June 2019 - NEohioPAL - lists.neohiopal.org

KENNELLY REVIEW: South Pacific at Ohio Light Opera
by Laura Kennelly 18 Jun '19

18 Jun '19

Celebrating its 41st year and with a packed house, Ohio Light Opera in Wooster opened this year’s summer season with a lively production of *South Pacific*, the 1949 classic by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The now-familiar story, based loosely on James Mitchener’s *Tales of the South Pacific*, celebrates love and notes its dangers. Set during World War II, the story takes place on two islands (one, the ever-mysterious “Bali Ha’i”) occupied by US military forces. An island resident, the wealthy French planter Emile de Becque (Aidan Smerud), throws a party for the Americans and it is there he meets nurse Nellie Forbush (Sarah Best). Ah, love at first sight! Smerud’s rich bass/baritone voice makes swooningly delightful work of “Some Enchanted Evening” and “This Nearly Was Mine.” As Nellie, his love interest, Best also captures the romantic beauty in their songs together, especially in “This Is How It Feels.” In a secondary plot, Lt. Joe Cable (Alan Smith) romantically courts Liat (Lauren Nash Silberstein), the fetching (but non-singing) native girl. Although this story inspires the lyric song “Younger Than Springtime,” today it’s hard to feel romantic about it. We have to cast aside our doubts about her mother (a hilarious Bloody Mary played by Michelle Pedersen), an enterprising woman who “sells” her daughter to Cable. Times have really changed. Full Review at Coolcleveland link below https://coolcleveland.com/2019/06/theater-review-south-pacific-ohio-light-o…

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CRY IT OUT Auditions are NEXT WEEK!!
by Avenue Arts Marketplace & Theatre 18 Jun '19

18 Jun '19

Avenue Arts Marketplace & Theatre announces auditions for CRY IT OUT Located at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW Canton, Ohio 44702 SYNOPSIS: Four months ago, Jessie was a corporate lawyer with a glamorous Manhattan life. Today, she is in dirty yoga pants, covered in breast milk, trying to comfort a screaming newborn. Isolated in a sleepy Long Island suburb while her commuter husband works long hours, Jessie is desperate to talk to anyone besides Food Network. So when she spies a fellow new mom and neighbor, Lina, at the local Stop & Shop, she vaults over the cantaloupe to introduce herself. Happy to have found each other, the two moms agree to meet for coffee during naptime in the sweet spot behind their adjoining yards where both their baby monitors get reception, and a fast friendship is born. Jessie and Lina may be from vastly different financial backgrounds—Jessie is Ivy-educated and of the manor born; Lina has a night-school nursing degree and terrible credit—but they have one huge thing in common: they’ve been cracked open by the love they feel for their newborns. One coffee quickly becomes a daily coffee, as Jessie and Lina laugh through the highs and lows of motherhood. But their intimacy is punctured when a stranger who lives in the mansion up on the cliff appears in the yard, asking if they would include his wife, a new mom who is having “a hard time,” in their coffee klatch. Reluctantly, the duo tries to become a trio, but with very mixed—and surprising—results. After all, this is a town where the haves and the have-nots live in very close company; up on the cliff is Sands Point, one of the most expensive Great Gatsby-esque neighborhoods in the whole country. How could that woman possibly be having a “hard time”? A comedy with dark edges, Cry It Out takes an honest look at the absurdities of being home with a baby, the power of female friendship, the dilemma of going back to work, and the effect class has on parenthood in America. Cry it Out is produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois. Directed by: David Lee Auditions will be held on Tuesday, June 25th and Wednesday, June 26th. Callbacks (if necessary) will take place on Thursday, June 27th. TO SIGN UP FOR AUDITIONS: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0c4bafa82ca3fe3-cryitout <https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0c4bafa82ca3fe3-cryitout> All auditioners are asked to come prepared to cold read from the script. We also ask that you bring a current headshot and resume with you to auditions. Rehearsals will begin on June 30th and typically run Sunday through Thursday evenings. Performances: August 9th, 10th, 16th, and 17th at 8pm and August 11th at 2pm CHARACTERS: Jessie (Female, 30s) - Married to a North Shore native; recently relocated to Port (from Manhattan) to raise her family. Educated, articulate, lovely, warm. From the Midwest and has that Midwestern ready-smile. Beloved by every teacher she’s ever had. Always gives the perfect toast; always organizes the group gift. But in private, Jessie bends towards anxiety. She doesn’t like empty days on calendars, or being alone. Works 90-hour weeks in the city as a corporate lawyer—or did, until Allie was born. Now she’s in yoga pants. Lina (Female, late 20s-early 30s) - From Long Beach (on South Shore of Long Island) and you can tell immediately—she is very South Shore. Acrylic nails, big hoops, velour track suits, Mets trucker hats, and a huge Italian family. Lina failed out of community college, curses too much and blasts Kanye too loudly in the car. But she is also fantastically winning. She’s fun, funny and refreshingly genuine. Works at St. Francis Hospital. Mitchell (Male, 30s-40s) - Adrienne’s husband, works in investment capital. A math nerd who is amazing with numbers, but not people. Serious, shrewd, sensitive. The kid who ate lunch in the library because he was so shy. Mitchell grew up in a tough house in a tough part of Utica and scholarshipped his way to where he is now, so grades, status and success are his currency. But becoming a father has changed him. He makes goofy faces now. He stares out windows during meetings. His sentences end in question marks. Adrienne (Female, 30s) - Mitchell’s wife. Elegant, powerful, aloof and slightly rock ’n’ roll. Has eyes that are cat-like and assessing. The kind of woman you see climbing out of a dark sedan at JFK headed somewhere more glamorous than you. Adrienne grew up on Central Park West, attended posh boarding schools, studied art abroad and could give you the best-ever guided tour of MoMA. She has never signed an e-mail with an x or an o, but she is loyal and ferocious in both business and life. A successful jewelry designer. All questions should be directed to avenueartstheatre(a)gmail.com <mailto:avenueartstheatre@gmail.com>

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Comedy Writing for Youth Starting this Thursday!
by Jill Levin 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

Lake Erie Ink: a Writing Space for Youth is offering a program for aspiring stand-up or sketch comedians. Stage Write: Comedy Club will meet Thursday nights from 6:30 - 8:30 starting this Thursday, June 20. Check it out online lakeerieink.org/register/ or call 216. 320.4757. Jill Levin

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AUDITIONS: The Revolutionists
by Dane CT Leasure 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

The Revolutionists - Auditions Rubber City Theatre is holding auditions for 2019/2020 mainstage season production of The Revolutionists. We are casting local non-union actors. Audition appointments are by appointment only. WHEN: Saturday, June 22 from 11:00am - 5:00pm WHERE: Rubber City Theatre 243 Furnace St Akron, OH 44308 TO SCHEDULE AN AUDITION: APPOINTMENTS CAN BE MADE BY E-MAIL to casting(a)rubbercitytheatre.com. Please include your name, phone number, an attachment of your headshot and resume, and your preferred day and/or time. You will receive a response within three business days. We will endeavor to schedule you as near as possible to your requested time, pending availability. VIDEO AUDITION: If you cannot make it to auditions, you can submit a video audition by 6/23/19 to the above email of you performing your monologue. Please make sure to include your headshot and resume. AEA contracts: No AEA contracts at this time. Non-AEA contracts: Non-AEA Contracts will pay $100 stipend. PREPARATION: Please prepare a monologue and to read from the script. You will be auditioning for Katie Wells, Director and Dane CT Leasure, Artistic Director of Rubber City Theatre. Please bring a copy of your most current headshot and resume. Rehearsals: Please note rehearsals are typically Monday through Thursday from 6:30-10:00pm, and Sundays from 4:00-9:00pm. The final week of rehearsal will end of Wednesday and tech will begin on Saturday 12:00-4:00pm followed by a Sunday from 4:00-9:00pm. At the beginning of the week leading into opening, we will have Monday off. Performances are typically Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm. We will only allow a couple conflicts during the rehearsal process, no conflicts during tech and show run. Venue: This show’s rehearsal and performance location are at our new venue at 243 Furance St. Akron, OH 44308. The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson September 6 - September 22, 2019 Director: Katie Wells First rehearsal: August 12, 2019 Opens: September 6, 2019 Closes: September 22, 2019 In reference to the character descriptions below - most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with the he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that are in the following descriptions. But, however limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. We will also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. As an ADA compliant theatre, we welcome performers of all abilities and will make all reasonable accommodations in order to cast performers, regardless of disability, in any role possible. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide. (Language developed by Kevin Kantor and Emily Tarquin from the Actors Theatre of Louisville). Synopsis: Four beautiful, badass women are reimagined as the heroes of the French Revolution in this passionate new girl-powered comedy. Think a hip Tina Fey sensibility with wigs and corsets! Although the play is set in the French Revolution, it has a modern sensibility and all women must be skilled in comedy, and good with language. Available roles: OLYMPE DE GOUGES: Female, 30s/40s. Badass activist, playwright, and feminist. Theatre nerd, excitable, passionate, a showman. Widowed and never remarried to ensure her personal freedom. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities MARIANNE ANGELLE: Female, 30s, black. A badass black woman in Paris. She is from the Caribbean, a free woman, a spy working with her husband, Vincent. Tough, classy, vigilant, the sanest one of them all. Ethnicity: Black / African Descent CHARLOTTE CORDAY:Female, 20s. Badass country girl and assassin. Very serious, hardened by righteousness, never been kissed. Has a pocket watch she keeps checking. Also plays FRATERNITÉ. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities MARIE ANTOINETTE: Female, 30s/40s. Less badass but fascinating former queen of France. Bubbly, graceful, opinionated, totally unaware, unintentionally rude, and oddly prescient. Never had a real friend. Also plays FRATERNITÉ. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities

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INTRO TO LONGFORM IMPROV WORKSHOP - 06/26 7-9PM WITH MICHAEL BUSCH (UCB, IO)
by Michael Busch 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

INTRO TO LONGFORM IMPROV WORKSHOP 06/26 7-9PM Thinking about signing up for a class, but not sure whether you want to commit to the full 8 weeks? Take this workshop for a little taste! This class will introduce you to the basics of longform improv through games, exercises, and scene work. INDIVIDUAL SIGN-UP - $30 SIGN UP WITH A FRIEND - 2 FOR $40 Workshop will be held at Mahall's 13200 Madison Ave Lakewood, OH To sign up, please visit https://www.themichaelbusch.com/improvskillworkshops Michael Busch Bio Michael Busch <https://www.themichaelbusch.com/> is a Cleveland native who has over fifteen years of professional experience in the Los Angeles comedy scene and entertainment industry as an actor, writer, director, and producer. To learn more about his work and other class offerings here in Cleveland, please visit https://www.themichaelbusch.com/ Training Michael Busch is a graduate of IO’s improv training program and studied improv and sketch at The Upright Citizens Brigade <https://ucbcomedy.com/user/5147> with professionals such as Matt Besser and Matt Walsh. Experience Michael Busch has acted in sketches on Human Giant <https://youtu.be/GsgQ44_uFW4>, Key & Peele <https://youtu.be/LiwU5jPMnFw>, and Conan <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAcWQCkAetar-Yp_XFsANHuzML-16oqcr>; written sketches and digital series for FunnyorDie <https://youtu.be/_Py6RkjNNWQ>, Comedy Central, AwesomenessTV, Break, and Maker Studios; was a member of multiple house improv (Harold) teams at IO West and UCBTLA, a writer/performer on a house sketch (Maude) team at UCBTLA, and has also written/directed/produced/acted in various other shows there. Additional television and film acting credits: The Goldbergs, Adam Ruins Everything <https://youtu.be/mid1VvK9Xpg>, Glee <https://youtu.be/RCakbY1ZIus>, The Middle, Pretty Little Liars <https://vimeo.com/220263095>, The Ghost Whisperer, Community, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Arsenio Hall Show, Body of Proof, Hope & Randy <https://youtu.be/0rprFSG8cTY>, Franklin & Bash, Workaholics, Carpoolers, Miss March, and dozens of national commercials <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAcWQCkAetapZYVuFghpm0Bz_D-iP3nR_>. -- For class information please visit: https://www.themichaelbusch.com/classes

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Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel opens June 21st at Cedar Lee Theatre with special guest Q&A opening night
by Dave Huffman 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

GRAND SLAM EVENTS LAUNCH THE CLEVELAND OPENING OF “HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL” STARTS JUNE 21 at CEDAR LEE THEATRE Opening Weekend features Autograph Signings and Q&A with Cleveland Indians Officer / Former MLB Slugger Nate Freiman and Cleveland Broadcaster Les Levine, plus Giveaways and More (Cleveland, OH) Moviegoers are in for a treat starting June 21st with the launch of the award-winning documentary HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL at Cedar Lee Theatre (2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH). To celebrate the film’s opening weekend, beloved former MLB slugger Nate Freiman (currently working in the Cleveland Indians’ front office as an Assistant in Baseball Operations) and legendary Cleveland sportscaster Les Levine will meet moviegoers for Q&A and autograph signings on Friday, June 21st. In addition, there will be special Team Israel gift giveaways and opportunities for photos with the Team Israel mascot “The Mensch on a Bench” all weekend long. This “David vs Goliath” story takes the audience on a behind-the-scenes look at the Israeli national baseball team’s run during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. After years of defeat, Team Israel is finally ranked among the world's best in 2017, eligible to compete in the prestigious international tournament. Their line-up included several Jewish American Major League players ― Ike Davis, Josh Zeid and ex-Braves catcher Ryan Lavarnway ― most with a tenuous relationship to Judaism, let alone having ever set foot in Israel. Their odyssey takes them from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where they are greeted as heroes, to Seoul where they must debunk their has-been, wannabe reputations. With their Mensch on the Bench mascot by their side, the team laughs, cries, and does much soul-searching, discovering the pride of representing Israel on the world stage. Nate Freiman and Les Levine will join audiences for Q&A and autographs following the 7:15pm show on Friday, June 21st. Nate Freiman is a former MLB first baseman with the Oakland Athletics. Freiman holds Duke University's career home run record, and the school's second-highest all-time batting average. In December 2012, the Astros picked Freiman in the Rule 5 draft and added him to their 40-man roster. In March 2013, the Athletics claimed him off waivers, and he made his major league debut for the Athletics the following month. Freiman was voted American League Rookie of the Month for May 2013, and for the season he batted .274. Freiman played first base for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic in the main tournament, in March 2017. In what NBC reported was thought to be the tallest batter-pitcher matchup in baseball history, the 6-foot-8-inch (2.03 m) Freiman walked against the 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) pitcher Loek van Mil of the Netherlands during the first round. In the tournament, he batted .273/.429/.636 with 2 doubles and 2 home runs, scoring 7 runs and driving in 6 RBIs in 22 at bats. Freiman announced his retirement from professional baseball at the age of 31 on March 10, 2018, and shortly thereafter accepted a position as Assistant in the Baseball Operations department of the Cleveland Indians organization. Les Levine has had a 50+ year esteemed career covering sports on radio and television in Cleveland. He has been on the air virtually every weekday since 1989 on WERE and WHK Radio, on SportsChannel, Cablevision, Adelphia, Time Warner and Spectrum Sports. He currently free lances on 92.3 The Fan and is the Vice President of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. Les has done TV play-by-play for over 2,000 events, including Kent State basketball and football, Cleveland State basketball, Cleveland Crusaders hockey, Cleveland Thunderbolts Arena Football, and hundreds of high school games. Additionally, he is a weekly Award Winning Sports Columnist for the Cleveland Jewish News, an Ohio Radio and Television Hall of Fame Inductee, and recently was named by Cleveland.com as one of Cleveland’s Top 100 Cleveland Radio Personalities in History. Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com features the film’s Cleveland connections: “ Tyler Krieger, an infielder in the Indians’ system who is currently at Triple-A Columbus, played for Team Israel. As did Nate Freiman, who is now an assistant in the Indians’ baseball operations department. And Brad Goldberg, who grew up in Beachwood and is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, pitched for Team Israel.” HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL begins its open-ended theatrical run starting Friday, June 21st at Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights. For showtimes and advance tickets, visit <http://www.ironboundfilms.com/headinghome> clevelandcinemas.com.<http://www.ironboundfilms.com/headinghome> To view the trailer go to: www.MenemshaFilms.com # # #

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Improv Death Match One Year Anniversary Show
by Sam Dee 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

*Improv Death Match* *One Year Anniversary Show* *Mahall's <http://www.mahalls20lanes.com> 13200 Madison Ave, Lakewood | Thursday June 20th | 8:30pm | $5 cash or card* *at the door* Improv Death Match <improvhttps://www.facebook.com/?_rdr=p> is celebrating its one-year anniversary as Mahall’s premiere monthly comedy show. Improv Death Match summons three improv troupes in a monthly competition on the Mahall’s 20 Lanes main stage*, *highlighting the stars of Cleveland’s burgeoning improv community. The monthly show, created & hosted by Sam Dee, voted one of the funniest women in Ohio by Cleveland.com, began in June 2018. The anniversary of Improv Death Match will be June 20th at 8:30p.m. Each troupe performs a 20-minute set based on an audience suggestion and one prevails as the evening’s winner. Each round is presented under the watchful eye of the sword wielding executioner, while the spectators watch on the edge of their seat to witness their last unscripted words. Three troupes enter but only one can leave in this outlandish battle of wit. Each show kicks off with an "open jam" inviting audience members and improvisers to perform on stage with short-form improv games. On June 20th at 8:30pm come for a night of laughs with: · *This Improvised Life*, Cleveland based Improv pulling from live storytelling. · *Funemployed, *a long-form group from Lakewood created from Michael Busch classes · *The Houde Rats*, from The Houde School of Acting on the East Side *Improv Death Match host and creator Sam Dee is a Cleveland comedian working to expand the area’s comedy scene by producing inclusive, interactive and creative shows. Through DIY and community support the goal is to inspire more female-driven content and bring people together for much needed levity. Most shows pack the 80 seat hall and the space becomes standing room only so get there early. Produced by Sam Dee, the founder of Mass Hysteria, Cleveland's female-focused comedy festival. Sam has been** featured on NPR, The Nestival, Hilarities, Detroit Women in Comedy Fest, The Arcade Comedy Theatre, Story Club, Mental Illness and Friends and hosts Share-apy the comedy advice show.*

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AUDITIONS! ONLY 2 weeks left to audition for Shining Star CLE 2019!
by Renee Greller 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

Shining Star CLE auditions end in 2 WEEKS! Love to sing? Want to win a college scholarship? Then participate in Shining Star CLE 2019- a Northeast Ohio* high school student solo-singing competition! It's easy and FREE TO ENTER- upload your video audition to shiningstarcle.org before July 1, 2019. Only 2 weeks left to audition! ALL GENRES OF MUSIC ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED! Rock, Rap, R&B, Opera, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Punk, you name it! The Top 10 Finalists will perform on stage of the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square at The Finals Performance & Competition on Sunday, September 22, 2019. Will it be you on stage at the Ohio Theatre? Get your audition video ready! To learn more, visit shiningstarcle.org * 216.910.2652 * rgreller(a)montefiorecare.org<mailto:rgreller@montefiorecare.org>. *Must have a 2020-2023 graduation date, must be from Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage or Summit Counties, home-schooled students included.

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JUST 5 WEEKS AWAY: BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival (July 24-27)
by Cathleen O'Malley 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

Cleveland's own festival of international + contemporary theatre BORDERLIGHT INTERNATIONAL THEATRE + FRINGE FESTIVAL Visionary Theatre + Cross-Cultural Collaboration July 24 - July 27, 2019 EXPLORE SHOWS: www.borderlightcle.org<http://www.borderlightcle.org/> Location: Multiple indoor/outdoor stages in downtown Cleveland, Playhouse Square & Public Square Tickets: $0-$30 (Free and ticketed events) Reserve your seats at www.borderlightcle.org<http://www.borderlightcle.org> BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival, presented by Char and Chuck Fowler, brings exciting contemporary theatre from across the world to downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The inaugural festival will feature 100+ theatrical performances and special events across 11 indoor and outdoor venues. Event tickets are $12-30, in addition to numerous free public events. Programming covers a wide spectrum of topics and offers shows for all interests --- drama, stand-up comedy, interactive games, solo performance, circus theatre, new scripts, street spectacle, physical theatre, family-friendly shows, and conversation-provoking works addressing timely political and social justice topics. The lineup includes artists from 9 countries, including Bolivia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Syria, as well as across the United States (8 states, including Ohio), including numerous Cleveland-based artists and companies. Join us for an unforgettable summer of theatre from around the globe. Tickets + full show lineup at www.borderlightcle.org<http://www.borderlightcle.org/>. Want to volunteer? Email info(a)borderlightcle.org and we will contact you. Cathleen O'Malley she, her, hers Associate Producer / Communications Director BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival cathleen(a)borderlightcle.org<mailto:cathleen@borderlightcle.org> www.borderlightcle.org<http://www.borderlightcle.org/>

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Youth Performance Opportunity: APPLY TODAY!
by Irene Honora 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

Youth Performance Opportunity: APPLY TODAY! . The Movement Project's Cleveland Dance Fest is set to return for its 4th season November 8th & 9th, 2019 at the beautiful Pilgrim Church in Tremont! The 2-day festival will feature master classes by CDF artists and performances featuring Cleveland dance artists. . CDF 2019 applications are LIVE! This year we are adding a youth showcase application that is open to pre-professional youth dance groups ages 12 - 18 years old. Cleveland Dance Fest is looking for concert dance pieces in the following styles/forms: modern/contemporary dance, ballet, pointe, cultural & traditional dance forms (african, indian…). . Applications are due July 8th, 2019 by 11:00 pm. www.themovementproject.org/cdf2019-youth-app -- *Irene Honora* Company Member The Movement Project http://www.themovementproject.org/

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