[cid:9d5acd1f-71cb-45a5-8743-d42e0ea4ffd5] April 5, 2018 IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Julia Dillard, Marketing Manager julia@clevelandballet.org<mailto:info@clevelandballet.org> 216-320-9000 Cleveland Ballet announces Casting and Open Media Rehearsal for Alice, May 4th, time 1:00pm-3:00pm. CLEVELAND, OH April 5, 2018: Members of the media are invited to an open rehearsal for Cleveland Ballet’s upcoming production of Alice. Tony Award nominated choreographer Margo Sappington, Artistic Director Gladisa Guadalupe and Executive staff will be present and available for interviews, along with company dancers. Open rehearsal will be held at Red Hall Studio in Playhouse Square, on May 4th from 1:00pm-3:00pm. Light refreshments will be served. Casting for this production is complete, with company artists Jenna Steiner as Alice, Lauren Stenroos as the Queen of Hearts, Jason Wang as the Caterpillar, Rainer Diaz as the White Rabbit and Artist in Residence Alan Obuzor in the role of Cheshire Cat. Lauren Stenroos says she’s always dreamed of dancing the Queen of Hearts. “The Queen of Hearts is a very strong character, and she’s always been a dream role for me because she is literally crazy. She’s so narcissistic that it makes her unstable. If anyone disobeys her, it leads her to instant rage (which I think is quite hilarious). I’m very excited to embody this nutty, bipolar, almost diabolical character! I feel like every true artist has a little dash of the unwaveringness of the Queen of Heart’s spirit that fuels their passion and dedication to our craft. I definitely have that unwavering tiger fire inside of me and so I hope to bring that out in my interpretation of this role.” In preparing for her role as Alice, Jenna Steiner says “I normally develop my characters by getting to know the story, reading the book or watching the movie. Thankfully Alice in Wonderland has both, so I’ve been doing a lot of research! I look at how my character reacts to the situations around her and then incorporate that attitude into the choreography. I’m always excited to expand my repertoire and it’s fun to step into someone else’s shoes with a new character.” Cleveland Ballet is dedicated to creating an appreciation for reimagined classical, modern and contemporary ballet around the world. Media professionals are invited to schedule interviews with Margo Sappington or Cleveland Ballet Artistic Director Gladisa Guadalupe. Please contact Cleveland Ballet 216-320-9000 and speak with Maureen Basista to schedule times or for more company-related information. For more information on our world premiere of Alice at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square on Friday, May 11 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 12 at 11 a.m., visit our website www.clevelandballet.org<http://www.clevelandballet.org/> or playhousesquare.org to purchase tickets ($25-$69). What: Alice Who: Cleveland Ballet Performances: May 11 at 8 p.m. and May 12 at 11 a.m. Location: Playhouse Square Admission: $25-$69 For more information on Cleveland Ballet visit clevelandballet.org or call 216-320-9000 Stay connected on Facebook and Instagram.