<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the preview of New World Performance Lab's (NWPL) production of Virginia Woolf's <i>Orlando</i> adapted by the great American playwright, Sarah Ruhl. </span><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">Simply put, it was brilliant. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">With it's production, NWPL created a piece of art not typically seen in this area – outside of a couple "alternative" theaters in Cleveland. </span></div><div><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">It isn't your traditional theater. </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">With a multicultural cast of 5 actors and a musician (who composed the score while the actors created their scenes), they transformed themselves and the almost empty space (using select props, wonderfully dreamy costumes and playful, imaginative staging) into <i>ORLANDO – </i>Virginia Woolf's poetic, time-traveling, gender-bending story. The novel spans 5 centuries and has the cast of characters to boot. The simplicity of the stage design allowed for the actors to easily flow along with the story, transforming the space through text and action. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">This is a <b>MUST SEE</b> for anyone in Northeast Ohio and is being presented as part of the upcoming Gay Games. </span></div><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">It opens tonight and runs: </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">August 7, 8, 9,
14, 15, 16 at 8:00 pm and August 10 at 2pm in the </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Balch Street Theatre,
220 South Balch Street, Akron OH, 44302.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"> Admission is $15 </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">(2 for
1 on Thursday, August 14 and $10 for students or with a Gay Games ID). </span></div><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Get your tickets because this show is only here for a limited engagement! </span></p><p><font size="5">Call 330.867.3299 or visit <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tinyurl.com%2FNWPLOrlando&h=WAQH_Y2Me&enc=AZPEfMx9Tv3dBFMjCW_NSHvThn-2VCMwDveFTnemZOVyBW9s8_I5qwq8qvbSJxsBCrNe1yZsB33LRLnnaUvF72h97WHWfigtdaizmewbulVzPMQ6zxGiI3N86K21_oNDo8muCyjN84c5TrBUpBegXyeG&s=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.tinyurl.com/NWPLOrlando</a> for tickets!</font></p></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div></div></body></html>