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CPT's Raymond Bobgan Elected President Of NNPN Board Of Directors

By: Jun. 29, 2018
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Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is proud to announce that the National New Play Network (NNPN), an alliance of professional theatres that collaborate in innovative ways to develop, produce, and extend the life of new plays, has appointed Raymond Bobgan, CPT Executive Artistic Director, as President of the Board of Directors. Raymond was elected to the Executive Committee in 2016 as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Raymond also served as Co-Chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee. Because of his work with the EDI Committee, Raymond became heavily involved in NNPN's strategic planning process, which will be completed in December 2018.

"It is an immense honor to be chosen to lead the board of this incredibly important organization - especially at a time of such incredible growth amidst a dynamic strategic planning process I believe will have an impact in the field for years to come," says Raymond Bobgan.

According to Jack Reuler, Artistic Director of Mixed Blood Theatre and former NNPN Co-President and Membership Chair, "It is an honor to have Raymond Bobgan become the next NNPN President. He is a visionary - for his organization, for NNPN, and for the field - who walks his talk better than anyone I know. He thrives at the intersection of good process, equity, and justice. This alliance is blessed to have a leader whose work ethic, values, and artistry are at a zenith. It is a win-win for NNPN and the American regional theatre movement."

"I can think of no one better to take the leadership role with the board at this crucial point in NNPN's evolution than Raymond Bobgan. After working with him for the last several years on NNPN and more recently on the Board of Theatre Communications Group, I know Raymond to be one of the most committed and thoughtful leaders in the field. He is never afraid to ask the hard questions or to challenge direction in order to ensure the organization is truly moving with positive momentum. His engagement on NNPN's current long-range planning committee made him the ideal choice to take the mantel of President of the Board. This is a time of great opportunity and with that, great risk for NNPN. I have full confidence in Raymond's ability to guide the organization through this critical juncture," says Rebecca Hopkins, Managing Director of Florida Studio Theatre and immediate past Co-President of NNPN.

Nan Barnett, Executive Director of NNPN added, "Raymond's impact on theatre in Cleveland has been profound, and this role will allow him to bring his talent and vision to the nation's new play ecology. NNPN, its Members, Affiliated Artists and Ambassadors, as well as the field, will benefit from his experience, and the Network is excited about its future under his leadership."

NNPN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (AS OF AUGUST 1, 2018)

Raymond Bobgan, Executive Artistic Director, Cleveland Public Theatre - President

Freddie Ashley, Artistic Director, Actor's Express (Atlanta) - Vice-President

Ann Filmer, Artistic Director, 16th Street Theater - Treasurer

Lyndsay Burch, Artistic Producer, B Street Theatre - Secretary

José González, Executive Director, Milagro

Bridget O'Leary, At Large, Literary Chair

Seth Rozin, Producing Artistic Director, InterAct Theatre Company

ABOUT NNPN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Each Core Member of NNPN appoints one of its staff leaders to the Board of Directors. A number of generous new-play fans from across the country serve in an at-large capacity. The full board meets twice each year; the executive committee meets quarterly. Learn more about the NNPN Board of Directors here: nnpn.org/about/board.

ABOUT NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK

National New Play Network (NNPN) is an alliance of professional theatres that collaborate in innovative ways to develop, produce, and extend the life of new plays. Since its founding in 1998, NNPN has supported more than 250 productions nationwide through its innovative National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program, which provides playwright and production support for new works at its Member theatres. Additional programs - its annual National Conference, National Showcase of New Plays, and MFA Playwrights' Workshop; the NNPN Annual and Smith Prize commissions; its residencies for playwrights, producers, and directors; and the organization's member-accessed Collaboration, Festival, and Travel banks and online information sessions - have helped cement the Network's position as a vital force in the new play landscape. NNPN also strives to pioneer, implement, and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize the way theatres collaborate to support new plays and playwrights. Its most recent project, the New Play Exchange, is changing the way playwrights share their work and how others discover it by providing immediate access to information on nearly 20,000 new plays by living writers. NNPN's 30 Core and 80 Associate Members - along with the more than 250 affiliated artists who are its alumni, the thousands of artists and artisans employed annually by its member theatres, and the hundreds of thousands of audience members who see its supported works each year - are creating the new American theatre. nnpn.org | newplayexchange.org

ABOUT Raymond Bobgan, CPT EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
This is Raymond Bobgan's 12th season in the leadership position at Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT). Raymond specializes in working through an ensemble process to create new performances that are bold, multilayered, and highly physical, and he has created over 30 works for the stage. Raymond's work has been seen in Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Raymond initiated the Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP), a job-training theatre program for low-income teens now in its 24th year, Y-Haven Theatre Project which engages formerly homeless men in writing and performing theatre - now in its 20th year, Teatro Publico de Cleveland, CPT's resident Latinx theatre company, and Station Hope, a community arts festival honoring Cleveland's heritage and exploring contemporary issues of social justice. Raymond is the founding director of the Cleveland Core Ensemble and is currently dedicating a majority of his creative work to this group. The Core's recent work, Red Ash Mosaic, played two successful runs in Cleveland and recently toured to New Orleans and Columbus. In 2018, Raymond received the prestigious Homer C. Wadsworth Leadership Award from the Cleveland Foundation. Raymond received the 2017 Cisgender Ally Award at Cleveland's Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Equality Ohio's 2015 Ally Award. He received the 2017 Governor's Award for the Arts in Ohio and in 2014 was the inaugural recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize in the discipline of Theatre. He currently serves on the Theatre Communications Group Board of Directors, and is the Chair of the Board of the Gordon Square Arts District C. I. C. Raymond is a two-time recipient of the Creative Workforce Fellowship (2010 for theatre, 2014 for music composition), a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.

ABOUT CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
Cleveland Public Theatre's mission is to raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking performances and life-changing education programs. CPT develops new, adventurous work, and nurtures Northeastern Ohio artists - particularly those whose work is inventive, intelligent, and socially conscious. CPT's acclaimed education programs engage underserved youth and adults in creating new works that speak to contemporary issues, and empower participants to work for positive change in the community. cptonline.org

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