By John Benson | May 13, 2021
The Cleveland Play House may have been dark for the majority of 2020, but its creative light was burning bright as the brains trust mapped a path for future productions.
Specifically, the company was moving ahead with its New Ground Theatre Festival, which over the last decade and a half has encouraged and celebrated new contemporary plays told from a diverse array of voices and perspectives.
“Developing these new plays for the New Ground Theatre Festival has definitely been a bright spot during this year of not being able to make in-person plays,” said Laura Kepley, Cleveland Play House artistic director. “These plays are some of the best playwright writing right now.- Advertisement –
“Some have Cleveland connections; some are brand-new to Cleveland Play House. The irony is a lot of these writers are still writing for Netflix, Amazon and HBO. Actually, these writers had a very packed year. For many of them, this has been the time they get to think and imagine live theater as opposed to the other media that they’re writing for.”
Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Cleveland Play House is taking the virtual route this year, providing audiences with a two-part New Ground Theatre Festival on May 15 under the theme “Mapping New Ground.”
It includes a pre-recorded event at 4 p.m, as well as a livestreamed conversation at 7:30 p.m. Both programs will be available on demand after the fact.
The online offering features play excerpts written by five playwrights — George Brant, Vichet Chum, Jessica Dickey, Chelsea Marcantel and Charly Evon Simpson — commissioned through the Cleveland Play House’s Roe Green Fund for New American Plays.
“The idea of this cycle of commissions (was) creating plays inspired by Cleveland’s past, present and future,” Kepley said. “It’s just so exciting to see these plays brought to life. Online audiences are going to get a sampling from all five plays.
“They’re going to get to meet the playwrights, hear about their inspirations. For three of the plays we have actors performing excerpts.”
For George Brant’s “Crooked River Burning” — which is based on Mark Winegardner’s novel and includes stories about Alan Freed, Dorothy Fuldheim and Carl Stokes — audiences will hear a monologue.
Regarding “The Ghost Tour,” playwright Jessica Dickey will perform an excerpt about the play inspired in part by the Variety Theatre on Lorain Avenue. The other live performance involves Vichet Chum’s “Liébling” and will feature a two-actor scene.
“Here’s something really unusual and different: We’re going to have a playwright, Chelsea Marcantel, and an actor doing a tarot card reading, which ties into her play ‘Lake Erie Oubliette,’ about Cleveland’s spiritualism past and present,” Kepley said.
“Then the playwright Charly Evon Simpson takes us on a recorded walking tour through a cemetery talking about her play “I’m Back Now” that looks at three generations of an African-American family in Cleveland.”
The diversity of voices is quintessential New Ground Festival, with new plays acting as the lifeblood of theater.
“This is so essential to not just Cleveland theater but American theater because these are plays — when you write about something very specific, it takes on universal qualities — that will go on to have a life around the country,” Kepley said.
“New Ground is the incubator — it’s the place where artists can experiment and the audience plays a critical role in this because their reactions are shaping and influencing the final draft that the writers will be creating.”
As far as getting back to in-person performances, Cleveland Play House announced earlier this week the company will be returning to the Allen Theatre, with the announcement of a full season coming June 25.
“We’re thrilled to come back next season and tell stories that uplift, hope and provide pathways to recovery and renewal,” Kepley said.
Tickets to “Mapping New Ground” are a pay-what-you-can affair starting at $5 and are available exclusively at clevelandplayhouse.com.
