<html><body><p style="mso-line-height-alt:18.0pt"><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN">John & Abigail Adams letters provide focus of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b></span></p><p style="mso-line-height-alt:18.0pt"><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">A Marriage of True Minds</i> at Schenectady Civic Players </span></b></span></p>
<p style="mso-line-height-alt:18.0pt"><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:22.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b></span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN">SCHENECTADY – The letters of John and Abigail Adams,
written to each other during the American Revolution, <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>provide the focus for the Revolutionary love
story, <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">A Marriage of True Minds</i>,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>a
play by Martin P. Kelly scheduled for one special performance <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 pm at Schenectady
Civic Players, 12 So. Church St. Schenectady.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span></span></b></span><span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:
14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"></b></span></span></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span style="mso-tab-count:
1"> </span>Over a period of ten years, 1774 to 1784, the height of the
American Revolution, John and Abigail wrote more than eleven hundred letters
that still exist today. Author and playwright Martin P. Kelly searched through
more than 200 of their letters.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He
excerpted their actual words, compressed five years of time and space, and wove
a brief portrayal of this magnificent couple</span></b><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:
115%;mso-ansi-language:EN"> </span></b></span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style='font-size:14.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-ansi-language:EN'>The
play reflects at least 95% of their actual words.</span></b></span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-ansi-language:EN"> </span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>During
those ten years, future president John Adams -- as a member of the American
Congress, as a leader in writing the Declaration of lndependence -- spent
almost seven years separated from his wife, Abigail, while conducting the
business of forming a new government. </span></b></p>
<p><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
mso-ansi-language:EN'><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">A Marriage of True Minds</i> features Bill
Hickman (as John Adams) and Rita Russell (as Abigail Adams) who have performed
the play throughout the Capital Region and the Northeast<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>including <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>the Adams’ birthplace and home of Quincy,
Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'></span></b></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#333333"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>All
proceeds from this performance benefit Schenectady Civic Players’ Centennial
Fund. The $15 </span></b><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN">general
admission ticket includes a complementary post-performance dessert reception in
the Green Room.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Open seating. Purchase
tickets in advance on-line at </span></b></span><a href="http://www.civicplayers.org/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN">www.civicplayers.org</span></b></a><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN"> </span></b></span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN;text-decoration:none;text-underline:
none"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b></span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN">Or at the door before
performance.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:18.0pt"><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN"># # # # # # # # # </span></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;line-height:18.0pt"><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN">(NOTE: Attached photo shows
Bill Hickman and Rita Russell (as John & Abigail Adams) </span></i></b></span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></i></b></span></p></body></html>