Browse Interviews

In this 2006 interview, James Levin, a founder of Cleveland Public Theater, talks about his early life in Cleveland, especially his love of the Arts-- even while attending law school in Cleveland. In 1979, upon graduating from law school, he moved to New York to become an actor. His experiences in New York, including acting at Cafe La MaMa, inspired him to return to Cleveland in the early 1980s to create a theater for the Cleveland public. While working as a lawyer during the day, he and…

Dean Gladden, Managing Director of the Cleveland Playhouse, describes the operations and history of the Cleveland Playhouse, including information about specific performances and collaborations with other theaters.

Elizabeth Bohn, while Pennsylvania born, grew up in Bowling Green, Ohio. She recalls what it was like in that town, especially what she did for fun. She then went to Oberlin College where she spent time after she graduated and returned there to work. After a stint in Kentucky and again at Oberlin, she found her way to Cleveland where she worked on several projects like bussing, helping with a special education project, and work for WVIZ. After work, Bohn would indulge in all of the cultural…

Peter Lawson Jones, a Cleveland native, is a member of the Board of Directors at Karamu House and also the Event Manager for the Karamu House Hall of Fame. Jones shares about how he became involved with Karamu House after working in the political sphere of Washington, D.C. He also discusses the significance of the institution Cleveland, and what he predicts for the future of the institution.

Dorothy Silver, a Detroit native, describes what drew her to Cleveland. She says that Cleveland was calling her because it was "receptive to various changes that needed to be made." She and her husband began used the theater as a stage to talk about desegregation. She discusses interracial shows at the time of the Hough Riots in 1966. She also discusses fair housing and mixed neighborhoods. She found it surprising that in her experience the people of Cleveland Heights were generally accepting.

George Fitzpatrick recalls his unique experiences working in Cleveland area theatres, and within Coventry.

John Hemsath provides an in-depth retrospective of the history and evolution of Cleveland's Playhouse Square. Beginning with Vaudeville and spanning through the ongoing renovations and present, most subjects that relate to the theater are touched upon. However, a majority of the discussion revolves around issues pertaining to restoration and revitalization of the various theaters.

In this 2005 interview, Thomas Rathburn, a native Clevelander and accountant, describes his history as a theater volunteer since the mid 1960s, especially his experiences since 1988 as a volunteer tour guide for Cleveland Playhouse Square. Mr. Rathburn is a Baldwin-Wallace graduate, and studied theater as a graduate student at Bowling Green State University. Mr. Rathburn tells stories about the history of Playhouse Square, including how the play Jacque Brell is alive and well in Paris saved…