Karamu House’s classic Langston Hughes Christmas show.
Written by Lauren Schwan
The East Side of Cleveland is home to the oldest Black theater production space in the United States. Built in 1915 as a settlement house and renamed in 1941, Karamu House has been a place to nurture Black actors.
Many Black citizens moved in the early 1920s from Southern states into the Cleveland area. Russell and Rowena Woodham Jelliffe established Karamu House as a place where all are welcome, resisting pressure to exclude African Americans.
The theater, known for a time as the Playhouse Settlement, then became a safety spot and attracted some of the best African American artists of its time.
Located at 2335 E. 89th St. in Cleveland, the theater continues to be a jewel of the nation. This winter, Karamu House is hosting their annual “Black Nativity” production, which is a gospel retelling of the nativity story.
The story is told through dramatic poetry, dance, biblical narrative and, of course, gospel music. “Black Nativity” is known as a classic of Karamu House, but it originated as a book by Langston Hughes.
Langston Hughes was a poet and social activist that led the Harlem Renaissance, to which Karamu contributed. Hughes worked alongside Karamu House to develop multiple different projects, many of which also had premieres at the theater. “Black Nativity,” originally titled “Wasn’t That a Mighty Day?” but renamed before its debut in 1961, is performed annually nationwide, but all began here in Cleveland.
Hughes’ “Black Nativity,” spanning a two-hour runtime, will be shown from Nov. 30 through Dec. 15. The showtimes include 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or the box office can be reached at 216-795-7077.