Culture
OUL Adjunct Professor’s Play Chosen for NYC Festival
By: Cheri Russo
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A play by an Ohio University Lancaster adjunct professor has been chosen for the New York New Works Festival in New York City. Robert Cooperman’s The Flower Stand will be rehearsed in Columbus and taken to Manhattan in mid-August.
“The play is about a young lady (Elisa) who sells flowers and believes she knows all about people based on the flowers they buy,” said Cooperman. “One customer, Mr. Goldberg, baffles her as she cannot settle on a reason why he buys a daily bouquet. The play is about Elisa’s efforts to determine why Mr. Goldberg buys his bouquets–and how often she is completely wrong.”
The New York New Works Festival is a competitive showcase, and all productions will be judged by theater professionals. There will be an initial performance followed by possible performances in semi-final and final rounds.
“I have been wanting to send my plays out to competitions for some time now and picked this festival because it is prestigious, and it was free to enter,” said Cooperman. “It’s a true honor to have it selected.”
Cooperman teaches English and Theatre classes at Ohio University Lancaster. Last school year, Cooperman was selected by students as the Adjunct Professor of the Year. Cooperman said there is a wonderful message in the play for all who attend.
“We all inhabit the same general world yet are often only in our own private universe,” said Cooperman. “People who believe they know another person based on superficialities are often wrong. Young people don’t know all they think they do.”
Cooperman hopes the young people in his classes at OUL learn something about perseverance by watching him go through this festival experience.
“I hope students learn that you should not fear putting your work out there; that you should prepare for rejection; that there is no age limit on pursuing a writing career,” said Cooperman.