In December 2011 the Kelvin Smith Library acquired the Archives of the Cleveland Play House. Founded in 1915, the Cleveland Play House is America’s first professional regional theatre. The archives include correspondence, photographs, posters, legal and financial records, design drawings, audio and video tapes from the founding of the Play House through 2011.
The photo to the right is just one example of the visual materials you'll find in the Cleveland Play House archives. Use the links below to find more content.
"A Strange Case of Mother Goose", from Curtain Pullers and Youth Theatre Production Photographs
In 2021, KSL acquired the archives of Karamu House, the oldest African-American producing theater in the United States known for nurturing the careers of Ruby Dee, Robert Guillaume and Langston Hughes. The archive consists of records for Karamu's administration, governance, educational services and creative output, including 100 years of theater, dance and music productions.