Cleveland Public Theater has announced its upcoming season, which picks up where it left off before the coronavirus pandemic.
The Gordon Square-based theater will present “Breakout Session (or Frogorse),” which examines the subject of police bias. It was slated to close the 2019-2020 season, before the pandemic. Now, it’s been updated by the playwright ahead of its return this October.
Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan says he’s excited to bring live audiences together again to experience plays which reflect the change happening in America.
“When you’re in the same room — there’s nothing like being in the same room. There’s nothing like sitting next to an audience member who doesn’t look like you, who doesn’t come from the same background as you, and you’re laughing at different moments in the show and you experience everything differently," Bobgan said.
“I’m proud of the whole Cleveland theater community. If you look at what our theaters are doing, from Cleveland Playhouse to Karamu to Dobama, our city is making incredible change. We have moved from, I think, a kind of stodgy theater community, that was doing very traditional shows, to [doing] adventurous shows that are doing a better job of representing what our country looks like [and] our city looks like,” he continued.
The 2021-22 season includes several pieces which were in the works before the pandemic, dealing with issues including reproductive rights and the Underground Railroad. And next year, the theater will present one production each from Cleveland’s Arabic- and Spanish-speaking communities. The upcoming season is preceded by the return of the annual Pandemonium event Sept. 18.
2021/22 CPT SEASON:
"BREAKOUT SESSION (OR FROGORSE)"
Runs Oct. 28 – Nov. 13.
Written by Nikkole Salter. Directed by Beth Wood.
"10 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT: 9 QUIRKY PLAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS"
Runs Dec. 2 – 18.
Directed by Caitlin Lewins. Short plays by local & national creators.
"TEST FLIGHT"
Winter 2022. James Levin Theatre.
A New Play Development series featuring works-in-progress by local & national artists.
"MASRAH CLEVELAND AL-ARABIمسرح كليفلاند العربي WINTER PRODUCTION"
Winter 2022. Created by the ensemble members of Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi مسرح كليفلاند العربي with Raymond Bobgan & Faye Hargate. Directed by Raymond Bobgan.
"PANTHER WOMEN: AN ARMY FOR THE LIBERATION"
Runs Feb. 4 – 26, 2022. Previews Feb. 4, 5, 10, 2022. Gordon Square Theatre.
Written & Directed by India Nicole Burton.
"DANCEWORKS 2022"
Winter 2022. James Levin Theatre.
Featuring Northeast Ohio choreographers.
"TEATRO PÚBLICO DE CLEVELAND (TPC) PRODUCTION"
Spring 2022. James Levin Theatre.
"HOW THE BABY DIED"
Runs March 18 – April 9, 2022. Previews March 18, 19, 24, 2022. Gordon Square Theatre.
Written by Tori Keenan-Zelt. Directed by Beth Wood.
"THE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND TRUE ADVENTURES OF MS. JOAN SOUTHGATE"
Runs April 22 – May 14, 2022. Previews May April 22, 23, 28, 2022. Gordon Square Theatre.
Written & Performed by Nina Domingue, 2019 Nord Family Foundation Playwright Fellow. Directed by Nathan Henry.
"CANDLELIGHT HYPOTHESIS"
Spring 2022.
Text by Raymond Bobgan, Candlelight Hypothesis jointly created by Raymond & Cleveland CORE Ensemble.
Directed by Raymond Bobgan.
"STATION HOPE 2022"
May 28, 2022. St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ohio City.
A Celebration of Hope. A Dialogue for Change.
