The Players Centre Adds New Talent

August 29 – Sarasota

As The Players Centre begins its 93rd Season, the city’s original performing arts organization announces the addition of three new hires. 

With the retirement of longtime Director of Operations, Jolie Schroeder, The Players secured the experience and expertise of Jill Franxman. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the unbelievable amount of care, effort, and joy Jolie has given The Players over her 26 years with us,” says The Players CEO William Skaggs, “and we look forward to Jolie enjoying our shows as an audience member during visits back to Sarasota.” 

Franxman, a long-time Sarasota visitor who recently became a full-time resident, joins The Players after an illustrious 24-year career with Procter & Gamble as a Senior Director in Finance & Accounting. Following her time at P&G, Jill earned an MA in Arts Administration from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and an MBA with a marketing concentration from the same school’s Lindner College of Business. She served as the National Program Manager for two groundbreaking programs of The Educational Theatre Association followed by service as a marketing professional in secondary education. “I’m really excited to hit the ground running and help move The Players toward its centennial and beyond,” says Franxman. 

The Players also welcomes Paul Mathias II as its new Audio Video Engineer. Mathias, originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, joins the community theatre after a diverse background in retail operations, audio-visual production and theatre production. Mathias has worked as an audio-visual engineer for the past seven years with various organizations locally and across the state. Notably, his experience with the renowned Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will help ensure The Players continues to bring the professionalism and accessibility it’s become known for. About his new role, Mathias says, “returning to a theatre full time is an exciting opportunity to grow individually while helping an historic theatre blossom following the pandemic.” 

Finally, longtime regional theatre standout Scott Keys will join The Players as its Interim Artistic Director. Keys’ distinguished career began with a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Syracuse University, which preceded an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from the illustrious NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has directed over 150 plays and musicals in professional, civic and educational theatres locally and throughout the country. Most recently, Keys directed “Falsettos” and “Some Enchanted Evening” during The Players’ 92nd Season. “The Players was the first theatre I directed for when I moved here in 1993,” says Keys, “I’m overjoyed to be helping raise the curtain on their 93rd Season.” Keys also served more than two decades as teacher, director and Chairman of the prolific development programs in the Booker Visual & Performing Arts magnet school, overseeing the development of musicians, actors and other creatives that have gone on to distinguished careers of their own. 

“We’re really blessed to have so much world-class talent right here in Sarasota, where The Players was founded 93 years ago,” says Skaggs, “so to be able to assemble these new personnel bodes well for our future growth and service as a community theatre.”