Asolo Rep Awarded 2021-2022 Arts Appreciation Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation
(SARASOTA, FLA) — Asolo Repertory Theatre has received a $70,000 Arts Appreciation Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation that will be used to support the 2021-2022 season. In addition to the season sponsorship, Gulf Coast’s contribution supports a Platinum-level Sponsorship for Asolo Rep’s 2022 Annual Gala, the Starry Night Dinner Series, and the IllumiNation digital program.
“The Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s continued support for Asolo Rep empowers our return to excellence – not only on stage, but in our community engagement programs as well,” said Asolo Rep Managing Director Linda DiGabriele. “We look forward to partnering with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation throughout the season.”
To maximize safety during COVID, Asolo Rep’s 2020-2021 season included a series of outdoor performances, as well as digital Community Conversations and other interactive online content and events. For the 2021-2022 season, the organization is celebrating a return to indoor performances and in-person community engagement events, all while continuing to observe CDC guidelines.
The season kicks off in November with the tribal love-rock musical Hair. Next up will be Thornton Wilder’s classic Our Town, the new comedy Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl, and The Great Leap by Lauren Yee.
This spring will feature the debut of the long-awaited musical Knoxville, based on James Agee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiographical novel A Death in the Family, as well as the explosive new play Eureka Day.
The season concludes in June with the highly anticipated new musical Hood, which rediscovers the renegade crusader Robin Hood and his Merry Band.
In addition to the theatrical season sponsorship, Gulf Coast’s funds will support related community engagement programs. IllumiNation explores the social, political, and cultural themes threaded throughout Asolo Rep's productions. This season’s IllumiNation Series discussions will explore issues of race, gender, identity, and cultural intersection in the productions of Hair, Grand Horizons, Our Town, and The Great Leap.
The Starry Night Dinner Series presents two intimate dinners at amazing locations themed to this year’s productions of Grand Horizons and Hood.
“The performing arts are a cornerstone to what makes Sarasota one of the most coveted places to live in the world,” said Mark S. Pritchett, President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “Their focus on the safety of their audiences, performers, staff, and volunteers reassures us that our region can expect an incredible, world-class season at Asolo Repertory Theatre.”
ABOUT ASOLO REP
Entering its 63rd season, Asolo Repertory Theatre is recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. One of the few select theatres in the nation that performs in true rotating repertory, Asolo Rep’s highly skilled acting company and extensive craftsmanship bring to life this unique performance method that gives audiences the opportunity to see multiple productions in the span of a few days. Asolo Rep presents up to 10 productions each season, including contemporary and classic works and provocative musical theatre experiences. A theatre district in and of itself, Asolo Rep is committed to expanding its reach into the community, furthering its collaboration with the best theatre artists working in the industry today and cultivating new artists through its affiliation with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards and Managing Director Linda DiGabriele, Asolo Rep’s ambitious theatrical offerings and ground-breaking education and community programming engage audiences and ensure its lasting legacy for future generations. Visit asolorep.org to learn more.
ABOUT GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
For more than 25 years, together with our donors, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has transformed our region through bold and proactive philanthropy. Gulf Coast is a public charity that was created in 1995 through the sale of the Venice Hospital. Since then, we have become the philanthropic home of nearly 1,000 families, individuals, businesses, and organizations that have established charitable funds here. Together, we have invested over $425 million in grants in the areas of health and human services, civic and economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. Learn more at GulfCoastCF.org.