T h e F i f t y - Y e a r H i s t o r y o f G L T | P a g e | 76
The careful planning that went into the capital campaign was more than matched by the detailed restoration work that took place inside the theater house. Like the Ohio Theatre, the Hanna had originally opened in 1921 as a “legitimate,” as opposed to vaudeville or film, house. The Hanna hosted touring shows produced by the legendary Shubert brothers and continued to offer Broadway touring productions through the 1960s. As Marketing and Public Relations Director Krispinsky observed, “The renovation respected the historic space, but re-envisioned it as a contemporary space.” Encompassing a bar and a variety of seating options from traditional theater seats to lounge-style couches and tall chairs, the result, said Krispinsky, “is a metaphor for the company itself—flexible and fun.” The Cleveland Foundation’s Kathleen Cerveny agreed: “The Hanna design is well known in the arts world nationally. Often I participate in webinars about ‘next generation engagement.’ Invariably someone will show a photograph of the Hanna Theatre.” The stage itself was core to the renovation. The design began with a thrust stage in an intimate 550-seat house—not unlike the one that architect Chuck Dickson had envisioned for the Edgewater space so many years before. But Parker Hannifin’s involvement in the Hanna renovation project was not only crucial in monetary terms; the manufacturing company also gave the theater company the freedom to envision an even more flexible performing space. Since one of Parker Hannifin’s specialties is hydraulic equipment, Pistell proposed early on during the planning stages that the renovation plans for the Hanna Theatre should include a segmented thrust stage that could be reconfigured in a variety of ways using hydraulic lifts. The specially equipped stage would increase the cost of the project, but it represented an opportunity for a Cleveland-based company to give back, said Pistell, “to take one of the city’s gems and ‘recut’ it and polish it up. And it was a way to show what Parker Hannifin can do.” The Hanna Theatre opened with a stunning production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth that utilized the capacity of the new performance space in a striking and theatrical way. The show opened with spider-like witches climbing up from below and behind a platform. “The reveal on the witches was like ‘blow your mind away,’” enthused Pistell. The Japanese-influenced production featured live drumming throughout, with the drummers arrayed on platforms overlooking the action. Recalled Patrick Zohn, “The drums kept up a dynamic, dramatic tension. It was in your face--palpable.” Sara Bruner, who played one of the witches, recalled speaking the first lines of the show. “I felt so lucky to be the first actor to speak on this stage. Our entrance was really exciting. We felt, ‘This is our theater company. This is our home.’” While the production of Macbeth exploited the highly theatrical potential of the new space, another production that first season--of Chekhov’s The Seagull, directed by Drew Barr-displayed the quiet closeness that the theater’s stage also afforded—in an auditorium where no seat is more than 12 rows from the stage. The company operated at a high level as an