Because of our commitment to cultivating new voices, local creators, and both experienced and emerging artists, CPT has initiated a series of special programs that focus on the individual artist.
JOAN YELLEN HORVITZ DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP
L to R: Jimmie Woody, Anastasía Urozhaeva, Juliana Frey-Méndez, Nailah Unole didanas’ea Harper-Malveaux, Paige Conway, Ray Caspio
Established in honor of former CPT costume designer, supporter, and friend Joan Yellen Horvitz (September 7, 1932–October 28, 2021), and funded by the Joan Yellen Horvitz Trust, this award gives six to eight directors an opportunity to direct a CPT mainstage show and/or devise a new work. It also supports an emerging director looking to break into the field. Selected directors are local and visiting, with a new cohort selected per season. They also receive a stipend to use towards an upcoming project. For more information, contact artistic@cptonline.org.
The 2025–2026 Joan Yellen Horvitz Directing Fellows include Jimmie Woody, Anastasía Urozhaeva, Juliana Frey-Méndez, Nailah Unole didanas’ea Harper-Malveaux, Paige Conway, and Ray Caspio.
Kulas Foundation Composer Fellowship
Cleveland Public Theatre created the Kulas Foundation Fellowship to:
- Support local composers who are interested in theatrical performance
- Support the growth of the local field of sound designers
- Enhance the quality of CPT productions through collaboration with composers
- Strengthen networks between music and theatre communities in Cleveland
- Add to CPT's catalog of music for current and future shows and other media
CURRENT KULAS THEATRE COMPOSER FELLOWS
GEOFF SHORT is an actor, director, singer, songwriter, and music producer who most recently composed and produced the original scores for the independent films Gravedigger, Big Easy Queens, and American Cryptids. He has produced music for theater, commercial projects, and pop, rock, and soul music for bands. He is a member of Actors' Equity and in the ensemble of Seat of the Pants Productions. He served as President of the Board of The Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts (South Florida) and as Secretary of the Board of the Carbonell Awards, recognizing excellence in South Florida professional theater. He last appeared as Mr. Webb in Our Town (Cleveland Play House). Other recent credits include Sister Act (Curtis) — Lorain Community Music Theater, Fiddler on the Roof (Lazar Wolf) — Cleveland Play House, Amerikin (Gerald Lamott) — Seat of the Pants Productions, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney) — Cain Park, Brooklyn (Streetsinger) — Near West Theatre, Once on This Island (Ton Ton) — Slow Burn Theatre Co. Recent Directing credits: The Spitfire Grill, Evita, Something Rotten, Wedding Singer, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, In the Heights. www.GeoffreyBShort.com
PAST KULAS THEATRE COMPOSER FELLOWS
Sam Fisher — 2013–2014 season
Patrick Stoops — 2013–2014 season
Sean Hussey — 2013–2014 season
Sam Fisher — 2014–2015 season
Daniel McNamara — 2015–2016 season
Matthew Ryals — 2015–2016 season
Eric M. C. Gonzalez — 2016–2017 season
Matthew Ryals — 2016–2017 season
Buck McDaniel — 2018–2019 season
Obediya Jones-Darrell — 2019–2020 season
Ryan Charles Ramer — 2023–2024 season
Molly Andrews-Hinders — 2024–2025 season
Minor Prophet Joél — 2024–2025 season
Floco Torres — 2024–2025 season
Vince Tyree — 2024–2025 season
The Kulas Foundation was established in 1937 with the primary purpose of supporting the musical arts in the Greater Cleveland area. Today, the Foundation continues to focus on music and also makes grants in the areas of arts and culture, community, education, and music therapy research.