Playwrights Local Announces the Return of Objectively/Reasonable" in February/March 2017

Top Quote Critically acclaimed play on the 2014 Tamir Rice shooting in Cleveland to be remounted for four weeks only. Directed by Terrence Spivey, the ensemble-written work returns from February 17 through March 11 at Waterloo Arts. End Quote
  • Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH (1888PressRelease) December 20, 2016 - Playwrights Local is pleased to announce the return of its critically acclaimed documentary play, Objectively/Reasonable: A Community Response to the Shooting of Tamir Rice, 11/22/14. Directed by Terrence Spivey, the original staging of this ensemble-written work will be remounted for four weeks only. Performances will run from February 17 through March 11, 2017 at the Creative Space at Waterloo Arts. Additional information, including details on tickets and special post-show discussions, can be found at http://playwrightslocal.org/.

    Objectively/Reasonable was hailed by The Plain Dealer as "electric, probing and uncomfortably raw…a play that needs to be seen." By Cool Cleveland, it was praised as "a work that should travel to theaters all over the country…a catharsis." Talkin' Broadway pronounced it "a show that begs to be seen by police officers and citizens alike," while Broadway World proclaimed it "a must-see experience for anyone interested in the real world around them." The original production received national coverage from NPR, American Theatre, and HowlRound, and has been commissioned for special presentations by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) and YWCA Greater Cleveland. Playwrights Local is proud to bring this powerful new work back to Cleveland audiences by popular demand.

    The world premiere of Objectively/Reasonable ran from August 17 through September 4, 2016, playing to sold-out houses. Presented as a "community response" to the shooting of Tamir Rice in November 2014, the play was based on original interviews with legal experts, social critics, police officers, and other Greater Clevelanders. Like the original production, the restaged Objectively/Reasonable considers the impact and aftermath of this tragic incident and its related legal cases, expressing unheard voices from the Cudell neighborhood and the city as a whole. Along with stage movement and song, the play features eighteen monologues which, as described by Cleveland Jewish News, "pulsate with purpose and artistic integrity."

    Objectively/Reasonable was conceived and edited by David Todd, Artistic Director of Playwrights Local. Contributing playwrights for this ensemble-written work include Mike Geither, Tom Hayes, Lisa Langford, Michael Oatman, and Todd. As with the 2016 premiere, the 2017 restaging will be directed by Terrence Spivey, well-known to Cleveland audiences from his tenure as Artistic Director of Karamu House. "With the heated climate we have been living in, the voice of the people needs to be heard," Spivey says. "I'm proud once again to be part of a work that bridges art and Black Lives Matter, and that echoes the 'call for action' plays of the '60s."

    The remounted Objectively/Reasonable features original cast members Kaila Benford, Samone Cummings, Kali Hatten, LaShawn Little, and Nathan Tolliver. Joining them for this production are newcomers Christina Johnson, Laprise Marie Johnson, Mary-Francis Renee Miller, Kenny Parker, and Corin B. Self. The stage manager is Geraldine Harris and the assistant director is Nathan Tolliver. Others on the creative team include lighting designer Margaret Peebles, set designer Terrence Spivey, sound designer David Todd, and board operator Ludie Cummings.

    The revival of Objectively/Reasonable runs February 17 through March 11, 2017, with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm. All shows are at the Creative Space at Waterloo Arts (397 E. 156th Street, Cleveland, OH 44110). Tickets are $18 for adults and seniors, $15 for groups, and $12 for students. Group packages can be arranged by contacting Tom Hayes at hayes ( @ ) playwrightslocal dot org or (216) 302-8856 dot For complete information, visit the company's website at http://playwrightslocal dot org/ dot

    Playwrights Local is a theater company based in Cleveland. Billed as a playwrights' center, the organization's goal is to provide a home for dramatic writing in Northeast Ohio. They offer classes and workshops, produce original plays, provide networking opportunities, and engage the community through outreach projects. Tax-deductible contributions to this 501(c)(3) group can be made at http://playwrightslocal.org/donate/.

    CONTACT
    Tom Hayes, Managing Director
    Playwrights Local
    hayes ( @ ) playwrightslocal dot org
    (216) 302-8856
    www.playwrightslocal.org

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