May 9, 2009 — While colleges and universities nationwide are forced by the economy to cut back on a wide variety of arts programs, is moving forward with the inauguration of , a professional nonprofit theater company, whose productions will be admission free and family friendly.

Paul Moser, associate professor of theater and chair of Oberlin�s theater and dance program, is the founder of OTSF and producing artistic director. The Festival�s 2009 season � Tennessee Williams� The Glass Menagerie will open June 26, 2009 and William Shakespeare�s The Tempest on July 3 � with the generous support of Oberlin College President Marvin Krislov. The acting company and play selections will be racially and culturally inclusive to reflect the diversity of the Oberlin community.

�The Festival is bringing back a wonderful Oberlin tradition of presenting theater in the summer, free and open to the community. It is a great opportunity for people to see great works put on by Oberlin alums and current students," President Krislov says.

Performances will run in rotating repertory, Tuesdays thru Sundays, June 26th through July 18th, 2009 in the College�s Hall Auditorium.

To accommodate families, the curtain will raise at 7 p.m. for all evening performances, except those on Friday, when the plays will begin at 9 p.m. to allow those attending the evening band concerts in Tappan Square also to attend. To make attendance easier, especially for older audience members, and to allow out-of-town patrons the opportunity to see two shows on the same day, there will be 2 p.m. matinees on both Saturday and Sunday.

Moser sees the company�s mission as twofold. One is �to serve Lorain County and the larger northeastern Ohio community by presenting free productions of meaningful theater classics. The second is to develop �an outstanding intergenerational acting ensemble, composed mostly of Oberlin graduates, who will return to Oberlin each summer to collaborate with a community of like-minded professional artists.

In addition to main stage shows, other programming components will eventually include a late-night cabaret and a weeklong theater institute for area high school students. The Cabaret ensemble will consist of Oberlin College student interns, who will also assist with the institute.

The annual event also will be a star in the crown of Oberlin�s proposed Green Arts district and enhance the downtown art and business community. �The Summer Theater Festival is an excellent addition to summer in downtown Oberlin,� says Greg Tisher, director of Main Street Oberlin, Inc., �it is a great complement to other free, family-friendly summertime entertainment, including the Chalk Walk, the Family Fun Fair, and the Summer Concert Series on Tappan Square.�

For more information about the company, season, and dates, and directions to Oberlin, please visit the OSTF website at www.oberlin.edu/ostf.