*Exciting, Varied Season Set to Take Stage at Firestone High School* *Final Season in Original Facility Includes Exciting New Works and a Long-Time Favorite* *Low-Cost Subscription Available for Entire Season Including a Disney’s The Little Mermaid* *(Tuesday, September 15, 2015 – Akron, OH) -- *Firestone Theatre’s final season in the original 1964 school building includes a variety of student work designed to inspire, challenge, and entertain. The 2015-16 theatre season includes two full-length comedies, a newly released family-friendly musical, and a wide range of special events. The main stage season is kicked off with the dark comedy *Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play *by Anne Washburn. This imaginative play propels us forward nearly a century, following a new civilization stumbling into its future. It is under the direction of *Mark A. Zimmerman* and features choreography by *Marissa Leenaarts*. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on October 8, 9, and 10, 2015. Tickets are $5.00 in advance, $8.00 at the door, and $10.00 for reserved, VIP seating. The laugh-out-loud comedy *The Odd Couple (Female Version)* by Neil Simon takes the stage next. This re-telling of the classic 1960s comedy recasts the leads and other roles as women in a modern setting. *The Odd Couple *is under the direction of *Mark A. Zimmerman*. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. November 19, 20, and 21, 2015. Tickets are $5.00 in advance, $8.00 at the door, and $10.00 for reserved, VIP seating. The family-friendly musical, *Disney’s The Little Mermaid* is the final production of the Main Stage Season. This popular musical includes music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glen Slater, and a book by Doug Wright.*Disney’s* *The Little Mermaid* is based on the Hans Christen Andersen story and the Disney film. Performances will be held on March 23, 24, 25, and 26, 2016. Curtain time is at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30 p.m. on Friday, and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The story features a magical kingdom beneath the sea in which the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. *Disney’s The Little Mermaid* is directed by *Mark A. Zimmerman* with choreography by *Marissa Leenaarts*. Tickets for *Disney’s **The Little Mermaid* are $10.00 in advance and $13.00 at the door. Reserved, VIP tickets are $16.00 and include a special, reserved seat in addition to access to the VIP room before the show and at intermission. A special *Spaghetti Dinner* will be held at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. between performances on Saturday, March 26, 2016. A special “*Tea with Ariel*” event will be held at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2016. This event for children of all ages and children-at-heart will feature tea and treats with Ariel and other members of *The Little Mermaid*cast. Each participant will receive two tickets to see the Saturday matinee performance of *The Little Mermaid* on March 26, 2016, as well as a photo with Ariel and other souvineers. A reasonably priced subscription is available for the main stage shows and more. An adult subscription can be purchased for as little as $30.00 which represents a 50 percent savings for the season. A student subscription can be purchased for $20.00. A reserved, VIP subscription can be purchased for $40.00 and includes a reserved seat for each of the main stage shows, entry to the second stage performances, and access to a special VIP room before and at intermission of each main stage performance. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased for all Firestone Theatre productions at the school, by mail, or online at BrownPaperTickets.com. Details about the 2015-2016 theatre season and the subscription can be found online at FirestoneTheatre.com. Second stage performances include a wide range of theatre and other performances. The series commences with a number of open rehearsals for the Akron School for the Arts improv troup, *frys w/ tht?* An audience is invited to attend and participate starting with the first performance to be held at 7:00 p.m. on November 24, 2015. The annual *One-Act Play Festival* appears on our stage at 7:30 p.m. on January 7, 2016. . The performance portion of the annual *24-Hour Theatre Project* will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 30, 2016. All second stage events are included in the subscription series. Special events presented during the season include a performance of *Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.* under the direction of guest artist Marissa Leenaarts. It will be performed at the Akron Civic Theatre at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2015. *Dear Gabby: The Confessions of an Over-Achiever* by Evelyn Rudie and Chris DeCarlo is directed by guest artist Elynmarie Kazle. It will be held at the Balch Street Theatre In Akron, Ohio, on December 11 and 12, 2015. *Puppets Kapow!* will be presented by the Frisch Marionette Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, 2015. Special events are not included in the season subscription. The 2014-15 theatre season represents the final year of performances in the current facility originally completed in 1964. The new facility, to be called Firestone Community Learning Center, is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in time for the start of the next school year. All theatre performances will be held in a newly designed and built theatre still dedicated in the memory of Linda B. Kersker. The new building will include theatre-related amenities not available in the current space. Included in the new building are support spaces such as dressing rooms, a dedicated scene shop, and permanent theatre classroom/black box theatre. 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. -- Mark A. Zimmerman, Theatre Director Harvey S. Firestone High School 333 Rampart Avenue Akron, Ohio 44313 330.873.3408 www.FirestoneTheatre.com