Our History

The Western Reserve Playhouse began in 1956 as the Bath Community Players, performing in the old Bath village town hall.

The current barn theater was acquired in 1966. A small, dedicated group of community players drew audiences from a widespread area of Summit, Medina, and Cuyahoga counties.

In 2006, WRP grew when it assumed the assets of Phoenix Stage Productions, itself a conglomeration of the Goodyear Community Theater and the Church Street Players.

In 2017, it hired its first Executive Artistic Director, Dawn Sniadak-Yamokoski, who had the responsibility of re-establishing WRP as a community asset and improving its financial security, which was accomplished throughout her 6 year tenure as EAD.

Today, Western Reserve Playhouse boasts a 6 to 8 production season, in addition to its recurring summer education camps for children, the $5 Bucks Staged Reading series, Short-Cuts Play-Writing Festival, CaBARet Series, Broadway Bingo, and year-round young artists education.

1886: The Barn was Born

Originally a dairy barn before being acquired in 1966 by a small dedicated group of thespians.

2017: Hired Executive Artistic Director

Dawn Sniadak-Yamokoski was hired in 2017 as Executive Artistic Director, adding direction and new life to the theatre.

2018: Gravel Parking Lot

2023: New Directions

Upon her retirement in 2023, Western Reserve Playhouse hired it’s current Artistic Director, August Scarpelli.

2024: Historic Barn of Bath Ohio

In the summer of 2024, WRP was officially recognized by the Bath Community Foundation as a Historic Barn of Bath Ohio.

2017 Renovations

Under the leadership of Executive Artistic Director Dawn Sniadak-Yamokoski, 2017 was a year of major facility improvements that reshaped Western Reserve Playhouse into a fully modernized theatre space. Key upgrades included:

Painting and finishing of walls and doors in the downstairs dressing room area.
Addition of fully modern bathrooms for both actors and patrons.
Construction of a new bar in the house and acquisition of liquor license.
Freshly painted and finished floors and walls throughout the space.
Renovation and decoration of the box office to enhance patron experience.

These renovations laid the groundwork for the theatre’s ongoing growth and professional capabilities.

Our Mission

At the Western Reserve Playhouse, our mission is to inspire wonder by involving our community to produce theatre that engages emotionally, challenges intellectually, educates and entertains our neighbors and the larger artistic ecosystem in northeastern Ohio. We impassion and support the current and the next generation of theatre artists, promoting life-long learning to our diverse community through traversing classic and modern works of historical and cultural significance which celebrate the human condition and illuminate the power of local theatre.