Stephen Spencer in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
Charles Kartali as Ed Podolak in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
From left: Charles Kartali and Elliot Lockshine in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
Charles Kartali as Ed Podolak in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Also pictured: Stephen Spencer. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
Stephen Spencer in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
From left: John Cugel, Charles Kartali, Anjanette Hall, Madison Wayt in Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
From left: Mia Knight, Charles Kartali, Bernard Bygott in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
From left: Charles Kartali, Elliot Lockshine, Lena Kaminsky in the Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
Cleveland Play House production of "A Carol for Cleveland," a new play by Eric Coble based on the novella by Les Roberts and directed by Laura Kepley, on stage in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, November 30 – December 23, 2012. Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni
A holiday event about Clevelanders, by Clevelanders, for Clevelanders. Brimming with memories and laughter, this heartwarming world premiere is a timeless message of hope, love, and the true meaning of the holidays.
Content Advisory: Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Sponsors
Anjanette Hall: (Diane Podolak) was recently seen in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Motherf**ker with the Hat at Dobama Theatre. Her regional theatre credits include Baltimore Centerstage, Snow Falling on Cedars; Two River Theatre Company, Opus; Rutgers Theatre Company, Big Love, Oleanna, Betrayal, and The Triumph of Love; Redstage Theatre Company, J.B. and Spring’s Awakening; Cardinal Stage Company, Our Town and A Year with Frog and Toad; Brown County Playhouse, The Importance of Being Earnest; Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, Grease, Into the Woods and Hello Dolly; and The Barn Theatre, The Rocky Horror Show. Film and television includes Be Still, Ed (NBC) and With a Friend Like Carl. Hall is a co-founder of Redstage Theatre Company, and she holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Rutgers University – Mason Gross School of the Arts, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University. less was recently seen in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Motherf**ker with the Hat at Dobama Theatre. Her regional theatre credits include Baltimore Centerstage, Snow Falling on Cedars; Two River Theatre Company, Opus; Rutgers Theatre Company, Big Love, Oleanna, Betrayal, and The Triumph of Love; Redstage Theatre Company, J.B. and Spring’s Awakening;... more
Bernard Bygott: (Freddy/Wino) appeared at Cleveland Play House in the world premiere of A Carol for Cleveland (as Freddy and Wino/Santa); Every Good Boy Deserves Favor with The Cleveland Orchestra; and in The Fagin Effect (reading) by Michael Bloom. For CWRU/CPH’s MFA Acting Program, he performed in The Misanthrope and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings. Bygott originated the role of Calandrino in the opera Decameron at Prince Music Theater. Additional credits include American Shakespeare Center, where he acted in, among many more, The Comedy of Errors, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet; Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; Ohio Shakespeare Festival; Theater For The New City; Northern New England Repertory; Quintessence Theatre Group; Storybook Musical Theatre; Ko Festival of Performance; Mum Puppettheatre; Glimmerglass Opera; International Opera Theater (Italy and U.S.); and The Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center. His Bachelor of Arts is from Amherst College, and he is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. less appeared at Cleveland Play House in the world premiere of A Carol for Cleveland (as Freddy and Wino/Santa); Every Good Boy Deserves Favor with The Cleveland Orchestra; and in The Fagin Effect (reading) by Michael Bloom. For CWRU/CPH’s MFA Acting Program, he performed in The Misanthrope and In Arabia We’d... more
Brian Mueller: (Ensemble) is thrilled to make his professional stage debut, his first appearance at a LORT theatre, with Cleveland Play House! He has been a private instructor of voice, guitar and piano since 2005. Favorite college and community theatre credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Damn Yankees, Seussical, Cotton Patch Gospel, Jane Eyre and Dancing at Lughnasa. He has performed in many choral groups, including The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, where he twice sang The Lord of the Rings Symphony under the baton of composer Howard Shore. Mueller earned his Bachelor of Arts in music from Slippery Rock University in 2009 and recently completed the Master of Applied Politics program at The University of Akron. less is thrilled to make his professional stage debut, his first appearance at a LORT theatre, with Cleveland Play House! He has been a private instructor of voice, guitar and piano since 2005. Favorite college and community theatre credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Damn Yankees, Seussical, Cotton Patch... more
Brynn Pierce: (Understudy - Elizabeth) recently portrayed Dorothy in Boulevard Elementary School’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Pierce found her love of acting at The Cleveland Music School when she was just 3 years old. Over the years she has gained a variety of experience by performing in Heights Youth Theatre's Midsummer, Annie, Pippin, Seussical the Musical, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz and Once on this Island. For the past four years, she has acted in Dobama Theatre’s Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival and has played several lead roles there as well. Pierce enjoys modern dance, and she also engages in sports and cultural events. Having a flair for music, she is a member of her school's challenge choirs. Pierce has a solid commitment to entertain and educate through fun, emotional and adventurous performances. She is in the sixth grade at Roxboro Middle School in Cleveland Heights. less recently portrayed Dorothy in Boulevard Elementary School’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Pierce found her love of acting at The Cleveland Music School when she was just 3 years old. Over the years she has gained a variety of experience by performing in Heights Youth Theatre's Midsummer, Annie, Pippin,... more
Charles Kartali: (Ed Podolak) appeared at Cleveland Play House as Alexander in Every Good Boy Deserves Favor; as the Bursar and Cardinal Barberini in The Life of Galileo; The Old Man in all five productions of A Christmas Story, a role he reprised at Syracuse Stage; several roles in Bill W. and Dr. Bob; Christopher Trumbo in Trumbo; Mitch Albom in Tuesdays with Morrie; and CPH FusionFests 2006 – 2011. Cleveland area acting work includes The Book of Grace and A Bright Room Called Day, Cleveland Public Theatre; Pangs of the Messiah and Brooklyn Boy, produced by The Mandel Jewish Community Center; The Price and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Ensemble Theatre; The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Seafarer and The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?, Dobama Theatre; and Awake and Sing at the Halle. Regionally he has performed at American Stage, Aspen Theatre in the Park, BoarsHead, Shadowland, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and others. Film and television includes High Spirits and Lost Subs. less appeared at Cleveland Play House as Alexander in Every Good Boy Deserves Favor; as the Bursar and Cardinal Barberini in The Life of Galileo; The Old Man in all five productions of A Christmas Story, a role he reprised at Syracuse Stage; several roles in Bill W. and Dr. Bob;... more
Elliot Lockshine: (Charlie Torbic) has appeared in Willy Wonka, Into the Woods and Oliver! at Near West Theatre, and he has performed at The Beck Center for the Arts, where he recently played Lyncoya in a critically acclaimed production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. When not onstage, he spends his time playing soccer, guitar and baritone, and is working on his requirements to become a Boy Scout. He is in the fifth grade at Parkside Intermediate School in Westlake, Ohio. less has appeared in Willy Wonka, Into the Woods and Oliver! at Near West Theatre, and he has performed at The Beck Center for the Arts, where he recently played Lyncoya in a critically acclaimed production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. When not onstage, he spends his time playing soccer, guitar... more
John Cugel: (Eddie Podolak Jr.) most recently appeared as Sir Hubert in The Princess and the Pea at Stagecrafters Youth Theatre, where he has acted in several productions. He has also performed at Heights Youth Theatre in The Wiz, Pippin and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Cugel’s favorite role was playing Danny Zuko in Stagecrafters’ summer camp production of Grease. When not performing onstage he enjoys playing basketball and baseball, traveling and spending time with his friends and family. Cugel is a fifth grade student at Gesu School in University Heights. He also attends St. Vitus Slovenian Language School. less most recently appeared as Sir Hubert in The Princess and the Pea at Stagecrafters Youth Theatre, where he has acted in several productions. He has also performed at Heights Youth Theatre in The Wiz, Pippin and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Cugel’s favorite role was playing Danny Zuko in... more
Laura Kepley: (Director) directed Cleveland Play House mainstage productions of A Carol for Cleveland (world premiere); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; and My Name is Asher Lev; and CPH readings of Daphne’s Dive, by inaugural Roe Green Award-winner Quiara Alegría Hudes; Silent Sky; The Fagin Effect; and Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile. Most recently, Kepley directed The Heidi Chronicles for Asolo Repertory Theatre (Fla.). She joined CPH in 2010 as associate artistic director, having arrived from Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island where she directed The Clean House, The Syringa Tree, and world premieres of Shapeshifter, Boots on the Ground, and Some Things are Private. She has directed over 20 new plays including Breadcrumbs at Contemporary American Theatre Festival, The K of D at The Kennedy Center and Orlando/University of Central Florida Shakespeare Festival, and several written by George Brant such as Grizzly Mama at Dobama Theatre, Elephant’s Graveyard at The University of Texas at Austin, and shoptalk for The Drama League’s DIRECTORFEST. She has worked with playwrights on the development of their work at The Public Theater (N.Y.), The Playwright’s Center (Minn.), PlayPenn (Pa.), Naked Angels (N.Y.), The New Harmony Project (Ind.), PlayhouseSquare’s Launch Program (Ohio) and WordBRIDGE Playwrights' Lab (S.C.). Kepley is a Drama League Fellow and a recipient of the 2009 – 2011 National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group Career Development Program for Directors. less directed Cleveland Play House mainstage productions of A Carol for Cleveland (world premiere); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; and My Name is Asher Lev; and CPH readings of Daphne’s Dive, by inaugural Roe Green Award-winner Quiara Alegría Hudes; Silent Sky; The Fagin Effect; and Three Voyages of... more
Lena Kaminsky: (Helen Torbic) was most recently seen in Black Pearl Sings! at Portland Center Stage. Selected additional credits include the world premiere of Love and Communication, Passage Theatre Company; Love, Janis, Kansas City Repertory Theatre; Trying, Hartford TheaterWorks; The Pillowman, George Street Playhouse; Morning Star, The Peccadillo Theater Company; Doubt and The Taming of the Shrew, Northern Stage; The Weir, Palm Beach Dramaworks; as well as work with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Adirondack Theatre Festival, and others. She also appeared in the series finale of Law & Order. Kaminsky received her training from Emerson College. less was most recently seen in Black Pearl Sings! at Portland Center Stage. Selected additional credits include the world premiere of Love and Communication, Passage Theatre Company; Love, Janis, Kansas City Repertory Theatre; Trying, Hartford TheaterWorks; The Pillowman, George Street Playhouse; Morning Star, The Peccadillo Theater Company; Doubt and The Taming... more
Madison "Madi" Wayt: (Elizabeth Podolak) recently appeared as an Oompa Loompa in Willy Wonka at The Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio. Other favorite roles (also at The Beck Center) include Cindy Lou Who in Seussical the Musical, Victoria in Cats, Janet in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Cassady in Once Upon a Decade, and Persephone in All Greek to Me. Wayt performed with Opera Cleveland in The Pearl Fishers at the State Theatre. She is in the third grade at Laurel School. When not onstage, Wayt enjoys travel, snorkeling, rock climbing, soccer, reading, creative writing, and playing the piano. less recently appeared as an Oompa Loompa in Willy Wonka at The Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio. Other favorite roles (also at The Beck Center) include Cindy Lou Who in Seussical the Musical, Victoria in Cats, Janet in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Cassady in Once Upon a... more
Marinda Anderson: (Well-Dressed Woman/Daisy) was in numerous productions including Camino Real, Clybourne Park, Trouble in Mind, and Cymbeline at New York University. Anderson has performed across the country at such places as The New York International Fringe Festival and Round House Theatre with other credits including Miss Julie and Love's Labours Lost, Chautauqua Theater Company; Hair, Laramie Project and Doubt, Perseverance Theatre; Ain't Misbehavin', Black Spectrum Theater Company; and Beauty and the Beast and Aida, Playhouse on the Square. She is an alumna of the British American Drama Academy and Howard University, and she is a recent graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program. less was in numerous productions including Camino Real, Clybourne Park, Trouble in Mind, and Cymbeline at New York University. Anderson has performed across the country at such places as The New York International Fringe Festival and Round House Theatre with other credits including Miss Julie and Love's Labours Lost, Chautauqua Theater... more
Mia Knight: (Ann) is a fun-loving and talented 11-year-old currently in 7th grade at Beachwood Middle School. Knight has performed in numerous productions throughout Cleveland, most recently as Olivia in The Color Purple at Karamu House. Other favorites include playing Mayzie in Seussical at Karamu house, Swing and Street Girl in A Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theater, and The Knave in Alice in Wonderland at Beachwood Community Theater. Knight has also been a participant in Dobama Theatre’s Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival, and the youngest member of the cast in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory. Knight is an experienced voiceover actress and recently showcased her talents at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Knight couldn’t be more excited to perform at Cleveland Play House. less is a fun-loving and talented 11-year-old currently in 7th grade at Beachwood Middle School. Knight has performed in numerous productions throughout Cleveland, most recently as Olivia in The Color Purple at Karamu House. Other favorites include playing Mayzie in Seussical at Karamu house, Swing and Street Girl in A Christmas... more
Neely Gevaart: (Ensemble) was most recently seen as Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years at Salem Community Theatre. Favorite past roles include Kristy in the Ohio premiere of Texas Chainsaw Musical! at Blank Canvas Theatre, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in Assassins, and Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone. She has a Bachelor of Music from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. This world-premiere production of A Carol for Cleveland marks Gevaart’s first appearance at a professional (LORT) theatre. less was most recently seen as Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years at Salem Community Theatre. Favorite past roles include Kristy in the Ohio premiere of Texas Chainsaw Musical! at Blank Canvas Theatre, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in Assassins, and Kitty... more
Peter Lawson Jones: (Fez/George) can presently be seen in the motion picture Alex Cross. He has appeared in over a dozen films, on network television in ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7, and on stages throughout Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland Play House in Bourbon at the Border, produced by Ensemble Theatre in collaboration with Karamu House; Karamu House; Oberlin College; and Weathervane Playhouse. Three short films in which he has performed have recently been screened at the New York, Cleveland International, and Greater Cleveland Urban film festivals. Among his theatrical credits are Ruined, The Great White Hope, Huck Finn’s Story, and A House with No Walls. He has also performed in staged readings off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane and Ensemble Studio theatres. A play he penned, The Family Line, has been produced at Karamu, Ohio University, and Harvard University, where he received his bachelor’s and law degrees. less can presently be seen in the motion picture Alex Cross. He has appeared in over a dozen films, on network television in ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7, and on stages throughout Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland Play House in Bourbon at the Border, produced by Ensemble Theatre in collaboration with Karamu House; Karamu... more
Robert Ellis: (Jake Wilkins/Steve Torbic) recently appeared at Cleveland Play House in a reading of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Daphne’s Dive. On CPH’s mainstage, he appeared in The Life of Galileo and A Soldier’s Tale with Catch and Release. Other area acting credits include Stone Cold Dead Serious, Cleveland Public Theatre; Circle, Mirror, Transformation and The Late Henry Moss, Dobama Theatre; Of Mice and Men and Dog Eat Dog, Ensemble Theatre; and Annie Get Your Gun, The Foreigner, The Art of Dining, Inherit the Wind, and The Learned Ladies, Porthouse Theatre. Regional credits include The Illusion, Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, Florida and Harvey with Oldcastle Theatre Company, Bennington, Vermont. Ellis is a professor of theatre at Cuyahoga Community College West, and he is Ohio State chair for Region number three of The Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival. He is also a founding member of Something Dada, a respected improvisational theatre launched in downtown Cleveland and currently performing at The Beck Center. less recently appeared at Cleveland Play House in a reading of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Daphne’s Dive. On CPH’s mainstage, he appeared in The Life of Galileo and A Soldier’s Tale with Catch and Release. Other area acting credits include Stone Cold Dead Serious, Cleveland Public Theatre; Circle, Mirror, Transformation and The... more
Skipper Rankin: (Understudy - Eddie Jr./Charlie) is still new to the stage, making his debut last year as Oliver in Near West Theatre’s production of the musical Oliver! He caught the theatre bug in a big way and went on to perform the role of Edgar in the musical Ragtime, also with Near West Theatre. He recently was the featured soloist at several Cleveland churches and has taken part in benefit performances for local community theatre. He is a student in the fifth grade at Old Brooklyn Community Middle School. When not acting and singing, he enjoys ice skating, fashion design, and watching musical theatre. He is an especially huge fan of the musical Hairspray. less is still new to the stage, making his debut last year as Oliver in Near West Theatre’s production of the musical Oliver! He caught the theatre bug in a big way and went on to perform the role of Edgar in the musical Ragtime, also with Near West Theatre. He... more
Stephen Spencer: (This Guy) recently appeared as This Guy in the world premiere of A Carol for Cleveland at Cleveland Play House where he was also seen in Every Good Boy Deserves Favor with The Cleveland Orchestra and in the first formal reading of Michael Bloom’s The Fagin Effect. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program appearances include The Misanthrope and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings. Spencer has worked professionally with Triad Stage (Tartuffe) and North Carolina Shakespeare Festival (The Tempest) as well as on tour with North Carolina Theatre for Young People. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2011. Last summer, Spencer joined Chautauqua Theater Company for the summer conservatory program at the Chautauqua Institution, appearing in As You Like It. Together with Therese Anderberg, he is recipient of the 2012 Oldenburg MFA Scholarship. less recently appeared as This Guy in the world premiere of A Carol for Cleveland at Cleveland Play House where he was also seen in Every Good Boy Deserves Favor with The Cleveland Orchestra and in the first formal reading of Michael Bloom’s The Fagin Effect. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program appearances... more
Therese Anderberg: (Sally/Caroler) appeared at Cleveland Play House as Sally and A Caroler in the world premiere production of A Carol for Cleveland, having also performed in CPH’s Roe Green Award-winning reading of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Daphne’s Dive alongside such luminaries as David Zayas and Liza Colon-Zayas. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, she appeared in The Misanthrope as Célimène and Stephen Adly Guirgis’ In Arabia We’d All Be Kings as Demaris. Other credits include So Far from God at Chicago Shakespeare Theater for an industry performance and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland, in the original show Good Death, created in collaboration with Tectonic Theatre Project. Anderberg received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University where she played Celia in As You Like It and Aunt Monie and The Medium in See What I Want to See. Together with Stephen Spencer, she is recipient of the 2012 Oldenburg MFA Scholarship. less appeared at Cleveland Play House as Sally and A Caroler in the world premiere production of A Carol for Cleveland, having also performed in CPH’s Roe Green Award-winning reading of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Daphne’s Dive alongside such luminaries as David Zayas and Liza Colon-Zayas. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program,... more
Antje Ellerman: (Scenic Designer) designed My Name is Asher Lev at Cleveland Play House. Regional theatre designs include The Syringa Tree (directed by Laura Kepley) at Trinity Repertory Theatre; Long Day' s Journey into Night, Actors Theatre; and Abigail 1702, New York Stage and Film; as well as productions at Philadelphia Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Huntington Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Denver Center Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Seattle Rep, Mass MoCA’s Bard Summerscape, and Pittsburgh Opera Center. New York City designs include The Broken Heart and Hamlet, Theatre for a New Audience; Dancing at Lughnasa, Irish Repertory Theatre; Invasion, The Play Company; Liberty City, New York Theatre Workshop; and Nine Parts of Desire, Manhattan Ensemble Theater. She has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award, an Ovation Award and a Lucille Lortel Award for Nine Parts of Desire and for an Emmy Award for Becoming American, The Chinese Experience on PBS. less designed My Name is Asher Lev at Cleveland Play House. Regional theatre designs include The Syringa Tree (directed by Laura Kepley) at Trinity Repertory Theatre; Long Day' s Journey into Night, Actors Theatre; and Abigail 1702, New York Stage and Film; as well as productions at Philadelphia Theatre Company, Steppenwolf... more
Elissa Myers Casting, Paul Fouquet, CSA: (Casting) recently completed casting the PBS movie The Mystery of Matter, previously having cast seven Broadway shows, including Tony Award-nominated Having Our Say and 25 off-Broadway shows: additionally, three "Movies of the Week" (with Tyne Daly, Claire Danes, Christopher Reeve, Ed Asner and Daniel J. Travanti), five pilots and two PBS specials by Wendy Wasserstein and Terrance McNally (with Bernadette Peters, Nathan Lane, Blythe Danner, Spike Lee and Paul Sorvino), the Peabody Award-Winning mini-series Liberty as well as the Emmy Award-Winning mini-series Benjamin Franklin and John & Abigail Adams. Elissa Myers Casting, Paul Fouquet, CSA also cast mini-series Becoming Helen Keller, God in America, The People v. Leo Frank, Dolley Madison and Louisa May Alcott. Regional casting includes Cleveland Play House, The Denver Center, Geva Theatre Center, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage, and Magic Theatre. The office has received 12 nominations and won three Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting. less recently completed casting the PBS movie The Mystery of Matter, previously having cast seven Broadway shows, including Tony Award-nominated Having Our Say and 25 off-Broadway shows: additionally, three "Movies of the Week" (with Tyne Daly, Claire Danes, Christopher Reeve, Ed Asner and Daniel J. Travanti), five pilots and two PBS specials by Wendy Wasserstein... more
Eric Coble: (Playwright) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations in New Mexico and Colorado. His plays including Bright Ideas (World premiere at Cleveland Play House), Ten Minutes from Cleveland, For Better, A Girl’s Guide to Coffee, The Velocity of Autumn, My Barking Dog and The Giver have been produced off-Broadway, throughout the U.S., and on several continents, including productions at Cleveland Play House, Manhattan Class Company, The Kennedy Center, Playwrights Horizons, Actors Theatre of Louisville – Humana Festival, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, New York and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, Alliance Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Laguna Playhouse, Stages Repertory Theatre, Great Lakes Theater Festival, and Contemporary American Theatre Festival. Awards include an Emmy nomination, the 2011 AATE Distinguished Play Award for Best Adaptation, AT&T Onstage Award, National Theatre Conference Playwriting Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Playwright in Residence Grant, a Theatre Communications Group Extended Collaboration Grant, Cleveland Arts Prize, and four Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Grants. Coble is a proud member of CPH’s Playwrights’ Unit. less was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations in New Mexico and Colorado. His plays including Bright Ideas (World premiere at Cleveland Play House), Ten Minutes from Cleveland, For Better, A Girl’s Guide to Coffee, The Velocity of Autumn, My Barking Dog and The Giver... more
Faye Carter: (Assistant Stage Manager) most recently worked as assistant stage manager for Cleveland Play House on A Carol for Cleveland. She also worked at CPH on FusionFest 2010, Heaven’s My Destination, and Crime and Punishment. Additional credits include stage managing for Cleveland Public Theatre: Springboard 2012, Danceworks 2012, Darwinii: The Comeuppance of Man with Brett Keyser, Big [Box] 2012, The Santaland Diaries and The Loush Sisters, Leap/Conceive 2011, and Springboard 2011 among many others. Carter has free-lanced at theatres in the northeast Ohio area for the past three years and is currently the events production manager at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. less most recently worked as assistant stage manager for Cleveland Play House on A Carol for Cleveland. She also worked at CPH on FusionFest 2010, Heaven’s My Destination, and Crime and Punishment. Additional credits include stage managing for Cleveland Public Theatre: Springboard 2012, Danceworks 2012, Darwinii: The Comeuppance of Man with... more
Jane Shaw: (Sound Designer) composed music and designed sound for In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, Cleveland Play House; Theatre for a New Audience's Hamlet; The Catch, Denver Center Theatre Company; City Theatre's The Blonde, The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead; Another Side of the Island with Olympia Dukakis; and Murakami's Windup Bird, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland (world premiere). Other credits include The Pearl Theatre Company; Mint Theater Company; Williamstown Theatre Festival; Lincoln Center Theater 3; and TFANA's Merchant of Venice, which toured to Stratford-upon-Avon, England with the Royal Shakespeare Company; as well as theatres in Los Angeles; Chicago; Boston; and Providence, Rhode Island. She has worked with choreographers Susan Marshall and David Dorfman, and she spent twelve years with Big Dance Theater. Shaw’s sound designs have earned a Bessie Award, Henry Award, Premios ACE 2012, Meet the Composer grant, Theatre Communication Group's Career Development Program, and nominations for Lortel, Connecticut Critics Circle, and Elliot Norton awards. less composed music and designed sound for In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, Cleveland Play House; Theatre for a New Audience's Hamlet; The Catch, Denver Center Theatre Company; City Theatre's The Blonde, The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead; Another Side of the Island with Olympia Dukakis; and Murakami's Windup... more
Jeffrey Van Curtis: (Costume Designer) is Cleveland Play House’s costume shop manager. For CPH he designed My Name is Asher Lev, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, Doubt, I Am My Own Wife, Rounding Third, Proof, Dinner with Friends, and Art. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program he designed The Winter’s Tale, An Orchard, All’s Well that Ends Well, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, and others, along with several CPH Theatre for Children productions. This past summer, Curtis designed costumes for Singin’ on the Ohio at the Lantern Theatre. Other credits include Coconut Grove Playhouse, Studio Arena Theatre, Music Theatre North, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Ballet, Great Lakes Theater, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Cleveland-San Jose Ballet, and the film Kansas City; and he also created wigs for a number of CPH productions. He holds his Master of Fine Arts, Costume Design and Technology from University of Missouri – Kansas City. Curtis thanks CPH's Costume, Wardrobe & Wigs staff for their creativity, enthusiasm and support. less is Cleveland Play House’s costume shop manager. For CPH he designed My Name is Asher Lev, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, Doubt, I Am My Own Wife, Rounding Third, Proof, Dinner with Friends, and Art. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program he designed The Winter’s Tale, An Orchard, All’s Well... more
Jennifer Matheson Collins: (Stage Manager) stage managed for Cleveland Play House The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith; A Carol for Cleveland; One Night With Janis Joplin (for which she also traveled to Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.); The Trip to Bountiful; and This Wonderful Life. Before arriving in the Cleveland area, she was a teaching faculty member at Northwestern University overseeing the stage management program. From 2000 to 2007, she was a stage manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier where selected credits include Passion, Marionette Macbeth, The Three Musketeers, Hamlet, Seussical the Musical, A Flea in Her Ear, Kabuki Lady Macbeth, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, Bomb-itty of Errors, and Pacific Overtures. Other Chicago credits include Death of a Salesman, Waiting for Godot, Floyd Collins, Jitney, The Odyssey, and A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre). She earned a Bachelor of Science, Theatre and a Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology from Kansas State University. less stage managed for Cleveland Play House The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith; A Carol for Cleveland; One Night With Janis Joplin (for which she also traveled to Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.); The Trip to Bountiful; and This Wonderful Life. Before arriving in the Cleveland area, she... more
Les Roberts: (Author) has written 23 novels, nearly a dozen short stories, eight screenplays and countless newspaper articles and reviews. He started out as an actor in Chicago and doing summer stock in Taos, New Mexico. He then moved to New York, where he began writing for classic television fare such as Candid Camera and The Jackie Gleason Show. From there he journeyed to Hollywood, California where he wrote and/or produced over 2,500 half-hours of network and syndicated television, including The Hollywood Squares, The Lucy Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Roberts’ introduction to Cleveland came when he created the Cash Explosion Double Play lottery game show. He later created similar shows for Michigan and Illinois, but couldn’t forget Cleveland. He moved here in 1990 and refers to this city as his spiritual home. Roberts writes regular book reviews for The Plain Dealer and has also written for Washington Post Book World, Northern Ohio Live, Cleveland Magazine and Chagrin Valley Times. With Ann Elder, he co-hosts the radio show Greenlight Reviews. He is past president of the Private Eye Writers of America and the American Crime Writers League. He’s been twice nominated for the Shamus and the Anthony Awards and has several times been voted “Cleveland’s Favorite Writer.” He’s won a Cleveland Arts Prize for Literature, a Sherwood Anderson Literary Award, and a Cleveland State University honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. You can actually call him “Doctor Roberts” – if you really want to. less has written 23 novels, nearly a dozen short stories, eight screenplays and countless newspaper articles and reviews. He started out as an actor in Chicago and doing summer stock in Taos, New Mexico. He then moved to New York, where he began writing for classic television fare such as Candid... more
Nathan Motta: (Musical Director) was at Cleveland Play House as assistant director to Michael Bloom for CPH’s production with The Cleveland Orchestra of Every Good Boy Deserves Favor and as assistant director of The Life of Galileo. Motta is an associate artistic director at Dobama Theatre, where this season he directed A Bright New Boise. Other credits include Opera Cleveland, Ohio Light Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mercury Opera Rochester, and Civic Light Opera (Pittsburgh). He was assistant conductor to Robert Page and Marvin Hamlisch for Pittsburgh Symphony Pops’ A Tribute to Richard Rodgers, and his recording of Der Vogelhändler with The Ohio Light Opera was released by Albany Records in 2008. Motta has written two original musicals; Little White Gloves and Midsummer. Other directing credits include Antigone; The Tempest; Blood Wedding; Our Town; Pippin; Into the Woods; and Almost, Maine. His Bachelor of Fine Arts is from Carnegie Mellon; his master’s degree, Eastman School of Music. less was at Cleveland Play House as assistant director to Michael Bloom for CPH’s production with The Cleveland Orchestra of Every Good Boy Deserves Favor and as assistant director of The Life of Galileo. Motta is an associate artistic director at Dobama Theatre, where this season he directed A Bright New... more
Paul Miller: (Lighting Designer) designed lighting for Lost in Yonkers at Cleveland Play House. Broadway credits include Legally Blonde, Freshly Squeezed, Laughing Room Only, Of Thee I Sing and Music in the Air (Encores!). Off-Broadway includes Nunsense, Vanities: The Musical, Waiting for Godot (50th Anniversary Production), Addicted and Balancing Act. Regionally he has worked with Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Bay Street Theatre, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodspeed, Paper Mill Playhouse, and others. International credits include Legally Blonde, West End; Race for Love, China; Cinderella, Asia; West Side Story, La Scala; and 42nd Street, Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He has also designed numerous national tours. Television includes Camelot (Live from Lincoln Center), Clairol on Broadway (A&E), This American Life, A Celtic Christmas Sojourn, Broadway Under the Stars, The Holiday Spectacular from Bryant Park, Broadway Bares, Gypsy of the Year and Broadway Backwards. For the past 13 years, Miller has been lighting director of the internationally televised New Year’s Eve Celebration in Times Square. less designed lighting for Lost in Yonkers at Cleveland Play House. Broadway credits include Legally Blonde, Freshly Squeezed, Laughing Room Only, Of Thee I Sing and Music in the Air (Encores!). Off-Broadway includes Nunsense, Vanities: The Musical, Waiting for Godot (50th Anniversary Production), Addicted and Balancing Act. Regionally he has worked... more
Sven Ortel: (Projections Designer) works internationally creating projections and imagery for theatre, opera, dance, and beyond. His credits on Broadway include Deuce, Faith Healer, Jumpers, The Woman in White (projection realization and system design), The Little Mermaid, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Wonderland and Newsies. In London’s West End, Ortel’s work includes The Sea, Marguerite, As You Desire me, Jumpers and Hitchcock Blonde (projection realization). He has designed projections for theatre and opera companies around the world including the award-winning A Disappearing Number (world tour); Measure for Measure (National Theatre, U.K. and world tour); the musical Rebecca (Vienna; Stuttgart, Germany; and St. Gallen, Switzerland); The Three Musketeers (Berlin and Stuttgart); Richard II for the Old Vic (Recklinghausen, Germany and London); Swan Lake for San Francisco Ballet; Tiefland (Zurich and Barcelona, Spain); Theatre for a New Audience’s Hamlet; Carrie off-Broadway; and The Ring Cycle (St. Petersburg, Russia). His recent work on Newsies received a Tony Award nomination. less works internationally creating projections and imagery for theatre, opera, dance, and beyond. His credits on Broadway include Deuce, Faith Healer, Jumpers, The Woman in White (projection realization and system design), The Little Mermaid, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Wonderland and Newsies. In London’s West End, Ortel’s work... more
November 17 @ 11:00am - 12:30pm
InsideCPH: Adapting Cleveland, with Eric Coble and Les Roberts
November 25 @ 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Adapting "A Carol for Cleveland" with Eric Coble and Les Roberts
December 02 @ 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Adapting "A Carol for Cleveland" with Les Roberts and Eric Coble
December 03 @ 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Adapting "A Carol for Cleveland" with Eric Coble and Les Roberts
December 05 @ 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Gen.NOW: A Carol for Cleveland - for young Clevelanders in their 20s & 30s
December 06 @ 6:00pm - 10:00pm
nightOUT!: A Carol for Cleveland - For Gay & Lesbian community & allies
Share-a-Memory, Make-a-Memory: SHARE-a-MEMORY, MAKE-a-MEMORY COMMUNITY is one of Cleveland Play House’s Core Values. During the run of A Carol for Cleveland we invite our audience community to engage with our artists and the themes of play with our “Share-a-Memory, Make-a-Memory” experiences. Like the play, these opportunities invite audience and artists to celebrate the people and spirit of our city, together. Read on for more details! Share-a-Memory When you enter the Allen Theatre lobby you’ll be given a special paper ornament. We invite you to share a favorite holiday memory by writing it on the ornament, which you’ll then hang on our Memory Tree in the Fasenmeyer East Lounge. Then, make a new memory by taking a photo of you and your loved ones next to the tree! Make-a-Memory with the cast After every performance, drinks will be available and cast members will be in the Allen Theatre Kalberer Lobby to share a ‘cup of cheer’ with the audience. You’ll be able to ask your burning questions, take photos, get autographs, and bask in the warm glow of the heartwarming A Carol for Cleveland. Share the Spirit As you exit the theatre, you’ll be given a small CPH ‘gift’ with information on how you can help area families like those in the play through our Community Partners.As always, our EngageCPH exhibit in the Fasenmeyer West Lounge will offer ways to interact with the world of play. For this show, the audience can experience a pictorial history of Cleveland holiday traditions, and take in some Cleveland nostalgia with historic items from Cleveland holiday icons like Mr. Jingeling, Higbee’s Twigbee Shop, and more! We also offer a Pre-Show Conversation 45 minutes prior to EVERY performance. This free, fun and interactive session in the Allen Lobby Mezzanine lasts about 25 minutes, and pulls back the curtain early to let audiences connect with the people, themes and ideas in each play. Finally, we offer three Post-Show Discussions with cast members during the run of the play: Sunday 12/9, Tuesday 12/11, and Sunday 12/16. less SHARE-a-MEMORY, MAKE-a-MEMORY COMMUNITY is one of Cleveland Play House’s Core Values. During the run of A Carol for Cleveland we invite our audience community to engage with our artists and the themes of play with our “Share-a-Memory, Make-a-Memory” experiences. Like the play, these opportunities invite audience and artists... more
Winter Wonderland: Holidays on Public Square: A Carol for Cleveland’s Ed Podolak knows a thing or two about Cleveland winters. Inspired by the Les Roberts’ novella of the same name, the play’s main character finds himself alone on Christmas Eve in the middle of Cleveland’s Public Square. But as Ed learns, memories of family and a little human kindness can warm even the chilliest body and soul. We hope this photographic stroll down memory lane gets you in the spirit for A Carol for Cleveland’s celebration of this great city. less A Carol for Cleveland’s Ed Podolak knows a thing or two about Cleveland winters. Inspired by the Les Roberts’ novella of the same name, the play’s main character finds himself alone on Christmas Eve in the middle of Cleveland’s Public Square. But as Ed learns, memories of family... more
See "A Carol for Cleveland" and help support The Centers for Families and Children: CPH is proud to partner with The Centers for Families and Children on a fundraiser to feed hungry families in Cleveland this holiday season. For each full price theatre ticket you purchase from now to Nov 30 for any performance date (Nov 30 to Dec 23) of A Carol for Cleveland, CPH will donate $5 to The Centers. Get your tickets now! About The Centers We believe lasting, positive change begins with access to opportunities. We bridge the opportunity gap by connecting as many people as possible to effective health care, education and essential human services. With core services in early learning, health & wellness, workforce development, youth and family services and emergency food distribution, we strive to connect our clients to the right opportunities, relationships, resources and networks that can help them build a better future. For more information, visit http://www.thecentersohio.org/ less CPH is proud to partner with The Centers for Families and Children on a fundraiser to feed hungry families in Cleveland this holiday season. For each full price theatre ticket you purchase from now to Nov 30 for any performance date (Nov 30 to Dec 23) of A... more
Play Guide - A Carol for Cleveland : To view the Play Guide, click on the related file link below! “…You want a Christmas story? I’ll give you a Christmas story. One you haven’t heard before. One where you don’t have to go back to London or some Russian Ballet or the North Pole. This story takes place right here. Three blocks that way - Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio. It’s the story of a guy named... Ed Podolak.” With those words, the narrator of A Carol for Cleveland begins Cleveland Play House’s love-letter to our city, and the determination and spirit that make it unique. This world premiere is the work of two nationally-known, locally-grown writers: playwright Eric Coble and author Les Roberts. But if you know Les Roberts’ writing, you know this won’t be any ordinary holiday tale. So grab some cocoa—or maybe a hot toddy—and curl up with this edition of the CPH Play Guide to take a walk down memory lane with Cleveland holiday traditions of the past, explore what demands on your time and money mean for your brain, and learn how Les Roberts’ 32-page novella became a full-length play in our InsideCPH interview. When you’ve finished the Play Guide, grab the whole family and head downtown for CPH’s newest contribution to the winter wonderland that is Northeast Ohio: A Carol for Cleveland! To view the Play Guide, click on the related file link below! less To view the Play Guide, click on the related file link below! “…You want a Christmas story? I’ll give you a Christmas story. One you haven’t heard before. One where you don’t have to go back to London or some Russian Ballet or the North Pole. This... more
InsideCPH: Les Roberts and Eric Coble on Adaptation for the Stage: InsideCPH gives you insight into the role a specific CPH artist or staff member plays in bringing our top-tier work to the stage. Here, author Les Roberts and playwright Eric Coble discuss their respective work on A Carol for Cleveland. It’s interesting that this play, which is such a celebration of the spirit of Cleveland, is by people who are not Cleveland natives, but have chosen to make Cleveland home. Eric Coble: While neither Les or I are natives, we have become locals. My research for this project began the first time I ever came to Cleveland—which was actually to see a friend perform at Cleveland Play House—and I didn’t even realize it. Soon after that, I was doing an internship here at CPH to get my masters and fate kind of kept [my wife and I] here with a string of odd jobs. After a while we had been here so long that we realized that there was no where else we really wanted to be to raise a family. What kept me here was the fact that I found an artistic community that I felt embraced by and I felt that I could embrace, and it’s a place where the cost of living means I can make my living as a writer. I have just grown to love it here. I even love the winters. Les Roberts: You know, I was born in Chicago, lived in New York, L.A., Georgia, Hong Kong… but this city is very different. It has its own feel to it. I think the best decision I ever made in my life was moving from Los Angeles, which I hated, to Cleveland. I remember my first night here. I had just bought the house and the furniture hadn’t arrived yet. I drove here and all I had with me was about three days’ worth of clothes, my computer, and a sleeping bag. I came here in December and the first thing I thought when I looked out of the window was “what in the hell have you done?!” (laughs) I figured I would just stay here for two years, long enough to sell the house and then I could go wherever I wanted. However, by about six weeks in I said to myself, “when I finally do leave Cleveland it is going to be in an urn.” What was the inspiration for the novella A Carol for Cleveland? LR: I had just moved here in the winter of 1990, and a gentleman with a very small publishing company here in Cleveland contacted me and said, “We would love for you to write a novella about Christmas in Cleveland.” I said, “Well you know I write hard-boiled murder mysteries. You know I can’t do something sweet and sentimental with flowers and candy canes.” And he said, “No, we really want you to do what you do.” And I said, “Okay. But there won’t be a murder. Not at Christmas.” (laughs) And strangely, when I got thinking about it and decided that it was time to sit down and write I think I wrote the novella in approximately a week. At the time there was indeed a recession in the country, so it kind of preceded what we are going through now. But I think it is very interesting that Eric set it twenty years earlier, in the 70’s. I tried to make the character of Ed really emotionally desperate and really wanting to do something for his family. I mean, he’s not looking to buy a drink or a mansion; he’s just trying to get something to eat. I think a lot of us, when you are down and out, there is always that thought ‘if I cut some corners, if I could do something that is not completely legal or completely ethical, would I do it?’ Most people say they wouldn’t. However, some people do. Some very decent people do, because you get desperate. This is very much a Cleveland story. How did the city itself factor into writing the writing of each of your versions? LR: It’s often been said about me that Cleveland in my work is another character, and it is. If I was writing a story set anywhere else it would come out very, very differently. Every time I go downtown I feel the city. When I come up 77 and I pass by the steel mills I feel the people who work there, the people like [A Carol for Cleveland protagonist] Ed Podolak. I try to do that; I try to make people feel Cleveland. EC: Cleveland is definitely a character in the play. It’s more than a one dimensional city. Once you have been here long enough you get to start seeing all of the inconsistencies and contradictions in its own personality. That sense of determination which is really shown in the show is a huge aspect of the feel of the city. Eric, you’ve both adapted and written original work for CPH in the past, but have you had your writing adapted before, Les? LR: Not for the stage. A couple of times I think my books have been up for film and scripts have been written, not by me. And what has that been like? Was there any trepidation on your part? LR: James M. Cain, who wrote things like The Postman Always Rings Twice, was being interviewed once and the reporter said to him, “Are you upset that Hollywood has ruined your books?” And he said, “Nobody ruined my books. They’re right there on the shelf!” (laughs) You know, it’s now Eric’s work so I’m not going to demand anything unless it got totally ridiculous. When I first read the script, I did recognize it. However, it was almost like reading some else’s original work. I was excited to find out what is going to happen. When I came across things that I had not originally written I kept thinking how neat it was. All the way through I thought that these were interesting people. Eric has made this family that Ed is visiting for the evening much more human than I ever did. So, for me it was exciting, like reading something new. Yet, I was comfortable knowing that this came from a story that I created in my own head. Has this process been different for you than others, Eric? What’s it been like to adapt the work of someone living right in your own town? EC: One of the biggest gifts that Les gave me was the gift of freedom. There was a mutual respect for each other’s work before we walked into this. He trusted me to do a good job adapting his work. And then working with [CPH Associate Artistic Director and director of A Carol for Cleveland] Laura Kepley and [CPH Artistic Director] Michael Bloom as outside eyes was a huge help. That said, my first rule of adaptation is to stay true to the source material—and this is especially true if you have people coming that are going to know the writer’s material really well. The challenge with this story is that it is not a full length book, it is a short story, and we are expanding it to a full length play. So, there were things that it hints at that we took and fleshed out. That was where I was able to let my imagination run while still staying true to Les’ work. What’s the next step of the process for each of you? EC: Once rehearsals start it finally becomes a play and no longer just a script. In many ways this really is just like parenting; this whole process is kind of just about making yourself obsolete. You get the ‘child’ to a certain age and then it’s time to release it out into the world to be influenced by other things than its initial parent, and then it becomes its own thing. Things will happen that none of us will be able to foresee and then it becomes the play that the audiences will see. And then at this point my job as the playwright is done. The play will live on whether we are in the room or not. LR: I am just very, very proud that Cleveland Play House is doing my work. I’ve been coming to “the Play House” since I moved here 22 years ago. I am especially proud that Eric is the person doing this adaptation. As I’ve said many times, when you write a book it’s between the author, the editor, and God. But, with a play or movie or a television show a lot of people come together with their own creativity or imagination to augment or add to in order to make what I’ve done shine. I’ll hopefully get to see some rehearsals and things like that. But I’m mostly just looking forward to sitting in the Allen Theatre and watching it with my family on opening night! less InsideCPH gives you insight into the role a specific CPH artist or staff member plays in bringing our top-tier work to the stage. Here, author Les Roberts and playwright Eric Coble discuss their respective work on A Carol for Cleveland. It’s interesting that this play, which... more
Decision Fatigue: The main character in A CAROL FOR CLEVELAND makes a split-second decision that changes his life. Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in the moments after waking up each day? Can I sleep a little longer? What do I eat for breakfast? What should I wear? Do I have enough time to stop for coffee? And that’s all before you even get to work or school. A new psychological theory, examined in a New York Times article from August 23rd, 2011, asserts that daily decision-making can produce “decision fatigue,” and that this fatigue may impact the impoverished exponentially more than the average person. “It's no secret that our physical strength and stamina have their limits, but now social psychologists are beginning to look at the limits of our mental capabilities, too. ‘Decision fatigue’ is the newest discovery involving a phenomenon called ego depletion, a term coined by the social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister in homage to a Freudian hypothesis. Freud speculated that the self, or ego, depended on mental activities involving the transfer of energy. Decision fatigue helps explain why ordinarily sensible people get angry at colleagues and families, splurge on clothes, buy junk food at the supermarket and can’t resist the dealer’s offer to rustproof their new car. No matter how rational and high-minded you try to be, you can’t make decision after decision without paying a biological price. It’s different from ordinary physical fatigue — you’re not consciously aware of being tired — but you’re low on mental energy. The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain, and eventually it looks for shortcuts, usually in either of two very different ways. One shortcut is to become reckless: to act impulsively instead of expending the energy to first think through the consequences. (Sure, tweet that photo! What could go wrong?) The other shortcut is the ultimate energy saver: do nothing. Instead of agonizing over decisions, avoid any choice.” You may notice that many of the decisions cited have to do with money and how to spend it: what clothes or food or even car to buy. If people who are financially secure are susceptible to decision fatigue, what happens when the strain of every decision is amplified by poverty, as is the case with many characters in A Carol for Cleveland? Baumeister’s research suggests that decision fatigue could, in fact, contribute to the cycle of poverty. He claims that throughout the day, those with lower incomes have to make more decisions than the affluent, who don’t have to consider the financial impact of each decision. As a result, impoverished people experience increased mental exhaustion and are more prone to default to decision-making ‘shortcuts.’ As Baumeister asserts — and Ed Podolak discovers — “ducking a decision often creates bigger problems in the long run, but for the moment, it eases the mental strain.” less The main character in A CAROL FOR CLEVELAND makes a split-second decision that changes his life. Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in the moments after waking up each day? Can I sleep a little longer? What do I... more
A Carol for Cleveland
November 30 - December 23, Allen Theatre
a new play by Eric Coble
based on the novella by Les Roberts
directed by Laura Kepley
- Reviews
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I hear it's destined to become an every-year production. I surely hope so. more I love Scrooge and Tiny Tim, but I think I like Ed and Charlie better, and I'm sure Cleveland is a better character than London ever was.
- Bob Speer, Lakewood
A Carol for Cleveland is Charles Dickens meet "A Christmas Story." Eric Coble's staging of more Les Robert's novella is not to be missed. A heartwarming story, well acted, with wonderful sets. What more could anyone ask?
- L.R. Pacini, Shaker Heights, Ohio
Enjoyed this holiday play a lot. Fun to watch for echoes from other classic more Christmas literature. Needed tissues at the end. Nice addition to our holidays.
- J Grant, Rocky River
Thanks to Cleveland Play House for putting on a show that speaks to all Clevelanders, more especially those who have fallen on hard times, great job by the actors and writers!
- Sharon, Lakewood
What a wonderful show. We saw it Friday with three generations of my family. Everyone more thought it was truly uplifting. Several very familiar looking props and holiday traditions made it feel like home! Thank you!!
- Teri, Westlake
Great show! I have already recommended it to others. I am also considering more seeing it again in the next year or two.
- Jack W, Concord
A wonderful adaptation of Les Roberts' short story. I took 8 high school students more who were mesmerized by the story and special effects. A great story that highlights not only our fine city, but also a tale that is thought provoking and befitting the holiday season. Very realistic and well performed.
- Marie, Newburgh Heights
Wow! Don't know how you do it but your always out doing your last more performance. An emotional rollercoaster of laughter and tears. Bring some tissue for a wonderful holiday classic in the making.
- SAL, Willoughby
We LOVED a Carol for Cleveland and hope to make it a yearly event. The more story, acting and scenery were superb! Thank you,Les Roberts, and all that made this possible.
- Kathy, Cleveland
Very well done. Enjoyable and important subject matter, the devastation that unemployment causes to more families.
- T. Nowel, Cleveland
Saw the production Saturday night and thought it was wonderful - a real old-fashioned, feel-good more show. It brought tears to a lot of attendees. Go see it!
- cmhteach, Middleburg Hts.
Modern spin on classic Dickens' tale. Speaks to our times - then and now.
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Great narrative and great acting...
- Pamela, Fairview Park
Bravo!!! We loved the play and, it is perfect for the Christmas season. more Loved the singing introduction and the staging and acting. It was all wonderful. A great evening.
- Susan, Shaker Heights
We have enjoyed the CPH performances for years and this play lived up to their more high standards. The set design, singing and acting were all top notch. Good acoustics/audio - we heard every word even though in the top row. A heartwarming story with a Cleveland view.
- Nancy Boothe, Tallmadge, Ohio
Four of us friends have had a Playhouse season subscription for many, many years. more This was one of our all time favorites! From the luscious, gorgeous stage set to the hopeful message to the superb acting to the faithful references to regionalism (Pittsburgh "Stillers"--perfect!) we were enthralled, entertained and hooked. Thank you, Les Roberts, for loving our major city as we all do, and for not succumbing to maudlin sentiment, and thanks to all involved for setting the tone just right. We left with tears in our eyes and warmth, love and hope in our hearts.
- Carol K, Lodi
A charming play and just right for the holiday season. Extremely well staged
- ds, Cleveland Hts.
I thought the acting in the play was fantastic! I am also glad that I more was able to get the student price tickets or else I wouldn't have been able to attend. Great job, I would recommend it to friends (and I have!)
- Sarah, Akron OH
aims true and feels very real, like a story that could actually happen, unlike a more
like of schmaltzy holiday shows that provide false cheer. I cried and so did the older gentleman in front of me. The scenery and set are beautiful and the actors are amazing (kids were dynamite!). GO SEE THIS SHOW! It is so heart warming and makes you love our grity town even more
- Margy, Cleveland
We thoroughly enjoyed this play. Its overall tone captured the flavor and feel of more the 1970's and the impact of the economy at the time. At the same time, it showed the optimistic hope of the residents of Cleveland at Christmas, even during those unsettled times.
- Carol, Aurora
We saw this show last night and thought it was great! Heartwarming and real more
with a hometown look at Christmas and the true meaning.
The theater looked great as well !
- Diane, Lakewood
We saw A Carol for Cleveland on Sunday afternoon and LOVED it. It was more so heart warming!!! And being set right here at home made it even better. A trip down memory lane to 1970's Cleveland.
- Angela, Westlake
Great to see a play about Cleveland that both the author & playwright are Cleveland more locals. It was moving & exciting! Loved it!!!!!
- Pamela, Richmond Hts
The show was just great, perfect to get you in the Christmas spirit.
- Andrea, Misdleburg Hts
Wonderful story, very nice affects and well staged, actors/actresses (and little ones) were GREAT! more We really enjoyed it.
- Carol, North Ridgeville
Some very strong performances in this show. I especially enjoyed the work of Stephen Spencer, more Lena Kaminsky, Elliot Lockshine & Bernard Bygott (who tricked with some skillful doubling).
- Alvin G., Beachwood
Thanks, I really enjoyed "A Carol for Cleveland." I found it to be more a very authentic, honest and heart-warming story for anyone who ever felt lost, that is to say, all of us.
- Kevin, Cleveland
What a marvelous adaptation of the novella. And the backdrop with scenes of Cleveland is more so moving with just the right amount of nostalgia.
- Linda, Cleveland
The show was touching and I absolutely loved the lighting and amazing visual effects. more
The Cleveland references were fun, and the carolers at the beginning were great.
- Grace, Cleveland
The play was excellent!!!! The whole cast did an outstanding performance. The fact more that there was no intermission kept the play moving along. It was really interesting to see the scene changing done in a very professionally manner. June and I will be telling everyone we can how much we enjoyed this wonderful life story . The timing of having it performed at this time of the year really added to the enjoyment. Please extend our "appreciation" to the entire production staff and the cast for a terrific performance.
- Ed and June Puwal , Middleburg Heights, Ohio
Thoroughly enjoyed this play. Actors defined characters very well. Singing was amazing! more Particularly liked the family dinner scene - cold have been a page out of my experiences.
- Emily, Novelty, Ohio
we are big fans of les roberts. have read most of his books and thoroughly more enjoyed this play which was very touching and different from his other works. acting was great!!
- sv, mayfield hts
I thought A Carol for Cleveland was fantastic. It was a great story and more I really enjoyed the performance.
- tmw, Parma
What a wonderful holiday show! Charming story set in our own home town...very heartwarming.
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Very enjoyable.
- Venetia, Strongsville
Absolutely loved this play! A Christmas Carol is one of my all time favorite more stories, and this unique, modern spin was wonderful. Loved the Cleveland setting and references. The cast was great, and we loved the intro! The theatre is beautiful, and we always enjoy our time at the Playhouse!
- Maggie, Wellington,OH
I saw the show Thursday afternoon and could not believe how touched I was by more it. I could have sobbed, my friends were amused. I loved the modernization of A Christmas Carol which I seen often. I especially enjoy the Ed & This Guy but all of the actors did a wonderful job. CPH keep up the good work.
- Fran, Akron
The production & the actors were first class; the children were phenomenal; Ed was outstanding; more the story is powerful and moving and perfect for Christmas. It is made for Cleveland--gritty and realistic, hopeful & ultimately believing the best in people. London has Dickens & that was fine for the time. Cleveland has Coble & Roberts, "a classic for Cleveland". Highly recommended.
- Virginia Goetz, Cleveland
It is truely a story that could only be set in Cleveland. The projections more
brought back the downtown of the 70's, not only the square & Higbees, but the back streets also.
I repeatedly found myself with tears in my eyes. It blows a Christmas Carol & the Nutcracker out of the water.
- Gregg Leach, Richfield
Awesome real life version of age old story. Excellent cast. Very touching and more heart-wrenching at times. I recommend it. Thank you.
- Mary, Gates Mills
Loved it, very heart warming story. Also, the set decorations are marvelous at the more
Allen, kudos to your staff Merry Christmas to all
Mark and Joyce
- Mark, Broadview Heights
A Carol for Cleveland was very moving and just the right play for the holidays. more
It was wonderful seeing and hearing so many memories of downtown Cleveland at Christmastime.
- Audrey Bashian, Solon
I took my 5th grade son and we both really enjoyed the performance. The more combination of emotional and financial reality, humor and an overriding positive message was easy for my son to understand. It was also just the right length.
- AN, Shaker Heights
Eric Coble did Cleveland (and Cleveland Hts) proud with his adaptation for A Carol for more Christmas for the Cleveland Play House and the Cleveland audience. A delightful evening! I love the intimacy of the Allen Theater!
- Helen, Cleveland Hts
A must see!!! Put me in the Christmas spirit!!
- Debbie, Mentor, OH
I thoroughly enjoyed the play. It was top notch in all regards, from author, more playwright cast and theater. Thanks again Les Roberts. !!
- Jim Stanforth, Cleveland
I enjoyed the performance. The acting and sets were great. I loved how the play more dealt with a very serious matter, and used a child's mind to have ahappy ending. Enoyable performance all around
- Cheryl K, Hinckley
great fun family show---the scenery was incredible really felt like you were rinding down Chester more
---in the snow
thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing
- Bob & Vicki Curtis, Mentor
Although this is a heart-warming play in the best of Christmas traditions, it lacks some more
polish in facts and presentation. I speak as a Pittsburgher now living in Cleveland who worked in the steel industry in both cities.
If the 1970's setting of the play is to be true to facts, then the reference to LTV Steel should be replaced with Republic Steel. LTV Steel was not created until 1984. Secondly, Krogers were long gone from the Pittsburgh area by he late 70's. And lastly, Ed Podolak, as a first generation American living very near to Pittsburgh lacked a noticeable regional accent. The use of "Stillers" isn't enough.
- Sam D, Cleveland
I was looking for a bit more comedy vs the dark message it sent even more though it ended well...
- PM, Lyndhurst,Ohio
The actors did a credible job with the script (especially the understudy for Ed more
Jr and Ed's wife) but the material was less than subtle. I enjoyed both of the
previous plays much more
- KOD, BEREA
This show is so very well crafted that we didn't really notice there was no more intermission. We all loved the courtesy announcements done with humor and song. The scenery was wonderfully effective and the cohesiveness of the actors resulted in flawless scenes of "then" and "now" BRAVO to the cast and crew!!!
- L.R., Richfield
attended the Tuesday preview. Loved it. A little quirky but a believable story.
- dp, parma hts
We liked the idea of "A Carol for Cleveland" and the production values, and it more was well acted. But I'm sorry to say that we thought that the play itself needs a lot of work, both on drawing the characters and on the local color. You can get to Broadway from Carnegie, not Chester, but if you want a residential neighborhood off Broadway you would not so either from Public Square in 1979.
- Mike Dowell, Hudson
For the past 4-5 years, and especially after moving downtown, CPH productions have been a more
terrific; some have been as good as any I've seen. CPH is a treasure.
"A Carol for Christmas" just doesn't work very well. There are a few very good scenes. Unfortunately, a few scenes shouldn't have to carry an entire play.
I hope you'll find a new holiday play for next season.
- MLM, Cleveland
I thought the story was heartwarming and the cast tremendous. I will say that I more felt sad for a lot of the play- you have to be prepared for that. I took my daughter and thought we were up for a mystery/heartwarming tale- quite a bit of reality going on instead. More sad than we expected. Based on most of the reviews, most people seemed to enjoy. Good ending-but a tough road to the happy ending.
- M, Shaker Heights
At the CPH Gen.Now event before the show, we were asked to write down our more favorite Christmas memory. After the show, I had a new one; seeing A Carol for Cleveland. It's a heart-warming production that you can't help but love. It's just what I needed to get into the Christmas spirit.
- BN, Cleveland
I hear it's destined to become an every-year production. I surely hope so....
- Bob Speer, Lakewood
