Playhouse Square and the Cleveland renaissance / John Vacha.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vacha, John, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Playhouse Square Center.

Playhouse Square Entertainment Center.

Playhouse Square Foundation.

Theater and society--Ohio--Cleveland.

Theater and society.

Theater--Economic aspects--Ohio--Cleveland.

Theater.

Urban renewal--Ohio--Cleveland.

Urban renewal.

Cleveland (Ohio)--Economic conditions.

Cleveland (Ohio).

Cleveland (Ohio)--Social life and customs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (361 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, [2024]

Summary:

How five beloved Cleveland theaters escaped the wrecking ball and inspired city-wide urban renewal Shortly after World War I ended, five new theaters were constructed in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, all within a two-block radius. The concentration of these venues, which featured movies, vaudeville, and "legitimate" theater, became known collectively as Playhouse Square. For 50 years, the State, Ohio, Hanna, Allen, and Palace theaters enjoyed varying degrees of financial success until television, suburbanization, and urban decline darkened four of their marquees by the end of the 1960s. In the 1970s, with the shuttered theaters facing demolition, groups of like-minded Clevelanders united to fight to save the Square, influencing the city's establishment to create formal plans to renovate the theaters and ensure their financial viability. Playhouse Square and the Cleveland Renaissance tells the story of how the rejuvenation of Playhouse Square became one of the main catalysts for Cleveland's larger comeback from postindustrial decline, inspiring and serving as a model for other urban renewal efforts across the city. John Vacha is the first to write a comprehensive, in-depth account of Playhouse Square's history, beginning with the Square's 1921 opening and describing how the COVID-19 pandemic once again left its theaters temporarily empty before their triumphant reopenings in 2022. Richly illustrated and featuring interviews with the central figures involved in saving the Square, Playhouse Square and the Cleveland Renaissance is a powerful story that will appeal to theater history buffs and preservationists alike-reminding readers of the significant role the performing arts serve in shaping a city's culture.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Part I. The Way It Was

1 Another Op’nin’

2 High Times, Hard Times

3 Backing the Home Front

4 Postwar Peak to Pits

Part II. What It’s Become

5 “It Was Those Murals”

6 In Search of a Plan

7 Widening the Vision

8 A National Model

Epilogue: Remembering a “Forgotten Man”

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index Generated by AI.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-63101-540-0

1-63101-539-7