News
At a time when midsized theatres across the country are closing, Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is poised to expand arts enrichment for Cleveland youth, champion creation of new theatrical work, broaden access to groundbreaking professional theatre, and spark economic development in the Gordon Square Arts District.
CPT is embarking on a $12 million capital project to improve, expand and renovate its campus in the Gordon Square Arts District. A matching grant from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation for $4 million will support the capital campaign. The grant will serve as a 1:1.5 match, meaning that for every $1.50 secured by CPT toward the campaign, the Mandel Supporting Foundation will contribute $1.00, up to $4 million. Through this campaign, CPT continues its work to center artists, celebrate diverse communities, and embrace audiences and students throughout Northeast Ohio.
“Cleveland Public Theatre represents the impactful integration of both neighborhood engagement and the humanities—two key areas of focus for the Mandel Foundation,” said Dr. Jehuda Reinharz, President and CEO of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. “The Foundation’s support of CPT is not only an investment in its groundbreaking work, but also an investment in the Gordon Square Arts District as a hub of creativity and community in Cleveland.”
The $4 million gift from the Mandel Foundation, along with a $2 million capital bequest from the Joan Yellen Horvitz Trust and $500,000 from the State of Ohio capital budget brings CPT to over half of its total capital campaign goal.
“This is an important time for CPT and our community,” said Raymond Bobgan, Executive Artistic Director, Cleveland Public Theatre. “We have followed a different path than most theatres and that work, over decades, is needed now more than ever. CPT leads the region in developing new plays and producing world premieres, a majority of which are by artists who are Black, Latine, Arab, and other people of color. Through our education programs and our work on stage we are developing and nurturing deep connections throughout Cleveland’s diverse communities.”
Capital improvements will expand across the campus and secure CPT’s programming and performances for future decades. Renovations to these properties will make these spaces accessible to students, artists, audiences and to all participants in CPT’s community events. Activating the Church and Parish Hall will expand CPT’s capacity to facilitate year-round programming, support new play development work—predominantly by artists who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color)—and create performance spaces for education and outreach activities. CPT is nationally recognized for its contributions to new play development and is a member of the National New Play Network, annually producing more new works than all other theatres in Northeast Ohio combined.
Additional renovations include:
- Unifying CPT’s separate lobby entryways into a single entrance to create a more inviting, accessible experience for visitors and a gathering space for audiences and artists.
- Upgrading CPT’s current student classroom to create a state-of-the-art space that will expand the number of students served and deepen their educational experience.
- Improving CPT’s campus facade, through illuminated signs and LCD displays, to reflect the art created inside—clearly communicating the role of Cleveland’s PUBLIC theatre, open to all as a place of gathering, learning and creating.
“CPT is a vital community asset that serves the whole of Cleveland in ways that are recognized throughout the city and the nation,” said Philip Oliss, Board President of Cleveland Public Theatre. “These gifts recognize and celebrate CPT’s impact over the years and will spark a new era of boldness, connection and growth.”
The Mandel Supporting Foundation’s significant capital gift comes on the heels of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s grant of $500,000 for two years to CPT in support of the Future of American Theatre Cohort, comprised of five theatres across the country committed to innovative work and the ability to reshape and revive the American theatre field.
CPT anticipates breaking ground on the first phase of construction by the end of 2025.
Photo credit: Cleveland Public Theatre
About the Organization
Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking performances and transformative education programs. CPT develops adventurous new work and supports Northeast Ohio artists, with a focus on those whose work is innovative and socially conscious. The theatre engages hundreds of residents annually—including youth, families in public housing, and adults in recovery—through year-round community programs. CPT plays a vital role in the cultural and economic revitalization of the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, where it operates multiple performance venues.
