Who Saved PlayhouseSquare from the Wrecking Ball?
• The five theatres of PlayhouseSquare, the Allen, Palace, Ohio, State, Hanna, opened in 1921 on Euclid Avenue. • As movies and televisions became popular and people moved out of the city, there was no choice but to finally close the theaters in the late 1960’s. • PlayhouseSquare Association to the rescue! Led by Ray Shepardson, the group came together in 1970 to save PlayhouseSquare from demolition. • After ten years of protecting the empty theatres, the Association raised money to reopen the Ohio, Palace and the State in the 1980’s. The Allen Theatre reopened at a later date in 1997. • Today, PlayhouseSquare is a busy performing arts entertainment and education center! In fact, saving the theaters is known to have been one of the top ten successes in Cleveland’s history.
