Cleveland Public Theatre Selects Obediya Jones-Darrell for the 2019/2020 Kulas Theatre Composer Initiative

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT)'s Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan is proud to announce the selection of local artist Obediya Jones-Darrell for the 2019/2020 Kulas Theatre Composer Initiative.

Inside CPT's commitment to cultivating new voices and providing new work development platforms for both experienced and emerging local artists, CPT's series of fellowship programs focus on the individual artist. Fellowships include mentorship by CPT's Executive Artistic Director, a financial award, and full underwriting of learning and artistic activities during the fellowship. For more information about CPT's fellowships, click here.

The Kulas Theatre Composer Initiative supports the artistic growth and development of composers with extraordinary potential. Fellows compose music and sound design for CPT season productions. The Kulas Theatre Composer Initiative is a nine-month fellowship that engages composers in a collaborative process under the guidance of the show producer and director to compose and produce original music for at least one full production in CPT's professional season.

OBEDIYA JONES-DARRELL (KULAS THEATRE COMPOSER FELLOW)

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Obediya Jones-Darrell is an award-winning playwright, music composer, and producer. With his diverse portfolio of theatrical productions, Obediya is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Across Canada, two of his full-cast radio plays won Outstanding Achievement in Creative Production (NCRA) 2012-2013 (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and 2013-2014 (Victoria, British Columbia) for his use of sound design. As a classically trained music composer, he is equally comfortable writing sheet music as he is making contemporary electro-acoustic music to score theatrical productions. As a film director, several of his music-themed award-winning short films are currently being screened in film festivals internationally. In March 2019, his short film "Energy" won Outstanding Music Video in Cleveland's Short. Sweet. Film Festival. Obediya was also selected as one of Canada's 20 Emerging Diverse filmmakers by Toronto's Reelworld Film Festival (2019).