<div dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">PLAYWRIGHTS LOCAL</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">PRESENTS</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(255,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">THE MAC WELLMAN HOMECOMING FESTIVAL</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin:0pt 72pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A three-day celebration of a groundbreaking playwright hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. Recognized among the most influential figures of the Off-Off-Broadway era, Mac Wellman has been described as an “avatar of alternatives” (</span><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">American Theatre</span><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">) and “James Joyce reborn as a rap artist” (</span><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The New York Times</span><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">). Mac Wellman is an essential presence in the lineage of dramatists from the Cleveland area -- join us in giving him this long-overdue recognition!</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">March 23 - 25, 2017</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cleveland State University & Additional Locations</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">All events are open to the public, and most events are free. (Reservations and/or tickets for all events at Cleveland State University are not required.)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Recommended for adults and teens.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">For more info, visit </span><a href="http://playwrightslocal.org/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:arial;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://playwrightslocal.org/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><hr><p></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(153,0,255);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Presented by Playwrights Local</span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In partnership with Cleveland State University Department of English, the NEOMFA Creative Writing Program, and the Michael Schwartz Library.</span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">With performances by Playwrights Local, Theater Ninjas, convergence-continuum, CSU Department of Theatre & Dance, Baldwin Wallace University Department of Theatre and Dance, and The Manhattan Project – Cleveland Lab, and contributions by many others.</span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-family:arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Curated by David Todd</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><hr><p></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(153,0,255);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Featuring:</span></p><br><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Performances of </span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cleveland</span><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, </span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Bitter Bierce</span><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">,</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">and other classic pieces</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">An exhibit of set models, props, and other memorabilia</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Panel discussions and talkbacks</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">New short plays by local writers</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A special Q&A with Mac Wellman himself!</span></p></li></ul><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><hr><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"><br class="gmail-m_-6067739014380381277gmail-kix-line-break"></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(153,0,255);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">For more information, see:</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Event homepage: </span><a href="http://playwrightslocal.org/mac-wellman-homecoming-festival/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:arial;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://playwrightslocal.org/<wbr>mac-wellman-homecoming-<wbr>festival/</span></a></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Schedule: </span><a href="http://playwrightslocal.org/festival-program-information/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:arial;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://playwrightslocal.org/<wbr>festival-program-information/</span></a></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Mac Wellman Press Pack: </span><a href="http://playwrightslocal.org/mac-wellman-press-pack/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:arial;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://playwrightslocal.org/<wbr>mac-wellman-press-pack/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><hr><p></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Support for this festival is provided in the form of</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">a Project Support II grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Support for Playwrights Local is provided by The AHS Foundation, The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, The Cyrus Eaton Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, and The Ohio Arts Council.</span></p></div>