has announced its upcoming season, which picks up where it left off before the coronavirus pandemic.
The Gordon Square-based theater will present 鈥淏reakout Session (or Frogorse),鈥� which examines the subject of police bias. It was slated to close the 2019-2020 season, before the pandemic. Now, it鈥檚 been updated by the playwright ahead of its return this October.
Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan says he鈥檚 excited to bring live audiences together again to experience plays which reflect the change happening in America.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in the same room 鈥� there鈥檚 nothing like being in the same room. There鈥檚 nothing like sitting next to an audience member who doesn鈥檛 look like you, who doesn鈥檛 come from the same background as you, and you鈥檙e laughing at different moments in the show and you experience everything differently," Bobgan said.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the whole Cleveland theater community. If you look at what our theaters are doing, from Cleveland Playhouse to Karamu to Dobama, our city is making incredible change. We have moved from, I think, a kind of stodgy theater community, that was doing very traditional shows, to [doing] adventurous shows that are doing a better job of representing what our country looks like [and] our city looks like,鈥� he continued.
The 2021-22 season includes several pieces which were in the works before the pandemic, dealing with issues including reproductive rights and the Underground Railroad. And next year, the theater will present one production each from Cleveland鈥檚 Arabic- and Spanish-speaking communities. The upcoming season is preceded by the Sept. 18.
2021/22 CPT SEASON:
"BREAKOUT SESSION (OR FROGORSE)"
Runs Oct. 28 鈥� Nov. 13.
Written by Nikkole Salter. Directed by Beth Wood.
"10 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT: 9 QUIRKY PLAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS"
Runs Dec. 2 鈥� 18.
Directed by Caitlin Lewins. Short plays by local & national creators.
"TEST FLIGHT"
Winter 2022. James Levin Theatre.
A New Play Development series featuring works-in-progress by local & national artists.
"MASRAH CLEVELAND AL-ARABI賲爻乇丨 賰賱賷賮賱丕賳丿 丕賱毓乇亘賷 WINTER PRODUCTION"
Winter 2022. Created by the ensemble members of Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi 賲爻乇丨 賰賱賷賮賱丕賳丿 丕賱毓乇亘賷 with Raymond Bobgan & Faye Hargate. Directed by Raymond Bobgan.
"PANTHER WOMEN: AN ARMY FOR THE LIBERATION"
Runs Feb. 4 鈥� 26, 2022. Previews Feb. 4, 5, 10, 2022. Gordon Square Theatre.
Written & Directed by India Nicole Burton.
"DANCEWORKS 2022"
Winter 2022. James Levin Theatre.
Featuring Northeast Ohio choreographers.
"TEATRO P脷BLICO DE CLEVELAND (TPC) PRODUCTION"
Spring 2022. James Levin Theatre.
"HOW THE BABY DIED"
Runs March 18 鈥� April 9, 2022. Previews March 18, 19, 24, 2022. Gordon Square Theatre.
Written by Tori Keenan-Zelt. Directed by Beth Wood.
"THE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND TRUE ADVENTURES OF MS. JOAN SOUTHGATE"
Runs April 22 鈥� May 14, 2022. Previews May April 22, 23, 28, 2022. Gordon Square Theatre.
Written & Performed by Nina Domingue, 2019 Nord Family Foundation Playwright Fellow. Directed by Nathan Henry.
"CANDLELIGHT HYPOTHESIS"
Spring 2022.
Text by Raymond Bobgan, Candlelight Hypothesis jointly created by Raymond & Cleveland CORE Ensemble.
Directed by Raymond Bobgan.
"STATION HOPE 2022"
May 28, 2022. St. John鈥檚 Episcopal Church in Ohio City.
A Celebration of Hope. A Dialogue for Change.
