Note: Thank you to Ideastream Public Media, Axios Cleveland, Cleveland.com, and Crain’s Cleveland Business for the press. Read their articles below!

Cleveland Public Theatre is ushering in a new era. At a time when midsized theatres across the country are closing, 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.

press

Ideastream Public Media: Cleveland Public Theatre announces $4 million from Mandel Foundation

Axios Cleveland: Cleveland Public Theatre receives $4 million grant for renovations

Cleveland.com: Cleveland Public Theatre receives major funding for expansion

Crain’s Cleveland Business: Cleveland Public Theatre lands big Mandel grant for expansion, renovation project

ABOUT CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE

Cleveland Public Theatre’s mission is to raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking performances and life-changing education programs. CPT develops new, adventurous work, and nurtures Northeastern Ohio artists—particularly those whose work is innovative and socially conscious. A majority of CPT’s work is by artists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, including works by internal ensembles: Cleveland CORE Ensemble, Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi and Teatro Publico de Cleveland. Producing more new work than all the Northeast Ohio professional theatres combined, CPT serves local artists at every step of the creative process through four developmental programs. Simultaneously, our acclaimed education programs engage communities in year-round programs focused on devising new works that speak to contemporary issues and empower participants to work for positive change in our community. Our programs serve hundreds of families who live in public housing, working teens in the city, and formerly homeless adults in treatment for addiction. CPT serves a critical role as a local anchor organization with multiple performance facilities—having catalyzed redevelopment and instigated a cultural renaissance in the once-blighted Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

About the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundations

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel established their first foundation in 1953 in their hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Their philanthropic legacy is continued through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation. The work of the Foundations is grounded in the belief that exceptional leaders, inspired by powerful ideas, are key to improving society and the lives of people around the world. The Foundations have identified five areas of engagement that receive support, which include: leadership development, management of nonprofits, humanities, Jewish life and urban engagement. For more information, please visit mandelfoundation.org.