The Cleveland Play House and The Karamu Theatre
Photograph of the Gilpin Players, performing a scene from Dorothy Paxton's "It's Better Fo' to Sing." The Gilpin Players of Karamu House performed Paxton's play at the Cleveland Play House's Brooks Theatre, after the burning of their theatre. Photograph from the archive at Kelvin Smith Library.
The Cleveland Play House had working relationships with many institutions in the Cleveland community and outside of the area. For example, the professionals at the Play House offered courses for graduate pupils in drama at Western Reserve University (and later, when the institution became Case Western Reserve University). This affiliation provided local students with the opportunity to experiene the stage through Play House productions.
A Brief History of The Gilpin Players
"The Gilpin Players are without doubt the finest permanent company of Negro actors in America."
- Langston Hughes
According to the pamphlet found on page 10 of Paxton's scrapbook, the Gilpin Players were first organized in 1920 as The Dumas Dramatic Club. They reorganized in 1922 as the Gilpin Players, in honor of Charles S. Gilpin, who was the first African American to be ranked among the ten great actors of the day. Today, the Gilpin Players are the oldest African American theatre.
The Gilpin Players of Karamu Theatre grew out of Russell and Rowena Jelliffes' project to improve access to democracy and overcome racial tensions in Cleveland, which began in 1915 and which is discussed in more detail in "A CWRU Perspective." The Jelliffes began their work in the community by first offering a playground space for local children, and then by developing a Playhouse Settlement. According to Florence Kodidek Dwyer, the Jelliffes focused their attention on the arts because "there was no doubt the Negro had ability in creativeness; no only in the theatre, but in music, in the dance, and int he pictorial arts." They were inspired by the surrounding community to create a space where black artists could thrive.
The Karamu Theatre was built by the Gilpin Players themselves in 1926. It was restored from an old, abandoned pool room and named after the Swahili word karamus, which means "the place of feasting and entertainment." The Jelliffes and the Gilpin Players worked to disassociate black actors and actresses from the stereotypical comedy performances that were typically reserved for them at this time. The Karamu Theatre demonstrated the depth of talent in Cleveland's black community, in theatrical performances as well as in art, dance, and music.
The Karamu Theatre also became an education space for the community, where working mothers could leave their children for daycare and where older children could discover the arts. Known today at Karamu House, education and the arts continues to be a primary focus of their mission.