Cleveland History Days – Women In History

Ruth Pangrace, Debra Rose, & Jeannine Gaskin

 
 
 
 
 

Doors open at 5:00pm, with the storytelling beginning promptly at 7:00pm

• Weekly series combining great food with great stories about Cleveland’s past
• FREE ADMISSION – NO COVER CHARGE
• In addition to our regular menu, a Prix Fixe 3-course dinner special is available for just $25
• Check back for this week’s special
  

Story topic this week…

Women In History
Women In History brings the past to life. Three local actresses will portray famous women and share their connections to Cleveland’s history.
 

 
Eleanor Roosevelt was a diplomat, an activist, and above all, a humanitarian. She was the longest-serving First Lady in the history of the United States, serving from 1932-1945 with her husband Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Because of his inability to travel, Eleanor became his eye and his legs during the Great Depression and WWII. Through her travels and advocacy, her determination to be the “voice of the oppressed,” she redefined the role of First Lady. Eleanor Roosevelt’s goal was to make sure that FDR’s New Deal was a fair deal for everyone in this country. She visited Cleveland many times, including the Lakeview Terrace’s dedication ceremony in 1937, a WPA project, the Cleveland Exposition in 1936-37, Lakeside, Ohio, Karamu House, the Jewish Federation of Women, speaking to and always encouraging women, youth, minorities, and the poor. Eleanor referred to the people of Cleveland, as “her old friends” during a “no ordinary time.” Performed by Ruth Pangrace

Ella Fitzgerald’s performances in Cleveland spanned 56 years, beginning with her first appearance with Chick Webb in 1936 at the age of 19, to her final concert in 1992 at the Tri-C Jazzfest at the State Theater, at the age of 73. During the years between, her Cleveland performances included eight summers at Blossom Music Center, three weeks at the Palace Theater, eight times at various Cleveland dance halls, as well as Cleveland jazz clubs including the Café Tia Juana in Glenville, which was one of the first mixed-race jazz clubs in the city. She also raised $10,000 in 1966 for the Shaker Heights Ludlow Community Foundation in a concert at the State Theater. Ella refused to appear on Dorothy Fuldheim’s show because Channel 5 wouldn’t pay her the amount she requested, that she was going to donate to charity. Performed by Debra Rose

Jane Edna Hunter, an African-American social worker, was born on the Woodburn Farm plantation near Pendleton, South Carolina. She was involved in the NAACP and NAACW. Jane Edna Hunter is widely Known for her work in 1911 when she established the Working Girls Association in Cleveland, Ohio, which later became the Phillis Wheatley Association of Cleveland. She founded the Women’s Civic League of Cleveland in 1943. Performed by Jeannine Gaskin

Ruth Pangrace Bio

Ruth Pangrace, M.Ed, is a retired language arts and social studies teacher, who has taught students from preschool through graduate school level. Ruth has been with Women in History for more than 25 years, and portrays 12 notable American women. Her favorite and most inspiring will always be Eleanor Roosevelt.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Debra Rose Bio

Debra Rose is an accomplished singer, actress, speaker and writer. Joining Women in History in early 2023, she loves the concept of combining her passion for history, research, writing and acting to bring characters to life in a way that makes them accessible to everyone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jeannine Gaskin Bio

Jeannine Gaskin is a Cleveland actress and director, and a proud member of the Women in History nonprofit group. Gaskin knows that women who are viewed as ordinary have done extraordinary things which have gone unnoticed or unrecognized. It is her honor to be a voice for Women of Color in American hstory; and it is her mission to keep their stories alive and relevant for audiences today.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Cleveland History Days

Cleveland’s history is America’s history. Predicted for greatness by George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. A city founded on the shores of Lake Erie. Shaped by a crooked Cuyahoga River that defined its identity and grew its wealth. A wealth fueled by the many immigrant groups who settled here. It is a city that emerged from the Gilded Age as a leader in policy and programs, building not only a great city but a greater civilization. This same river would catch fire on a hot summer day in June of 1969. It became a poster child of a national movement to save the environment. Today, industrial freighters share a clean Cuyahoga River with wildlife and recreational watercraft. Cleveland is writing a new chapter in its comeback story.
 
The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past – from sports, to rock ‘n roll, to Millionaire’s Row, — the series will focus on tidbits from Cleveland’s past that will really thrill the audience. The Music Box is presenting this series in partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. We think the Cleveland History Center is one of the most important museums in Cleveland. An unknown gem that Clevelanders should know more about, and support. It is the only museum in Cleveland dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Cleveland. The Cleveland History Center includes two mansions, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, Chisholm Halle Costume Wing, Research Library, Kidzibits Hands-On Gallery, rotating exhibitions, and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.
 

See all Cleveland Stories dates here.