Jimmy Noriega directs Under the Sycamores by Les Hunter for Cleveland Festival

Jimmy A. Noriega, associate professor of theatre and dance at the College of Wooster, directs the world premiere of Under the Sycamores, a play by Les Hunter. The play is a site-specific audio story that takes the listener through downtown Cleveland’s historic Erie Street Cemetery. This is the first commission from BorderLight International Theatre Festival and is co-produced by Radio on the Lake Theatre.

Under the Sycamores is a self-guided audio experience that invites the listener to choose their own path as they walk through the cemetery, which is located across from Progressive Field. Characters in the show include early European settlers, a Native American chief, an early African American civil rights leader, a famous Beat poet, and other figures from Erie Street’s 200-year history. The show runs from July 22-Sept. 30. For more information, and to purchase tickets (only $6), visit: https://www.borderlightcle.org/under-the-sycamores/.

“It was a tremendous experience working with professional actors from the Cleveland area as we rehearsed and went into the studio for the final recording of the show,” says Noriega. “Les Hunter’s fantastic script is an adventure into Cleveland’s past and will reveal several perspectives that are often omitted from discussions of the city’s history.”

The cast includes Leilani Barrett, Ray Caspio, Treva Offutt, and Robin Pease.The sound design for the show is by John Watts, Artistic Director & Co-Founder of Radio on the Lake Theatre. The Borderlight Festival will also feature over 30 virtual streaming fringe shows and interactive experimental works that will be available starting July 22. Find out more at www.borderlightcle.org.

Above: The cast of Under the Sycamores (Ray Caspio, Treva Offutt, Robin Pease and Leilani Barrett) with director Jimmy Noriega and playwright Les Hunter at Radio on the Lake Theatre’s recording studio.

Posted in News on July 14, 2021.