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THE MEN AND WOMEN OF NEW STAGE COLLECTIVE'S THE FULL MONTY
TAKE IT ALL OFF IN NUDE CHARITY CALENDAR
FEATURING LOCKED-OUT WORKERS FROM MIDDLETOWN 'S AK STEEL

CINCINNATI , OH — Award-winning summer theatre organization New Stage Collective (NSC) is proud to announce a charity fundraiser of an intimate nature. Coinciding with NSC's upcoming production of The Full Monty , the men and women of the cast are joining forces with their real-life counterparts from the Armco Employees Independent Federation (AEIF) of Middletown to bare it all for a good cause.

New Stage Collective is publishing a new 18-month July '06 - December '07 calendar, “The Men and Women of The Full Monty STRIPPED: The Nude Charity Calendar.”

Taking inspiration from that other British film, Calendar Girls , NSC takes the idea of celebrating real people and their real bodies to a new level. As in that film, 18 cast members from The Full Monty appear in stylized, “in-character” nude photographs, with well-placed props covering certain unmentionables.

Also featured in each month is a photograph of the character's real-life counterpart – an inset photograph of a union member of AEIF, as well as a profile of fast facts about them.

Proceeds from calendar sales will not only benefit NSC, Cincinnati's newest award-winning professional theatre and non-profit organization, but 20% of the proceeds will go directly to Abilities First Foundation, a Middletown-based charity personally selected by the members of AEIF.

The idea of NSC charity calendar was born after a visit to the picket lines of AK Steel in March 2006 by the actors and director of The Full Monty for character research. NSC Producing Artistic Director Alan Patrick Kenny said, “Although The Full Monty is often known as a light and fun musical, the situations that the characters face are very real – working men losing their jobs, unable to support their families and being stripped of their very identity of who they are. These situations in The Full Monty are exactly what the union members of AK Steel are going through – life has truly imitated art, right in our own community! The men of AEIF are some of the most strong-willed individuals I've ever come across, and by featuring them in this calendar, I hope to raise awareness of this terrible situation and help their stories be heard, as well as give back to their community, which has been ravaged by this lockout.”

Brian C. Daley, President of the Armco Employees Independent Federation and the person who represents the 2,700 locked out union employees at the bargaining table, said, “AEIF has a long history of supporting Abilities First Foundation, and is proud to support them and the arts in this worthwhile project. Bottom line: this dispute is about our sick and elderly. Our men and women will stand strong in defense of those who cannot defend themselves.”

One of the union members featured in the calendar, 41-year-old furnace tender Jeff McCune, said, “This is a really fun way to do something for New Stage Collective, Abilities First, and ourselves. It's a way to laugh at our situation, and it's great to put a positive spin on what's happening here. I am proud to work here – we are the proven safest, highest quality, and most productive steel workers in the world, and we are proud to give something back. Many of our union brother's family members are greatly served by Abilities First. It's an organization close to our hearts and our community.”

The charity calendar features photography by Dan Davidson , NSC Resident Photographer and Core Company Member.

The 18-month “STRIPPED: The Nude Charity Calendar” will be available for $15 at performances of The Full Monty , at newstagecollective.com, and at the AEIF Union Hall in Middletown .

NSC's The Full Monty plays at the new KNOWTHEATRE at 1120 Jackson St . , Thursday-Saturday evenings June 29-July 22 at 8pm. Tickets are $20 General and $12 Students, and are available at newstagecollective.com or by calling 513.826.2060.

The Full Monty is licensed with permission of Music Theatre International.

For more information on the Armco Employees Independent Federation, visit www.aeifinc.com.

For more information on Abilities First Foundation, visit www.abilitiesfirst.org.