-act festival.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“Hot
>From the Oven/ Fresh on Delivery: 16<SUP>th</SUP> Annual One-Act Festival<SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">” runs through
May 5 at the</SPAN></SPAN></I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Fine Arts
Association’s Corning Auditorium, 38660 Mentor Avenue, Willoughby.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For information or tickets, which are
$20 to $22, call 440-951-7500 or visit <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><A
href="http://www.fineartsassociation.org/"><FONT
color=#773377>www.fineartsassociation.org</FONT></A></SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>