A marketing and communications professional from Kent State University is taking the reins as executive director of Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland.
“It's an ambition that I've been working toward for a good part of my career,” said Brian Barasch. The Cincinnati native takes the helm of the Playhouse Square-based company on Nov. 2.
His background in arts management began with summer internships at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company while studying at DePaul University in Chicago. His work in the Windy City includes roles at the Victory Gardens Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and DePaul’s School of Music. Transitioning to education-related marketing roles is “wholly different, but in many ways similar.”
“When you're in the world of the performing arts, you're always concerned about attracting new audiences and retaining existing audiences,” he said. “There's a clear parallel when it comes to both middle school and also higher education. You're trying to attract new students and retain those students. So, from a marketing perspective, at least in my mind, I was able to see a lot of clear parallels between the world of the performing arts and the world of education.”
After almost two decades in Chicago, he and his wife, a Solon native, returned to Ohio in 2022. Barasch then joined Kent State University’s College of Arts and Sciences as director of external affairs and communications.
“Truly wonderful people here: Great colleagues, a great institution,” he said. “There's something bittersweet about leaving, but at the same time, deeply, deeply excited about moving on and going to Great Lakes.”
Having worked in theater, music, dance, visual arts and education, Barasch said, “I think all of those things come together and ground me a little bit and give me a little bit of a broader perspective.”
He said he’s planning to build on the strategic planning of current artistic director, Sara Bruner, as well as their respective predecessors: Charles Fee and Robert Taylor.
“We're certainly living through a challenging moment for the performing arts,” he said. “Every time we see a theater company or a dance company announce that they're closing their doors, it's really challenging. Great Lakes is on solid financial footing. For me, what I really want to do early on is to build on that sustainability piece, which is squarely part of the existing strategic plan. Do a bit of an audit of where things are currently and figure out where we can grow with earned revenue and contributed revenue.”
Robert Taylor joined Great Lakes in 2000 and was executive director from 2003-23. His direct successor, Richard Parison, abruptly resigned after just a few weeks last fall. Neither Parison or Great Lakes has commented on the departure. In August, Parison also resigned a few months into his role as arts director for the city of Mesa, Arizona.
The latest hiring at Great Lakes Theater is one of several changes in Playhouse Square over the past two years. Playhouse Square has welcomed a new CEO as well as new leadership at several resident companies: Cleveland Ballet, the Cleveland International Film Festival and Cleveland Play House.
“I think this is just part of the natural cyclical change in leadership,” Barasch said. “There's certainly challenges when there's turnover of leadership, but I think there also exists a lot of great opportunity… being able to build new relationships, collaborate with new peers.”
Great Lakes Theater was founded in 1962. Its first director, Arthur Lithgow, father of actor John Lithgow, directed Shakespeare Under the Stars productions in the 1950s throughout Northeast Ohio. The troupe sought a permanent space in the early ‘60s after visiting venues ranging from Stan Hywet Hall in Akron to the Toledo Zoo. At the same time, Lakewood Board of Education President Dorothy Teare led a group of citizens seeking summer activities for the Lakewood Civic Auditorium. The two factions combined to create what was then called the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, premiering with "As You Like It" on July 11, 1962.
The company moved to the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square in 1982 and the Hanna Theatre in 2008. Notable alumni include Tom Hanks, Ruby Dee, Olympia Dukakis, Cloris Leachman and Larry Linville.
