Gulfshore Playhouse Announces $10 Million Matching Donation
February 29, 2016
NAPLES, Fla. (February 25, 2016) – Patty and Jay Baker hosted a Patron Party on February 24, in association with the annual Gala for Gulfshore Playhouse – Southwest Florida’s premiere professional theatre (www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org) – where the Bakers announced that they will provide a $10 million matching donation to help fund a state-of-the-art regional theatre complex for Gulfshore Playhouse.
According to Patty Baker, “we like to feather where we nest and believe in living our legacy. The community is growing and we need a theatre that is growing with the times.”
Gulfshore Playhouse is currently in negotiations with Naples Square to find the perfect parcel to house the 56,000-square-foot theatre. The complex will offer two state-of-the-art theatres including a 400-seat theatre with a balcony, and state-of-the-art acoustics; a 150 seat black box studio; an educational wing; a beautiful atrium, art gallery, and café that will be open to the community; a VIP lounge area; rehearsal space; a costume shop and storage; and administrative offices. When Gulfshore Playhouse isn’t rehearsing or performing, community groups and businesses can rent space to host meetings, conventions, and more.
A feasibility study is currently being completed and the capital campaign will commence immediately following. The “Next Stage” capital campaign is anticipated to total $45 million, which will include the purchase of land, construction of the building, a maintenance endowment, and a portion of the first-year operating costs. A groundbreaking celebration is expected within the year and a grand opening celebration is planned for 2019.
“The dream from the moment that I founded Gulfshore Playhouse in 2004 has been to create a Tony Award-winning regional theatre that would make Naples proud. We are extremely grateful to Patty and Jay Baker for their extraordinary vision and leadership with this generous gift. Thanks to them, Gulfshore Playhouse is well on its way to becoming a cultural institution that will contribute to the region, the nation, and the art of theatre for generations to come,” said Kristen Coury, founder and producing artistic director of Gulfshore Playhouse.
The new Gulfshore Playhouse will be one of the best regional theatres in the Southeast United States where Gulfshore Playhouse can present a variety of pre-Broadway productions, including new plays, classics, musicals, cabarets, children’s theatre, and edgier fare while also offering an even greater variety of educational opportunities for children of all ages, including at-risk and special needs programs, as well as adult programming. This landmark building will be a destination location, creating a significant economic impact for Naples and its downtown area.
Gulfshore Playhouse is passionately committed to enriching the cultural landscape of the region by producing professional theatre to the highest artistic standards and providing unique educational opportunities to diverse groups of people in a spirit of service, adventure, and excitement. Gulfshore Playhouse’s work is inspired by a belief in the magic of theater to expand the imagination, challenge the senses, provoke discussion, and revitalize in the audience an understanding of common humanity. This belief drives the care with which Gulfshore Playhouse treats its artists, audiences, students, staff, and members of the greater community. For more information about Gulfshore Playhouse, please visit www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call 239-261-PLAY(7529).
Contact: Laurel Meny
Public Relations Director
IMA Creative, Inc.
Toll free: 866.930.8767 | Local: 239.278.3034 | Extension: 701 Laurel@IMAcreative.com
