Asolo Rep Awarded Strategic Partnership Grant from Community Foundation of Sarasota County
(SARASOTA, FLA) — Asolo Repertory Theatre has received an $81,800 Strategic Partnership Grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which comes from the Allen Wirtz Nobbe and Jo Bowen Nobbe Fund, the Two-Generation Approach Fund, and the Zella I. and Junius F. Allen Fund. In addition to being the Lead Sponsor for Asolo Rep’s Access to the Arts program, this funding supports the 2021-2022 season and additional events, including the Director’s Take Luncheon, Annual Gala and Starry Night programs.
“The arts play an essential role in connecting us with stories we have yet to unravel, experiences we have yet to realize and use to better understand ourselves, and futures we have yet to imagine,” said Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “We are proud to expand our 27-year partnership with Asolo Repertory Theatre and support the legacy, storytelling, and connection that the performing arts bring to our community.”
Asolo Rep’s Access to the Arts brings theatre to local schools and community locations, and provides students with the opportunity to see productions at Asolo Rep. This generous donation allows many students to experience the power of the arts for the first time.
“We are thankful for our continued partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County,” said Asolo Rep Managing Director Linda DiGabriele. “As the Lead Sponsor of our Access to the Arts program, they help us bring quality theatre to students and families across the county, giving giving many access to arts experiences they are unlikely to have had otherwise.”
In addition to sponsoring educational and community outreach opportunities, the grant provides support for the entire 2021-2022 performance season. The season kicked off with the tribal love-rock musical Hair, which ran through the holidays. Next up is the winter repertory season: 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 world premiere 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.
The grant will also support related special events throughout the year. The Director’s Take Luncheon allows patrons to dine and enjoy conversations with the directors of upcoming shows. The Annual Gala raises funds to support the season and Asolo Rep’s award-winning Education and Engagement programs. The Starry Night Dinner Series presents two intimate dinners at local locations themed to this year’s productions.
ABOUT ASOLO REP
Now in 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 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $520 million in more than 1,570 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $27.5 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare, and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $350 million to area nonprofit organizations in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.