The Dobama Collection
The orginal sign outside of the Coventry Road home of Dobama Theatre.
Coventry bowling alley being converted into a theater for the Dobama Players.
Publicity photo from a production of Camino Real, ca.1974.
Marilyn Bianchi at rehearsal in early Dobama production.
Publicity photo from a production of All the King's Men, ca. 1963.
Publicity photo of Jerry Leonard's production of West Side Story, ca. 1969.
The Dobama Theatre was founded by idealistic theater students, Don and Marilyn Bianchi, Barry Silverman and Mark Silverberg as their way of presenting free quality theater for the people of Cleveland. Dobama started as a very small production company that managed to present its first production during the week of May 17, 1960. Barry and Mark left Dobama shortly afterwards, while the Bianchis remained to nurture the theatre on Don’s often proclaimed foundation of Love and Respect, and to develop it into an acclaimed, innovative, and award-winning (if not entirely free) theater. Read more about Dobama's history.
The Dobama Collection is a collaborative digital project between The Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Public Library. Forty three Dobama playbills lent to us for digitization by the Cleveland Public Library Literature Department, publicity stills from the Cleveland Press Collection, as well as a chronological listing of Dobama productions through July 2007 compiled by Laura R. Dempsey were all cataloged and indexed in Cleveland Memory to provide this montage of the Dobama's contributions to Cleveland's vibrant theatrical scene.
Collection Features
- Browse all photos and playbills in this collection
- Streaming audio recordings:
- 20 Years of Dobama History - Speaker, Donald Bianchi
- The Book - A production from the first Marilyn Bianchi Children's Playwriting Festival enacted by John Klein on May 16, 1979
- Dobama Theatre: Forty-Eight Years of Theatrical Premieres in Cleveland by Laura A. Dempsey -A chronological listing of Dobama productions through July 2007
- Additional Links
Credits & Appreciation
This Web site, the practicum project of Kent State University School of Library and Information Science practicum student, Carolyn Solis, has been realized with the help and generosity of many including Donald Boozer from the Literature Dept. at Cleveland Public Library; Joyce Casey, the Artistic Director at the Dobama Theatre; Teddy Bianchi, widow of Donald Bianchi; and original Dobama company member, Everett Dodrill.
