FEATURING (IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)
JEREMY PAUL (OCT 8) • HON. WARD 3 COUNCILMAN JOE CIMPERMAN (OCT 9)
DARIUS STUBBS (OCT 10) • LILLY CORONA (OCT 11) • JAMES LEVIN (OCT 12)
STEPHANIE MORRISON HRBEK (OCT 14) • PETER LAWSON JONES* (OCT 15)
RA WASHINGTON (OCT 16) • BILL RUDMAN (OCT 17) • DANA HART* (OCT 18)
DERDRIU RING* (OCT 19) • MIKE POLK, JR. (OCT 21) • MARGARET FORD-TAYLOR (OCT 22)
MICHAEL MAULDIN* (OCT 23) • DAVID HANSEN (OCT 24) • ANNE MCEVOY (OCT 25)
*Actor appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

Jeremy Paul—Thursday, October 8th

Jeremy Paul is a director, devisor of original work, a theatrical designer and the founder and Artistic Director of Theater Ninjas since 2006. Recent directing credits include the upcoming Tall Skinny Cruel Cruel Boys, Stranded on Earth, Black Cat Lost, Inoculations, Anna Bella Eema, Woyzeck, Heddatron and Crave, and the original devised productions of The Turing Machine, The Grand Celebration of the Celestial Mystery, TingleTangle, Code: Preludes, The Excavation, Marble Cities and Monster Play. He was Conducting Director for Cleveland Public Theatre’s Fire On the Water collaboration. He is also the co-creator/performer of the original works NICK&JEREMY (with Nick Riley), Absence (with Michael Rau) and The Beetlebug and the Bad Worm (with Faye Hargate). Jeremy graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut with dual majors in Theater and Film, and has post-graduate training with the Pig Iron Theatre Company, New World Performance Lab and the Celebration Barn International School for the Performing Arts. Jeremy is the recipient of a 2012 CPAC Creative Workforce Fellowships. He lives and works in the Gordon Square neighborhood.

Joe Cimperman—Friday, October 9th

Currently serving his seventh term and eighteenth year on Cleveland City Council, Councilman Joe Cimperman is a senior member of the body and is highly regarded by his constituents, and peers, for his work ethic and ability to build meaningful bridges to tackle important issues relevant to Ward 3 and the City of Cleveland. Councilman Cimperman currently represents the Ward 3, one of the most diverse wards in the City. Ward 3 includes the neighborhoods of St. Clair-Superior, Tremont, Ohio City, Duck Island, Old Brooklyn, Clark Stockyard Fulton, the Flats, and Downtown Cleveland. Following his graduation from John Carroll University, Councilman Cimperman worked with Cleveland’s I Have a Dream Foundation, a program which provided opportunities for the City’s youth to pursue higher education and equipped participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed. In addition to serving Cleveland, Councilman Cimperman completed two years of services as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, where we worked with cognitively challenged adults in Portland, Maine, and at the Don Miller AIDS Hospice in Baltimore, Maryland, caring for patients before they passed away. Additionally, Councilman Cimperman has been active in the arts community and recognizes the importance of fostering a strong arts and cultural scene across the City and has sponsored legislation to promote this attribute of the City. Another proud accomplishment is helping bring the Gay Games to Cleveland. The Gay Games is an international event that has built an international legacy of changing cultural, social and political attitudes towards LGBT people in our community. Councilman Cimperman lives with his wife and children in Ward 3 and enjoys talking with, and more importantly, listening to its great constituents. He truly is a Clevelander at heart and is passionately working towards a brighter future for his hometown.

Darius Stubbs—Saturday, October 10th

Darius Stubbs is an actor, poet, vocalist and teaching artist. He has been creating and collaborating on original theatre pieces at Cleveland Public Theatre since 2007. He has also worked as an arts educator with Cleveland Public Theatre’s S.T.E.P. and Y-Haven programs. Some acting credits include Rusted Heart Broadcast (CatManDu, Cleveland Public Theatre ’13), Titus Andronicus (Aaron the Moor, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival ’10), Comedy of Errors (Sir Balthazar, Great Lakes Theater ’09), and The Boys Next Door (Lucien P. Smith, Medina Showbiz ’07).

Lilly Corona—Sunday, October 11th

Lilly Corona joined Teatro Publico de Cleveland in 2014. Her stage credits include Vuelo del Ocean (2014), Mi Nombre Es (2015) and Pandemonium 2015. Lilly was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.  She is married to Alejandro Moreno, one of the founding members of TPC.  They have two children, Cruz and Citlali Moreno. Currently, Lilly is a Spanish teacher in North Ridgeville, Ohio.  She teaches students ages 13-18. She has been the director of the Mexican folkloric dance group “Grupo Tepehuani Nelli” since 1999. They perform pre-hispanic/Aztec dances and dances representing the different regions of Mexico. She has been dancing/performing since childhood. Lilly enjoys recording voice overs and is a former radio announcer at WCSB, 89.3 F.M. Radio show name, La Preferida (1992-2012).

James Levin—Monday, October 12th

Community Activist, Festival Director, Stage Director and Producer, Professor, Playwright, Lyricist, and Impresario, James Levin founded Cleveland Public Theatre in 1981 and produced most of the work at CPT from its inception until 2004, launching such projects as the New Plays Festival, Vaudeville 80s, the Performance Art Festival, Brick City, and secured all of the buildings presently occupied by CPT. In 2004 he served as the founding director of the Gordon Square Arts District. His plays Star Wares: the Next Generation and Discordia, both musical political satires written with composer Linda Eisenstein were awarded fellowships by the Ohio Arts Council. He served as lyricist to the critically acclaimed jazz opera Let the Knowing Speak, performed by the Berklee School of Music in Cambridge Mass. Awards include Community Shares’ “Gerson Award” for impact on social justice, the Governor’s Award (for community impact from the Ohio Arts Council) and the Cleveland Arts Prize “Robert Bergman Award.” After leaving the Gordon Square Arts District, he served as a professor and director of the center for entrepreneurship at the College of Wooster from 2009 to 2012. Levin co-founded (with Thomas Mulready) Ingenuity which he directed from 2005 to 2011, the Bridge Project (to activate the streetcar level of the Detroit Superior Bridge) in 2009, the Wooster Jam in 2009, the Cleveland World Festival in 2013, and Lorain’s FireFish Festival in 2015. As an Attorney his practice focuses on criminal defense; in 2014 he launched LegalWorks, with the Famicos Foundation, which provides services to the indigent.

Stephanie Morrison Hrbek— Wednesday, October 14th

Stephanie Morrison Hrbek grew up in Michigan where her parents, both ministers, built and served Edgewood United Church of Christ.  The involvement of her family in the struggle for human rights shaped who Stephanie is today and her calling to a life’s work that engages her in building community rooted in justice.  Near West Theatre reflects Stephanie’s commitment to living and serving in an urban setting rich in diversity.  Stephanie founded Near West Theatre in 1978 on the principle of providing access to all interested, regardless of economic status, to an experience of theatre arts.  Over the years of Near West’s development, Stephanie has served as director, actress, playwright, choreographer and producer.  As Executive Director, she is responsible for its overall operations and remains involved artistically as choreographer.  She is thrilled with the opening of Near West Theatre’s new ADA compliant home having worked as a partner in the formation and development of the Gordon Square Arts District since 2002.  She is enjoying new partnerships and expanding Near West’s 37 year track record of “creating extraordinary theatre with ordinary people.”  Stephanie is the recipient of the 2010 Cleveland Arts Prize for her work with Gordon Square Arts District, 2009 Cleveland Arts Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts, and 2001 Lifetime of Idealism Award from City Year.  Stephanie is married to Rev. George Hrbek and their sons, Seth (wife Bridget) and Noah (daughter Lydia), live in Gordon Square.

Peter Lawson Jones*—Thursday, October 15th

Peter Lawson Jones, who can currently be seen in the movie, Starve, on the SyFy Channel and in the award-winning motion picture, The Umbrella Man, is a member of both Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA.  He has appeared in nearly twenty films (Alex Cross), on network television (ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7), and on stages throughout Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland Play House, Karamu, Ensemble Theatre and Weathervane Playhouse.  Movies in which he has performed have been screened at film festivals from Portland, Oregon, to Sitges, Spain.  Among his theatrical credits are The Great White Hope, Ruined, The Exonerated, Huck Finn’s Story, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and A Carol for Cleveland.  He has performed in staged readings off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane and Ensemble Studio theatres.  He is soon to appear in a staged reading of Project Unspeakable at the Harlem Stage in New York City.  His play, The Family Line, has been produced at Karamu, Ohio University and Harvard University, where he received his bachelor’s (Magna Cum Laude) and law degrees.  He is co-executive producer of Fatherhood 101, a documentary on the importance of responsible fatherhood that has screened in numerous venues across the country. In addition to his work as a professional actor and voiceover artist, Peter is an attorney, business consultant and public speaker.  He formerly served as a councilman and vice mayor in Shaker Heights, member of the Ohio General Assembly and Cuyahoga County commissioner.  His spouse, Lisa, and he are the proud parents of three children, Ryan Charles, Leah Danielle and Evan Cooke.

RA Washington—Friday, October 16

RA Washington is the author of 26 books, most recently The Paris Notebooks (NightBallet Press, 2015) and the novel CITI (Red Giant Books, 2015). In 2014, Washington was awarded a Creative Workforce Fellowship from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, and a retrospective containing over 100 of his paintings, music and multi-media projects was organized for Fact/co in Montreal, Quebec through Constellation Records. In 2013 Washington Co-founded Guide To Kulchur: Text, Art & News, a bookstore, publishing imprint and show space located in Cleveland’s Historic Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood. This year marks the 20th year RA has run the independent electronic music label, Cleveland Tapes. You can find out more about his various projects via www.guidetokulchur.com and www.clevelandtapes.com.

Bill Rudman—Saturday, October 17th

Bill Rudman is artistic director of The Musical Theater Project – the nonprofit organization he founded in 2000. He is the host of “Footlight Parade,” a weekly radio program on musicals that has been broadcast in Cleveland on WCLV for 30 years and has been nationally syndicated on public stations for the past 14 years. It’s also heard nationally on Sirius XM Satellite Radio under the title “On the Aisle.” TMTP also serves our community with a school program titled “Kids Love Musicals!,” designed for children in grades K-3. And TMTP produces the concert and cabaret series “The Song Is You!,” held all over town. Bill is a native of Willoughby and a graduate of Hiram College. In 2000 he was the first recipient of the Robert Bergman Award for his work in arts education and community outreach.

Dana Hart*—Sunday, October 18th

Dana Hart has appeared with CPT in Measure for Measure, Gold Star Ohio, Antebellum, Titus: A Grand and Gory Rock Musical and both productions of Standing on Ceremony. He joined Actors’ Equity as a member of The Cleveland Play House in 1976 and has performed Off-Broadway and with regional theaters including Alaska Repertory Theatre, San Diego Rep, Milwaukee Rep, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Baltimore’s Center Stage and the Harare International Festival of the Arts (in Zimbabwe). His Northeast Ohio credits include The Iceman Cometh and St. Nicholas (Ensemble Theatre); Billy Bishop Goes to War, Sound of Music and Big River (True North);  Bent, Oleanna, History Boys, Jekyll and Hyde, , By Jeeves Annie, Romeo and Juliet, Pitman Painters and 33 Variations (The Beck Center); Ring of Fire, Woody Guthrie’s American Song, Arms and the Man, The World Goes Round, Born Yesterday and Guys on Ice: the ice-fishing musical  (Actors’ Summit), Marriage Play and Elegy for a Lady (Cesear’s Forum); Emma and The Fagan Effect (Cleveland Play House) and the Equity Members’ Project: Heartbreak House. Mr. Hart holds degrees in both Theatre Arts and English (Teaching) from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Teaching credits include UAF, Sheldon-Jackson College, Laurel School, Lake Ridge Academy and Case Western Reserve University. He currently teaches classes privately and for The Beck Center for the Arts. He can be seen later this month in Conor McPherson’s solo performance play St. Nicholas at Ensemble Theatre.

Derdriu Ring*—Monday, October 19th

A graduate of The Gaiety School of Acting, Ireland, Derdriu Ring has acted across North America for over 18 years. Her first role in Cleveland was as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at CPT. Recent theatre credits include Paulina in Death & the Maiden at Playhouse Square with Mamai Theatre, Ousier Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias at The New London Barn, Alexa in Stranded on Earth with Theatre Ninjas/Mamai Theatre Co.- awarded Best Actress 2014 by The Cleveland Critics Circle Awards. Treasured roles include Slippy Helen in The Cripple of Inishmaan at Geffen Playhouse, Catherine in A Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Hartford Stage, Catherine in Proof, Toinette in The Imaginary Invalid, Agnes in A Dream Play at The Cleveland Play House, Josie in Moon for the Misbegotten at Great Lakes Theater, Ellen in There is a Happiness that Morning Is at CPT (superior achievement by an Actress-The Cleveland Critics Award), Maggie in Hobson’s Choice at Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre (awarded actress of the year by Pittsburgh Critics), Pegeen in The Playboy of the Western World at The Irish Rep, NYC, Rosie Redmond in The Plough & the Stars at The Guthrie Theatre and Nora Reilly in John Bull’s Other Island at Geva Theatre. Television credits include Law and Order, C.I. and Hope & Faith. Film credits include The Yank and Fortune. Derdriu serves as performer/teaching artist at Cleveland School of The Arts, Playhouse Square’s International Children’s Festival and at Cleveland’s Metro Hospital. She is co-founder and Artistic Associate with Mamai Theatre Co.

Mike Polk, Jr. – Wednesday, October 21st

Mike Polk, Jr. is a local gadabout. He currently works at Fox 8 Cleveland where he is a contributor to the 6pm news, The Rizzo Show, and The Mike Polk Jr. Show. Mike also does standup and performs sketch comedy with the group Last Call Cleveland.

Margaret Ford-Taylor—Thursday, October 22th

Among many critically recognized acting awards and commendations, Margaret Ford-Taylor received her first Emmy nomination for her performance in the public television production, “American Women:  Echoes and Dreams.”  Her last film appearance was as Aunt Eda in Denzel Washington’s “Antwon Fisher.”  Author of more than 40 critically acknowledged and nationally produced stage works, her second Emmy nomination was as writer of the ABC television documentary, “The Second Reconstruction.”  Miss Ford-Taylor was also affiliated with the world-renown Karamu Performing Arts Center of Cleveland, Ohio for more than 35 years, serving as its Executive Director for ten.  She has served on the faculties of Kent State University and Akron University, retiring from the Dramatic Arts Department of Cleveland State University in 2008.  As a teacher and mentor, many of her students are recognized among the list of noted professionals in the performing arts field and other industries.

MIchael Mauldin*—Friday, October 23rd

Michael Mauldin is Associate Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Cleveland State University. Michael returns to CPT for the first time in 9 years, when he made his Cleveland acting debut as Duke Vincentio in the much lauded production of M4M. Spending nearly 20 years in New York City as a professional actor and director, he appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, numerous regional theatres across the country, and in several national commercials.  At CSU he has directed The Laramie Project, She Stoops to Conquer, The Alchemist, The Fantasticks, Everyman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dybbuk, and Ubu Roi opening in November.  In the summer of 2007, he founded CSU’s Summer Stages, a professional summer repertory company combining theatre majors with professional actors and directors from New York, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.  For Summer Stages he directed The Robber Bridegroom, Return to the Forbidden Planet and Curtains, and appeared in Booth and Rough Crossing.   At the Beck Center for the Arts he appeared as Captain Hook/Mr. Darling in Peter Pan, which garnered him a Best Actor in a Musical award from Scene Magazine.   He has performed his solo play An Evening With Mark Twain since 1976 in over 40 states, and airings on PBS and a one-hour ABC special called Mark Twain: Sketches From Life.  In 2009, Dr. Mauldin was named a “leadership fellow” by the International Conference of Fine Arts Deans.  He has been a proud member of Actors Equity Association since 1981.

David Hansen—Saturday, October 24th

David Hansen is Education Outreach Associate for Great Lakes Theater and a member of the Cleveland Play House Playwrights’ Unit. David first appeared at CPT twenty years ago in the world premiere of Lucy Wang’s Junk Bonds. Since that time has had several of his own works developed here including solo performances And Then You Die (How I ran a Marathon in 26.2 Years) and the award-winning I Hate This (a play without the baby). Published works include “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” (Playscripts, Inc.) and “Double Heart – The Courtship of Beatrice and Benedick” (YouthPLAYS). Works produced in Cleveland in 2015 include “The Great Globe Itself” (Great Lakes Theater Educational Outreach Tour) and “Rosalynde & The Falcon” (Talespinner Children’s Theatre). As an actor and director David has worked for the Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater, Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Dobama Theatre, Karamu House, Beck Center, the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival as well as those legendary companies Bad Epitaph Theater Company, Guerrilla Theater Company and Dobama’s Night Kitchen. David lives in Cleveland Heights, the City of Great Writers.

Anne McEvoy—Sunday, October 25th

Anne McEvoy last appeared on stage at CPT in Ancestra and was also seen in Insomnia, 13 Most American Dreams, Between Life and Death, Open Mind Firmament, Fefu and Her Friends, and several Big Box productions… including Crashing Through Ceilings which she also wrote and directed. Elsewhere, she’s performed with Actor’s Summit Theater, Beck Center for the Arts, Blank Canvas Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Clague Playhouse, Dobama Theater, Ensemble Theatre, Great Lakes Theater, Karamu House, Lakeland College, Mamai Theatrer and Ohio Shakespeare Festival. This fall she made her debut at None Too Fragile in Akron in Charles Mee’s First Love. An erstwhile playwright and children’s author, Anne’s had a some of her plays produced locally at Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Great Lakes Theater’s Outreach Tour, and Clague Playhouse.