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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#540000">NEWS RELEASE</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black">Melanie YC Pepe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black">Artistic Director</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;orphans: auto;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial;word-spacing:0px">
<a href="tel:330.826.2626" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1155CC">330.826.2626</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D">8x10 TheatreFest - Submissions Open</span></b><b><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black">Weathervane Playhouse</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black">1301 Weathervane Lane * Akron, Oh 44313</span><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#222222">For details, visit
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D"><a href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/8x10TheatreFest">http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/8x10TheatreFest</a></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif">Weathervane Playhouse is accepting submissions to its annual 10-minute play festival. Volunteer judges will read and choose eight plays
to be performed at the Playhouse during 8x10 TheatreFest Weekend, July 15, 16 and 17, 2016. Audience members will rank the plays, and following Sunday’s matinee, winners will be announced and cash prizes awarded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif">The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday, May 13, 2016.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif">Play finalists will be announced on May 27, 2016. Each of the eight finalists will receive a full production of his or her play – performed
by volunteer actors – and two complimentary tickets to 8x10 TheatreFest. Auditions for actors age 17 and up will take place on May 29 and 30 with details to be posted soon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif">All applicants will receive acknowledgment of receipt of submissions and administrative fee, notification of 8 finalist plays, preceding
TheatreFest and notification of winners, following the conclusion of TheatreFest. The play remains the sole property of the playwright.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif">Last year’s winning play was Black Friday by Jennifer Tromble of North Tonawanda, New York. It was directed by Ian Haberman and featured
Meg Hopp, Alex Nine and Rachel Gehlert. Play finalist came from as far away as Vancouver, British Columbia and Fairbanks, Alaska.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif">For more details and play submissions, visit our 8x10 TheatreFest page at
<a href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/8x10TheatreFest">http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/8x10TheatreFest</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black">###</span><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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