Boasting New ‘Comfy’ Seats, Blank Canvas Theatre Schedules Fun 2016 Benefit

Blank Canvas Stage View- SMALL

Sat 9/3 @ 7PM

 Currently in the middle of its fifth seasonBlank Canvas Theatre remains one of Cleveland’s more adventurous companies. Not only will the W. 80th venue produce classics such as its production of Glengarry Glen Ross last month, but theatergoers know they’ll also have the chance to see new shows such as Silence! The Musical, the parody of The Silence of the Lambs which appears next month.

And just like all theaters, with funding for the arts dwindling, there’s always a need to raise money. The Blank Canvas Theatre hosts its annual benefit Sat 9/3 at the Cleveland venue inside the 78th Street Studios. Raffle items range from restaurant gift cards, Playhouse Square tickets and Beck Center tickets to a movie basket, comedy show package and more.

CoolCleveland talked to founder/artistic directorPatrick Ciamacco about the benefit, the venue’s new comfortable seats and its future.

First of all, tell us about the upcoming benefit.

We do this once a year to help us basically plan and pay for rights for the following year. Any time we are planning the next season, we can’t announce the season until rights are paid in full. So this helps to put a small dent into that cost. Our rights for the year can average between $10,000 to $15,000, if not more. The benefit is $25, so you can see a great show with food and music.

What type of show will be presented at the benefit?

The benefit will focus on honoring the last five years that we’ve been in existence. So people who have just discovered us in the last year will be able to see vignettes from past musicals like Debbie Does Dallas, The Musical and Reefer Madness.

Earlier this year the Blank Canvas Theatre added new seating. How did that upgrade come about?

We stumbled on a Craigslist ad for theater seats. There was a movie theater in Willoughby that had about 3,000 seats they were just getting rid of. I contacted the contractor doing the renovation and we worked on a deal. I got them for free. It was just a lot of labor and a U-Haul for $700. We had volunteers help us. The seats are actually in really great condition. Now we offer the most comfortable seating in town. We went from metal ’70s seats to movie theater seats that are very roomy. So we’re constantly upgrading the space. Also, we built a brand-new lobby and we have new lighting. Every year we try to make our theatergoers’ experience better.

Looking ahead, any other large theater upgrades looming?

Our next goal is to get brand-new air conditioning in the space but that’s a $15,000 to $20,000 campaign. It’s a bit of a long-term goal. We have air conditioners in the space. It’s such a large space, an old building, that the old wall units can’t keep up with the amount of heat the lighting and 100 people generate.

Finally, in your opinion, what role does Blank Canvas Theatre provide in the Northeast Ohio theater scene?

You know, we’re the most supportable professional theater in town. We’re critically acclaimed. Just about every season one of our shows we’ve done is a top 10 production in Cleveland. Our season passes for the entire year — at least 10 shows — are $90, and that includes our main stage shows, our factory shows and the sketch comedy group. You’re looking at less than $10 a ticket for a season pass. We’re the most affordable. And our focus is to make audiences think outside of the box, to see shows they might normally see if you’re a typical theatergoer and you like classics. Or if you’re a non-typical theater person, we have shows like Silence! The Musical and Texas Chainsaw Musical. Those will bring in the non-typical theatergoers and hopefully they’ll stay for the classics like 12 Angry Men or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. So we do have one of the most diverse audiences in town. Audiences are non-typical, and it’s good for the future of theater-going in Cleveland. The next mountain we want to climb is keep our doors open and keep bringing Cleveland shows they haven’t seen before. Just keep entertaining.

blankcanvastheatre

Cleveland, OH 44102

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