Gulfshore Playhouse

A Letter from the Founder

Dear Friends,

The curtain has just come down on our final play of the season, the sold-out smash hit, "Married Alive!", and we are already hard at work on our terrific 2008-2009 season. I am thrilled that we are now able to bring you a full three-show season, presented fully at the Norris Center in beautiful downtown Naples, and grateful that Gulfshore Playhouse, and the high-quality professional theatre it provides, has become a growing cultural resource in our community.

Our new season kicks off on December 11th with a Florida Premiere of a holiday musical comedy, "Another Night Before Christmas". From the writers of "Married Alive!", comes the heart-warming story of a disillusioned woman with a lack of holiday spirit and an intruder claiming to be Santa Claus. Is he really Jolly Old Saint Nick, or a guy who just wants a free Christmas cookie??!! Come join us and find out!

The holiday show will be followed by the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play, "Doubt" opening February 19, 2009. "Doubt" had a long and successful run in New York as well as many regional theatres throughout the country. "Doubt" is a gripping story of the suspicion cast on a priest's behavior that is less about scandal, than it is about the nuanced questions of moral certainty. I promise you'll be thinking about this one long after you see it.

The final show of the season is "The Clean House" by Sarah Ruhl, which the New York Times called ""One of the finest and funniest new plays". "The Clean House", explores the humor and sadness of one household, and reminds us that we may never fully understand the jokes life plays, but the wisest response is to have a good laugh anyway.

I hope you'll join us for the new season of professional theatre! In fact, if you act now, you can take advantage of our terrific 3-play discount price! (Click here for subscription information)

Like all American non-profit professional theatres, Gulfshore Playhouse depends upon tax deductible gifts to meet its annual budget. We hope you will choose to make a donation to Gulfshore Playhouse. Your support enables us to not only keep ticket prices low, but also to continue our groundbreaking educational program, "ArtSmart", where we go right into the schools with theatre-based education that augments the current curricula. In the face of so many budget cuts, we are finding this is a welcome program to schools both in Lee and Collier Counties.

Rest assured that we make every single dollar count, and that every single dollar is deeply appreciated. Thank you for considering Gulfshore Playhouse in your contributions budget, and for your vote of confidence in our work, as we continue to create an affordable, professional high-quality regional theatre worthy of national attention. (For your convenience, we've made it possible to make a donation right from the website, and you can click here to do so.)

I look forward to seeing you in December!

Warmest regards,
Kristen Coury
Founder and Producing Artistic Director

Mission Statement

Purpose:

• To enrich: presenting works that speak to the core of who we are, make us laugh and cry, and help us to know ourselves better

• To educate: creating and implementing programs to teach both children and adults about the theatrical arts and help encourage their creative spirit, including programs which will allow under-privileged school-aged children to see live theatre.

• To entertain: creating a place where residents and visitors to Southwest Florida will be able to find high-quality, innovative and stimulating new plays and musicals, recent Broadway and off-Broadway hits, and exciting concerts, as well as important classics and family programming

• Excellence: To draw from the finest professional actors, singers and creative personnel the country has to offer while simultaneously encouraging and supporting the development of local talent

• Service: To respond to community tastes and needs, acknowledging that theatrical art cannot be sustained without its audience. We are committed to excellence in every aspect of the community’s experience of Gulfshore Playhouse.

• Diversity: Theatre exists for the masses. Gulfshore Playhouse will serve people from the broad spectrum of race, creed and socio-economic levels.

Goals:

• Establishment: To create a professional, self-producing state-of-the-art Regional Theatre

• Financial Integrity: To run our theatre with financial integrity

• Achievement: To win a Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre

•Contribution: Cultural, economic and social contribution to our community

Our vision for the future is to create an environment that will enrich the lives of the people it serves. An environment in which the beauty of art, the importance of imagination and the gaining of self-knowledge can be fully appreciated.

For more information, call Kristen Coury, Producing Artistic Director, at 239-398-3143.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is a Regional Theatre?

Regional theatres (also called resident theatres) are Professional Theatres that produce their own seasons. The term regional theatre is most often used to refer to members of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT.) LORT theatres are non-profit organizations and agree to use special contracts made in agreements with The Actors' Equity Association, the professional labor union for actors working in the United States.

There are more than 70 LORT theatres located in cities throughout the United States. Regional theatres often produce new plays, and recent revivals from Broadway, Off-Broadway and London's West End.

Seasons are often rounded out with selections from classic dramas, popular comedies, and musicals. While most LORT theatres focus on producing "straight plays", it is not uncommon for a regional theatre's season to include one or two musicals.

Many resident theatres operate two stages: a main stage for shows requiring larger sets or cast, and a second stage (often a studio theatre or black box). Black box theatres are small, easily re-configurable theatre spaces. They are usually painted entirely black, thus the name. However, any theater space with flexible seating can be called a black box theatre. They usually do not have elaborate lighting, sound, or fly systems. Black boxes are often used for more experimental or avant-garde productions. Regional theatres rely on donations from patrons and businesses, season ticket subscriptions, and grants from organizations, in addition to ticket sales. Regional theatres tend to be conservative in their selection of shows as theatre staff must consider the demographics of their subscribers and donors. Due to audience feedback, artistic staff, and a theatre's history, each theatre may develop its own reputation both in its city and nationally.

Some regional theatres make a commitment to developing new works and premiering new plays. Theatres that develop new work, like La Jolla Playhouse and Manhattan Theatre Club, often work to move their productions to professional venues in New York. Educational outreach programs and cooperative programs with nearby university theatre programs are also common programs found at regional theatres. In recognition of the importance of regional theatres in America, the American Theatre Wing gives a Regional Theatre Tony Award to one regional theatre each year during the Tony Awards.

Partnerships

art

Gulfshore Playhouse is a member of Alliance for the Arts.

The Alliance for the Arts is Lee County’s arts agency with a mission to facilitate and nurture the execution, development, promotion, and education of the arts and culture. In addition to being a stand-alone gallery with year-round original exhibits of its own, the Alliance keeps an eye and ear on what’s going on in the local art community and spreads the word to the community about the incredible talent and culture that exists in the area. It’s also a hot spot for theatre space, gallery and classroom rentals, serving the needs of clubs and organizations in search of the perfect place to host their events.