(Style is) The Answer to Everything—A (Subversive) Women’s Programme (Across the Century)

Written by Arwen Mitchell, 14/15 Nord Family Foundation Playwright FELLOW
Directed by Melissa T. Crum

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Host Penny Bingo considers this and other questions as she takes her audience through decades of female experience, including (but not limited to): time-and-labor-saving appliances, mommy culture, cigarettes, household disinfectant/birth control methods and a game show where the winner walks away with a new wardrobe and self-worth dubiously intact.

Featuring Courtney Brown, Catie O’Keefe, Chennelle Harris,  Kate Miller, Lisa Wiley and Carrie Williams

Lighting Design: Ben Gantose
Costume Design: Inda Blatch Geib
Sound Design: Eric Gonzalez

Arwen Mitchell is a Midwest-based writer and dramaturge.  Some of her produced works include RPM, Bitter Pills, The Maybe Pile, and About Face.   She is a company member of Ohio City Theatre Project, and served as dramaturge for their production of The Bald Soprano, and dramaturge/co-creator for their original production of Free Radical and The Late Night Sketchbook.  She is the second Nord Playwriting Fellowship at Cleveland Public Theatre. Arwen holds an MS in Theatre History & Criticism from Illinois State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University.   She is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild.

Melissa Crum is a Cleveland based actor, director, educator, and creator of original work. She holds a BA in theatre arts from Cleveland State University. Currently working as a teaching artist for Playhouse Square, Melissa has been an Actor-Teacher with Great Lakes Theatre, an educator with The Musical Theatre Project, as well as CPT’s Brick City Program. Melissa was a 2013-2014 Joan Yellen Horvitz directing fellow at CPT where she directed The Drowning Girls.  CPT acting credits include Airwaves (Part Three of the Elements Cycle), The Loush Sisters Do the Nutcracker, Tender Napalm, Earth Plays (Part Two of the Elements Cycle), Conni’s Avaunt Garde Restaurant, FEVER/DREAM, and Between Life and Death.

The goal of Big Box is to support new work and local artists.

CPT provides:
– The James Levin Theatre
– Basic production staff, stage management, box office support
– Marketing and advertising support

The artists provide the rest!

The writers, directors, actors, and designers selected for Big Box dedicate themselves to creating new and original work, or stretching their artistic powers by working in new disciplines.