Jobsite Theater, the independent resident theater company of the Straz Center, is pleased to announce a partnership with Community Foundation of Tampa Bay (CFTB), an organization focused on connecting donors, nonprofit organizations and community leaders in an effort to make Tampa Bay a better place to live.
This partnership will allow Jobsite to engage thousands of Tampa Bay area students from middle school to college with their innovative annual productions of the plays of
William Shakespeare. Jobsite will make a study guide available for all schools as well as teaching artists to send out prior to and after performances. In addition, this partnership will allow Jobsite to offer hundreds of tickets at little to no cost to schools in need to weekly day-time matinees just for school groups. This year's production is the timeless smart comedy As You Like It, set in present-day Tampa (Jan. 13 - Feb. 5).
From Producing Artistic Director David M. Jenkins: "We are ecstatic for this opportunity! For years now we've searched for the right way to lay the cornerstone for our educational outreach efforts and have strongly believed our commitment to Shakespeare was the right vehicle. This partnership is going to significantly improve our efforts to impact the youth of the region while creating meaningful and sustainable work for our artists."
Jobsite is aggressively seeking further outreach partners for As You Like It. If you an educator or an educational administrator and would like to learn more, contact
David Jenkins directly at 813.476.7378 or djenkins@jobsitetheater.org.
Jobsite has been the resident theater company at the Straz Center since 2003. In 2008 they were awarded an Urban Excellence Award from the Tampa Downtown Partnership and in 2014 they were among eight finalists for the
American Theatre Wing (who present the Tony Awards)
National Theatre Company award, the only company in the region ever so honored. Jobsite produces a full six-show mainstage season between the Shimberg Playhouse and Jaeb Theater as well as dozens of works annually under their Job-side Productions umbrella. They employ up to four dozen professional artists annually, all exclusively from the area.
"We are very excited to partner with Jobsite Theater," says Marlene Spalten, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. "Jobsite has made an incredibly positive impact in the community and we are honored to continue to support their efforts."
The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay connects donors with nonprofit organizations and community leaders to create a meaningful impact in the Tampa Bay region and beyond. In 2015, donors with the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay provided over $12 million in grants to causes and organizations within the community.
Founded in 1990, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay (CFTB) connects donors, nonprofits, community and business leaders, professional advisors, volunteers and residents to make the maximum positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. For more than 25 years, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay has been dedicated to making giving easy and meaningful for donors as a way to strengthen nonprofit organizations and build a better, more vibrant community. Since its inception, its donors have enabled the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay to award more than $175 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the country. For more information, visit
www.cftampabay.org.
