<div dir="ltr"><div><p style="margin:0px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font color="#4c1130" face="georgia, serif">Chagrin Valley Times Review </font></p><p style="margin:0px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left">
<font color="#4c1130" face="georgia, serif">November 28th, 2013. </font></p><p style="margin:0px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font color="#4c1130" face="georgia, serif"><b><i>Herb Hammer-Chagrin Valley Times</i></b>. </font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><span style="color:rgb(76,17,48)"><font face="georgia, serif"><b>PRELUDE PLOT ABOUT MORE THAN "JUST A KISS".</b></font></span></p><p style="margin:0px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left">
<span style="color:rgb(76,17,48)"><font face="georgia, serif"><b><br></b></font></span></p><p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"> Moments after Peter and Rita say their "I do's"and elderly gentleman nobody seems to know asks if he can kiss the bride. Rita, not knowing the chaos this polite,gentle kiss will bring, approves. Hegently kisses her, then dissapears. The tiny peck on the lips becomes the center of Craig Lucas'romantic odd comedy "Prelude to a Kiss" now entering it's second weekat Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland Hts. (for us now in it's third week:))</font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"> The play first saw the light of day in 1988off-Broadway. Later it was moved toBroadway and finally a highly successful revival emerged and played againin2007. While there is a happily everafter at the finish line, "Prelude to a Kiss" awakens us to somethingwe might have known all along. <i>The bestof life can be fleeting</i>,<i> the worst unavoidable</i>. While romance leads the way, heartbreak mightnot be too far behind. </font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"> Though Peter and Rita (they have fun with their names lateron) are far different one from the other-she is a socialist bartender, he with a sad upbringing, wandering spirit and hightech mind- they appear to be meant for each other. There is a chemistry right from the start. </font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">They meet at a bar where he immediately asks her to marry him. She says yes and in a matter of weeks he really means it and they do get married. </span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Mr. Lucas, it appears, has no intention of writing a romantic comedy, though there is enough humor and romance to keep this story from becoming too dark. </span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"> All of the faced paced action is performed on Ensemble's arena stage. The only set is a small oriental rug Rita lugs on and off and a few small props, including two beach chairs for the Jamaica honeymoon. </span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Director Martin Friedman, who has directed Prelude to a Kiss in the distant past, has a clear picture of what he wants to do with this highly unusual plot. His exceptional vision keeps the audience deeply involved. </span><br>
</p><p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"> When the young newlyweds arrive in Jamaica, Peter immediately notices how Rita has changed. It is not long before he knows what we know. The kiss at the wedding has caused Rita and the Old Man to switch souls. He is in her body and she in his. </span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">What now!? Find the old man and find Rita, who by now wants a divorce or an annulment. If you think you know what's going to happen next, forget it. Just sit back and enjoy. </span><br>
</p><p style="margin:0px;text-align:left"><font color="#333333" face="georgia, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;line-height:20px"> Aaron Elersich is determined yet sensitive as Peter. Kelly Strand, is nothing short of wonderful as Rita, who is a slim beauty. You can hardly keep your eyes off of her. And their are more fine performances. Michael Regnier plays the old man as a straight-faced, humble gentleman. When he is Rita, and he is more often than not, he lightens up. You might wonder how this works. Well, it just does! Laura Starnik is excellent as Rita's mother and Darrell Starnik is just as fine as Rita's father, who has no idea what is going on. </span></font><br>
</p><p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></p><p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left">
<font face="georgia, serif">The 1992 movie version had Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin as Ritaand Peter. The title is taken from a Duke Ellington song, played here lightly in the back round. <b><i> This intoxicating play is not to be missed!</i></b></font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></p><p style="margin:0px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"><font color="#333333"><i><b><font size="4">2</font></b><span style="font-size:14px"> more weekends! </span></i></font></font><font color="#333333" style="font-size:14px;font-family:georgia,serif"><i>Bring a canned or box food item to the show to help</i> </font><b style="font-size:14px;font-family:georgia,serif"><font color="#660000">THE CLEVELAND FOOD BANK</font></b><font color="#333333" style="font-size:14px;font-family:georgia,serif"><i> and your date will get in FREE! </i></font><i style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:14px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><b>With a Great Cast:</b> Aaron D Elersich, Kelly Strand, Michael Regnier, Benjamin Gregg, Laura Starnik, Darrell Starnik, David Hundertmark, Marcia Mandell, and Jeanne Madison! </i></p>
<p style="margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></p><p style="margin:0px;line-height:20px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif"><b><font color="#ff00ff" size="4">216-321-2930</font></b><font color="#333333" style="font-size:14px">. </font><b><font color="#9900ff" size="4"><a href="http://www.ensemble-theatre.org">www.ensemble-theatre.org</a></font></b><font color="#333333" style="font-size:14px"> for tickets!</font></font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;text-align:left"><font face="georgia, serif" style="line-height:20px"><font color="#333333" style="font-size:14px">We look forward to seeing you in our </font></font><font color="#333333" face="georgia, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;line-height:20px">audience. </span></font></p>
</div>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div style="text-align:left"><div><font color="#000000"><b><font face="georgia, serif">2013-2014 SEASON. </font></b></font></div><div><b style="font-size:small;font-family:georgia,serif">"ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE"</b></div>
<div><b style="font-size:small;font-family:georgia,serif"><br></b></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4" color="#000000"><b style="text-align:-webkit-auto">ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER</b><span style="text-align:-webkit-auto"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="georgia, serif"><span style="text-align:-webkit-auto">by Rajiv Joseph</span><br></font></div><div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">Directed by Celeste Cosentino</font></div>
<div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif"><b>September 27th through October 20th.</b></font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4" color="#000000"><b>PRELUDE TO A KISS </b></font></div>
<div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">by Craig Lucas</font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">Directed by Martin Friedman</font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto">
<font face="georgia, serif"><b>November 21st through December 15th</b></font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><b><font face="georgia, serif" size="4" color="#000000">KNOCK ME A KISS </font></b><br>
</div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">By Charles Smith</font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">Directed by Carolyn Jackson Smith </font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto">
<span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>January 31 through Febraury 23rd. </b></span><br></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Winner of 9 2011 AUDELCO awards. </span><br></div>
<div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif"> <br></font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4" color="#000000"><b>COLOMBI NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL</b> </font></div>
<div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">This will be the month of March. Specific Dates and shows TBA. </font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div>
<div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4" color="#000000"><b>BEYOND THE HORIZON</b></font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">by Eugene O'Neil</font></div>
<div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif">Directed by Celeste Cosentino</font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><font face="georgia, serif"><b>April 18th through May 11th</b></font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto">
<font face="georgia, serif">O'Neill's 1st Pulitzer Prize Winner-1920.</font></div><div style="text-align:-webkit-auto"><br></div></div><div><font face="garamond, serif" size="4"><b>We look forward to seeing you in our audience!</b></font></div>
<div><font face="garamond, serif" size="4"><b><br></b></font></div></div><div style="text-align:left"><font color="#330000" face="garamond, serif"><b>TICKETS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, & </b><b>INFORMATION </b></font></div><div style="text-align:left">
<b><font color="#330000" face="garamond, serif">VISIT OUR WEBSITE:</font></b></div><div style="text-align:left"><b><a href="http://www.ensemble-theatre.org" target="_blank"><font color="#660000" face="garamond, serif">www.ensemble-theatre.org</font></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><font color="#330000" face="garamond, serif"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><b><font color="#000099" face="garamond, serif"><a href="mailto:info@ensemble-theatre.org" target="_blank">info@ensemble-theatre.org</a></font></b></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><b><font color="#000099" face="garamond, serif"><u><a href="mailto:tickets@ensemble-theatre.org" target="_blank">tickets@ensemble-theatre.org</a></u></font></b></div><div style="text-align:left">
<font color="#330000" face="garamond, serif"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><b><font color="#330000"><font face="garamond, serif">Box Office: 216.321.2930 (Tickets/Staff)<br>Office: 216.202.0894 (Tours/Education/Staff)<br>
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