Thanks to a story this week in Cincinnati's Inquirer, AAPEX got recognized for the first time as being a "new national" organization seeking to bring African-American playwrights and playwrights of the African-American experience together and getting their work read and produced.

Writer Jackie Demaline's story focused on Greg Stallworth, one of AAPEX's original members. He wants Greater Cincinnati to see more work by African-American theater artists and, through his company Emerald Entertainment, is making it happen by bringing eight readings of original plays by AAPEX members to the area in the coming year.

"I believe this will be an avenue to get more Greater Cincinnati African-Americans involved in the arts," says Stallworth.

The first AAPEX reading will be this Saturday at 3p.m. of the play "The Family Line," by Cleveland playwright (and Cuyahoga County Commissioner) Peter Lawson Jones. The play deals with a happily married couple's struggle when they learn she can't have children, says Stallworth. Admission is just $5.

At 7:30 p.m., Stallworth's one-act comedy "Eve in Paradise" will be a fundraiser for Helping Young Mothers Mentor, a mentoring and advocacy group for pregnant teens. In "Eve," a retired postal worker looks for love in the classifieds and gets hooked by a con artist. Admission is $20. Call 513-867-5348 or visit online at http://www.fairfield-city.org/. The arts center is located at 411 Wessel Drive, Fairfield.

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