Tickets available online at bit.ly/ClaguePlayhouseTickets
Community Note:
Ron Newell’s beloved Mimi will hold a “light and lively” celebration of his life on Sunday, January 18 – which his friends will be honored to host here at Clague Playhouse. Details when available will be posted here.
Now Playing!
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley
by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon
Directed by Curt Arnold
11/14/2025 – 12/14/2025
with talk backs with director and cast on 11/15/2025, 11/23/2025 & 11/29/2025
A companion play to last year’s Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, this year’s The Wickhams takes audiences to the downstairs servants’ quarters during the same Christmas celebration. The no-nonsense housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds, eager new maid Cassie, and lovesick footman Brian are busy with holiday preparations. But their work is interrupted by the clandestine midnight arrival of Mr. Wickham – Lydia’s rogue of a husband and Mr. Darcy’s sworn enemy (who definitely was not invited). The Wickhams is a charming holiday tale that explores the confines of class and the generosity of forgiveness.
Buy tickets here!
Our Cast:
Sad news in the Clague Playhouse family.
It is with a very heavy heart and a deep sense of personal loss that I must share with you the passing of our beloved friend Ron Newell.
We shall eulogize and speak long and fervently – for this was truly a remarkable man.
We shall tell and hear countless stories – for he was a character.
And we will cry. And laugh.
There will be time.
But for now, let each of us take this moment, in quiet, to reflect on the beauty of this unique and amazing and giving human.
Ron had recently completed a radiation regimen for prostate cancer, undergone the removal of an abdominal mass, and learned of the return of the lymphoma that he had previously fought off since 1994. But he clearly recognized his humanity and its inherent mortality.
He had called for his friend, Rev. Lou Will, who reported that he had left Ron feeling peaceful, resolved, and ready to face what Ron expected to be his next Act.
Ron had been visited today by a few close friends. And was surrounded by the love of his beloved Mimi, his adopted family, and his forever set construction partner Charlie Moran.
He took his last bow at 9:15 PM, November 7, 2025.
Mimi has asked the Playhouse, to which he had devoted so much, to host a “light and lively” gathering in his honor. As mixed as the emotions will be, as somber as the event will sound, still – where he is he will no doubt hear the thunder of the standing ovation at the end.
You know that the playbill for his final production at Clague Playhouse included his oft-spoken:
When asked about the future Ron replied, “When it gets here, I’ll deal with it!”
He did.
With class.
And now, I am convinced he fully expects that we will all do the same.
“Deal with it.”
Somehow.
For we will – somehow – remember that, at the end of each set construction day, he would say
“We’re in good shape.”
Let us be.
Ron Remembered in West Life
Beloved artist Ron Newell dies
By SAMANTHA ANN ILLIUS
The Northeast Ohio arts community is mourning the loss of Ron Newell, a steadfast contributor of regional theater whose creativity, kindness and unwavering dedication shaped the local theater community. Newell died Nov. 7 at age 95, surrounded by his wife, Mimi, close friends and longtime colleagues.
Newell, who had recently undergone treatment for prostate cancer and a recurrence of lymphoma, spent his final day visited by loved ones and by Rev. Lou Will.
Will said Newell was, “Peaceful, resolved and ready to face what he expected to be his next act.”
A veteran of the Korean War and a lifelong theater artist, Newell was revered as an actor, director, scenic designer and set builder. He worked continuously until just days before his death, completing work on the set of an upcoming production. His influence touched nearly every corner of the Cleveland theater scene, with significant contributions to Clague Playhouse, Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Beck Center, Cesear’s Forum and others.
Dobama Theatre in a Facebook post remembered Newell as “an extraordinarily gifted theatre artisan … kind, intelligent and extremely hard working” and called him a legend whose impact “beautifully supported and articulated” each production.
Colleagues online publicly recalled his humility, collaborative spirit and ability to elevate even the smallest of stages.
At Clague Playhouse — his longtime Westlake artistic home — Newell was beloved not only for his craft but for his warmth.
“He was truly a remarkable man,” said Clague Playhouse’s Board President Peter Toomey. “We shall tell and hear countless stories — for he was a character. And we will cry. And laugh.”
Newell often brushed off questions about the future by saying, “When it gets here, I’ll deal with it.” His friends said he lived — and left — with that same grace.
Mimi Newell has requested a light and happy celebration of his life at Clague Playhouse in January. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Contact this reporter at sillius@westlifenews.com or 440-871-5797.
Our 2025-2026 Season
This is our 98th season and our 58th season “in the barn.”
Now with a third talk-back date for each production!
Maytag Virgin by Audrey Cefaly
Directed by Rose Leininger
Show Dates: 1/30/2026 – 2/22/2026, with talk backs with director and cast on 1/31/2026, 2/8/2026 & 2/14/2026
A classic love story by southern regionalist Audrey Cefaly, Maytag Virgin follows Alabama school teacher Lizzy Nash and her new neighbor, Jack Key, over the year following the tragic death of Lizzy’s husband. The play explores the ideas of inertia and self-enlightenment, and the bridge between the two.
Lettice and Lovage by Peter Shaffer
Directed by David Vegh
Show Dates: 3/27/2026 – 4/19/2026, with talk backs with director and cast on 3/28/2026, 4/4/2026 & 4/11/2026
Lettice Duffet is an indefatigable but daffy enthusiast of history and the theatre. As a tour guide at Fustian House, she theatrically embellishes its historical past, ultimately coming up on the radar of Lotte Schon, an inspector from the Preservation Trust. The two start a curious friendship, resulting in an epic battle of historical theatrics, quirky make-believe, and possible criminal charges. A show that proves that opposites do attract — or, at least, agree to reenact some history together.
Ordinary Days Music and Lyrics by Adam Gwon
Directed by Anne McEvoy
Show Dates: 5/22/2026 – 6/14/2026, with talk backs with director and cast on 5/23/2026, 5/31/2026 & 6/6/2026
Ordinary Days tells the story of four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love, and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life. Ordinary Days is an original musical for anyone who’s ever struggled to appreciate the simple things in a complex place. With equal doses of humor and poignancy, it celebrates how 8.3 million individual stories combine in unexpected ways to make New York City such a unique and extraordinary home.