Patricia Beagle
Contributing Writer
Roe Green is many things: Chautauquan, philanthropist, theatermaker, CEO of the Roe Green Foundation and — perhaps most notably — she holds a lovingly conferred nickname. Because of her transformative philanthropic support, Green has been widely referred to as the “fairy godmother of the arts.”
Green is so enmeshed in arts philanthropy that she was even honored with a cameo role at the Porthouse Theatre in Ohio, playing the fairy godmother in Sweet Charity. “I had a ball!” she said. “The hardest thing about it was realizing when to say my lines.” Green displays her treasured fairy godmother dress in her Cleveland, Ohio, home.
Her life-changing support for the arts, global health and domestic violence prevention has deeply impacted communities in Chautauqua, Ohio, Florida and Colorado.
Green has always loved the diversity of arts at Chautauqua. She enjoys theater, symphony, opera, dance and art. At age 22, she became a Chautauquan.
“Cleveland Play House did their summer program at Chautauqua then. I knew all of the actors and stayed with friends at 9 Root,” she recalled. Green later bought the third floor of 9 Root, selling it when the stairs became difficult.
In addition to spending time at homes in Florida and Ohio, Green delights in her current Chautauqua residence, “Roe’s Cottage,” on Miller Avenue. She shared that her cottage is near the Chautauqua Fire Department, whose members’ quick response helped save her life when she experienced an aortic aneurysm at her cottage.
The cottage, painted green with white decorative trim, has been her Chautauqua home since 2021. During the summers, she enjoys the porch with her beloved rescue maltipoo.
“Figgy loves to be petted, and she is a diva!” Green proclaimed.
Green’s knowledge of theater is informed by her Bachelor of Arts in theatre and communications from the University of Colorado Boulder and Master of Arts in theatre from Kent State University. Experience in stage management, theatrical directing and theatrical business management — along with 12 years as a competitive dancer — deepened her understanding of performing arts. In addition to her gift to the Institution, she has funded new theaters for Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University and the University of Colorado Boulder.
To Laura Savia, vice president of performing and visual arts, Green is a thoughtful donor who understands the art form in depth.
“Roe is a dream philanthropist to work with. She gets inside of a vision, is a thought partner and is deeply trusting regarding the execution of details,” she said.
Green was inspired by her father, Ben C. Green, a federal circuit judge appointed by John F. Kennedy. “He did many things for people that were never publicized,” she explained. A firm believer in education, she renovated the law library and law school student lounge at Case Western Reserve University to honor his memory.
Ben Green also inspired his daughter’s love of travel; he felt that travel offers the best education. Roe Green estimates that she has visited 193 countries, including some that no longer exist. She has been to places few Americans ever visit, such as Timbuktu, Mali. She advised, “If you want it to be like home, stay home!”
With a zest for life, Green’s philosophy for giving is memorable. “If I have five oranges, I eat one, I save one and I give away the other three. Everything I give comes back tenfold.” She added, “I believe that everybody should be philanthropic. Pick something you are interested in.”
Jade King Carroll, producing artistic director of Chautauqua Theater Company, described Green as passionate, vivacious and a woman of impeccable taste.
“Roe has her finger on the pulse of American theater,” she said. “She is a visionary philanthropist with a huge appetite for life, travel, people and art. She has a ravenous intellectual curiosity and is a Chautauquan through and through.”
Green’s $4.5 million gift to build Chautauqua’s new Roe Green Theater Center followed many years of theater patronage at Chautauqua.
Savia raved about Green’s history of direct financial gifts enabling new play development. “Roe supports generative artists such as playwrights and composers, the most important forces in American theater. Her support helps populate America’s stages with new work,” she said.
How did Green come to build a theater in Chautauqua? Emily Glinick, managing director of CTC, explained that after the pandemic, the Actors’ Equity Association pronounced Brawdy Theater Studios unsafe for union actors, and CTC could no longer rehearse there. “We were rehearsing wherever we could find space, using classrooms and even music practice shacks,” Glinick remarked.
Recalling discussions with Green and former President Michael E. Hill, Savia said, “Michael and I started talking about a basic replacement, and the dream became big. Roe pushed us to include other spaces.” The program for the Roe Green Theater Center expanded to include spaces for every part of the theater process, including a black box theater.
“Roe is inspirational,” King Carroll said. “Her support and enthusiasm are unmatched. Roe Green is changing lives, and that is what intentional, curious, generous philanthropy will do.”
