TNP 65th Anniversary Gala

The Naples Players Raise $1.3 Million for Theatre at Annual Gala

The Naples Players raised over $1.3 million dollars at their 65th anniversary gala The Sapphire Soiree for community theatre programming in Southwest Florida.

The evening featured reprised performances from CHICAGO, KidzAct’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and a preview performance from the upcoming musical Guys and Dolls.

Held in the Grand Pavilion of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, the gala attracted over 250 theatre patrons and philanthropists, such as Myra Janco Daniels, Marla and Allen Weiss, and Jay and Patty Baker.

Gala co-chair Alyssa Haney, who was recently honored as Naples’ Young Professional of the Year, sees the event as a family reunion of sorts.

Patty and Jay BAKER

“The Naples Players is the gold standard for community arts in Southwest Florida, but our roots are humble, beginning in the Watkins family’s living room sixty-five years ago,” Haney said. “Although our arts programming is serving tens of thousands of people each year, there’s a tight-knit community that feels more like a family.”

The evening’s auction featured a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 from Mercedes-Benz of Naples, an assortment of wine from Fairways Wine Vault of Naples, and a Broadway package including rare tickets to the Food Network’s New York City Wine & Food Festival and a backstage experience to Come From Away.

Gala hosts Tanya & Denny Glass are also making charitable waves in the community as the Naples Zoo’s Glass Animal Hospital is opened. Tanya Glass is an accomplished artist who frequently exhibits with the Naples Art Association, while Denny Glass has recently taken the helm as The Naples Players’ board president.

The evening’s programming also featured speakers that touched on many of The Naples

Gala Co-Chair Robin Bache Gray pledging $50,000

Players’ work behind the curtain. The group’s wellness programs, which include therapy programs for people with autism spectrum disorder and Parkinson’s disease, have had a powerful impact throughout Southwest Florida.

Executive Artistic Director Bryce Alexander believes the theater’s work is setting the stage nationally. “We have a responsibility to help define Naples’ culture. And with that culture is an inherent generosity and compassion for marginalized people,” Alexander said. “We’re doing things at The Naples Players that nobody else is doing, like using the IEP [individualized educational plan] of students with autism, pairing them with a licensed therapist, and creating a unique and specialized theatre program that creates positive and tangible change for students and families.”

One of the gala speakers, Julia Maloney, shared with the audience her family’s appreciation for the theater’s wellness programming and sensory-friendly programing.

“The Naples Players KidzAct education program has been that life changing experience,” Maloney said. “They’ve taught my daughter Kendall how to interact with others, have a conversation with back-and-forth dialogue, how to listen, take direction, and how to express herself.”

It was during the event’s final plea for donor support when the largest financial commitment came from Jay & Patty Baker. The two traded $100,000 commitments back and forth until reaching a million dollars. Patrons, guests, volunteers, and staff at the gala erupted with cheers and applause. Tears could be seen throughout the room.

“We look at The Naples Players as one of the best organizations we’ve been involved in,” Patty Baker said. “It’s like coming home when with our family, when we’re together.”

“I can’t imagine what The Naples Players or Southwest Florida would be like without Jay and Patty Baker,” Bryce said. “The success of our organization and so many others rely on their leadership in our community. There are no words that do our gratitude for Jay and Patty justice.”