<h1 style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="COLOR:red;FONT-SIZE:20pt"><font face="Times New Roman">PRESS RELEASE</font></span></h1>
<h2 style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="COLOR:red">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><span style="COLOR:red;FONT-SIZE:12pt"></span></font></h2>
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<font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style> </span><b>Date: February 4, 2014</b></font></font></p></div>
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<h3 style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><font face="Times New Roman">From:<span style> </span><span style> </span>School of Dance, Theatre, and Arts Administration</font></span></h3>
<p style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style> </span>The University of Akron</font></font></p>
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<p style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Contact: <span style> </span>Thurayya UmBayemake, (330) 972-7895 or</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt 0.6in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style> </span><a href="mailto:Administration.arts@gmail.com">Administration.arts@gmail.com</a></font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Akron, OH — The University of Akron (UA) Theatre Program presents <i>Picnic </i><span style>by William Inge</span> with eight performances in March at Sandefur Theatre in Guzzetta Hall.</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Directed by UA Adjunct Professor and Equity actress Aubrey Caldwell Davis, performances are March 5-8 and 13-15 at 7:30 p.m., and March 9 at 2 p.m. In addition, high school students registered for UA’s Spring 2014 High School Drama Day will attend a special matinee performance on March 8. Participants in the High School Drama Day will also have the optional opportunity to see an evening performance of <i style>Bus Stop</i> by William Inge at the Actors’ Summit, Akron’s professional theater, in downtown Akron.</font><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri','sans-serif'"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Tickets for <i>Picnic </i>are $12 general admission; $10 for seniors and UA faculty, staff and alumni; and $6 for students. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Guzzetta Hall is at 139 Buchtel Ave., Akron. For more information on performances or UA’s High School Drama Day, call </font><a href="tel:\%28330%29%20972-7895"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Times New Roman">(330) 972-7895</font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> or visit </font><a href="http://www.uakron.edu/dtaa"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Times New Roman">http://www.uakron.edu/dtaa</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">.</font></font></p>
<p><span class="textexposedshow"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">A Pulitzer Prize-winner, <i style>Picnic</i> takes place on Labor Day Weekend in the early 1950s in the adjoining back yards of two middle-aged widows. One house belongs to Flo Owens, who lives there with her two maturing daughters, Madge and Millie, and a spinster schoolteacher boarder. The other house belongs to Helen Potts, who lives with her elderly and invalid mother. Into this female atmosphere comes a young man named Hal Carter, whose animal vitality upsets the entire group. Hal is a most interesting character, a child of parents who ignored him, self-conscious of his failings and his position behind the eight ball. Flo is sensitively wary of temptations for her daughters. Madge, bored with being only a beauty, sacrifices her chances for a wealthy marriage for the excitement Hal promises. Millie finds her balance for the first time through the stranger's brief attention. And the spinster is stirred to make an issue out of the dangling courtship that has brightened her dreary life in a minor way. </font></font></span></p>
<p><span class="textexposedshow"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">The mission of the Theatre Program at The University of Akron is to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to explore and expand their educational and cultural horizons through comprehensive experience in all facets of theatre arts.</font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:black;FONT-SIZE:9pt"> </span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center" align="center"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:black;FONT-SIZE:9pt">###</span></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Graduate Student<br>University of Akron<br>Graduate Assistant, Arts Administration<br>
Phone: (330) 972.7895<br>Email: <a href="mailto:administration.arts@gmail.com" target="_blank">administration.arts@gmail.com</a> <br>