Code,311015
Subject,"Judy Delanis, Jonnie Kawasaki"
Date,11/22/05
Interviewer,Shannon Shuler
Abstract,"Longtime staff member Judy Delanis and founding member Jonnie Kawasaki of the East Cleveland Theater, discuss the theatre and their personal and professional relationships with the city of East Cleveland."
Tags,"East Cleveland Theater, East Cleveland, race, Nela Park"
Special Notes,"Interviewer mostly inaudible throughout. Cuts off then no sound from 1:31-1:50, 1:51-2:25, 31:45-31:49, 32:05-32:16, 36:34-36:42. Crackling at 4:40-4:42; Phone rings at 6:33 pause with no sound until 6:49; Phone rings at 44:55."
minutes:,
0,"[0:26] JD: with the theater for its 38 years; grew up in East Cleveland, but hasn't lived there for around 25-30 years, now an administrative assistant at the theater, has also taught there."
1,"JK: helped found the theater with Chris and [Eu]Gene Pace; retired from Metro Hospital in '91, has worked at ECT since the beginning, now a production director."
2,"[2:27] JD: grew up on a short street, great shopping center on Noble Rd; lived across from GE."
3,"[2:52] JK: was born in Cleveland but grew up in East Cleveland, lived on Alverson, moved within East Cleveland several times; mentions the Library; says ECT was built because East Cleveland was becoming an open city; Chris and Gene Pace were with the Unitarian Players."
4,"JK: Was at Karamu House, the city wanted something to draw people together- Gene felt a theater was best; started with a choir, dance group, small theater- which outlasted the rest [inaudible]; just moved out of East Cleveland two years ago; ECT was founded on open blind casting."
5,Discussion of casting based on race. [5:52-5:58 interviewer cuts in and out]
6,"Talks about race ratio [of the cast]of the theater and how it shifted over time. [phone] [6:49] Talks about the ""fear"" concerning East Cleveland."
7,Hard to get white actors/audiences to come now. JK: Gives details as to why she thinks this has occurred.
8,cont.
9,"Discussion of the Playhouse and ""equity""."
10,"ECT an ensemble; discusses grant issues, etc."
11,[11:40] Discussion shifts to types of shows produced at ECT.
12,[12:30] Younger people don't come to older shows.
13,( audience size and impact on production) It does change- discussion of what groups want.
14,"Talks about black and white authors and the different draws that an author's race can have- ""The Wiz will be more successful than the Wizard of Oz."""
15,[14:50] Casting interracially; minorities in theater; mentions only casting based on race when play specifies it/time period of play demands it.
16,Mentions quality of actors fluxuating in the last 5-10 years.
17,"Schools and the lack of drama depts; Mentions School of the Arts- Shaw doesn't have a drama dept, etc."
18,cont.
19,Returns to discussion of musicals; [inaudible] Percentage of black to white has reversed.
20,Discussion of people moving out to the suburbs (JD: lives in Lyndhurst).
21,"Mentions Cleveland is one of the poorest cities in the US- East Cleveland 100 times poorer. JD: white people not moving into East Cleveland, except for maybe the Forest Hills area."
22,"[22:30] (The 1950's) JK: graduated from John Adams, moved from the Buckeye area to East Cleveland."
23,"People mingled in the 50's, but as the blacks moved in the whites moved out."
24,"JD: Lives in Lyndhurst, just over the South Euclid border; discussion of number of houses for sale increasing as percentage black population rises- black students walking down her Lyndhurst street equals ""white flight""."
25,Relates that the same thing happened in East Cleveland; JD: anecdote about East Cleveland schools.
26,"Change over happened rapidly in East Cleveland; JK: Lived on Alverson, street was mostly white, ""blacks moved in sales signs went up almost overnight."""
27,Still some white families in Forest Hills area; Further discussion of problems within East Cleveland.
28,cont.
29,[28:53] Discussion moves to the Library; ECT and Library along with a Neighborhood house are the only institutions working within/with the community. JK: School anecdote about her daughter and a gun.
30,Discussion moves to the low standards of all Ohio schools.
31,[31:49] Despite some good people still moving out- no real draw to the area.
32,"[32:16 sound comes back in loud] Mention of Windermere station and the Hayden condos- nice houses built, but quickly deteriorate."
33,[33:34] JK: Mentions gang presence when living on Ardenall [Ave.]
34,cont.
35,"[34:50] Discussion of ""two family"" houses and renters."
36,[36:42 comes back in loud] Talks about mayors and ineffective office holders who won't leave.
37,cont.
38,Discussion moves back to hope for the Library and its cultural programs- built an auditorium.
39,"City won't last without help, hard to watch it fail; JK: husband could take it anymore, they moved to Richmond Heights."
40,"Mention that there is no industry in East Cleveland, except General Electric- even they have ""gone down""- no taxes, no shopping center, no money coming in."
41,"Discussion of the Wall of Sorrow, down by Page."
42,cont. East Cleveland cemetery mentioned.
43,(asked if interviewer missed anything)
44,"Talking about watching the changes and how it hurts; JD: talks about Nela Park, and closed/boarded up shops, etc. "
45,cont.
46,Mentions of a lack of good restaurants- except for one called Carter's (JK unsure of name) across from Nela Park.
47,"Brief mention of Baker's Square; Talk moves to theaters ""compromising"" with others, Playhouse, Karamu, and Dobama; theaters aren't really growing; ECT large audiences due to group policy."
48,cont.
49,Discussion of the hardship of theater owning the building its in- ECT in a 100 year old building- needs repair.
50,"JD: ancedote about ""Hill people and Lower people""."
51,"Discussion of East Cleveland possibly splitting up- no one wanted any of it; JD: mentions Caledonia School children live in Cleveland Heights, Hts. wouldn't take the school."
52,"A ""tricky"" city, but hopeful of incoming management, but it will take years to turn things around. ECT still there."
53,end.