Cleveland theatre–a list of early winter theatre offerings–2011-12
Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)
It’s Cleveland, it’s going to be cold and snowy in the coming months. It’s a perfect time to go to live theatre and escape from all the stress. Here’s a partial list of what’s on the boards:
CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE
216-795-7000 or go to www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
January 13-February 5
Presented in CPH’s new Second Stage Theatre, Allen Theatre complex
TEN CHIMNEYS, a heart-warming backstage comedy
February 10-March 4, Allen Theatre
RADIO GOLF, the final chapter in August Wilson’s 10-play cycle chronicling African-American life in the 20th century
DOBAMA
216-932-3396 or dobama.org
February 24-March 18
MIDDLETOWN, Will Eno’s new comedy exploring the universe of a small American town
PLAYHOUSESQUARE
216-241-6000 or go to www.playhousesquare.org.
January 6, 7, 27, 28
14th Street Theatre
JOSHUA SETH’S BEYOND BELIEF: AN INTIMATE EVENING OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLUSION, mindreading, magic and hypnosis.
January 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
Kennedy’s down under
FLANAGAN’S WAKE, an interactive Irish wake which takes the audience to Ireland for an evening of tales, singings and mourning.
January 17-29
Palace Theatre
HAIR, revival of the peace and love era musical, featuring Aquarius, Starshine, nudity and adult subject matter.
January 28-29
INBAL PINTO & AVSHALOM POLLAK DANCE COMPANY, conceived by Israeli choreographer Inbal Pinto, includes circus-world wandering street acrobats and oddly beautiful creatures.
Beck Center
216-521-2540
February 3-March 4
SPRING AWAKENING, winner of 8 Tony Awards, is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 19th century German play that explores with poignancy and passion the turbulent journey from adolescence to adulthood. (Produced in cooperation with BW College’s Music Theatre Program.
Actor’s Summit
330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org.
January 19-February 5
BULLY, one actor portrays the life of Teddy Roosevelt!
CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
216-631-2727 or go on line to www.cptonline.org
January 5 – February 18
Big Box ’12, provides local artists with the opportunity to create and produce new work. includes eleven world premiere workshop showings of theatre, dance, music and genre-defying performances.
January 19 – February 4
At-TEN-tion Span, the 10-minute play series returns, exploring different themes of politics, love and personal struggle in innovative ways.
February 23-March 10
ANTEBELLUM, a provocative play that resonates with the entwining realities of Nazi cruelty and Hollywood dreams.
KARAMU THEATRE
216-795-7070
February 3-26
The Bluest Eye, Nobel Prize-Winning Toni Morrison’s story about the tragic life of a young black girl in 1940’s Ohio. (This production contains adult language and themes.)
LAKELAND THEATRE
Lakeland Community College
440-525-7526
ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, a Steven Sondheim musical about a fight to save a fictional bankrupt town.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE
216-321-2930
January 12-29
SONG FOR CORETTA, examines five fictional African American women who find laughter and hope while waiting in the rain to pay tribute to the recently deceased Coretta King.
February 2-9
LOWER NINTH, a play of exploration of faith, survival and mutual redemption which finds two men and a corpse stranded on a roof after Katrina.
