Cleveland Public Theatre Launches 7 New Works By Ohio And National Artists With TEST FLIGHT 2018

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is proud to announce the Test Flight 2018 series. Test Flight is a multi-week series that showcases new work on its way to full production, providing both local and national artists with the keys to the theatre and the opportunity to co-produce original works-in-progress. Test Flight encourages risk-taking and an entrepreneurial spirit towards creating new work while offering artists a structured support system, activating an art-focused environment. CPT's New Play Development Program is intended to move projects forward, whether through full productions at CPT, receiving larger exposure, or participating in touring performances or Fringe Festivals.

Test Flight 2018 is onstage from March 22 - April 21 in CPT's James Levin Theatre, showcasing work that is extraordinary aesthetically, thematically, or in the process used to create the work. Join us for the Test Flight 2018 Series Opening Night Party on Friday, March 23.

Test Flight 2018 features seven workshop productions, presented as single or double bills over five weekends. Show titles and descriptions are listed below and available at http://www.cptonline.org/performances/seasons/2017-2018/category/series/test-flight.

CPT IS AN ESTABLISHED LEADER IN CULTIVATING NEW WORK BY LOCAL TALENT
CPT has led the community in producing new plays by local and nationally recognized playwrights. In just the past 11 years, CPT has produced 97 staged readings and showcases, 107 workshop productions, and 45 full productions of world premieres-in addition to hundreds of community-created plays read, workshopped, and performed through our education and community programs. The 2016/2017 season launched the next phase of New Play Development at CPT.

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES

Week 1: March 22 - 24

EVERYTHING IS OKAY (AND OTHER HELPFUL LIES)

Created by Melissa Crum & Caitlin Lewins, 2016/2017 Nord Family Foundation Catapult Fellows

Directed by Craig J. George

This dark musical comedy is a celebration of the not-so-happy ways in which we persevere, grow, and change - whether we want to or not. Friendships are challenged, buddies die, and everybody drinks. Cheers.

Week 2: March 29 - 31 (DOUBLE BILL)

SET FIRE AND START AGAIN

Written & Directed by Carrie Williams

The loss of her job leads to a woman's collapse of identity. Jumping through time and consciousness, she attempts to redefine herself and her relationship while grappling with insecurities, latent desires, and societal expectations.

THE JUDGE

Created by Fratellanza

Written by Jim & Paul Manganello

The high-octane duet explores the slippery relationship between justice and mercy in our contemporary world. An ordinary conversation morphs into a puzzle where language is a wily weapon, laughter and tragedy collide, and traditional conventions of storytelling unravel.

WEEK 3: APRIL 5 - 7 (DOUBLE BILL)

CONFIGURATIONS OF A DIVINE BITCH

Conceived & Created by Plump Olive Productions

Created in Collaboration with the Ensemble

Things are about to get weird. It's OK though, laughter is encouraged. An ensemble of seven bodies guides audiences through a kaleidoscopic array, celebrating bodies that experience menarche, periods, pregnancy, birth giving, and menopause. It's gross, it's funny, it's beautiful, it's reverent, and yes, there will be blood.

MILKDRUNK

Written & Performed by Cathleen O'Malley

Directed by Elaine Feagler

A frank, funny, physical solo performance tracing a year in the life of a first time, full-time, exclusively breastfeeding mother. Milkdrunk explores what it means to be a mammal in 2018, illuminating a universal path cloaked in infinite mystery, littered with laughter, tears, and drops of Liquid Gold.

Week 4: April 12 - 14

TALE OF A JIMINIRISING

Written & Performed by Jimmie Woody

Directed by Sheffia Randall Dooley

A theatrical memoir combining poetry, hip hop, and digital storytelling about figuring out how to be a man in the ever-changing landscape of what masculinity means in America.

Week 5: April 19 - 21

ODYSSEUS UNRAVELED

Conceived & Directed by Daniel McNamara

A desperate, yet playful quest for meaning, with little reverence for Homer's original myth. This fiercely curious, interdisciplinary new work spans from the safe and distant past, to a dangerous and vulnerable contemporary moment on the brink of collapse. Was Odysseus the hero we paint him to be?

TICKET & SHOW INFORMATION

Test Flight 2018 is (March 22 - April 21, 2018). Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00pm in CPT's James Levin Theatre, located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102, in the heart of the Gordon Square Arts District.

Tickets are $12 - $18. Students/Seniors receive $3 off on Friday and Saturday nights. All Thursdays are $12.

PURCHASE TICKETS at www.cptonline.org or call the CPT Box Office at (216) 631-2727 x 501. Group discounts are available - call the Box Office to inquire. (Reserve early! - CPT never charges any ticket fees, ever.)

The James Levin Theatre is ADA compliant, featuring a patron elevator and an all gender, wheelchair accessible restroom.

Every Friday is Free Beer Friday at CPT. Mingle with the artists after the show and discuss the performance in a lively, social atmosphere - your drinks are on CPT.