Playhouse Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Playhouse Square
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 Location in Cleveland
Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2067 E. 14th St.; 1422, 1501, 1515, 1621 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio |
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| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Classical Revival, Other |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002041 |
| Added to NRHP | October 5, 1978 |
Playhouse Square is a famous theater area in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It's one of the biggest performing arts centers in the United States. Only Lincoln Center in New York City is larger.
The theaters were built quickly in the early 1920s. They became a major place for entertainment in Cleveland. But by the late 1960s, the area became quiet, and the theaters closed. In the 1970s, people worked together to bring the district back to life. This effort helped start a new era of growth for downtown Cleveland. Many people in Cleveland call the return of Playhouse Square "one of the top ten successes in Cleveland history."
Contents
History of Playhouse Square
Building the Theaters
After World War I, a local developer named Joseph Laronge had an idea. He wanted to build many theaters on Euclid Avenue. He teamed up with New York businessman Marcus Loew and others. They formed a group called Loew's Ohio Theatres.
Their first two theaters were the Ohio and State (now called the KeyBank State). Architect Thomas W. Lamb designed them in the Italianate style. Construction began in 1920. Both theaters opened in February 1921.
Across Euclid Avenue, the Hanna Theatre opened in March 1921. It was part of the Hanna Building complex. The theater was named after a famous Cleveland Senator, Mark Hanna.
Next door, the Allen Theatre was built. It opened in April 1921. This theater was designed in the Pompeiian style. It was sold to Loew's in 1922.
The last theater built was the Palace Theatre. It opened in November 1922. It is now known as the Connor Palace. The Palace was built by Edward F. Albee. He wanted to honor his friend and business partner, B.F. Keith. The Palace was called the "Showplace of the World." It was known as the "swankiest theater in the country."
The Palace was designed by the Chicago firm Rapp and Rapp. It was a main theater for the Keith-Albee chain of vaudeville shows.
The area around these theaters soon became known as "Playhouse Square." Today, it is officially called Playhouse Square.
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Closing Down and Coming Back to Life
For over 40 years, the theaters showed plays, vaudeville acts, and movies. But after World War II, people started moving to the suburbs. Also, TV became popular. This caused the theaters to decline.
A fire broke out in the Ohio Theatre in 1964. Other theaters were damaged by vandals. Between 1968 and 1969, all the theaters closed except the Hanna.
But people wanted to save them. In 1970, Raymond K. Shepardson started a group called the "Playhouse Square Association." They worked with the Junior League of Cleveland, Inc.
In 1972 and 1977, there were plans to tear down the Ohio and State Theatres. But the public protested loudly. In 1973, a new group, the Playhouse Square Foundation, got long-term leases for the Palace, Ohio, and State Theatres. Also in 1973, a musical show called Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris opened in the State Theatre lobby. It was supposed to run for two weeks but played for two and a half years! In 1978, Playhouse Square was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical place.
Bringing the Theaters Back to Life
Because Jacques Brel was so successful, the restoration of the theaters began. Different groups worked together. They raised about $40 million for the project.
The Ohio Theatre had a lot of fire damage. It was planned to be the last one fixed. But plans changed so it could become home to the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. This is now Great Lakes Theater. The $4 million project started in 1981 and finished in less than nine months.
Work on the State Theatre began in 1979 and finished in 1984. It got a new $7 million stage. Its lobbies were finished in 1987. The Palace Theatre was restored between 1987 and 1988. New parking areas were also added.
The Allen Theatre was the last to be rebuilt. Some people thought three theaters were enough. But in 1993, the Playhouse Square Foundation agreed to rent the theater. They bought it in 1997. This made Playhouse Square the largest performing arts complex outside of New York. It has over 10,000 seats! The Allen Theatre reopened in 1998.
The Hanna Theatre was the only one that didn't close in the 1960s. But it closed in 1989. It reopened in March 1996, 75 years after it first opened. In 1999, the Playhouse Square Foundation bought the Hanna. This made it the fifth and last of the original theaters they bought.
Recent Changes and Growth
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The reopening of the State, Ohio, and Palace Theatres led to more growth. A new office building and a hotel were built.
Playhouse Square also started a Real Estate Services Division in 1999. This helps them manage properties and make the area lively for visitors. They want to create a fun and welcoming place.
In 2002, Playhouse Square opened the 14th Street Theatre. It was a place for comedy and other shows. It closed in 2013 and became a private dining space.
In 2003, a street near Playhouse Square was renamed Memory Lane-Bob Hope Way. This honored the famous entertainer Bob Hope on his 100th birthday.
Playhouse Square and Cleveland's public TV and radio stations worked together. They created the Idea Center at Playhouse Square. It opened in 2005. It is now home to Playhouse Square's education programs. It also houses radio stations WKSU, WCLV, and TV station WVIZ. These are all part of Ideastream Public Media.
In 2008, the HealthLine opened. It's a bus rapid transit line with a station at Playhouse Square. It connects Public Square to University Circle.
Also in 2008, the Hanna Theatre was renovated. It got a new stage system. The Hanna is now home to Great Lakes Theater, a classic theater company.
Playhouse Square, Cleveland State University, and Cleveland Play House worked together. They created the Allen Theatre Complex. The Allen Theatre reopened in 2011. Two new theaters opened in 2012. Cleveland Play House and Cleveland State University's theater programs are now based here.
More than 1 million people visit Playhouse Square each year. They come for over 1,000 performances and events. The KeyBank Broadway Series has over 45,000 season ticket holders. This is the largest in the country!
Improvements to the Playhouse Square neighborhood finished in 2014. These included new digital signs and the GE Chandelier. This is the world's largest outdoor chandelier. It hangs above Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street. In 2014, a $100 million fundraising campaign began. The Palace Theatre was renamed Connor Palace after a large gift. In 2017, the State Theatre was renamed KeyBank State Theatre after another big gift.
In 2018, Playhouse Square started building The Lumen. This is a 34-story apartment building. It opened in 2020. It added 318 apartments and a parking garage to downtown Cleveland.
Theaters at Playhouse Square
- Allen Theatre
- Connor Palace
- Hanna Theatre
- The Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre
- Kennedy's Cabaret
- KeyBank State Theatre
- Mimi Ohio Theatre
- Outcalt Theatre
- Upper Allen
- Westfield Studio Theatre
Groups That Perform Here
- Cleveland Ballet
- Cleveland Play House (Allen Theatre)
- Cleveland State University Department of Theatre and Dance (Allen Theatre)
- DANCECleveland
- Great Lakes Theater (Hanna Theatre)
- Tri-C Jazz Fest
