Florida Studio Theatre Receives $4 Million Challenge Gift For New Arts Plaza

April 24, 2024 – Sarasota

 Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is excited to announce the generous challenge gift from Ed and Susan Maier of $4,000,000 toward the Arts Plaza. Mr. and Mrs. Maier have proposed that their challenge gift be used as a “one-to-one matching fund” to create a “circle of friends” to name the Arts Plaza in honor of Dennis and Graci McGillicuddy. All pledges towards the “McGillicuddy Circle of Friends” received after April 1, 2024, will be matched. 

The challenge gift serves to help complete Phase 1 of the Arts Plaza project which includes construction of the 8-story building, opening the parking garage, and opening three stories of Artist Housing. The Ed and Susan Maier generous match challenge fund will position FST to break ground on schedule in December 2024. 

Ed and Susan Maier had previously contributed $2 million towards the Arts Plaza, and the Maier Cabaret will be named in recognition of that gift. The Arts Plaza was originally named The Mulva Arts Plaza in recognition of the leadership gift made by Pat and Mary Mulva. However, the Mulvas informed the theatre in January that they were going to relocate to Texas to be closer to family. On March 4th of this year, they surprised everyone at FST’s 50th Anniversary Shindig by announcing that they were donating the naming rights of the building and the Mainstage Theatre back to FST. It was at this event that the Maiers were inspired to make an additional gift in recognition of the McGillicuddys. 

Mr. Maier speaks to the selfless contribution on behalf of himself and his wife, Susan Maier stating, “I’m not sure Susan and I would have done this had the Mulvas not given up the naming opportunity. We wanted to make sure that Dennis and Graci received the proper recognition for all that they have done for Florida Studio Theatre for the last 33 years.” 

Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director, speaks to the timeliness of these back-to-back events, “The generosity of the past few weeks has been humbling. When the Mulvas first told us that they were relocating to Texas for family, we never expected them to relinquish their naming rights. It should not have surprised us, as they have been so generous since they first arrived on our doorstep and continue to be deeply committed to seeing this project come to fruition. They saw the naming rights as one last gift they could make to FST before leaving to help us reach our goal. No sooner had they announced their intention from the stage at our 50th anniversary Shindig then Ed stopped me in the lobby saying, ‘let’s meet’.” 

It was in that meeting that Mr. Maier proposed the idea of a match for the naming of the building, not in his name, but in the McGillicuddys. The McGillicuddys are FST’s longest supporters and have made leadership gifts in every major capital campaign since becoming involved in the 1980s, including $2 Million towards the Arts Plaza. It was Graci McGillicuddy 

who first connected with the theatre as a board member for the original “Friends of Florida Studio Theatre.” She introduced Dennis to the theatre, and he joined the board of Trustees in 1990. Dennis McGillicuddy has served as President of the Board of Trustees since 1991. As Board President he has guided the theatre’s board from a small professional theatre into one of the largest theatres in the Southeast reaching over 225,000 attendees a year. Under his tenure FST has launched multiple capital expansion campaigns and grown from a single theatre housed in the Historic Woman’s Club to a 5-theatre campus in the heart of downtown Sarasota. 

In response to the Maiers’ commitment, the McGillicuddys said, “First of all, we want to say directly to Ed: ‘Thank you for your selfless philanthropy. Your gift represents such a deep commitment to and belief in Florida Studio Theatre and its significant contribution to making our community the wonderful place that it is.’ When we first learned that Ed chose to have his leadership gift reflected in naming the Arts Plaza after us, we both were brought to tears and felt a deep sense of humility. FST has been such an integral part of our lives here in Sarasota and to be honored in such a way has touched us to our core!” 

FST’s Arts Plaza has been designed to meet a wide range of FST’s artistic needs while serving its robust and growing audience. This state-of-the-art building will be nestled amongst FST’s existing five-theatre campus in downtown Sarasota. This necessary next step in FST’s story will take the theatre to new heights, all while laying the groundwork for a strong future. 

Arts Plaza Features 

• A new mainstage theatre to allow for expansion of the Mainstage and Stage III Series. 
• Two new cabaret theatres to accommodate growing audience demand. 
• Extended-stay studio apartments for FST’s visiting guest artists. 
• Affordable housing for Sarasota’s year-round arts workers. 
• Secure and convenient parking spaces for FST’s growing audience. 

With lead gifts from Patrick and Mary Mulva ($6 Million); Ed and Susan Maier ($6 Million); Dennis and Graci McGillicuddy ($2 Million); Anonymous ($2 Million); Jack and Priscilla Schlegel ($2 Million); Carol B Williams ($2 Million); Anonymous ($1 Million); Bob and Wendy Grady ($500 Thousand); Carolyn Ann (late) and Doug Holder ($500 Thousand); Arnold Simonsen Family Charitable Foundation ($500 Thousand); Charles O. Wood, III & Miriam M. Wood Foundation ($500 Thousand), along with the support of many others, the Arts Plaza will become the final piece of FST’s vibrant downtown campus. 

Managing Director, Rebecca Hopkins, says, “This gift gets us much closer to our goal, but beyond that it has such heart connected to it. Ed’s recognition of the impact that the McGillicuddys have made on FST is extraordinary. This gift will give this project the momentum it needs to make this building a reality and allow us to reach our goal of breaking ground at the end of this year.” 

Richard Hopkins says, “This is a wonderful opportunity, but this gift is not realized unless we raise another 4 million dollars. Now is the time for donors to double their investment in FST. For every dollar they give, Ed Maier will match it with another dollar up to 4 million dollars. I hope our audience and the public will step up to meet this challenge.” 

He adds, “This building will provide a true artistic home for our artists and will be buzzing with creativity. The top three floors will be filled with actors busy learning their lines, honing their actions, and building their characters. The designers will be brushing their renderings with the final shades of color for the costumes and sets that grace FST’s stages. On the bottom two floors, 3 new theatres will allow FST to continue to expand to reach the needs of our growing audience. This will be the center of the FST campus. This is the place where theatre lives and breathes.” 

For more information or to make a contribution in support of the Maier Match Challenge for the “McGillicuddy Circle of Friends” contact Melody Mora-Shihadeh, Director of Individual Giving, at (941) 366-9017 at extension 326, or by email at Melody@floridastudiotheatre.org.