guest book alone is extraordinary, with such signatories as Martin Luther King Jr., Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, musicians from Duke Ellington鈥檚 Orchestra and visitors from across the globe.
The theatre鈥檚 historic register鈥攑hotographs, drawings, programs, posters and the collected letters of Karamu alumnus and playwright Langston Hughes鈥攚ill soon have a new, permanent home.
Karamu House, the nation鈥檚 oldest African American producing theatre and cultural arts center, is donating its archives to Case Western Reserve University. The special collection will be preserved at the Kelvin Smith Library, where the public will be able to access it for research, education and pure enjoyment.
鈥淜aramu House has long been an incubator for Black actors, but more importantly a touchstone in the Black community,鈥� said Provost and Executive Vice President Ben Vinson III. 鈥淭his partnership represents, not only, an incredible opportunity for Case Western Reserve University but for the entire Cleveland community. We are thrilled to share these treasured archives with the world and bring to light the incredible history of the nation鈥檚 oldest African American producing theater organization.鈥�