About Cleveland Core Ensemble

Since his first full production at CPT in 1994, Pinocchio Rising, Raymond Bobgan has been creating premiere performances through an organic, evolving ensemble process. Raymond often collaborates with a group of artists over years, continuing his research in long-term artistic relationship. In 2012, this work was given a name, Cleveland CORE Ensemble, and is dedicated to developing unique theatre practices, investigating the potential of the craft of acting, and creating a distinctive body of theatrical works. The ultimate purpose of the ensemble goes beyond the creation of individual performances, as it also influences the broader artistic work of CPT and informs the pedagogical practices for our education programs. The group will be sharing its newest work, Candlelight Hypothesis, in Spring 2022.

Artist Biographies

RAYMOND BOBGAN (Director)

Raymond Bobgan creates new performances that are bold, multilayered, and highly physical through an ever-evolving ensemble process. Raymond’s work has been seen in Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and has been featured in American Theatre magazine, Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal, and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research. Raymond has created many works for CPT including Dream Rust Workshop (a hypothesis project) for CPT and Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America; Frankenstein’s Wake with Holly Holsinger; Feefer Rising with Faye Hargate; Rusted Heart Broadcast; Insomnia: The Waking of Herselves with Holly Holsinger and Chris Seibert; and Blue Sky Transmission: A Tibetan Book of the Dead, co-produced by CPT and La MaMa ETC (Off-Broadway).

Raymond initiated the formation of Teatro Público de Cleveland, CPT’s resident Latinx/a/o theatre company, Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi مسرح كليفلاند العربي, a group dedicated to creating and performing theatre from Arabic-speaking communities, and Station Hope, a community arts festival exploring contemporary issues of social justice. Raymond founded the Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP), a job-training theatre program for teens, and co-created the Y-Haven Theatre Project with James Levin, which engages formerly homeless men in writing and performing theatre.

Raymond’s research and creation group, Cleveland CORE Ensemble, created multiple Zoom shows, live movies, and hybrid performances during COVID-19 as part of the Hypothesis Exploration Project. They are currently working on a live performance art piece, Candlelight Hypothesis, which will premiere in April of 2022.

Raymond was the first recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize in the discipline of Theatre. He is a two-time winner of the Creative Workforce Fellowship and a recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Fellowship. He is an alumnus of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG)’s Early Career Development Program for Directors, and of the National Theatre Artist Residency Program (Pew Charitable Trust and TCG). Raymond also received the Cisgender Ally Award at Cleveland’s Transgender Day of Remembrance and Equality Ohio’s Ally Award. In 2018, he was honored with the Cleveland Foundation’s Homer C. Wadsworth Award and in 2017, his administrative leadership was recognized with The Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio. In 2020 he was awarded the Father Frascati Neighborhood Champion Award.

Raymond was the President of the Board of Directors for the National New Play Network from 2018-2020 and he currently serves on the boards of Theatre Communications Group, Gordon Square Arts District Cleveland Improvement Corporation (Chair), Ohio Citizens for the Arts, and North American Cultural Laboratory.

This is Raymond Bobgan’s 16th season in the leadership position at Cleveland Public Theatre.

ANASTASÍA UROZHAEVA (ENSEMBLE MEMBER)

Anastasía is a Russian actress living in Cleveland who has performed with Cleveland Public Theatre since Entry Point 2018.She appeared in When the She’ll Broke by Faye Hargate. Her credits include Dialogue Dance Company performance 1518 that toured in Russia, Whisper’s Thread (Pandemonium 2018: Labyrinth of Desire), Crevice, Moth, & Star (Ohio City Street Festival 2018), Cuerpo de Mujer, Alma de Diosa (Teatro Público de Cleveland, ¡OBRAS EN EVOLUCIÓN! A Festival of New Play Readings 2018), Masks of Flight (creation rehearsals), Fire on the Water, Crevice, Moth, & Flame (Pandemonium 2019: Alchemy), Awakenings: A Virtual Gala (Pandemonium 2020: Awakenings), Dream Rust Workshop (a hypothesis project), Dragon Hypothesis, When the Seed Opens (Pandemonium 2021: The Break of Dawn). Anastasía attended Cleveland State University, where she majored in Theatre Arts and studied Spanish. After graduating, she has primarily performed at Cleveland Public Theatre, collaborating and working in new play development. In addition, Anastasía has taught and assistant directed for acting education programs, including being Assistant Director of Global Teen Performance Project at CPT and Teaching Artist for STEP and Brick City Theatre. In 2019, she traveled to Moscow, Russia, with Professor Holsinger to work on an acting master class exchange with student actors of Raikin School of Theatre (Satyricon Theatre).

Eric wloszek (Ensemble Member)

Eric is a local Cleveland artist who has a love for human connection. He has worked with Raymond and the Core Ensemble for several years. CPT Core credits include two original works, Dragon Hypothesis (Blind Man) and Dream Rust Hypothesis (Clay), which both premiered on Zoom. The latter premiered on The Kennedy Center’s Website through a special series called Arts Across America. Eric has helped support the Core Ensemble in creation periods for several original pieces such as Masks of Flight and Candlelight Hypothesis. Another CPT credit includes Good at Heart (Mr. Kleiman), which premiered at the Broader Light International Theatre Festival in 2019. Local film credits include two original short films, Hobby and Julie of the Jury, which were official selections at the 2021 and 2019 Cleveland International Film Festivals respectfully. Eric graduated with a BA in Theatre from Cleveland State University in December 2019.

FAYE HARGATE (ENSEMBLE MEMBER)

Faye is a performer, educator, creator of original works, and director. She was appointed to Director of Community Ensembles in 2016 after having served in a range of education, community connection, and artistic roles since joining CPT’s fulltime staff in 2009. Faye works with Teatro Público de Cleveland, supporting the production of bilingual devised plays, Spanish language scripted plays, and community projects at events like CPT’s Station Hope and Ohio City’s Street Festival, and Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi مسرح كليفلاند العربي, collaborating with Raymond Bobgan and company members to support the development of new plays by, for, and with Arabic-speaking communities. Faye has ten years of experience with CPT’s Cleveland Act Now (formerly Brick City Theatre), teaching, directing, producing original plays and community events, and collaborating with community partner, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA). Her leadership has garnered program recognition: CMHA Community Partner of the Year Award in 2015, Cleveland Foundation Arts Mastery pilot grant in 2016, finalist for National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in 2016 and 2017, and Cleveland Foundation Arts Mastery grant renewal in 2018. In 2017, she was awarded the Rising Activist Award from Community Shares of Greater Cleveland for her work with Cleveland Act Now. In 2018, Faye founded CAN Academy, a theatre training program onsite at CPT for younger teens and youth that live in Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods. Faye is a founding member of the Cleveland CORE Ensemble. Under the direction of Raymond Bobgan, she has collaboratively created and performed in original works Fire on the Water (Part Four of the Elements Cycle), Red Ash Mosaic, Feefer Rising, and Rusted Heart Broadcast. As an installation artist, Faye has collaborated with Joan Hargate to direct and create performance/art installations When the She’ll Broke – Workshop, She’s Wearing White…, Royal Ann’s Preserve, Echoless Shore, and Fellsalie. Faye is a 2014 Creative Workforce Fellow. She has been a featured panelist for Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Education Pre-Conference and has served on TCG Education planning committee. Faye is a graduate of Ecole Jacques Lecoq (Paris, France) and has performed in France and Portugal. She holds a BA from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) and trained with Cleveland’s Inlet Dance Theatre. Faye is a Cleveland native.

Holly Holsinger (ENSEMBLE MEMBER)

Holly Holsinger has been a Cleveland theatre artist for over twenty years. Most recently, Holly toured to New Orleans and London with her solo show, Frankenstein’s Wake, which she co-created with Raymond Bobgan. Other original works include Ancestra and Insomnia: The Waking of Herselves, co-devised and performed at CPT. Holsinger’s work has been featured in Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal, and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research. She has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Romania, Belgium, and Brazil. Holly is an Associate Professor at Cleveland State University where she received a Distinguished Faculty Award, the University’s top honor for teaching. She received an MFA in Acting from the University of California, Irvine and is a certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework.

kat shy (Ensemble Member)

Kat Shy is a local theater artist and musician born and raised in the Cleveland area. She attended the University of Central Florida, later transferred to Cleveland State University, and completed her studies there in 2012. Kat has appeared on stage (and virtually) at various theaters, including, but not limited to, Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theater, convergence-continuum, and of course, Cleveland Public Theatre. Some more notable credits include Jenny in John by Annie Baker (Dobama), Orangutan / Madeleine Mays in Water by the Spoonful (Ensemble), and Ensemble / Water Spirit in Fire on the Water (CPT).