Oakland Center for the Arts

The Oakland Center for the Arts (or the Oakland, as it is usually called) is an interdisciplinary arts center based in Youngstown, Ohio. The center was established in 1986 by Youngstown native Alexandra Vansuch and a group of local performers and civic minded individuals, as a community venue for theater, film, music, literature, dance, and the visual arts.[1] The center specializes in performing locally written plays, as well as offbeat, obscure plays and musicals such as Bat Boy: The Musical and Baby Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,and Assassins. Their award winning work has gained them local and regional acclaim.

In the 1990s, the center joined the Ballet Western Reserve in the renovation of the community's former Elks Building.[2]

In early 2000's, the Oakland broke new ground in the world of Youngstown community theater when the center's production of Love, Valor, Compassion! with full male nudity to sell out crowds

In 2014, The Oakland joined a short list of theaters which have performed the musical Bare: A Pop Opera before a negligent board of directors led to serious financial problems, which eventually led to the loss of its long time space in the Morley Building. Primarily due to mismanagement by the board of directors, the Oakland announced in March 2015 that they would no longer be producing theatrical productions for an extended period of time.[3]

2015 The Oakland announces a new Board of Directors, and the addition of the Oakland's Kids First Theatre Initiative a free educationally based theatre program to be housed in Boardman. The successful program put the Oakland once again on firm financial footing.

2018 Season the Oakland will begin a program for Seniors during the daytime ours, and will provide catered lunches and shows for senior groups


References

  1. ↑ A Citizen's Guide to Youngstown (Youngstown, OH: The League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown, 2000), p. 46.
  2. ↑ The League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown, p. 20.
  3. ↑ Oakland Center for the Arts leaves longtime home in the Morley Building, cancels season (http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/05/oakland-leaves-home-cancels-rest-of-seas/)

Coordinates: 41°06′03″N 80°39′11″W / 41.100766°N 80.652934°W / 41.100766; -80.652934

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