Mr. Dolan, as I type this email 315 students are watching Gee's Bend, the current offering at the Cleveland Play House, at no cost to them. During the course of our season over 40,000 students of all ages see plays at the Cleveland Play House, both our plays for children and our mainstage productions, at no cost to the student.
The Play House also has a program that teaches high school students to be advocates for theatre at their schools, and substantial discounts for all students. More information on our extensive education programming is available on our website.
Best wishes,
Seth Gordon
Associate Artistic Director
Cleveland Play House
8500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106
216 795 7000 x207
www.clevelandplayhouse.com
When I was a kid in the 50s maybe 5th grade, I remember going on a field trip to see the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. It was a life-changing event.
When I was in high school in the 60s, it was possible to get student tickets to some of the annual Metropolitan Opera performances through school for about $1.25.
When I was teaching in the 70s, I offered those same discounted student opera tickets to my students and sometimes the most unlikely students would dress up and go to the opera.
I don't know how various theaters handle encouraging young audiences to attend their performances today, but when I see empty seats at theater, ballet, and opera performances,
I wonder if any effort is being made to offer high school or college students those tickets at drastically reduced prices - like those Met Opera tickets that I grew up using.
I understand that most theaters are understaffed and that a program like this takes someone to be in charge of it, but the first order of business in building an audience for tomorrow is getting them in the seats today.
Fred Dolan
WJCU-FM, 88.7 & wjcu.org
Arts On The Heights &
Visiting The Folks on Sunday nights from 9:00PM - Midnight