UPSTAGE UNDERGROUND PRESENTS "CLASS ACTION"
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Don’t miss your chance to witness the free summer performances of the young adult division of one of Northeast Ohio’s hardest working children’s theater companies, UpStage Underground, a part of UpStage Players. From July 31st to August 2nd, the group will be producing and performing Class Action, a popular PG-13 collection of one-act plays about the comedies and dramas of teen high school life. Featuring performances by 12 local teens (hailing from Cleveland, Euclid, South Euclid, Eastlake, Wickliffe and Beachwood) and directed by five adult and UpStage alumni directors, Class Action was written by Brad Slaight.
UpStage Underground’s opening performance will take place at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 31st at Waterloo 7 Sculpture Gardens (16006 Waterloo; Cleveland). All audience members are invited to stay after the show for a dessert celebration. On Saturday, August 1st, the first of the group’s two performances will commence at 11:00 a.m. at West Point Park in Downtown Willoughby, Ohio. At 2:00 p.m. that same day, Class Action will be performed at the Arts Collinwood Gallery (corner of Waterloo Road and E. 156 St. in Cleveland). The troupe’s final two performances will take place on Sunday, August 2nd. The first show will begin at 11:00 a.m. at St. Jerome Church (15000 Lakeshore Blvd.; Cleveland). UpStage Underground’s final show of the summer will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Euclid Beach Park (16000 Lakeshore Blvd.; Cleveland). All five performances are sponsored by Downtown Kiwanis #2.
UpStage Underground, the 13-19 year-old division of UpStage Players, is an outdoor performance troupe specializing in edgier and lesser-known one-act plays. Each summer, the group enlists multiple directors to maximize creativity, instead of having only one director and one inspired vision. Often, the group’s directors are former actors in both UpStage Underground and UpStage Players. By the end of summer, the actors have faced many challenges from their directors and have pushed themselves to new heights as artists. In addition, they have created something fun and exciting, and have shared this free experience, as well as themselves, with a wide array of audiences.
Based in the Waterloo Arts district of Cleveland, UpStage Players is a non-profit children’s theater company dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of theater through the education of children. The company is committed to making theater a hands-on experience, while building self esteem, promoting responsibility and enriching the lives of young actors and actresses. Through the development of workshops and full-length productions, young people are afforded a positive social outlet and an opportunity for just good old fun!
For more information, call (216) 978-2395 or visit www.upstageplayers.com or www.myspace.com/upstageplayers.
