It's Not Just an Ensemble--It's a Family

For decades, when Cleveland theatergoers thought about Ensemble Theatre, they thought about its founder and Artistic Director, Lucia Colombi. She was part of a trio of talented siblings--older brother Chris, an actor and director, and twin sister Licia, a director and dramaturg--who made their passion for live theater a lifelong pursuit. Lucia was so closely tied to Ensemble's identity that when she passed away in January 2009, there was serious doubt as to whether the theater would survive. In the words of Lucia's widow, Martin Cosentino, "That thought was never far from our mind, especially immediately after Lucia passed away. We had hoped Licia's love for the theatre would be enough for her to take her sister's place. We had already cancelled the two remaining plays of the season. But when Licia was taken ill in April and passed away in her sleep in early May, it was all we could do to even think about theater. It was just a time to grieve and stay close."

Cosentino and long-time actor, stage manager, and friend Bernie Canepari [pictured] have jointly taken the reins of the theater and guided Ensemble through its first season without its founder. Cosentino is acting as Managing Director, while Canepari is Artistic Director.

Canepari's relationship with Ensemble goes back nearly 20 years. He had been friends with the Colombi family since the mid-1960s, then, he says, Lucia asked him to audition. He recalls that his first production at Ensemble was Tent Meeting, and "it went on from there." When not onstage at Ensemble, he worked backstage, as did his wife, Dorothy, and daughter Eileen, both actors. Eventually, Colombi began seeking his opinion on plays." It became sort of a partnership in terms of good friends sitting around talking about plays. She'd come over and we'd sit and talk about theater," he says. After Colombi's death, Ensemble's board of directors asked Canepari to take over as Artistic Director.

At first he was reluctant, as he had never envisioned himself in that role. "I thought I'd be one of the guys who helps out technically and does some acting here and there," he says. But he realized that the theater needed help to rebuild and has no regrets in taking on the task. While he admits that it's been tiring, he hasn't lost his sense of humor, stating: "Whenever I talk to the audience before a show, I ask, 'Does anyone know what an artistic director does? If you know, could you please tell me?'"

Opening the new season without either of the Colombi sisters was difficult. But through it all, Cosentino states "There was one thought that prevailed--that we would not allow 29 years of work to go down the tubes. Steelbound, The Kentucky Cycle, Anna in the Tropics, and especially the years we spent with Dorothy and Reuben Silver and the wonderful work these two dynamos of theatre created--we would not let go of this, at any price." Canepari notes that there is a huge hole both emotionally and financially. "The economy has taken its toll on everything and every arts organization," he says. "We have to rebuild the theater, rebuild the subscription base. We've been having respectable houses, but not big ones. For instance, Jerry's Girls was a great show, but we didn't have enough people see it."

The theater has developed an aggressive long-range plan to expand the educational component that Ensemble has nurtured through its Outreach program for many years. The hope is that touring shows for students, seniors, and other under-served groups will expand the pool of potential theatergoers.

Canepari is committed to Lucia's original artistic vision. "We're sticking with American playwrights, but trying to find a balance--to have not just deep drama but maybe a light play, for people to come and have a good time and where they can bring their children. For instance, we did The Man Who Came to Dinner [the season opener], and people brought their kids to it." The idea of having families attend plays at Ensemble is appealing because, as Canepari puts it, "You never just did a show here. You became part of the family."

This first season without Colombi will end with the world premiere of Oh, Beautiful Ohio, which opens March 5. Written by the late Mary Bill, a Cleveland native and former Managing Director of the Great Lakes Theater Festival, the show is described as a memory play depicting the courtship and subsequent marriage of Bill's parents. Set against the 1915 Ohio flood, the play is based on letters the couple wrote to each other. The production was partially financed by Great Lakes alumni Tom Hanks, who got his first professional acting job at that theater.

Stabilizing and growing the subscriber base and the theater's finances are not the only obstacle facing Ensemble. The theater will also be losing its temporary digs at the Cleveland Playhouse in 2011, when the Playhouse moves to the Allen Theater downtown. Ensemble's future home is not yet clear. It could move back to the Cleveland Heights area. Cosentino notes that they've had some discussions with The Music School Settlement concerning their proposed new building at the Coventry School site. Canepari has even written to Bishop Lennon, asking if Ensemble could have a shuttered Cleveland church. He suggests that perhaps Ensemble could join with one or more other arts organizations and create a sort of theater multi-plex. "We all have a common goal," he says. "Why not share a space?"

Both Canepari and Cosentino are deeply committed to Ensemble. What continues to make the theater unique is its strong sense of family, both in the literal and figurative sense. Canepari's wife and daughter continue to be involved both on and off-stage, while Cosentino and Colombi's daughter, Celeste, has been working with her father closely in the administration of the theater. Moreover, many of the actors, directors, and crew who make Ensemble's productions happen have been involved with the theater on and off for many years. The Colombi family made Ensemble a home for theatergoers and theater professionals, and Canepari and Cosentino are continuing that tradition.

Despite the challenging road ahead, Cosentino believes Ensemble Theater will survive and thrive. "Live performance has a 3,000 year history that is firmly embedded in our DNA and is not about to lie down to celluloid or touch screens anytime soon," he says. "That is the legacy that Lucia and Licia both lived passionately and bequeathed us. ...Lucia and Licia's indomitable spirits are always here. They are embedded in every set, prop, and season brochure, and it will be a long time before that energy ebbs."

Oh Beautiful Ohio opens Fri 3/5 at the Studio One Theater at the Cleveland Play House. For tickets, call 216-321-2930.

When Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Petrone is not writing an arts or culture article for Cool Cleveland, she writes fiction. Her first novel, A Body at Rest, was published in early 2009 by Drinian Press. An excerpt from the novel and some of her published short fiction are available at http://www.SusanPetrone.com.