The Department of Theater at the College of Arts and Sciences will host a presentation and discussion with Tony Sias, president and CEO of Karamu House, Friday, Oct. 18, from 12:45 to 2 p.m. at the Maltz Performing Arts Center in the downstairs lobby.
This event is a chance to learn about and discuss the historic and current significance of 1915-founded Karamu House, the country’s oldest black producing theater.
Lunch will be provided.
Register to attend this free event.
About Tony Sias
Prior to his tenure at Karamu, Tony Sias served in several progressive roles for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), including director of arts education and artistic director of Cleveland School of the Arts.
As a creative, Sias has produced, directed and performed in more than 100 productions. He most recently received critical acclaim for directing Karamu’s production of Freedom on Juneteenth. In October 2021, Sias performed narration with The Cleveland Orchestra in Sinfonia No. 5 “Visions” by George Walker.
Sias served as a delegate from the U.S. Department of State in Istanbul, Turkey, representing the Council of International Programs in the Youth Arts for Peace Project. In 2018, he was inducted into The HistoryMakers, the largest African American oral history archive collection in the U.S. In 2019, Sias was named the Cleveland Arts Prize, Barbara S. Robinson award winner. In 2021, Sias received the Community Leader Award from Cleveland Magazine.
He is a fellow of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program through Harvard Business School. Sias serves as a National Board member for the League of Historic American Theatres. He is a board member of the Cleveland-Assembly for the Arts, Cleveland School of the Arts and Lake View Cemetery Association.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in dramatic art from Jackson State University and a Master of Fine Arts in acting from Ohio University.