Asolo Rep Awarded Strategic Partnership Grant

January 18, 2022 – Sarasota

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 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.