The connections that have formed
as a result of this community theater
renaissance are a testament to
what can happen when a group of
neighbors makes a conscious effort to
get to know one another.
And none of it would have
happened without Neighbor Night,
which is unique to Moreland. As
Boone told the group at one of their
meetings, “Before I came to this
group, I didn’t know anyone.” Now,
they’re intimately connected through
Moreland’s Rising Phoenix Theater
Group, and also just as neighbors who
can wave to one another.
On the last Tuesday of every
month, Moreland residents gather at
the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community
building to share what’s good in their
lives, to ask for help on a project,
to make social plans, or to float
ambitious new ideas – like putting on
a community play. There are no dues,
no officers, no minutes. People come
whenever they can, with a typical
meeting drawing 20-30 neighbors.
“It’s such fertile ground for social
networking and support,” says Colin
Compton, neighborhood and housing
specialist with the City of Shaker
Heights. Compton enjoys attending
the meetings, but not in an official
capacity – just as an interested partner
in this social network, who can lend
some support when requested.
“The residents of Moreland
are the most knowledgeable about
their own neighborhood. This group
came together as a way to identify
the challenges and the assets they
see in Moreland.”
Neighbor Night:
From Digital
to Analog
The arts are clearly a very powerful
platform for community engagement.”
- Colin Compton
42 SUMMER 2019 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
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