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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D'>Dear Tessa, I have no problem with your ideas about using the amphitheaters around the area (I didn’t even know they existed, and I’ve lived here for over 30 years). However, I do take exception to your comment, “Seeing as there are so few community theater opportunities in the Akron area…” What?! You must not be looking! There are tons of community theaters around this area. And we’ve worked at most of them. Just off the top of my head, there’s Coach House, Weathervane, Norton (Wolf Creek Players), Hudson’s not that far away; Brecksville has TWO community theaters and it’s 25 minutes from Akron, Dynamics in Tallmadge, Independence CT, and several others I’m not as familiar with. I’ve lived in many places in the world and this is THE most community theater-filled area of all of them. We also have a couple of professional theaters right here in Akron, the most notable of which is Actors’ Summit. You can’t go wrong if you want to be involved in theater in this area.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D'>--Linda Ryan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> neohiopal-bounces@lists.neohiopal.org [mailto:neohiopal-bounces@lists.neohiopal.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Tessa Gaffney<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, August 22, 2013 3:33 PM<br><b>To:</b> neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [NEohioPAL] Fill the Seats and Light the Stages of Akron's Vacant Depression-Era Amphitheaters<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Hello theatre friends,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I am a current student at the University of Akron majoring in Political Science and minoring in Theatre Arts; my sister is a recent graduate from UA with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communications and a minor in photography. It has recently come to our attention that there are beautiful stone amphitheaters that were built during the Depression in an effort to create jobs in Chestnut Ridge Park (in Kenmore) and Waters Park (in North Hill) that haven't been used in years. Seeing as there are so few community theatre opportunities in the Akron area, it is really a tragedy to see these historic landmarks crumbling from disuse. I would like to assemble local playwrights, composers, directors, actors, musicians, singers, choreographers, dancers, stagehands, makeup artists, costumers, etc. in a Summerstock-type community theatre program at these locations during the fair weather months. Since the Waters Park amphitheater is smaller, that could be reserved for youth productions, while the Chestnut Ridge venue could showcase more adult content. Rehearsals and performances would be held from May-September, with one show a month, although more than one could be going on at a time with two stages. I have written to the city of Akron Recreation Department about acquiring permits for such an endeavor and we have their approval, but there are still logistics that need to be worked out. If you have any interest in helping this idea come to fruition, please email me at <a href="mailto:tmg343@gmail.com">tmg343@gmail.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Tessa Gaffney<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>