PLAY!  The Akron International Festival of Alternative Theatre coming in August

New World Performance Laboratory to present a festival of exciting theatre on The University of Akron campus

AKRON, OH –The Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture (CATAC) and New World Performance Laboratory (NWPL) have organized PLAY!  Akron’s own International Festival of Alternative Theatre from August 13 through August 30, 2009, on the campus of The University of Akron.  PLAY! includes six exciting theatre events:   NWPL’s acclaimed production of Frankenstein; a cabaret performance, Stairway to Paradise:  Songs of Sin and Redemption, featuring NWPL company member Megan Elk and saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio; two family-oriented productions (NWPL’s Looking for Alice and Theater Ninjas’ The Beetlebug and the Bad Worm); an open rehearsal of NWPL’s new performance Gilgamesh; and a film and panel discussion with NWPL artistic directors James Slowiak and Jairo Cuesta in celebration of UNESCO’s Year of Grotowski.  Tickets for PLAY!, individual events and festival passes, are available online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com or by phone at 1-800-838-3006

Schedule of Events for PLAY! 

Frankenstein    August 13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29 at 8PM in Sandefur Theatre, Guzzetta Hall, ($15, $10 under 18 and UA Students)

Stairway to Paradise     August 21, 22 at 8PM in Sandefur Theatre, Guzzetta Hall, ($15, $10 under 18 and UA Students)

Looking for Alice         August 15 at 10AM and August 16 at 2PM in Daum Theatre, Kolbe Hall ($10, $5 under 18 and UA Students)

The Beetlebug and the Bad Worm        August 22 at 6PM and August 23 at 2PM in Daum Theatre, Kolbe Hall, ($10, $5 under 18 and UA students)

Gilgamesh:  An open rehearsal            August 24 at 7:30PM in Studio 194, Guzzetta Hall ($5, UA students free)

Year of Grotowski:  A Discussion and Film       August 26 at 7PM in Studio 194, Guzzetta Hall ($5, UA students free)

CATAC/NWPL will host an opening night reception on August 13 (tickets $20) and a festival closing “friendraiser” to celebrate Mary Shelley’s birthday on August 30.  For more information on these events call 330-867-3299. 

PLAY! is funded in part by the Pittman Family Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.  New World Performance Laboratory works in residence at The University of Akron.