[NEohioPAL] Some Reflections: Cleveland Play House

Thu Apr 9 15:15:57 PDT 2009

Even when I last worked at the Play House, there was talk that the Cleveland Clinic might grow some day to consume the site. Of course, many hoped that would never happen. It will be such a shame to see the beautiful old theatres go--given their history for Cleveland as well as American Theatre as a whole. For those lucky enough to work in those spaces, the facility does have a magic and a charm that are not easily created by something new. You certainly feel a connection to great actors, designers, directors, and technicians who walked those halls, trod those boards, and applied make up in front of those old mirrors. It will be sad to see it go. Again we see this financial crisis being the tipping point for some many who have been dancing on the razor's edge for years and years. We all know of the Play House's financial woes, but they somehow managed to keep things together, even as one major corporate funder after another closed down or left Cleveland.

To answer the question below: A LORT Theatre can be of any size (conceivably). LORT stage categories ("B+", "B", "C", and "D") are determined by Rule 14 of the LORT-Equity Agreement.  For SSDC and USA, "C" stages are divided into two categories based on seating size (see Article III of the LORT-SSDC Agreement). "A+" stages are LORT stages that are Tony-eligible. Most try to be in the C category because the minimum salaries are lower. (Artists can always negotiate higher.) You can read more at http://lort.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

Ansley Valentine
Associate Professor
Co-Vice Chair, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region III
College of Wooster Film Studies Program Chair

The College of Wooster
Department of Theatre & Dance
1189 Beall Avenue
Wooster, OH 44691
330-263-2028 Office
330-347-1519 Cell Phone
330-263-2690 Fax
>>> Christopher Fortunato <learnedhand at live.com> 04/09/09 5:36 PM >>>

>From what I heard, the Cleveland Clinic had a map of the whole area they inhabit and the map did not even have the Playhouse there, but a new building of their choosing on it.  This surprised Playhouse people at a Clinic meeting several years back.

It's difficult for the Playhouse to run their operations out of their current place due to the cost of running just the physical building.

>From what the article said, they would have a 500 seat theatre.  Is that enough for regional theatre or should it be larger?  What do the LORT theatre seating capacities comprise?  So, the Allen will have to broken up, but they can keep it's very beautiful lobby.  

The Playhouse was not always in the Drury space.  It was elsewhere before the 20s.  And, at one time, it used to play in the roundish church at Euclid and 77th, a former Christian Science church, I believe.

I have beautiful memories of attending the old Drury during school for morning performances.  Once, I saw Ray Walston as Trissotin in "The Learned Ladies".  Those Playhouse performances motivated me to study acting.  And I am happy I have been on the stage of the Brooks and the Baxter.  

I hope the Playhouse has made its decisions carefully and will be better served down at Playhouse Square IF that is what they want to do.

From: bkristy at mindspring.com
To: neohiopal at listserve.com; rmatthewsjackson at yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 12:42:47 -0500
Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL] Cleveland Play House set to move downtown

Hi NEopal,

I have very mixed feelings about this. It's sad to think about no more great theatre at that complex. I have seen many a great performance there, always an eclectic mix of offerings. The architecture inside and out is indeed very fine, even the warmth and quaintness of the Brooks theater.

However, in these tough times, if it comes down to not surviving as an institution or moving, I feel moving is the way to go. On the upside, if the article is to be believed, a host of new spaces and technologies would be available to the Playhouse to allow them to continue entertaining the community. The Allen theater has been horribly underused since it's restoration and this plan would remedy that problem. There are a great many folks out there who are unaware of what they're missing at the Playhouse because it's located out of the main entertainment area of Cleveland. With more and more great attractions downtown, I think the Playhouse would benefit from a wider audience base. I know they've been trying for awhile, with ticket specials and other marketing, to attract a more diverse audience and moving to Playhouse Square would help that goal.

I do hope the new owner of the property would retain the building and repurpose it. Cleveland Clinic I'm betting will snatch it up, as it adjoins their property and they are ever-expanding. (See related article on the demise of the Cleveland Podiatric College.)

Beverly Kristy
440 487 6698
bkristy at mindspring.com
http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/beverlykristy

>Have you read today's front page of The Plain Dealer?  

>What are your feelings on the sale, on the move of The Cleveland Play House?  

>What affect does this have on Theatre in Cleveland?  

>How does this move affect the Arts community and our relationship with Cleveland Clinic Foundation?  

>How does "The Clinic" support the Arts?

>Will "this 12-acre tract and its 295,000 square foot complex designed by superstar architect Phillip Johnson" be leveled into a parking facility?

>What are your questions? 

>How do you feel as a local artist, thespian?

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.asp?fpVname=OH_CPD&ref_pge=gal&b_pge=1

Renee Matthews-Jackson
~poet/playwright/actor/instructor/director

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