Cleveland Play House Board Member Commits $500,000 to FusionFest

Cleveland Play House announces a new three-year commitment to FusionFest of $500,000 from board member Roe Green. Ms. Green has been the Honorary Producer of the festival celebrating new works since its inception in 2005. In addition to the financial gift, The Roe Green FusionFest Award will be presented annually to a mid-career American playwright. The prize will provide an honorarium of $7,500 to the winning playwright as well as support for the development process of a new script as part of FusionFest. The selected playwright will spend a week in residency at CPH during FusionFest, over which time she or he will oversee rehearsals and a reading of the work and engage in workshops and master classes with young theatre artists from the region.

"With this new gift, Roe Green continues the visionary philanthropy that made FusionFest possible in the first place," said Artistic Director Michael Bloom. "Her commitment to new work is unparalleled in our community."

"I am delighted with the creation of The Roe Green FusionFest Award. I think it will continue the mission of Cleveland Play House and FusionFest," said Honorary Producer Roe Green. "My devotion to FusionFest grows with each production that I see, and this Award will be integral to its ongoing success!"

FusionFest is the first multidisciplinary new work festival to be produced by a major regional theatre. It was started by Artistic Director Michael Bloom in May 2006 to create a festival context for the production and presentation of new work within the performing arts, to bring adventurous new work to Greater Cleveland, and to foster collaboration among Cleveland arts organizations. Highlights over the last six years have included projects with Cleveland Orchestra, Verb Ballets, Cleveland Museum of Art and GroundWorks DanceTheater. This year, the sixth annual FusionFest runs April 13-23, featuring musical performances by Tony-award winning artist Stew (Passing Strange) and CPH's own mainstage production of Legacy of Light, a new comedy by Karen Zacarias.

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