Raymond Bobgan

This is Raymond Bobgan’s 18th season in the leadership position at Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) where he has produced well over 50 world premieres.
As an artist, Raymond specializes in working through an ensemble process to create new performances that are bold, multilayered, and highly physical. Raymond’s work has been seen in Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Canada and has been featured in American Theatre magazine, Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal, and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research.
Raymond initiated the Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP) in 1994, a job-training theatre program for teens, co-created the Y-Haven Theatre Project with James Levin which engages formerly homeless men in writing and...

This is Raymond Bobgan’s 18th season in the leadership position at Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) where he has produced well over 50 world premieres.
As an artist, Raymond specializes in working through an ensemble process to create new performances that are bold, multilayered, and highly physical. Raymond’s work has been seen in Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Canada and has been featured in American Theatre magazine, Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal, and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research.
Raymond initiated the Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP) in 1994, a job-training theatre program for teens, co-created the Y-Haven Theatre Project with James Levin which engages formerly homeless men in writing and performing theatre, and initiated Teatro Público de Cleveland, CPT’s resident Latino theatre company, Masrah Cleveland Ala Arabi, and Station Hope, a community arts festival honoring Cleveland’s social justice heritage and exploring contemporary issues of social justice.
As CPT's executive director he has tripled the scale of the organization and run consistent operational surpluses. He was a leader of the Gordon Square Arts District partnership which resulted in a $30M capital campaign ($7.5M for CPT) while transforming a neighborhood and increasing local investment.
Raymond has received the Cisgender Ally Award at Cleveland’s Transgender Day of Remembrance and the Equality Ohio’s Ally Award. He received the 2017 Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio and in 2014 became the first recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize in the discipline of "theatre."
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National New Play Network and North American Cultural Laboratory and Gordon Square Arts District CIC (Chair). He is an alumnus of the Theatre Communications Group Board of Directors (2015-2023).

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  • Showin' Up Black is a powerful drama that resonated so strongly with our audiences at Cleveland Public Theatre in a workshop production. The play digs deeply into issues and pulls no punches in critique, but is also warm and empathetic. Yes there are some very complex issues at play with a lovely sense of humor and a touching and thought provoking conclusion. We hope to produce the play in the future.

    Showin' Up Black is a powerful drama that resonated so strongly with our audiences at Cleveland Public Theatre in a workshop production. The play digs deeply into issues and pulls no punches in critique, but is also warm and empathetic. Yes there are some very complex issues at play with a lovely sense of humor and a touching and thought provoking conclusion. We hope to produce the play in the future.

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    Complex conversation around complex problems of race, police, violence, culpability. Honed really tightly and I love the surreal elements. This is an important work that merits full production.

    Complex conversation around complex problems of race, police, violence, culpability. Honed really tightly and I love the surreal elements. This is an important work that merits full production.

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    OK--it pretty rare that i laugh out loud while reading a script--this was one of those times. But its also razor sharp in its humor diving into issues of race and history that are really deep. It questions some pretty big things and the whacky and ridiculous logic offers a playground that allows Langford to make some pretty bold statements. Langford is still working on it and i can hardly wait to read the next draft!

    OK--it pretty rare that i laugh out loud while reading a script--this was one of those times. But its also razor sharp in its humor diving into issues of race and history that are really deep. It questions some pretty big things and the whacky and ridiculous logic offers a playground that allows Langford to make some pretty bold statements. Langford is still working on it and i can hardly wait to read the next draft!

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    Poetic and visionary this work pulls the audience into a dream like journey into the minds of three security guards interwoven with the works of art they protect. The Art of Longing seems to emerge form the tradition of Derek Walcott, Jose Rivera, and Addrienne Kennedy in its bold aesthetic and departure from the naturalistic plays that dominate our field. Cleveland Public Theatre is proud to be producing this gorgeous play.

    Poetic and visionary this work pulls the audience into a dream like journey into the minds of three security guards interwoven with the works of art they protect. The Art of Longing seems to emerge form the tradition of Derek Walcott, Jose Rivera, and Addrienne Kennedy in its bold aesthetic and departure from the naturalistic plays that dominate our field. Cleveland Public Theatre is proud to be producing this gorgeous play.