*A Tribute to Ron Newell, by Joyce Casey*
Our tumultuous world has lost a genuine human being, a supremely endowed artist who was kind, modest, always a gentleman, a hard working life traveler who cared passionately about his wife, Mimi; about our world, about his friends; about the theatre; and about his beloved dogs. Ron was the ultimate theatre professional excelling as an actor, director, scenic designer, and set builder. The only theatre aspect in which he did not excel was hubris. He could have easily been employed by the professional theatres in town but rather, I feel, Ron preferred the adventuresome, communal aspect of the smaller developing theaters in Cleveland. The legendary Claque Playhouse was his prime artistic home, we were honored and enriched that Ron considered Dobama Theatre his “eastside home”. Our basement theatre had the lowest ceiling in town, was the noisiest thanks to a series of bars above us, and, I am sure, the smallest, most ill-equipped backstage area. Add to that the fact that Dobama, at that time, was a totally volunteer organization living on the financial edge. It was a nightmare scenario for a theatre professional. We were blessed when Ron Newell first descended Dobama Theatre’s decrepit back stairway as a cast member in a Don Robertson play in the mid 70’s, and decided to become a member of the Dobama Company. The sets that Ron designed and built staggered our imagination, and so beautifully supported and articulated the life of each production.
Dobama Theatre had a tradition of ending each season with a free production. After the death of Marilyn Bianchi, Dobama initiated the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival which became our free theatre event. We did not have funds for staging these winning plays. I was amazed and charmed by the creative wonderful set pieces that Ron Newell designed and built, with existing materials, for each of these plays. I cannot think of another designer who would place such value on the work of a 2nd or 3rd grade student.
The artistic quality of Dobama Theatre was also enhanced by Ron Newell as actor, and director. Ron’s “method” was initiated by an in-depth study of the script accompanied by a respect for the intent of the playwright. He was then able to delve into his own rich emotional life to find passage to the life of a character and the vision of the playwright. Ron was not a “solo” actor, but rather enhanced his characterizations by relating, in an intimate manner, to the characters built by the actors who shared his stage. Ron, as director, had great respect for his actors. He was timely, and always prepared. Moreover, he trusted his actors, often willing to incorporate their instincts and ideas into the developing production.
Ron Newell was a critical architect in building the reputation of Dobama Theatre. His work enhanced our artistic expressions. His respect for all artists illuminated and furthered Dobama Theatre’s motto of “love & respect”.