Cleveland Public Theatre to Stage Regional Premiere of LINES IN THE DUST, 6/2-18

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) has announced the regional premiere of Lines in the Dust by Nikkole Salter, directed by Beth Wood and featuring Kim Sias, Nicole Sumlin* and Skip Corris*. The show tackles the ripped-from-the-headlines issue of education inequality and tells the story of a mother committed to doing "whatever it takes" for her adolescent daughter to receive a quality education.

The production previews June 2, and runs June 3 - 18 in CPT's recently remodeled James Levin Theatre, located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland OH 44102.

According to playwright Salter: "We find ourselves as segregated, if not more segregated, in certain places than we were in 1954 when the [historic Brown vs. Board of Education] ruling happened. We look at our educational system and I think that we need to examine why and we'll find that those reasons aren't as passive as we think...that they are active decisions being made by citizens about how they want to be with one another and that often leads to segregation."

Denitra is determined to find a way for her teenage daughter to escape their impoverished inner city school and get the education she deserves. District-jumping to the neighboring upper class suburb seems a risk worth taking until Denitra and her daughter fall under scrutiny. Lines in the Dust is a compelling new work that explores how community informs identity and the relationships between people on either side of the opportunity gap.

As a dramatist, Ms. Salter has written 6 full-length plays, been commissioned for full-length work by 6 institutions, been produced on 3 continents in 5 countries, and been published in 12 international publications. Her work has appeared in over 20 Off-Broadway, regional and international theatres.

The National Black Theatre production of her play Carnaval was nominated for 7 Audelco awards including Best Playwright and Best Production and won for Best Ensemble Performance. Ms. Salter is a 2014 MAP Fund Grant recipient, a Eugene O'Neill Theater Center National Playwrights Conference semi-finalist, a two time Playwrights of New York (PoNY) Fellowship nominee, is currently working on commissions from Woolly Mammoth, NJPAC/Luna Stage, ACT Young Conservatory and was selected to write the screen adaptation of Claude Brown's New York Times Bestselling novel, Manchild in the Promised Land.

Amid an emerging acting/writing career, Ms. Salter's deep sense of social responsibility led her to co-found (with Glenn Gordon NSangou) and serve as Executive Director of The Continuum Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that creates innovative artistic programming for community empowerment and enrichment.

Lines in the Dust is written by Nikkole Salter. The production is directed by CPT Associate Artistic Director Beth Wood and the cast includes Kim Sias, Nicole Sumlin* and Skip Corris*.

The creative production team is Beth Wood (Director), Daniel McNamara, Kulas Foundation Theatre Composer Fellow (Composer & Sound Designer), Douglas Puskas (Set Designer), Wes Calkin (Lighting Designer), Costume Designer (Inda Blatch-Geib), Assistant Director (Jaclyn Vogel) and Sarah Lynne Bailey (Stage Manager). *Actor appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Lines in the Dust previews Thursday, June 2. The production opens Friday, June 3 and runs through Saturday, June 18. Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday nights at 7:00pm in CPT's James Levin Theatre, located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102.

The newly renovated James Levin Theatre is fully ADA-accessible, featuring a newly-installed patron elevator and the addition of gender-neutral, wheelchair-accessible restrooms.

Tickets are $12 - $30. Students/Seniors receive $3 off on Friday and Saturday nights. Thursdays and Mondays are just $12. Fridays and Saturdays are $30.

SPECIAL EDUCATOR DISCOUNT: Throughout the run of Lines in the Dust, teachers (with valid ID) receive $5 tickets, subject to availability. Reserve over the phone or at the door, valid ID must be presented at Box Office.

Stick around after the show! Every Friday is Free Beer Friday at CPT. Mingle with artist and audience to discuss the show and enjoy a drink or two on CPT.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.cptonline.org or by phone at (216) 631-2727 x 501. Group discounts available for 10+, call to inquire. CPT never charges any ticket fees.

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