6 minute read
Venice Theatre’s Next Act
VISION
For generations, Venice Theatre’s profile has risen. Each year, it expands the scope, scale, and diversity of its performances. It casts locally and it seeks talent from all over the world. It answers the community’s demand for fresh stories as well as familiar favorites. Its staff challenges professionals and students to find their voice and nurtures their process in achieving it. Venice Theatre enjoys a reputation locally, regionally, and nationally without equal for the quality of its work. But its facilities have not kept pace. Venice Theatre’s Vision Statement highlights the goals that its staff and volunteers have met year after year, to the extent that only one item remains: Facilities that provide comfortable, accessible, and safe housing for all our activities. The Next Act Capital Campaign is set to reach that goal and achieve that vision.
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WRITTEN BY CAMILLE CLINE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED PAGE 35
VENICE THEATRE’S NEXT ACT CONTINUED
ARTS EDUCATION BUILDING FLOOR PLAN
THE NEXT ACT: SPACE TO GROW
When Venice Theatre purchased the Arts Education Center, formerly the Hamilton Building, with a $1,000,000 match gift from Dr. William H. Jervey Jr., in November 2019, Producing Executive Director Murray Chase’s dream of expanding Venice Theatre’s campus became a reality. “We’re ready for, and we need, the VT campus. It’s a campus where volunteers and artists rehearse and perform in one building, we build the productions in another building, and we teach theatre and life skills in yet a third building, one designed for education,” explains Chase. The 9,518-square-foot structure is primed for sprung flooring installation, four roomy studio spaces, a green room, offices, conference rooms, technical and storage facilities, and a reception area. “In the Main Building we have two legitimate classrooms. They are simply not enough. We can’t meet the demand of our students. The new Arts Education Center will accommodate classes first, from morning until night, from young children to seniors,” shares Chase. Director of Education and Outreach Sandy Davisson sees The Next Act as a bridge to secure learning environments and more specialized help for individual students. “More space will allow us to broaden and diversify our curriculum, offer more convenient times for classes, and collaborate with a greater number of organizations,” she shares. “More resources will allow us to expand teacher trainings. We have a top-quality group of instructors, but we need to bring in experts for continuing education of our group. We believe our teachers are the heart of our department. They must be given what they need to succeed.” Davisson goes on to paint a picture of a future The Next Act Education Endowment and capital improvements will provide: Two tracks of classes in a newly formed Academy, a Creative Drama track and a Performance track, for those who seek to pursue a career in the theatre arts. To maximize a safe environment, the former ABC Liquor Store, now the Technical Arts Building (TAB), is being upgraded with water, air, fire alarm, and state-of-the-art workspaces for scene building, painting, and prop storage, thanks in part to a generous grant from the Selby Foundation. While Venice Theatre was dark, the Jervey Theatre in the Main Building was refreshed with new paint and carpet. The lobby bar and restrooms were renovated with more changes to come.
GET INVOLVED:
• Did you know that 91 percent of Americans believe that the arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education? • Research on creativity shows that Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely to be actively engaged in the arts than other scientists? • Arts travelers stay longer and spend more? Our high-quality productions and education efforts work to ensure future generations will enjoy Venice Theatre. It is a world-class campus for theatrical performances and outreach. As a registered charity, our work relies on crucial support from individuals, businesses, trusts, and foundations. As we open the Arts Education Center and make improvements to the Main Building and Technical Arts Building in phases, we rely on donations from people like you to open, maintain, and develop the campus. We cannot make the impact we are planning over the coming decades without our generous donors and volunteers, corporate partners, nonprofit counterparts, and community leaders.
We are incredibly grateful to each and every one, including our Staff and Board of Directors, the Ehrhart Foundation, our own Silver Foxes, the Selby Foundation, Carole Freeland Raymond, Dr. Frank Bruno, the Dan and Shirley Gawne Family, Dennis and Ruthanne Neeser, Steve and Redenta Picazio, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and the City of Venice. In the future, Venice Theatre must have the resources to ensure our visitors are treated to the most vibrant and professionally managed theatre possible. Supporting the capital campaign and the endowment is a critical component of achieving that assurance. Gifts to Venice Theatre provide significant support by allowing it to fulfill its mission as a well-regarded organization in our community. We invite you to visit our website, VeniceTheatre.org, to learn more about the ways in which you can actively support the theatre, whether it’s through: • Donations, monetary or in-kind • Becoming a Member, including the Benefactor Society starting at $10,000, the Platinum Society at $7,500, and the Gold Society at $5,000. Bronze Society and above also receive access to the Presidents’ Club during most weekend performances • Becoming a Patron • Becoming a Corporate Partner • Sponsoring a production, learning program, or facility • Remembering Venice Theatre in your will • Volunteering All proceeds go directly to supporting the work of Venice Theatre. We are extremely grateful to all our supporters. Whether you are new to giving or have a long history of philanthropy, consider Venice Theatre as you plan your philanthropic gifts for this and coming years.
THE FUTURE
What started as a single-story stage on an old basketball court has grown to a jewel in the crown that is Sarasota County. Patrons and learners from near and far will soon be able to study, socialize, and be entertained by the diverse productions in their customized venues for optimal enjoyment and education. As Venice Theatre grows, improvements to its scenes/lighting/sound, offices, workshops, prop shop, and box office will debut in later phases. Funds for the studios, scene shop, and other spaces throughout the three-building campus will grow to provide a hub for a whole new generation of acting, music, dancing, and art fans. Continued support from the local community and in-kind donations from theatre lovers is eagerly anticipated.
Questions? Contact Camille Cline at Camille@VeniceTheatre.net or 941.539.8872 (call/text).
