July 20, 2000
RELEASE ON RECEIPT

MAD* Factory to Present Musical Pippin August 3, 4, 5, 6 in Oberlin

PERFORMANCES:

Little Theater Oberlin College Rear--Hall Auditorium S. Main St. (Rt. 58)

Thur.Aug. 3--8 p.m.
Fri. Aug. 4--8 p.m.
Sat. Aug. 5--2 p.m.
Sat. Aug. 5--8 p.m.
Sun. Aug. 6--2 p.m.

The show is free but donations are welcome Seating is limited.

Call 440 774-7062 to reserve seats.

OBERLIN, OHIO--Next month, MAD* Factory--the Lorain County children's theater arts organization founded in 1990--will celebrate its 10th anniversary with its first full-length production: the rollicking musical Pippin.

The musical was a smash hit when it premiered on Broadway in 1972, with a score in the 1970s pop-rock idiom by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Disney's Pocahontas) and dance by the legendary Bob Fosse.

Shannon Kaiser Jewel is directing the Oberlin production with Denise Gula, artistic director of Ohio Dance Theater, as choreographer. MAD* teacher Joey Rizzolo OC '98 is technical director and Sarah Wolfman Robichaud OC '01 is music director.

"We chose Pippin as our first full-length production," says MAD* Director Sharon Anderson, "because, as the story of an adolescent's journey to adulthood, it is a great showcase for the amazing amount of talent we currently have in our students and staff, especially as we enter our 10th year of providing quality programming in music, arts, and drama for the youth of Lorain County."

The tongue-in-cheek story of the young son of the 8th-century King Charlemagne, who seeks to "find himself" through adventures in war, love, faith, and domesticity, Pippin will feature more than 15 performers from Oberlin, Firelands, Elyria, and Vermilion.

Among them are a number of MAD* alumni, teachers and teens, including Cameron Michalak, who will portray the title role. A junior at Firelands High School, Michalak is a seasoned performer and veteran of numerous community theater productions throughout northeastern Ohio. He has been a MAD* Factory student for six years.

Anderson relates two interesting side notes: Oberlin residents Ursula Stechow and her daughter Nicki Memmott have a personal connection to the historical figures depicted in the musical: both are direct descendants of Charlemagne. In the cast is Stefan Kitakis, age 8, grandson of Oberlin resident Molly Anderson. Each summer he travels from his home in Athens, Greece, to his grandmother's and times his visits to coincide with MAD* arts camp; this is his fourth year in the summer program.

The role of Leading Player will be taken by MAD* teacher Nicholas Sweeney '00 and that of Charlemagne by Richard Anderson, associate professor of singing in the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He and Sharon are among the founders of MAD* Factory.

Also in the cast are Jimmie Looney of Vermilion, and Oberlin residents Glenn Gall, Dan D'Agostino and Sara Schaefer Jones. Looney is a veteran community theater actress and a longtime member of Workshop Players. A MAD* parent, Gall is a Gilbert & Sullivan and Baroque Performance Institute performer.

D'Agostino has been with MAD* Factory for eight years and was chosen last fall to take part in Second City's Cleveland comedy improvisation workshop. Schaefer Jones also is serving as stage manager for the production.

Performing with them are Rachael Endrizzi and Tristan Gargiulo of Elyria High School, Theresa Stumphauzer of Firelands High School, Caitlin Michalak and Karli Worden of South Amherst Middle School, Dan D'Agostino and Sara Schaefer Jones, and Oberlin College students Wolfman-Robichaud, Glenn Gall, Rosa Hyde '02, and Tyrone Rogers '03.

Media Contact: Betty Gabrielli 7/20/00 #3 bg