Venice Theatre Celebrates Its 75th Season

September 13, 2024 | Sarasota

Venice Theatre is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary by restaging the first show it ever produced, George Kelly’s 1922 comedy, “The Torch Bearers.” The play humorously depicts an amateur theatre group staging its first production, predating other popular backstage comedies such as “Noises Off” and “The Play That Goes Wrong.” The community is invited to join the celebration and share the laughs by seeing the new production of “The Torch Bearers,” playing Tuesdays through Sundays from Sept. 20 to Oct. 13, 2024 at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center. The Raymond Center is located behind the theatre’s main building at 140 Tampa Ave. W. It is being used as a temporary theatre while the Jervey Theatre is being rebuilt after sustaining severe damage from Hurricane Ian. Tickets, available at www.venicetheatre.org, are $35 for adults, $22 for college students and educators, and $15 for youth. The box office can also be contacted for questions and tickets at 941-488-1115 or boxoffice@venicetheatre.net.

The theatre’s 75th Season includes a mix of new shows and six “look-back” titles that honor its rich history. Artistic Director Benny Sato Ambush explains, “It is fitting that Venice Little Theatre’s first production was George Kelly’s ‘The Torch-Bearers,’ a satirical comedy about a community starting a Little Theatre. And, it is just as fitting to tell this story again for our anniversary. ‘Little’ was part of Venice Theatre’s name until it was changed in 2008 to reflect the theatre’s significant growth and evolution.”

Ambush elaborates on the Little Theatre Movement, saying, “Young dramatists, stage designers, actors, and community members were influenced by the vibrant European theatre of the late 19th century. The Little Theatre Movement in America was a rebellion against the commercialism and exclusivity of the New York City-based professional theatres of the time.” “The Torch Bearers” was a common choice for Little Theatres’ inaugural plays for several decades.

Venice Theatre’s 2024 production is directed by Kelly Wynn Woodland, a long-time actor and director at Venice Theatre. “Families have literally grown up here, with generations appearing onstage together. We tell the stories, but we are the stories. We are The Torch-Bearers,” she said.

Sponsored by Gary & Joanne Cook, Patty Fjetland & Linda Newton, and the City of Venice, “The Torch Bearers” opens Friday, Sept. 20. Tickets for this show and all Venice Theatre productions through June 2025 are available at www.venicetheatre.org or by calling 941-488-1115. The box office opens an hour before all shows for walk-up tickets if available.