Thu 1/8 – Sat 2/21
Over a 7 week span, several local artists are handed the keys to the James Levin Theatre. Very few boundaries are set. Instead, they have the freedom to transform the space as they see fit, according to their visions for a new experience.
Since 2003, Cleveland Public Theatre’s (CPT) Big Box series has provided local artists the opportunity to create and produce new work, while providing things like production support and stage management. The series, which kicks off Thu 1/8, serves as the centerpiece of CPT’s season. Audiences will have the chance to witness seven weeks of world premiere theatre and dance — some weeks offering double bills.
“Big Box is artist-driven, and an opportunity for local creators to workshop new project — particularly those whose work breaks the mold, either in substance or form — and provides the experience of self-producing their work,” says Cathleen O’Malley, Director of Audience Engagement & Media Relations at CPT. “The work is fresh, often rough around the edges, even raw — and an awesome opportunity for arts-lovers to get a first glimpse at a new piece of performance, whether it be a play, spoken word, storytelling, dance, rock opera, multi-media performance, solo work, or some combination thereof…
“CPT pretty much hands over the keys to the James Levin theatre, provides administrative, marketing and some technical support and lets the artists fly. Big Box is always an exciting time for us here at the theatre.”
Every spring artists apply with a proposal — a script, a treatment for a devised work, a dance or opera. In selecting projects, CPT looks for adventurous, new work; artistic growth; leadership skills; and artistry.
Deborah Magid has been selected as a Big Box artist for years. This year she’s the writer behind Rouge Étude Or How Sherlock Holmes Became A Misogynist. She describes the process as “exhilarating” and “exhausting,” saying,”I’ve learned more via Big Boxes than in any other realm of my new (7 years) craft, met amazing folks, and — most importantly — taken each work to its next level (local, national, international), something that might not have happened without Big Box.”
Magid continues, saying, “Here’s the thing about Big Box. What’s offered to the ‘lead artist’ is one of the most generous developmental packages I know of, a stipend to help with production costs, a week in the theater with stage manager, marketing support, and the opportunity to support and be supported by artists from all of the other weeks in the series.
“While there is a curatorial aesthetic at play, it has more to do with quality and potential than a series ‘theme,’ affording the CPT artistic staff great freedom of choice. Many developmental series have stated themes and objectives; CPT just wants to help artists in our quest toward creation. They do more for creative artists than any theater I know of (and I know of a few, having sat of the Board of Directors for the International Centre for Women Playwrights and having helped found and run the ICWP 50/50 Applause Awards for gender parity in playwrighting).”
The series often serves as a springboard for plays evolving into bigger, more polished productions. Looking to check it out? We’ve outlined what to expect this year — with plenty of strong performances to choose from. But, there is one thing to keep in mind.
“If there’s one thing I’d love for readers to take away from this, it’s that no matter how polished or unpolished or professional or amateur a Big Box appears to be, IT’S A WORKSHOP, says Magid. “There’s very little rehearsal, rudimentary sets and props, alternative casting, and a draft playscript, a workshop is where the playwright or lead artist puts something up onstage so that they can make it a better work, not so that it can be reviewed like a full production.”
Another thing to keep in mind: Fridays known as Free Beer Fridays, so plan accordingly.
Week #1: Cut It Out
Thu 1/8 – Sat 1/10
A wife and mother becomes increasingly unsettled in her seemingly perfect life, so she embarks on a journey to remake herself. Literally — with plastic surgery.
Written by Andrew Kramer, 14/15 Nord Family Foundation Playwright Fellow; Directed by Sarah Greywitt.
Week #2: Unintended Consequences and Into Pieces
Thu 1/15 – Sat 1/17
Unintended Consequences is a dance exploration of daily life, vulnerability and the act of noticing, choreographed by Falon Baltzell and Erin Craig. Five dancers highlight how their actions and decisions influence others in a somewhat invisible world.
Into Pieces, choreographed by Mackenzie Valley and Mikaela Clark, is a collection of dance works showcasing the wild harsh beauty of Malawi, Africa. Witness a world falling to pieces, yet rising in the midst.
Week #3: F*** Me, Love Me, Aphrodite and Black Virgins Are Not For Hipsters
Thu 1/22 – Sat 1/24
F*** Me, Love Me, Aphrodite mixes stand-up, slap-stick, indie/punk solo sets and karaoke in a story about loving, fucking and enjoying life. An artist is back and compelled to stalk a dive bar she believes is possessed by the Goddess of Love. Created and performed by Chris Seibert, with Darius Stubbs and Adam Seeholzer.
A one-woman show created and performed by Echo Brown and directed by Scott Plate, Black Virgins are Not For Hipsters explores love and race in the Age of Colorblindness. Interracial dating is on the rise yet America’s racial demons still threaten to stop Echo in her tracks of finding a suitable life partner.
Week #4: Orphan Kiss (Left) and Turning Toward the Other
Thu 1/29 – Sat 1/31
What happens to love in a world beyond feeling? The answer is explored in Orphan Kiss (Left), a love story from the gut written by Jeff Glover and directed by Dale Heinen, in which five people search for connection and await the ultimate endgame.
Truth is variable. At what point does the protagonist become the antagonist or the victim become the perpetrator? See three original dances, choreographed by Story Rhinehart, exploring this question in Turning Toward the Other.
Week #5: (Style Is) The Answer to Everything — A (Subversive) Women’s Programme (Across the Country)
Thu 2/5 – Sat 2/7
Host Penny Bingo takes viewers through decades of female experience — from time-and-labor-saving appliances, mommy culture, to household disinfectant/birth control methods and an interesting game show in this performance written by Arwen Mitchell, 14/15 Nord Family Foundation Playwright Fellow. Directed by Melissa T. Crum.
Week #6: Rouge Étude Or How Sherlock Holmes Became A Misogynist
Thu 2/12 – Sat 2/14
“Just over a year ago, the artist E.D. Taylor heard an NPR story about Wilma Norman-Neruda, the first-ever world-famous female violinist (essentially, the world’s first female rock star), back in the Victorian Era,” explains Magid. “NPR mentioned that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes very excited about attending her concerts in the first book in the canon, A Study in Scarlet. E.D. asked me whether I thought Sherlock’s perpetual bachelorhood might have stemmed from a relationship-gone-wrong with Norman-Neruda, and the equivalent of bells, whistles, and sirens went off in my imagination.
“As I began writing, Holmes told me about his difficult youth and parents’ odd sexual proclivities, and he and Norman-Neruda had an unlikely meeting-of-the-minds-and-other-parts. Holmes’ violin’s essence (Strad) appeared to me, and demanded to also appear to Norman-Neruda and Holmes, and Rouge Étude Or How Sherlock Holmes Became A Misogynist’s die was cast.” Directed by Brian Pedaci.
Week #7: The Lives of a Poet
Thu 2/19 – Sat 2/21
Ray McNiece takes the stage to present a memoir depicting the many facets of his life as a performer. Through live music, linked poems and monologues, he tells the tale of a poet whose words have spread from Cleveland to across the world. Written by Ray McNiece and performed by Jordan Davis.
Go and enjoy some fresh, raw theater.
Cleveland, OH 44102
Cool Cleveland editor Sarah Valek studied art and writing at Ithaca College. After graduation, she came back to Cle and served two years as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She can be found on all sides of the city in pursuit of homeschooling activities for her son and the perfect soy latte. Contact her at CoolEditorATCoolCleveland.com or via Twitter.