<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><i><span style="font-size:18pt;color:black">Intimate Apparel</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size:18pt;color:black"> Takes the Firestone Stage</span></b><span style="font-size:18pt;color:black"><span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;color:black">Lynn Nottage’s Award-Winning Play Brings

Turn-of-Century to Life<span style="font-size:14pt;color:black"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><span style="color:black"> <span style="color:black"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">Cast Brings Magic to Beautiful,

Lyrical Story</span></b><i><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black"><span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:150%"><i><span style="color:black">(Monday, November 7, 2016

– Akron, OH)  -- </span></i><span style="color:black">Firestone Theatre presents the second main stage production of its

first season in a new performance space as Lynn Nottage’s play, <b><i>Intimate

Apparel</i></b>, brings the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century to powerful

life. </span><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on November

17, 18, and 19, 2016. Tickets are $5.00 in advance, $8.00 at the door, and

$10.00 for reserved<span style="color:black">, VIP seating. All performances

are held in the Linda B. Kersker Auditorium of the Firestone Community Learning

Center located at 470 Castle Blvd, Akron.<span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p><p style="margin:6pt 0in;line-height:150%;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><b><i><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:150%;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Intimate Apparel </span></i></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:150%;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">is written by the award-winning  playwright Lynn Nottage (<i>Ruined</i>) and is set in<b> </b></span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:150%;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,37,37)">1905. This beautiful play features the story of

Esther Mills, a skilled African-American seamstress. She has her own successful

business, making lingerie for both society ladies, Mrs. Van Buren in

particular, and "ladies of the night." Esther has a failed romantic

relationship with George Armstrong, who is working on the Panama Canal. She has

an unlikely friendship with Mr. Marks, an Orthodox Jew. The play is based on

the life of Nottage's great-grandmother. </span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:150%;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">The cast of <b><i>Intimate Apparel</i></b> is led by seniors

Angelina Stallings (Esther), and Patrick Fields (Mr. Marks) The cast is

completed by juniors Bree Chambers (Mrs. Dickson), Olivia Kirschbaum (Mrs. Van

Buren), and Makyia Johnson (Mayme), as well as sophomore Marcus Lee (George).<span></span></span></p><p style="margin:6pt 0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,37,37)"><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:150%"><b><i><span style="color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Intimate

Apparel</span></i></b><span style="color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> is under the direction of Mark A. Zimmerman. Randie O. Sass

serves as the costume designer.  She is

assisted by the student designer, Mary Elynmarie Kazle serves as the production

manager. Richard Morris has designed the scenery. Junior Caroline Pali serves

as the lighting designer. Junior Dalila Bogdan serves as the sound designer. James

Welch serves as the technical director. Senior Theresa Stafford serves as the

stage manager. She is assisted by freshman Ethan Korvne.<span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:150%">

</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="color:rgb(20,24,35)">Firestone Theatre is the

award-winning play-production component of the Akron School for the Arts housed

at Firestone High School. Firestone Theatre was named an “Outstanding School”

by the Educational Theatre Association in 2013. The curricular track of

Firestone Theatre is accessible to all rising ninth-grade students via open

enrollment and a formal audition.</span><span style="color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Mark A. Zimmerman,<br>Theatre Director<br><br>The Akron School for the Arts</div><div>Harvey S. Firestone High School<br>470 Castle Blvd<br>Akron, Ohio 44313<br><br>330.761.3275<br><a href="http://www.FirestoneTheatre.com" target="_blank">www.FirestoneTheatre.com</a></div></div></div></div></div>

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