Playhouse Square’s vision for the future: From a bustling collection of theaters to a national entertainment destination

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Playhouse Square is about to embark on a new Broadway season as it comes off a strong fiscal year in which it drew more than 1.1 million visitors to 1,200 events. With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, Cleveland’s premier performing arts institution is looking to the future, with a grand new vision that sees itself as more than a collection of theaters but an entertainment district that draws locally and nationally.

“If you think of Fisherman’s Wharf (in San Francisco) or Bourbon Street (in New Orleans), these are the places you have to go to when you go to those cities,” said Playhouse Square President and CEO Craig Hassall. “I would like Playhouse Square to be that place in Cleveland.”