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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">CONTACT: </span>
</b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Julie Gilliland </span><a href="mailto:jgilliland@beckcenter.org"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">jgilliland@beckcenter.org</span></a><u><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#26282A">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct 15, 2020
</span></b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ZOPP<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Beck Center for the Arts’ First Virtual Youth Theater Production<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#26282A">Lakewood, OH</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#26282A">–</span><a href="https://www.beckcenter.org/youth-theater"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Beck
Center for the Arts</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#26282A">
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">announces its first virtual youth theater production,
<b><i>Zopp</i></b><i>, </i>as an answer to the challenges of producing live youth theater during a pandemic.
<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Zopp</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">. A Gwyneth Paltrow beauty product? Name of a mop you can create on your 3D printer? Or Beck Center for the Arts’ fresh
and highly entertaining new Youth Theater fall production? Yes! It’s <i>virtually</i> the most fun you can have.
<b><i>Zopp</i></b><span style="color:red"> </span>was created around the concept of video conferencing, and due to the pandemic, we are all quite familiar with Zoom, Webex, etc. Now our host narrators and hilarious characters are ready to parody these video
conference calls. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Opening October 23 and running through October 25, 2020, with a student matinee on October 22, patrons are invited to enjoy this virtual production in the comfort of their homes. This live
production is perfect for all ages. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Written and directed by Russel Stich,
<b><i>Zopp </i></b>was created especially for the pandemic challenge facing live youth theater. Ideally suited for a virtual production, this theater piece solves the issue of how to keep a cast of young performers, crew, and the audience safe during a pandemic,
while delivering great laughs with this fresh new comedy. Beck Center understands the desire for comedic entertainment at this time, and is proud to deliver this witty and humorous experience live and fresh for each performance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Mr. Stich, playwright and director, brings to life, virtually, Mother Goose, The Big Bad Wolf, Marco Polo, Florence Nightingale, and scores of other characters. Mr. Stich says this cast of
34 young performers, ages eight to 15, “is working hard and having a great time creating something new, while still being able to perform and use their theatrical skills.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">This limited engagement of
<b><i>Zopp</i></b> runs October 22 to October 25, 2020 on any device in the comfort of your home, as part of Beck Center’s Youth Theater Season.
<b><i>Zopp</i></b> tickets will be available starting Friday, October 16, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EST through
</span><a href="https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/41479"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">beckcenter.org.</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Tickets are “pay what you can” with a suggested donation of $20 per household
to support youth theater at Beck Center (as well as covering the Zoom fees, ticketing system fees, and credit card fees). Beck Center is located at
</span><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=17801+Detroit+Avenue&entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">17801 Detroit Avenue</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> in Lakewood. For more information
please visit</span><a href="http://www.beckcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> beckcenter.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Programming at Beck Center for the Arts is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Arts Council. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the generous funding provided by the citizens
of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#26282A">
on two stages, </span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, creative arts therapies for individuals with disabilities, free gallery exhibits year-round,
and outreach education programming.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#26282A">###</span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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