Cleveland Performance

Cleveland, Ohio

Watching butterflies

Performance 17 - 24 June 2023

Five children find themselves in a strange, empty room. No windows. No doors. And no phones to call home. How did they get there? How will they get out? As the grownups arrive, rules are quickly established, and the children must work together to find a way out – to understanding and to safety.

But can they trust everyone? Who is a helper? Who is not? As they form a community, the young ones discover the truth about their mysterious existence in the space, and they must rely upon their collective skills, talents, and experiences to make it through their transformative journey.

Inspired by

and created in partnership with families in Cleveland, along with internationally recognized director Liesbeth Coltof and Cleveland Play House, this play celebrates ingenuity, humor, determination, and resilience.

Shining a light upon environmental justice and the effects of lead exposure,Watching Butterflies is part of 10Children Cleveland, a new collaboration between Cleveland Play House, Cleveland State University’s School of Film & Media Arts, LAND studio, Amber N. Ford, and The MetroHealth System and its Center for Arts in Health.

The project involved creating a theatrical play, a documentary film, visual arts exhibits, and educational programs to create a conversation around the critical needs experienced by people living in Cleveland’s under-resourced communities.

Director	Liesbeth Coltof
Playwrite	Eric Schmiedl
Production Dramaturg	Dennis Meyer
Scenic designer/ Technical director	Cameron Caley Michalak
Costume Designer	Suwatana (Pla) Rockland
Lighting Designer	Michael Boll
Sound Designer	Richard B. Ingraham
And Actors

Director of Education & Artistic Strategies	Pamela DiPasquale
Director of Community Development	Marcela Rodriquez-Gonzales
Manager of Partnerships& Dramaturg	Yining Lin, PhD
And Staff Cleveland Playhouse