Dobama Theatre

Dobama Theatre is a small professional Theatre under the actors equity association (aea-spt),becoming clevelands third full-time equity Theatre and its only spt in 2014. Dobama abides by the important rules and regulations of the aea to ensure safety and fair compensation for actors and stage managers. Dobama also abides by the clean house standards in all mainstage programming, a document developed by Dobama Theatre and karamu house that protects non-union artists in cleveland theatres. Dobama prioritizes the safety and fair compensation of artists to create environments for brave creative exploration and to retain both union and non-union talent in the region. National recognition as an spt enhances clevelands status as a cultural destination by providing sustainable, equitable, professional productions. Via the love and respect document, a living document created in 2020, Dobama takes active anti-racist and anti- bias measures and ensures accountability to those measures from year to year. In fulfillment of this mission, Dobama Theatre produces 5-7 mainstage productions each season that are cleveland, Ohio, regional, american, or world premieres of plays that are challenging in genre, theme, or style and explore a current social justice issue in our contemporary world. Dobama follows the principles of emergent strategy and circular management to ensure diversity and equity in play selection, hiring, casting, engagement, programming, and daily operations.

Education programs: the marilyn bianchi kids playwriting festival (mbkpf), the Dobama emerging actors program (deap), and the intern program (part iii, 4b) as the oldest youth playwriting festival in the country, the mbkpf exemplifies all aspects of dobamas mission: it encourages the creation of new plays, cultivates young audiences for the arts, and asks students to examine the world around them. Northeast Ohio students in grades 1-12 are invited to submit original plays to Dobama for evaluation and feedback. The mbkpf culminates in an annual, fully-produced festival on dobamas stage of outstanding student plays as a community celebration of students work and creativity year-round. This is the core of dobamas educational programming and has been a staple in cleveland for more than 40 years. In-school literacy workshops are offered at no cost to public schools and provide educators with the tools to incorporate the program into their curriculum. Deap is an auditioned acting intensive hosted by Dobama each summer where high school- and college-age students learn essential acting techniques from area professionals. Summer interns receive training in the areas of design, directing, and stage management. At the end of the program, students perform a fully designed, directed workshop production of a heightened-text play in order to apply what they have learned. The program prepares students for college auditions and future employment in the professional Theatre world while honing communication and social-emotional skills. Tuition is on a sliding scale, and no student is turned away due to inability to pay. This program allows Dobama to identify emerging talents and connect them with an opportunity to advance their craft in an environment that prizes diversity, experimentation, and excellence. The intern program admits groups of students for either a full mainstage season (september may) or a summer (may september). Interns receive close mentorship from administrative, artistic, technical, and support staff to provide a rounded education of the industry. The goal of the intern program is to provide opportunity for emerging professionals and to create a robust community of Theatre professionals in the cleveland area. All interns have the opportunity to work in official positions on Dobama productions, and all interns are paid for their work.

The playwrights' gym is Dobama Theatre's professional playwriting unit. The gym provides local playwrights the opportunity to workshop new work in a variety of ways, including direct feedback, rehearsal space, marketing, open readings, and other public events supported by Dobama. The gym's goal is to nurture and encourage new work in a supportive environment and to continue Dobama's commitment to the creation and premiere of important new plays. Admission to all gym events is free to the public to encourage attendance and audience feedback.