The Music and Drama Club is a Cleveland area 501(c)(3) that promotes interest in and appreciation of the arts of music and drama and provides scholarships and aid in these fields to Cleveland area organizations and schools.
In 1904, three ladies-who-lunch discussed the possibility of forming a “study club.” Within a few months, Mrs. Minette Stahl (a soprano) and Mrs. Margaret Taylor Spitz (a Reader, as dramatists were called in those days) met with five like-minded friends to form The Music and Drama Study Club. The Club’s original seven began meeting in members’ homes on a bi-weekly basis presenting programs focusing on the lives of the early composers. By 1911, the membership had
grown to 40, divided equally between active members, whose duty it was to entertain the Club, and associate members, who served as hostesses at the formal afternoon teas that followed each performance.
In 1917, when the United States declared war on Germany, Stahl and Spitz reorganized its meetings into benefits for the Red Cross. During The Great Depression, Club President, Mrs. W.R. Jeavons, opened her home for meetings so the Club could stay afloat. When our coun- try entered WWII, Club President, Mrs. Dieter, turned the Club’s efforts to fundraising for the Red Cross.
Although the Club had always been involved in charitable giving, the first official Music and Drama Scholarship wasn’t awarded until 1936. That original $50 donation to The Cleveland Music School Settlement grew and evolved into the present scholarship program. Beginning in 1941,
members amassed the majority of scholarship monies by collecting and redeeming Ohio Sales Tax Stamps. In 1960, the Club recognized a need to create a capital fund that would eventually produce interest income sufficient to support the scholarship program. The annual Holiday Scholarship luncheon is now the highlight of every Music and Drama season and one of the major sources of scholarship monies. In 2024, celebrating its 120th year The Club’s legacy continues of promoting artistic appreciation and nurturing young talent looks forward to the next 120 years of enriching Cleveland’s cultural landscape. In 2024, the Club was inducted into the 100 Year Club of the Western Reserve honoring organizations in continuous existence for at least 100 years.
Today, its annual events include teas, luncheons, and the Holiday Scholarship Luncheon. Scholarships remain an integral part of the Club’s mission. These events include networking with members and performers and professional performances.
Questions & Membership Information: musicanddramacleveland@gmail.com
