Cleveland Play House Community Mourns the Loss of Managing Director Kevin Moore
Posted October 26, 2020 in Press Releases
National and Northeast Ohio non-profit leader and arts advocate Kevin Moore dies at 59.
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(Cleveland, OH) Cleveland Play House is deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Managing Director Kevin Moore. Moore died possibly due to pulmonary embolism or heart attack on the morning of Saturday, October 24, 2020. He was 59 years old.
Kevin Moore joined Cleveland Play House in 2007. During his tenure, CPH made its historic relocation to the Allen Theatre in partnership with Playhouse Square and Cleveland State University. Moore was instrumental in the building of the Outcalt and Helen theatres and renovating the historic Allen Theatre, while also shepherding the company’s move from East 85th and Euclid Avenue to CPH’s new home at Playhouse Square in 2011. In collaboration with Artistic Director Laura Kepley, he guided CPH’s centennial celebration in 2015, and the two proudly accepted the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award on CPH’s behalf.
Prior to his appointment at Cleveland Play House, Moore served as Managing Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., where he helped lead the company in the funding and construction of their award-winning theatre facility. Prior to that, Moore served as Director of Marketing at both La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, CA and Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington, DE.
Moore taught theatre management at Cleveland State University and was an adjunct professor in the Department of Theater at Case Western Reserve University. A member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Arts Management, Moore served on the Board of Directors of Arts Cleveland and Theatre Forward, and the Membership Committee of the Commission on Economic Inclusion. He was also former President of both the National New Play Network and the League of Washington Theatres, and was a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2009. A graduate of Moorhead State University in Minnesota, Moore also earned a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Indiana University.
Since March 2020, Moore had been guiding Cleveland Play House through the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by relentlessly pursuing funding sources and continuously revising operational and strategic plans to champion the institution’s sustainability.
CPH Board Chair Anne Marie Warren stated, “Kevin’s commitment to CPH and to Greater Cleveland was unwavering. And he cared deeply and personally about the CPH family.” Warren went on to share, “Kevin has left indelible marks on our CPH. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Baryn, Kevin's husband, and the rest of the Moore family.”
CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley added, “Kevin Moore was the best professional partner an Artistic Director could have. He was a passionate advocate for theatre and the role that our art form plays in shaping a more vibrant, empathetic, and connected community. He led Cleveland Play House with kindness, dedication, humility, generosity, and integrity.” Kepley continued, “Kevin centered the art and the people who create, support, and sustain the art. Kevin loved the rich history of CPH and was a brilliant, warm, and charming ambassador who brought together people from all eras of CPH during our centennial season. The most thrilling moment of both of our professional careers was accepting the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of audiences, artists, and staff members who contributed to CPH over our 100-year history. I will cherish that memory forever. Kevin was my trusted loyal colleague and dear friend.”
Moore is survived by Baryn Yoon, his loving partner of 16 years and husband for 5 years, as well as his mother Margaret, siblings Tom, Helen, Kelly, and Tara, two goddaughters Stephanie and Nicole, and a host of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Kevin Moore was also a colleague and friend to many in the non-profit sector. Moreover, he was a beloved mentor to countless young professionals who aspired to have careers in the arts industry. His loss will be mourned by the entire Cleveland Play House and Greater Cleveland Theatre community.
Gifts in memory of Kevin Moore may be made to Cleveland Play House, 1901 East 13th Street, Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 or via the website at www.clevelandplayhouse.com/donate.
ABOUT CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE
CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE, founded in 1915 and recipient of the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is America's first professional regional theatre. Throughout its rich history, CPH has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire, stimulate, and entertain diverse audiences across Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards. CPH has produced more than 100 world and/or American premieres, and over its long history more than 12 million people have attended over 1,600 productions. Today, Cleveland Play House celebrates the beginning of its second century of service while performing in three state-of-the art venues at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. Cleveland Play House is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cleveland Play House is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. To learn more, visit: www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
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