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Michele Volansky is Associate Professor of Drama at Washington College. In addition to her role as the Conference Dramaturg and Associate Artist for the annual PlayPenn New Play Development Conference, she has worked at the Atlantic Theatre Company, the Arden Theater, Azuka Theatre Collective, 1812 Productions, Theatre Exile/Act 2 Playhouse, Victory Gardens, and Next Theatre. Volansky also served on the artistic staffs at Actors Theatre of Louisville (1992-95), Steppenwolf Theatre Company (1995-2000) and Philadelphia Theatre Company (2000-2004). In her career, she has worked on over 150 new and established plays, including the Broadway productions of Buried Child and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as well as plays that have been produced in theaters across the United States and Europe. She is the 1999 inaugural recipient of the Elliot Hayes Award for Dramaturgy and is a past President of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Her book on playwriting and collaboration, co-written with Bruce Graham and entitled The Collaborative Playwright, was published by Heinemann Press in March 2007. She is also a doctoral student at the University of Hull (England), writing about the critics Kenneth Tynan and Frank Rich. |
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Rick DesRochers is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Long Island University CW Post, and an Associate Artist at the PlayPenn New Play Development Conference of Philadelphia. He has served as the Literary Director for the Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and The Goodman Theatre of Chicago. Prior to his tenure at The Public Theater, he was the Artistic Director of the New Theater of Boston for six seasons, where he produced and directed over fifty new plays and musicals. Rick has published articles on theatre history and theory for such publications as The Drama Review (TDR), The Journal of Popular Culture, TheatreForum, and the Mid-Atlantic Almanack. He is a member of the Society for Stage Directors and Choreographers, and in New York City he has been director and dramaturg for several theater companies including the New York Music Theatre Festival, the Public Theater, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Circle Repertory Theatre/Circle East, Young Playwrights' Inc., Rude Mechanicals, and for regional theaters across the country including The Playwrights' Center of Minneapolis, The Goodman Theatre, PlayPenn Theatre Conference, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Boston Center for the Arts, and Chicago Dramatists, as well as internationally for The Soho Theatre of London. DesRochers has taught in theatre departments across the country including the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program, New School University, Emerson College, and the Chicago Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in stage direction and dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and is currently a Level II Ph.D. candidate in Theatre at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. email: rickdesrochers63@gmail.com |
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Karyn Lyman (Consulting Director of Development) has worked across the country in the nonprofit theatre for the past 12 years. Prior to consulting with PlayPenn and other nonprofit arts organizations, Karyn was Managing Director of Philadelphia's Lantern Theater Company (2005-2009), where she helped to build the company's administration and advance its marketing and development activities. She also served as Associate Managing Director at Yale Repertory Theatre, and previously held positions in management and marketing at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven. Karyn has chaired the Promotions and Awareness Committee of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, where she has been a Board member since 2006. She received her BA in English from Barnard College and her MFA in Theatre Management from the Yale School of Drama.
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Tom is excited for his 1st summer with PlayPenn. He recently completed his 9th season as Stage Manager for 1812 Productions. Favorite shows there include: This is the Week That Is (all 5), Cherry Bomb, Suburban Love Songs, The Four of Us, Bat Boy: The Musical, Like Crazy Like Wow, and An Evening Without Woody Allen (in which he performed). Tom has also stage managed for Theatre Exile, People’s Light & Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Barnstormers Theatre (NH), Act II Playhouse. He has also worked for Opera Company of Philadelphia, Hartford Stage Company, Azuka Theatre Collective, and Boarshead Theatre (MI). |
 Sarah Mantell Director of Educational Programs |
Sarah Mantell (Director of Educational Programs) is also a Philadelphia-based dramaturg and illustrator. She has worked with People's Light & Theatre Company, Magic Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Applied Mechanics, University of Rochester International Theatre Program, and Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Her short plays have been read at PlayPenn and Geva Theatre Center and she was a finalist for the Heideman Award. She earned her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. Email Sarah at classes@playpenn.org |
 P Seth Bauer Intern Playwright instructor |
P Seth Bauer is thrilled to be back at Playpenn. Seth was named one of the "People of the Year" for making a significant impact on the New York theatre. Plays include The Karma Cookie, Early in the Mourning, Over the Line, Dahlia, Iphegenia, The Umbrella Play, and The Burglar of Suburbia. They are published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Smith & Krause, and New York Theatre Experience. Current Projects include Leading Lady, a musical commissioned by UARTS; The Station, a co-written TV series at Temple; a "Choose your own Adventure" for Luna; an adaptation of Hansel & Gretel for Drilling Company, and an adaptation of Dahlia to film. Iphegenia just performed in Berlin at Theatre 89 and The Attractive Women on the Train was just re-published in "Best Short Plays of 2010". He teaches playwriting at UARTS and University of Pennsylvania. |
 Seth Rozin Casting |
Seth Rozin (Casting Director) co-founded InterAct Theatre Company in 1988, and has since served as Producing Artistic Director. He has directed over 50 productions for InterAct, including Kristoffer Diaz' The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Best Director, Philadelphia Weekly in 2010), Israel Horovitz's Lebensraum (1999 Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Overall Production and Outstanding Ensemble), It's All True (2001 Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Overall Production), and Permanent Collection (2004 Barrymore nomination for Outstanding Overall Production). He has twice been named "Best Director" by the Philadelphia Inquirer for the world premiere of Thomas Gibbons' 6221 in 1993 and for Lebensraum. Other notable productions with InterAct include the world premieres of Gibbons' BEE-LUTHER-HATCHEE and Black Russian, the world premiere of Larry Loebell's House, Divided, and the regional premieres of Skin in Flames, Nixon's Nixon, Lonely Planet and God's Country. Seth has also directed for the Fountain Theatre (Los Angeles), Blue Heron Theatre and the 45th Street Theatre (New York), as well as regionally with Act II Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights and the University of Pennsylvania. Seth is the author of six plays, including MEN OF STONE, MISSING LINK, Reinventing Eden, Black Gold and Two Jews Walk Into a War…, as well as the book, music and lyrics for A
Passing Wind, which will be featured in the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts at the Kimmel Center this coming April. He is the recipient of two fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the 2007 Smith Prize, a commission from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture and two Barrymore Award nominations. He has served on the Boards of the Women's Theatre Festival, Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, New Paradise Laboratories, Fresh Visions Youth Theatre, and the National New Play Network (for which he served as President from 2002-2006). |
 Debbie Fleischman Publicist |
A partner at Fleischman Gerber & Associates, Deborah K. Fleischman has been hailed by Philadelphia Magazine as “one of the city’s leading arts publicists.” She has served a variety of performing arts organizations such as the Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, and the Curtis Institute of Music. She has provided marketing services for a tenth anniversary season, regional music and film festivals, world and American theatre premieres, a U.S. debut concert, several national touring productions of Broadway shows, a record album, and the inaugural season of a national music theatre festival. She has been an Adjunct Professor teaching graduate level courses in Marketing and Public Relations at both Drexel University and Rosemont College.
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2011 Conference Staff |
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 Hal Brooks Director |
Hal Brooks is the Associate Artistic Director at the Ojai Playwrights
Conference. He directed the Obie winning NO CHILD...by Nilaja Sun
(NYC, National tour, as well as Edinburgh and Ireland). He also
directed the world premiere of Pulitzer Finalist Will Eno's THOM PAIN.
Hal has developed new work at Ojai, The Public, PlayPenn, Sundance
Theatre Lab, Clubbed Thumb and other theaters. A Drama League Fellow
and member of LCTDL, Hal was a recipient of the 2007-09 NEA TCG Career
Development Program for Directors. Last fall, he was an adjunct
professor at Yale College. This is his third year at PlayPenn. |
 Jackson Gay Director |
Jackson Gay - Upcoming: 3C by David Adjmi (Rattlestick); Fallow by Ken Lin (People's
Light & Theatre Company); A Little Journey (The Mint); Red (Alley
Theatre). Recent credits include: Sam Mark's Light Years to the
Delling Shore (2011 Sundance Theater Institute at Banff, Canada);
Tracy Letts' August: Osage County and Kenneth Lin’s Intelligence-Slave |
Ed Sobel Director |
Edward Sobel is happy to return to PlayPenn, where he previously directed Arden Kass’ Appetite. Ed is the Associate Artistic Director of the Arden Theatre. Previously, he was the Director of New Play Development at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, overseeing the development of some 40 new plays into production, including Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner August: Osage County, and Pulitzer finalists Man From Nebraska and Red Light Winter. Recent directing credits include Superior Donuts at the Arden and Cadillac at Chicago Dramatists (5 Joseph Jefferson award nominations, including Best Director and Best Production). Ed created and was program director of the FIRST LOOK REPERTORY OF NEW WORK, for which he received the Elliott Hayes award from the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas for outstanding contribution to the field. He is currently on the faculty at Temple University. |
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Casey Stangl has directed for theaters across the county including South Coast Repertory, The Guthrie Theater, Denver Center Theatre Company, Actors’ Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Portland Stage, HERE in New York, The Jungle Theater in Minneapolis and Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Casey was the founding artistic director of Eye of the Storm Theatre in Minneapolis, a company devoted to new work and for which she was named Minnesota Artist of the Year. Now based in Los Angeles Casey works frequently with the Falcon Theater, Ensemble Studio Theater-LA, Antaeus Company and Pacific Resident Theater. |
 Lucie Tiberghien Director |
Lucie Tiberghien (Director and translator) As director, Lucie has worked extensively with emerging and established playwrights. She has directed world premieres of plays by Craig Wright, Lee Blessing, Katori Hall, Stephen Belber for the Humana Festival, The Rattlestick theater, The Cherry Lane theater, The Labyrinth Theater Company and Contemporary America Theater Festival, among others. She has developed new plays by JT Rogers, Bess Wohl, Katori Hall, Stephen Belber, Tracy Thorne, Lee Blessing at Sundance, PlayPenn, the LARK, the BRIC, The Ojai Playwriting Conference and New Dramatist, The New Group. She has also directed often at Juilliard, most recently BOSTON MARRIAGE, by David Mamet and in 2009, THE MISANTHROPE. Lucie has translated many plays, including Véronique Olmi’s Mathilde, Jean Luc Lagarce's Only the end of the world and Stephen Belber's Tape and finally, Match, which just enjoyed a 3 months run at Le Théâtre de la Madeleine in Paris. Lucie is French. She moved to NY in 1995. She has a degree in political science/international studies from Webster University in Geneva, Switzerland. |
 Daniella Topol Director |
Daniella Topol's recent productions include the world premieres of: Rajiv Joseph’s Monster at the Door (Alley Theatre), Willy Holtzman’s The Morini Strad (City Theatre), Janet Allard and Niko Tsakalakos’ Pool Boy (Barrington Stage), Sheila Callaghan’s Lascivious Something (Women’s Project/Cherry Lane). Upcoming world premieres: Adriana Sevan’s Night Over Erzinga (Golden Thread/Lark), Carla Ching's Sugar House at the Edge of the Wilderness (Ma-Yi Theatre), Catherine Treischmann's How the World Began (Women's Project), and Stefanie Zadravec’s The Electric Baby (Quantum Theatre). Daniella is thrilled to be back in Philadelphia after directing Stretch for People’s Light last season. |
 Carrie Chapter Dramaturg |
Carrie Chapter is currently the Literary Manager and Dramaturg at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Since graduating from Villanova University with an M.A. in Theatre, she has freelanced with workshops and productions at The O’Neill Theatre Center, Philadelphia Theatre Company, PlayPenn, Playwrights Horizons, Primary Stages, Geva Theatre Center, Inis Nua Theatre Company, and Temple University. A proud member of LMDA. |
 R.N. Sandberg Dramaturg |
R. N. Sandberg has dramaturged or directed new works by Lewis Black, Len Jenkin, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Jon Klein, Ed Shockley, Wendy Wasserstein, Y York and others. He has had plays commissioned, developed or produced by theaters such as American Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Intiman, Kennedy Center, La Mama, McCarter, New York Music Theatre Festival, Passage Theatre Company, Providence Black Rep, Provincetown Playhouse, Seattle Children’s Theater and Seattle Rep. His plays are published by Dramatic Publishing Company and Playscripts. He teaches playwriting, dramatic literature and acting at Princeton University and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Philadelphia Dramatists Center. |
 Rebecca Wright Dramaturg |
Rebecca Wright is a director and dramaturg. Her directing credits include IN A DAUGHTER'S EYES at InterAct, THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Arcadia University, SHIFT/TRANSFER at First Person Raw and the Philadelphia Micro-Fest, and LOVE JERRY at Nice People Theatre Company. She also co-creates installation performance pieces with her company Applied Mechanics, most recently the Philadelphia Fringe Festival hit, PORTMANTEAU, which has toured to Texas and New England. As a dramaturg, she has worked with Sean Lewis, Larry Loebell, Arden Kass, Elaine Romero, and Aditi Kapil, among others. Rebecca holds an MA in Performance and Culture from the University of London. |
 Dominic Chacon Lighting and Sound Technician |
Dominic was born and raised in Dixon Illinois and attended the University of Iowa where he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Lighting and Sound design. He attended Graduate School at Temple University where he received his Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre Design. This season he has designed lights for Drexel University, Walnut Street Theatre Studio 3, Juniata College, Center City Opera, Temple University and Assisted Lighting Design for Miss Saigon at the Walnut Street Theatre. He is also the resident Lighting Designer for Drexel Dance Ensemble and the new Fresh Dance. He has designed for Theatre, Dance and Opera for the past 10 years. |
 Dirk Durossette Set Designer |
Dirk Durossette has been designing scenery and teaching stagecraft, design, and drawing and rendering for the theater for the past 10 years in and around the Philadelphia region. He has designed over 100 plays, operas, and musicals including several Philadelphia and world premiers. He has designed for Amaryllis Theater Company, Azuka Theater, Act II Playhouse (Any Given Monday-World Premier), Enchantment Theater Company (National Tour-Harold and the Purple Crayon), Theater Exile, 1812 Productions (First Day of School-Philadelphia Premier), Freedom Theater Flashpoint Theater, InterAct Theater Company, Lantern Theater (Barrymore Nomination- Skylight), Luna Theater, New City Stage Company, Painted Bird Productions (A Few Small Repairs-World Premier), Theater Horizon, The Wilma Theater ( Leaving Associate Designer-American Premier), Temple Theaters, Temple Opera Theater, University of the Arts, Burlington County College (NJ), Drexel University, Peabody Institute (Baltimore), West Chester University, Villanova University. He teaches design at Temple University, The University of the Arts, and Villanova University. M.F.A Temple University. |
 Robert Kaplowitz Sound Design |
Robert Kaplowitz (Sound Design – The Electric Baby) developed a dramaturgical approach to sound design during his summers creating the sound design program at the O'Neill Playwright's Conference ('00-'04). As a result, he's had the privilege to write music or create sound designs for hundreds of new plays. He has received an Obie award for Sustained Excellence for the '06-'07 season, and a Tony Award for Fela! This is his 3rd summer with PlayPenn (Etched In Skin on a Sunlit Night and Hum in ‘10, and 410 Gone, Appetite and Ghost-Writer in ’09). Locally, he has designed for The Arden, Interact, PLTC, Elastic Theatre and Act II; other credits include Lincoln Center, England’s National Theatre, The Public, MTC, and Sundance; he’s married to a former John Deere Catalog Model whom he loves, along with his son Niall, more than any work he's ever done. |
 Gregory Scott Miller Lighting and Sound Technician |
For most of the past decade, Greg has been master electrician at The People's Light & Theatre Company, where he has also designed lighting for The Master Builder, The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Glass Menagerie, Absence, and The Foreigner. For part of the preceding decade, he could be found skulking about the groves of academe studying and teaching literature and writing. For the last few years, Greg has enjoyed spending part of the summer at PlayPenn. |
 David O'Connor Projection Designer |
David O'Connor is a multi-disciplinary theater artist and teacher. For PlayPenn, David directed last summer's workshop of Hum by Nick Wardigo. He has directed and/or designed for the Arden, the Lantern, Act II, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Hedgerow, Enchantment, and Temple University, where he is an adjunct in the Theatre Department. He is proud father to Zach, and lucky husband to Karyn Lyman. dmoc325@gmail.com. |
 Daniel Perelstein Sound Designer |
Daniel Perelstein is a freelance sound designer, composer, and musical director in Philadelphia. Recent and upcoming designs include productions with Wilma Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, Kimmel Center, Flashpoint Theatre, Azuka Theatre, Lantern Theatre, Theatre Horizon, Inis Nua Theatre, Berserker Residents, Nice People Theatre, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation, Shakespeare in Clark Park, and Commonwealth Classic Theatre. He has been fortunate to work with and learn from other prominent designers and composers including Pavel Fajt, Troy Herion, Chas Marsh, Andrew Nelson, Rob Kaplowitz, Christopher Colucci, and especially Nick Kourtides. Education: B.S. Engineering, B.A. Music, Swarthmore College. Hear samples at www.danielperelstein.com. |
 Thom Weaver Lighting Designer |
Thom Weaver – Third season with PlayPenn. Designs in the area include: Arden, Wilma, People's Light, Theatre Exile, Azuka, Curtis Opera, Delaware Theatre Company, 1812, Lantern, and Flashpoint Theatre Company, where he is the Artistic Director. Other theatre credits include: Teller's Play Dead in New York, Cal Shakes, Theatre J, Virginia Stage, Children’s Theatre Company, CENTERSTAGE, Folger Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Hangar Theatre, Signature Theater Company, Berkshire Opera, Lincoln Center Institute, Lincoln Center Festival, York Theatre, Summer Play Festival, 37 ARTS, Spoleto Festival USA, City Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and Yale Rep. Awards include 6 Barrymore nominations, 2010 Helen Hayes Nomination, and the 2007 AUDELCO Award for King Hedley II, Signature Theatre. He is on the selection panel of the McKnight Fellowship for emerging writers, and a member of Wingspace Design Group. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale. |
 Stephanie Cook Stage Manager |
Stephanie Cook is excited to be back for another summer with PlayPenn. A past Walnut Street Theatre apprentice, she has most recently worked with Arden Theatre Company and Theatre Horizon. Favorite credits include Something Intangible, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. She is grateful for the opportunity and sends love and thanks to Colin, and her family. |
 Sarah Rowland Stage Manager |
Sarah Rowland is thrilled to be working at PlayPenn for her 2nd summer. She just finished a second year at George Street Playhouse as Stage Manager for their Educational Tour. Sarah has also worked at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Pennsylvania Centre Stage. She earned her BFA in Stage Management from The Pennsylvania State University. Sarah would like to thank everyone at PlayPenn and her family! |
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Patricia G. Sabato is happy to be a part of Playpenn! She has just finished a season at People's Light & Theatre Company and has had the honor of working for many venues of the vibrant Philadelphia theater community. Pat is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and serves on the AEA Liaison Committee for the Philadelphia Region. She and her husband Edmund live in Downingtown and are the delighted parents of Christina, Kathryn, Jessica and Daniel. |
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 Ryan Hudak Intern |
Ryan Hudak is so happy to be able to work with PlayPenn this summer! Ryan will be a senior BFA acting major at Long Island University in September and is looking forward to hopefully working in many aspects of the business after graduation. He would like to thank everyone at PlayPenn and Rick for giving him this opportunity. He would like to also thank his parents for continuing to push him to pursue what he loves in life. |
 Adriana Lopez Villarreal Intern |
Adriana Lopez Villarreal hails from the great state of Texas and the beautiful border city of El Paso! She is a rising senior at the University of the Arts with hopes of receiving her degree in Directing, Playwriting, and Production with a focus in Directing and Dramaturgy. Adriana has recently made her directing debut this past January with a student written piece, Wing Man. She also assistant directed in UArts productions of Blue Monster, The Crucible and The Seagull. Currently she is working on her senior project, a devised piece that has sparked her interest in playwriting. |
 Maggie Matthews Intern |
Maggie Matthews is a senior Drama major at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. In her time there she has had some valuable experience with new play work: after only a year of working as stage manager and in other crew positions, she was chosen by a rising senior to direct a playwriting thesis her junior year. A year of revisions and conversations later, Maggie directed the world premiere Maggie Farrell's Conversations With God in April. For her senior thesis she will be directing former PlayPenn conference playwright Jennifer Haley's Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom in the Spring of 2012. She can't wait to watch and learn from the conference this July!
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Erlina is delighted to be a part of PlayPenn's 2011 Conference! She is
excited to be entering her last year at Temple University where she
studies all aspects of Theatre with a concentration in Acting. Erlina
has been a part of many productions at Temple both on stage and
backstage, and recently had the pleasure to house manage right here at |
 Emilie Samuelsen Intern |
Emilie Samuelsen recently graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees: a BFA in Theatre Directing and a BA in English. Having been active in both the University's mainstage realm and its student-theatre scene, Emilie packs a diverse arsenal of skills including directing, designing, playwriting, stage managing, and acting. Recent credits include directing Self Defense by Carson Kreitzer and Emilie's senior directing thesis Tender by Nicki Bloom. Emilie spent last summer in the town of Spangereid, Norway where she interned on a production for the Agder Theatre. |
 Meghan Sharer Intern |
Meghan Sharer is a freelance stage manager and dramaturg who has most recently worked with The John Beasley and Brigit Saint Brigit Theaters. She is a founding member of Quo Vadimus Arts and a graduate of New York University and the Central School of Speech and Drama. Meghan loves to travel and has been lucky enough to work in England, Scotland and Rwanda as well as the U.S. |
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Erlina Ortiz
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