Cleveland Public Theatre Begins 20th Season
Between now and the first week of June, the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood will seldom experience a weekend without something interesting happening onstage at Cleveland Public Theatre. So there, all you naysayers who thought last spring’s hiatus was the prelude to the organization’s total collapse.
Over here at the offices of Mama Says, we’ve been big fans of CPT for just about half of that two decade history. But I must say, the upcoming season does strike me as being even more packed with must-sees than usual. Let’s take a little look at the program for this fall, for instance.
On stage through October 11 is WAIT!, a “poignant new comedy” by Julie Jensen that tells the story of a turning-point summer in the life of UPS driver Wendy Burger. This may be an introspective start to the new season: Wendy gets involved in trying to save a decaying theatre, has her first encounter with the extreme culture of theatre people, and is ultimately empowered by performance.
Opening October 17 and running through November 8 is Discordia, a new musical comedy “about war, death and lower taxes” by James Levin and Linda Eisenstein. Drawing on the Arthurian legend of the innocent Percival’s quest for the Holy Grail, Discordia is peopled with greedy barons, hawkish knights, and a king who’s manipulated by his handlers.
On Saturday, October 18, producers Neil Chastain and Santina Protopapa host the first installment of a season-long series of music events featuring jazz, hip-hop, world music and spoken word by regional artists. As of this printing, the acts to be featured on the first night hadn’t been announced. Check www.cptonline.org or call 216-631-2727 for late breaking information.
Jeffery Roberson is Varla Jean Merman, and Varla Jean is show business! She brings an all-new revue,
For pure convenience and a great bargain too, you can’t beat the CPT Art Pak. It’s five vouchers that can be used anytime. Just $60 — regular tickets run $15 to $20 depending on the show. Call the theater at 216-631-2727 to order an Art Pak.
Cleveland Public Theatre is located on the southeast corner of Detroit and West 65th. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3 pm (except Varla Jean, whose Sunday matinees start at 6 pm).