Talespinner Children's Theatre Moving to 78th Street Studios, Bringing Shows to Neighborhoods Around the City

Cleveland’s Talespinner Children’s Theatre next month will move from its longtime home at the Reinberger Auditorium in Gordon Square to 78th Street Studios, the fine arts complex a couple of miles away.

For nearly a decade, Talespinner has rented space from The Centers for Families and Children, a Cleveland-based nonprofit organization. However, as The Centers’ operations have expanded, it’s had to reclaim space from Talespinner.

“The new space really is a growth opportunity for us in terms of what we're able to offer in classroom space,” said executive artistic director Heather Utsler-Smith. “We're going to be able to create a black box space for our youngest audiences series, which are our plays that specifically are created for children ages zero through five, and it just really is a great fit for us in terms of the environment, the creative spirit that's in that space.”

In addition to classes and shows in its black box theater, Talespinner will stage shows in different venues around the city. Because its new location does not have auditorium space, Talespinner’s 2023-2024 season will feature six productions throughout Cleveland with the theme “In My Neighborhood”.

“We're really focusing on shows that are about community and culture and identity and being part of something bigger than ourselves,” Ulster-Smith said. "And we're taking all of these things really directly out into communities, and not only performing in the communities but also offering additional pop-up events and educational opportunities that go with each show so that we're really grounding ourselves in all of these different neighborhoods throughout the city.”

Talespinner’s final production before its move will be “Everything I Feel," a play created for kids five and under as part of the new Youngest Audiences Series that will run Saturdays and Sundays from June 3-June 11. Its new address after that will be
1305 W 80th Street in suite 214.

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