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The Art of Engagement, Part 1: Cleveland Play House

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Engagement programs, like Cleveland Play House's Gen.NOW series, give audience members unique social experiences while learning more about the shows and theatres in Cleveland. Pictured: Mattie Hawkinson, Rob McClure and Lise Bruneau, part of The Game's Afoot cast, at the Gen.NOW pre-show happy hour.

Considering how much it interests me now, I’m sometimes surprised that it wasn’t until I was about to head off to college that the theatre bug bit me. I had enjoyed seeing plays and musicals as a child and had performed in a couple of shows like a lot of kids with an overactive imagination, but it wasn’t until an experience at the very end of high school that I found how enriching the performing arts can be.

When I was trying to decide on colleges, I spent the weekend at La Salle University with a senior who was involved in their theatre program. She took me on a tour of the theatre before curtain went up on opening night. I met the cast and crew and got to experience the behind-the-scene workings.

It was this experience, and my fascination with how much went on backstage, that started my engagement in the arts – leading me to get involved in productions during college and for a few years after graduation.  And even though I don’t work in theatre anymore, I still look for opportunities to go beyond what I see onstage to learn and further my experience.

When I moved here, I was happy to discover Cleveland’s theatres offer a variety of engagement programs to enrich my experience as an audience member - from learning more about the show’s history to how the production fits within the Cleveland community.

It’s easy to take advantage of these programs — most of which are free. Usually it’s as easy as knowing what each theatre offers and when.

Because I feel these off-stage programs have made my Cleveland theatre-going experiences more fulfilling, I’m going to take a look over the next month at the different ways Cleveland theatres get their audience members engaged.  I hope you find something you like and have a chance to check some of these offerings out.

I’m starting things off with the Cleveland Play House.

ClevelandPlayHouse.com

CPH’s move downtown this Fall was not the only change America’s first regional theatre made to further engage and enrich audiences during their 2011-2012 season. Last Spring, they hired Corey Atkins for a brand new position - Artistic Associate - Engagement.

As one of only two positions like it in the country, Atkins’ Engagement role is unique because it is not a marketing position, but an artistic one. The purpose is to create new relationships through engagement events and build upon the experience of current audiences through enrichment programs – regardless of whether someone purchases a ticket.

Their new downtown theatres - like the Second Stage pictured here - weren't the only changes CPH made this season to further engage audiences.

When I spoke with Atkins last week, he shared that one of the changes he made right away was to evolve the already-existing pre- and post-show talks into a conversational format — as more of an audience forum than a lecture. Although CPH staff may facilitate the conversation, guests are able — and encouraged — to openly share their opinions and experiences.

I saw this openness first-hand when I attended a pre-show conversation for The Game’s Afoot and we learned detailed history about the Gillette mansion from an audience member who had visited it.

If you can make it to the show early, these half-hour pre-show conversations start 45 minutes before every performance. The post-show discussions take place after the second Tuesday and final three Sunday performances. Both are free with your ticket to the show and allow you to connect with the people that are involved in the production and continue the dialogue that was started on stage.

Also new this season, CPH has introduced comprehensive Play Guides and a Reading Club for further insight into each play.

The play guide for Ten Chimneys, their latest production, features profiles on the real-life theatre legends that the play is based off of, as well as a history of American theatre and an interview with a Case Western Reserve University/CPH Master of Fine Arts student who is in the production. If you’re planning on attending the show, it’s a great read.

For $10, the Cleveland Play House Reading Club provides audience members with a copy of the script and discussion questions four weeks prior to the show. Then when they see the show, audience members can engage in a lively discussion with the artistic staff and other audience members about the production. The best part is that Reading Club members can bring along any family or friends for free to the discussion.

Gen.NOW, night.OUT! and College Night @ CPH are all part of this season's new SHOW+ programming.

In addition to fostering a deeper relationship with their current audiences through these enrichment programs, CPH is also building new audiences by giving the community more reasons to check them out.

Their new SHOW+ programs introduce younger and more diverse audiences to CPH as a social experience. While the show is always the focus, SHOW+ guests get to also enjoy a pre- or post-show party. These happy hour parties feature food and drink where guests can interact with one another and meet the actors and CPH staff, while enjoying a special discounted ticket price.

Just like their move downtown, the SHOW+ program reflects CPH’s dedication to contemporary theatre and contemporary audiences by reaching out to community members that have been absent in the past and are necessary to keep the theatre growing.

For instance, the Gen.NOW and College Night @ CPH programs target young and engaged Clevelanders and college students, respectively – encouraging them to explore downtown restaurants and bars and socialize with one another in a creative, fun atmosphere. Plus, they get to enjoy the show at a price that fits their budget.

The next Gen.NOW and College nights take place April 24 and May 1, respectively, during In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play. The discount code for Gen.NOW is “NOW” and college students are able to take advantage of CPH’s student discount.

I am a huge fan of CPH’s third SHOW+ program because it was created to engage with another under-served audience – the LGBT community and friends. night.OUT! focuses on providing a friendly environment for socializing and networking with a happy hour and show costing only $25.

After the success of their first night.OUT!, the Jan. 19th performance for Ten Chimneys is nearly sold out.

The next night.OUT! on Jan. 19th will feature a pre-show party at The Wyndham’s Blue Bar with free appetizers and drink specials, followed by a performance of Ten Chimneys.  CPH will also offer a night.OUT! event on April 19th for In the Next Room (discount code: OUTCPH).

For each of the SHOW+ events, CPH incorporates a creative activity to encourage guests to step out of their comfort zones and meet new people. For instance, during The Game’s Afoot Gen.NOW event, audience members were given a slip with either a Question or Answer on it when they arrived. If they found the matching clue among the other guests, they were entered in a raffle for tickets to a future show.

The growth and success of the SHOW+ events so far have demonstrated the need for programs like this within Cleveland. Individuals and Cleveland young professional groups have helped the Gen.NOW program triple in attendance between The Life of Galileo and The Game’s Afoot. 

Similarly, night.OUT! has been so popular that online tickets for the Ten Chimneys event are sold out. CPH is reserving a block of tickets for the January 19th performance that are available by phone on Jan. 17 only. Details about this special block of tickets are available here.

Ten Chimneys, playing on the brand new Second Stage until Feb. 5, will also feature other community engagement programs, such as a special discussion for University Hospital outpatients and their families with actress Mariette Hartley.

Hartley, who is not just famous for her theatre experience, but also as the former host of the CBS Morning Program and the author of Breaking the Silence, will lead a conversation on emotional and mental health while sharing her own journey and struggles.

Additionally, Ten Chimneys actress Jordan Baker will run a workshop on the business of acting for CSU and Case students – reflecting the play’s theme of balancing an onstage and offstage life.

Events such as these reinforce the notion that plays and artists can make a ripple not just on stage, but within the broader community as well.

CPH staff, crew and cast members are often involved in each show's audience engagement programs. Pictured here: Gail Rastorfer, Mariette Hartley, and Jordan Baker in CPH's current production - Ten Chimneys. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni.

As they look at the success of this year, CPH is looking ahead to next season’s engagement goals. Building on the success of night.OUT! and Gen.NOW, Atkins hopes to create more ethnically and culturally diverse programs. They also will closely examine how the work that is produced more directly connects with different parts of the city.

The Cleveland Play House is just one great example of how Cleveland theatres are making more of an effort to engage the community and build awareness within the region. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be spotlighting other examples in a series of posts titled “The Art of Engagement”. Next up – Gordon Square Arts District’s Near West Theatre.

Many thanks to Corey Atkins for sitting down with me to discuss Cleveland Play House’s audience engagement programs. All images are courtesy of Cleveland Play House.

The Game's Afoot for the Holidays at the Cleveland Play House

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Ken Ludwig's "The Game's Afoot (or Holmes for the Holidays)," directed by Aaron Posner, is on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, now - December 24, 2011.

A triple murder and assassination attempt may not be the first things that come to mind when I think about the holidays. However, the world premiere of Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot (or Holmes for the Holidays) at Cleveland Play House is a hilarious, quirky and thrilling alternative to your standard holiday entertainment.

The Game’s Afoot opens with a performance of one of William Gillette’s famous Sherlock Holmes adaptations. As the cast takes their bows and the playwright-slash-actor wishes the audience a happy holiday, a gun rings out in the theatre and Gillette is shot.

Not one to let an assassination attempt ruin his holidays, Gillette gathers his co-stars to his lavish Connecticut mansion for a Christmas Eve celebration. 

After tragedy strikes again, Gillette picks up the curved pipe (which - thanks to him – would become synonymous with the character) and sets to work solving the crime as only Sherlock would do.

The Cleveland Play House’s holiday production is a world premiere. Written by Ken Ludwig (of Lend me a Tenor fame), The Game’s Afoot is inspired by the real life William Gillette – the man who brought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective from page to stage, paving the way for the likes of Basil Rathbone, Robert Downey Jr. and many other actors.

Random Sherlock Holmes trivia: it was Gillette – not Sir Arthur - that we can thank for the origins of the phrase “Elementary, my dear Watson” after he wrote “Oh, this is elementary, my dear fellow.”

William Gillette (Donald Sage Mackay in The Game's Afoot) is famous for portraying "Sherlock Holmes" on stage. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni.

In addition to being a renowned actor, writer, producer and inventor, Gillette was also a bit of an eccentric – much like the character he performed on stage 1300 times. With the money from his productions, Gillette built his retirement home, what is now called “Gillette’s Castle” in East Haddam, Connecticut.

The twenty four room stone mansion was considered by some as his greatest creation; others called it “Gillette’s folly.” From the hand-carved puzzle locks on the outside of all the doors to a 3 mile train track that runs throughout the house to a mirrored surveillance system that allowed Gillette to monitor what was going on at any point in the mansion, I think it sounds amazing and Scott and I already plan to visit it when we’re in Connecticut for a wedding this April.  

Cleveland has the distinct honor of originating this play. Over the course of the play’s rehersal period in Cleveland, Ludwig penned 9 versions of the script, which after working with Director Aaron Posner, the cast, crew and staff of the Cleveland Play House, resulted in a hilarious sendup of murder mysteries that kept me guessing until the very last scene.  

William Gillette and his cast of "Sherlock Holmes" discover a clue. Pictured from left: Patricia Kilgarriff, Lise Bruneau, Eric Hissom, Donald Sage Mackay, Rob McClure, Mattie Hawkinson. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni.

While a lot of this success can be attributed to Ludwig’s well-honed script and Posner’s directing, much of the credit is due to the actors. 

It’s rare to be able to honestly say an entire production is perfectly cast. Many times there’s at least one actor who may have a mis-step or not shine as brightly as the others. However, in Game’s Afoot, every single actor who steps on the stage seems custom fit for their role.

Donald Sage Mackey has the difficulty of portraying the larger than life William Gillette as he bounces between his own real life idiosyncracies and the persona of his Sherlock Holmes role. 

While those many levels can be a daunting task for an actor, Mackey accomplishes this without turning his portrayal into a caricature. 

He walks the line of creative eccentric and paranoid madman. Although he was the protagonist of the play, I’ll admit there were a few moments where I questioned even his innocence.

Murder most foul! Aggie (right, Mattie Hawkinson) screams when Daria (Erika Rolfsrud) grabs her in "The Game's Afoot." Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni.

That was really one of the things I loved about the cast in this play.  Each actor did such a great job of balancing laugh-out-loud levity with subtle moments of menace that no one is above suspicion in the madcap murder mystery.

Eric Hissom and Lise Bruneau play Felix and Madge Geisel, veteran actors and long-time friends of Gillette. You’re often left wondering, though, whether their trouble in paradise is enough to lead to murder or if Felix has taken too much to his onstage role of the conniving Moriarty.

Mattie Hawkinson plays Aggie Wheeler — the young ingenue of Gillette’s acting troupe and an unfortunate widow after her husband’s skiing accident. And Rob McClure plays the bumbling Simon Bright, the helpful friend-turned-lover to Aggie, who was there to pick up the pieces after her husband died. Is their bright-eyed innocence all an act or are they just pawns in someone else’s game? (insert melodramatic sound cue here!)

And then you can’t forget Erika Rolfsrud’s Daria Chase (the vindictive, and slightly crazy, theatre critic that Gillette invites to his house for an interview); Patricia Kilgarriff’s Martha Gillette (Gillette’s loving, overprotective and slightly crazy mother); and Sarah Day’s Inspector Harriet Goring (the theatre-obsessed – and yes, slightly crazy – detective called to the house to investigate a crime).

William Gillette (left, Donald Sage Mackay) takes on his "Sherlock Holmes" persona when trying to solve the mystery with Inspector Goring (Sarah Day). Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni.

While there were rightfully a lot of moments of over-the-top comedy, the writing, direction and acting managed to also get plenty of laughs from its quieter turns.  I think I laughed the hardest at McClure’s reactions to Daria Chase’s seance skills – without any words he had me in stitches.    

Also, if you’re a fan of mystery tropes, watching Inspector Goring – a Miss Marple-esque ”lady detective” complete with the tweed outfit and flighty demeanor – pair up with the Holmes-obsessed Gillette was a dream come true.  As Scott called it, the loving parody was the “Shaun of the Dead of murder mysteries.”  

With all of this love for the acting, I don’t want to downplay the technical aspects of the production. Because the play is set in Gillette’s famous mansion, the designer Daniel Conway and all of the scenic artists had a huge undertaking in front of them. In fact, this is one of those instances where the setting becomes its own character with all of its hidden passageways and nuances.

I think that the audience reaction on opening night says enough about how beautifully the final product turned out. As the curtains opened on the fully realized interior of Gillette’s house, a gasp of awe followed by a long applause erupted from everyone.

The set is the largest seen on a CPH stage in over a decade. They replicated the beautiful stonework  and wood beams, Gillette’s many disguised rooms and endearingly bizarre touches.

The magnificent set of Gillette's castle wowed the audience at Cleveland Play House's The Games Afoot. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni.

The Game’s Afoot is the perfect gift for the holidays. Not only is it a fantastically fun night out at the theatre (with enough seasonal overtones to qualify it as holiday fare), but also, as a world premiere, future productions will have Cleveland Play House’s name on it as the first place it played.

It’s something we can be proud of as a city and another reminder why Cleveland’s arts are one of our greatest gifts.  

Due to its popularity, the run for The Game’s Afoot has been extended until December 24th. Purchase tickets here for all performances. 

Young professionals can also take advantage of the Cleveland Play House’s Gen.NOW series tomorrow Dec. 6. For $20, Clevelanders in their 20s and 30s can get a ticket to the show, admission to a pre-show happy hour with free heavy appetizers and 1/2 price drink specials, and an after-show discussion with the cast.

Happy Homicide!

The Game’s Afoot / The Cleveland Play House 411:

Disclosure: I was provided 2 media passes to see The Game’s Afoot; however, my opinions on the production are 100% my own

Cleveland Play House's Life of Galileo

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The Life of Galileo runs until October 9 at the Cleveland Play House's Allen Theatre

With a $32 million “Power of 3″ fundraising campaign and a renovation project that’s been going on for a year, Cleveland Play House opened its doors to the public this month with Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo.

A couple days before seeing the show last week, I got to take a look at the newly renovated Allen Theatre during our PlayhouseSquare Partners meeting. I’d read a lot about the renovation over the last year so I knew a few of things to expect (for one, how they had transformed a cavernous theatre into a very intimate space), but I was still blown away. 

I think what most impressed was how well the theatre balances the new and the old — still respecting the old architecture and not harming or touching it, while creating a sleek lobby and instituting modern amenities and tech in the performance space. I think this balance is most clearly seen by how the acoustic panels on the ceiling and perforated metal panels along the wall adjust the acoustics of the room but still allow you to admire the Allen’s ornate decorative plasterwork and murals.

The Life of Galileo examines the later part of Galileo's life (played by Paul Whitworth) as his scientific discoveries fly in the face of religious dogma and politics. (Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni)

For its first show in their new space, the Cleveland Play House made a fitting choice with Brecht’s The Life of Galileo because it really showcased the capabilities of the new space.

The Life of Galileo focuses on the later part of Galileo’s life from his “discovery” of the telescope through his persecution and house arrest (with some liberties taken with his personal life – especially regarding Galileo’s daughter). Brecht himself witnessed and experienced political persecution during WWII and the Cold War, and to an extent his opposition to certain parties can be seen in the play’s discussions of dogma and the debate over whether someone should stand their ground in the face of oppression.

While staying true to the text and ideas of the work, the Play House contemporized the production through modern dress and by linking the play’s themes to our current political and dogmatic landscape.

The sun at the center of this production’s universe was Paul Whitworth as Galileo Galilei. He played the same role when Director Michael Donald Edwards helmed the play at Asolo Repertory Theatre last year. Not only was he physically an amazing match for the philosopher and scientist, but his performance fully captured the dynamic, revolutionary genius of the Father of Modern Science and the flawed, overindulgent nature of the man.

The combination of Paul Whitworth's performance (left) and the beautiful production design made The Life of Galileo an ideal start to the Play House's new life in the Allen Theatre. (Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni)

Fittingly, the rest of the ensemble revolved around Whitworth like the planets around the sun – none of them shining as brightly, but nonethless complementing and supporting the actor’s performance, contributing to a very strong production.

I especially enjoyed Robert Ellis, Sheldon Best, Stephen Caffrey and Jeremy Kendall’s performances as they rallied around Galileo and then were ultimately devastated by his recantation, as well as Myra Lucretia Taylor and Kim Krane who played the women in his life (his housekeeper and daughter).

While Signora Sarti and Virginia Galilei’s devoutness to the Church may have conflicted with Galileo’s new theories, Taylor and Krane did an excellent job at demonstrating their characters’ unconditional dedication to him (even when his confrontation against the Church greatly impacts their own lives).

I was also happy to see that the Cleveland Play House brought the quality of production design I’ve always enjoyed to their new space. Although the stage started out completely stripped (a nice touch that allowed the audience see all the way to the back wall), it quickly filled as the cast entered.

Projections and a strong use of multimedia helped modernize the production and demonstrate its relevancy in our current political landscape. (Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni)

Instead of utilizing huge pieces to set the various scenes, the production went with a simpler approach using a couple of flats and furniture. This allowed the moments of surprising multimedia to be even more impressive. For instance, when Galileo is showing off the views of the planets and moons that can be seen through his telescope, beautiful projections of our moon, the Milky Way, and Jupiter’s orbiting moons suddenly appear in the background.

While a production may take a risk in implementing video and projections into a play (especially if it’s not done well), the Play House did an excellent job incorporating it. It made Galileo’s passionate descriptions of the skys even more splendid. And on the occasion when Brecht’s speeches on politics get a little overwhelming, there are a few extravagant moments (like the trippy rap sequence that parallels the play to current issues) which jar your attention and re-invigorate the action.

From the renovated audience space to the performances — and most definitely the production design, The Life of Galileo is an ideal beginning to the Cleveland Play House’s new life in the Allen Theatre.

The production is playing until October 9th and tickets can be purchased online or by calling 216-241-6000.

The Life of Galileo / The Cleveland Play House 411:

Disclosure: I was provided 2 media passes to see The Life of Galileo; however, my opinions on the production are 100% my own.