* BALDWIN WALLACE’S SPRING AWAKENING GETS NATIONAL ATTENTION
American Theater magazine, which covers theater events across the country, just chronicled how the Baldwin Wallace music theatre department pulled off their recent production of Spring Awakening, masked and all, in a lengthy and comprehensive piece written by former Plain Dealer theater critic Andrea Simakas. The publication primarily focuses on professional regional theaters rather than university productions but this one was so distinctive it merited attention. And Colton Ryan (BW ’17), who appears in a lead role on television’s Girl from the North Country, talks about the ambitious production staged by his alma mater. There’s another chance to see the production when it has another short run December 17-20. Tickets are available here. (Read my review at www.royberko.info)
* CLE PLAYREADING GROUP OFFERS MONTHLY EVENTS
Imagine cozying up by your fireplace (or space heater) with a warm blanket, mug of cocoa or glass of wine on a cold evening, and reading a play with some really cool people. The authors range from William Shakespeare to Caryl Churchill, and topics from murder mystery to musical comedy. The Cleveland Actors’ Play Date (APD) is a local play reading group that does this once a month. Learn more here.
* CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE PRESENTS THEATRE THURSDAY
Theatre Thursday is live interactive virtual program focusing on Cleveland Play House’s core values of artistry, community and life-long learning, presented on the third Thursday of each month. It’s hosted by CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley and CPH Artistic Directing Fellow Stori Ayers. Theatre Thursday allows audiences to experience the artistry of CPH, connect directly with the makers of its work, and converse with staff and other audience members about the impact of its artistic work on the community.
Advance registration is required. Viewing access is pay what you can, starting at $5. All events are live streamed via Zoom and can be viewed on a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. For more information about Theatre Thursday, visit clevelandplayhouse.com/theatre-thursday.
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* NEAR WEST THEATRE STAGES ALL ROADS LEAD TO HOME
Near West Theatre (NWT) has announced the second show in its most unconventional season thus far: All Roads Lead to Home, a performance showcase of popular music, spoken word and storytelling by local artists and five decades of NWT alumni. Performances will be streamed exclusively on demand online from December 18-January 3. Tickets will go on sale on December 18. The theater employs a pay-what-you-can feature for every performance, with a suggested donation of $15 per streaming.
* RUBBER CITY THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2020-2021 SEASON
Rubber City Theatre will feature several new plays and adaptations of classic favorites in its 2020-21 season. The lineup of performances includes a new take on A Christmas Carol, a military couple love story Love in Reserve, and a musical version of Dante’s Inferno called Heartbreakers in Hell. Plus, a very Akron show is included in the lineup — a rubber factory-themed adaption of A Midsummer Night’s Dream called On the Line.
Though the programming is set, the shows’ formats haven’t been determined. A Christmas Carol will be streamed online for ticketholders, but the troupe hasn’t determined if 2021’s shows will take place virtually or in person at the troupe’s playhouse at 243 Furnace Street. That will depend on CDC recommendations based on the pandemic’s spread in 2021.
Tickets to each show will be available to purchase on Rubber City Theatre’s website for around $20 a show, along with memberships for the whole season. A $30-$40 membership will discount ticket prices to $15 per production, and a flexible traditional membership ($100) includes one ticket to each production, along with readings and other members-only events. Here’s the full lineup, and read more about each play at rubbercitytheatre.com.