How this Cleveland State connection helped save Playhouse Square

The millions who have passed through the doors of one of Playhouse Square’s five theaters have Cleveland State to thank in part.

That’s because 50 years ago, when the theaters were marked for demolition, an encounter between the founder of Cleveland State’s theatre program and a well-connected member of the Cleveland Board of Education changed everything. 

CSU Professor Joe Garry was directing the final showing of “Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” at the university, and Ray Shepardson was among those in attendance. After the play, Shepardson approached Garry and pitched the idea of mounting the same production in the lobby of the State Theatre.

Shepardson had already launched his initiative to save the theatres by then. He just needed the right show for the only space in both the Ohio and State Theaters suitable for use.

Garry, however, was convinced he was a madman and initially rejected his offer. 

Unbeknownst to him, Shepardson sat next to his mother that evening and won her over, so much so that she invited him to breakfast the next day.

By the end of that meal, his charm bore through Garry’s misgivings. 

“Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” debuted in the State Theatre lobby on April 18, 1973. It was an instant hit, earning rave reviews. Cleveland celebrities flocked to see it and the city buzzed with new life. 

In the end, the production became one of Playhouse Square’s longest-running shows, playing for two years and fueling the campaign to save the district.

To this day, Garry, now professor emeritus, is very much connected to Playhouse Square as the host of its show “Broadway Buzz."