Did Playhouse Square’s rescue hinge on a magazine picked up at a barbershop? by John Vacha Feb 2, 2025

This mural, painted in 1921 by James Daugherty in the lobby of the State Theatre and photographed in 2015 during renovations, played an indirect role in the rescue of Playhouse Square, local historian John Vacha writes today. That’s because, when part of the mural was featured on the cover of a Feb. 27, 1970, Life magazine that the late Ray Shepardson casually picked up to read in his barbershop, Shepardson had a déjà vu moment, recognizing that the original was in the then-darkened State Theatre and prompting Shepardson to become the improvisational genius behind Playhouse Square’s rescue. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer, File)

Did Playhouse Square’s rescue hinge on a magazine picked up at a barbershop?
by John Vacha, Plain Dealer, February 2, 2025

The renovation of Cleveland’s Playhouse Square traces to the late Ray Shepardson’s casual look for reading material while waiting for a turn in a barber’s chair. But what if the previous patron had walked off with that copy of Life magazine five minutes before Shepardson came in for a haircut? Maybe: No deja vu moment, no renovated State and Ohio theaters, possibly no Playhouse Square. Think about it, writes guest columnist John Vacha, author of “Playhouse Square and the Cleveland Renaissance,” published last year by the Kent State University Press.
by John Vacha
https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2025/02/did-playhouse-squares-rescue-hinge-on-a-magazine-picked-up-at-a-barbershop-john-vacha.html

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