Creative TeamDirector: Dane CT Leasure^
Stage Manager: Patrick Lee Johnson* Scenic Designer: Brian C. Seckfort Costume Designer: Irene Mack-Shaffer Sound Designer: Hazen Tobar Lighting Designer: James K. Davis Intimacy Director: Julia Fisher Playwright: Eric Mansfield Content Warning This show has depictions of PTSD in regards to war scenarios and situations that some viewers may find uncomfortable. |
SynopsisRay and Kate Strong were high school sweethearts in Ohio. After graduation, Ray joined the Army, and Kate followed him as his training progressed. While they have been talking about marriage for several years, their wedding plans were sped up when Ray was mobilized for the Iraq invasion. Hours before Ray boarded a plane for the war, they were married in the post chapel in a hasty ceremony and no family present. It is nine months later when the play opens with Kate alone in their military apartment. She has been counting down the final days for Ray's return home when she hears a news report of an attack at Ray's base camp, Camp Freedom. Unable to get information about whether Ray is dead or alive, Kate fears the worst. This love story crescendos with sharp feelings, dramatic moments, and even some comedic levity all while draped in the constant uncertainty of whether Ray is already dead.
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This playwright is a member of the
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Eric Mansfield - Playwright
Eric Mansfield - Playwright
Eric Mansfield is a U.S. Army veteran with service in Iraq, Honduras, Hurricane Katrina and state emergencies during his 20-year career with the Ohio Army National Guard. A retired Major, Eric continues to serve the Army representing soldiers, families and veterans in the Buckeye state with his appointment from the Pentagon as the Civilian Assistant to the Secretary of the Army - Ohio (North). Eric is a career storyteller with 20+ years as a professional journalist, most at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, which included three regional Emmy Awards and honors from the Associated Press, Cleveland Press Club and others. Eric began writing plays about five years ago, and his full-length play Love in Reserve, which chronicles the challenges of military couples who are separated during wartime, was named a national semi-finalist by Arts in the Armed Forces and will see its world premiere at Rubber City Theatre in Akron, Ohio in spring 2021. Eric has written dozens of stage plays, and in 2021 joined more than 500 international playwrights from 50+ countries in each crafting 28 plays in 28 days for the Literal Challenge. While Eric has already earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Dayton and an M.A. in Public Relations from Kent State University, he is now seeking his M.F.A. in Creative Writing - Playwriting from Kent State. He currently serves as Assistant Vice President, Content Strategy and Communications, at Kent State. |
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Paige Felger*Paige Felger is a New York City and Northeast Ohio based actress, writer and producer. She graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in drama. Locally, you may have seen Paige in Shakespeare at the Castle’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), The Taming of the Shrew (Bianca), and Much Ado About Nothing (Hero). In NYC, Paige co-produced and starred in a women-led production of Independence (Sherry) which was nominated for a New York Innovative Theater Award. When Paige isn’t acting on stage, she’s acting in her closet - recording audiobooks for listeners everywhere, including Time of the Marked Souls: Equivocal and numerous children’s books. Paige is thrilled to be performing in northeast Ohio again (thanks so much RCT!) where her love of performing first began. Paige sends her love to all the local educators, family and friends who have supported her and her dreams. Go Browns! www.paigefelger.com
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Christian AchkarChristian attended Bowling Green State University on the Eva Marie Saint Scholarship for “Exceptional Talent in Acting” and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Film. In 2016 he was awarded an “Excellence in Acting” by the OCTA Regional for his performance as Versati in The Underpants. This is Christian’s 2nd appearance on
the Rubber City Stage. He was cast as James Larrabee in Sherlock Holmes the Final Adventure in 2019. Other notable roles include, Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire (Brecksville Theater), Mortimer Brewster, Arsenic and Old Lace (Hudson Players) and George Tracy, Goodbye Charlie (CVLT). |
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Lysander Mills - Army Officer/UnderstudyLysander is very excited to be a part of the world premier for Love in Reserve. Lysander is a recent graduate from the University of Akron but has tackled projects such as playing Arturo Ui is in the Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Wadsworth in Clue, Peck in How I Learned to Drive, Conrad in Stupid F--cking Bird, and most recently directing The 39 Steps. He is currently a Teaching Apprentice at Rubber City Theatre and is happy to be back on their stage. He would like to dedicate his performance to Nonna, Trevor, Bea, and Borko (his dog).
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*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Rubber City Theatre, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
** Actors' Equity Membership Candidate.
^Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
** Actors' Equity Membership Candidate.
^Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
Actors' Equity Association (“Equity"), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks
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