Florida Rep Receives $1 Million Donation

Florida Repertory Theatre has received a major $1 million pledge from longtime supporters, Mary and Hugh Denison and Bruce and Janet Bunch, to the theatre's Heirloom Society.

The planned gift will be disbursed over the next five years and makes the Denisons and Bunches founding members of Florida Rep's newly minted Heirloom Society, which aims to sustain the future of live theatre in Southwest Florida through planned giving and support from individuals who care deeply about perpetuating Florida Rep's mission and outreach goals.

"This is a transformational gift," said Florida Rep Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Robert Cacioppo, "and because it comes when we are in a strong financial position, we're able to use these funds to improve the quality of our work, invest in the stability of the organization well into its future, and enhance current programming for both theatregoers and young people all over Southwest Florida. We want Florida Rep to be here for decades to come continuing to serve this community in bigger and better ways, and this incredibly generous pledge allows us to focus on laying the foundation for our next phases of growth."

Florida Rep is Lee County's largest non-profit arts organization and one of Southwest Florida's leading cultural attractions with growing national profile thanks recent attention from "The Wall Street Journal." Since 2009, "The Wall Street Journal's" acclaimed drama critic, Terry Teachout has raved about Florida Rep's work and most recently told readers nationwide that Florida Rep is "one of the top regional troupes in the U.S." Over 85,000 theatergoers see Florida Rep's work every year, and in 2015 its education and outreach programming reached a record 22,000 young people - up from 11,000 the year before thanks to more than 1,200 individual donors and unprecedented leadership giving from Hugh and Mary Denison and Bruce and Janet Bunch.

"The most delightful surprise we discovered upon moving to Fort Myers eleven years ago was the truly spectacular Florida Repertory Theatre," said Hugh Denison, "not in our fondest dreams did we expect to find such a wonderful gem outside a major metropolitan area. Theatre groups cannot maintain a high degree of excellence from ticket sales alone, and together with the Bunches, Mary and I wanted to commit to making a difference in this community by helping Florida Rep to secure its place as a cultural and educational hub in Southwest Florida."

"Janet and I are excited by the goals of the Heirloom Society," said Bruce Bunch. "Hugh Denison is a great ambassador for this program. We are honored to increase our support for Florida Rep in the coming years in a planned way. We look forward to seeing the impact of our support on the growth of the Rep in coming years."

Some of those plans for the company's future growth and artistic enhancement have already begun to take shape. In the fall, Florida Rep allocated roughly $350,000 of the new funds to purchase and begin to build-out a 5,000 square foot commercial space in downtown Fort Myers at 2401 First Street. Here they are building two custom rehearsal and classroom spaces. A second phase of this development, which requires an additional fundraising goal of $250,000, will be for office space for the administrative staff. The first phase of the build-out, to be completed this winter, includes a 1,000 square foot rehearsal space large enough to rehearse productions set to move to the Historic Arcade Theatre, and a 500 square foot space that will double as a classroom and a smaller rehearsal hall for ArtStage Studio Theatre productions.

"It is game-changing for this company to own a dedicated and custom-built set of rehearsal halls," Cacioppo said. "After eighteen years of renting spaces too small or that required compromise to work in efficiently, we are finally in control of our own destiny. Also, these facilities will serve our education and outreach programs equally well, and this summer we've announced the creation of a second full summer camp slated to be held in the new space. The possibilities for growth are endless, and this new building is just the beginning of what this major gift, and others like it, can unlock for Florida Rep and the long term impact we can have on this community."

Florida Rep's Heirloom Society is currently seeking to secure other founding members who care deeply in preserving the cultural landscape of Southwest Florida. With well-planned support, Florida Rep will continue to provide exceptional theatre for years to come, and future generations of young people across the region will continue to be exposed to the arts and meaningful cultural experiences. For more information on how to give to Florida Rep and its Heirloom Society, please contact Development Director, Renee Pesci at 239-332-4665 x2016, or visit Florida Rep online at www.FloridaRep.org.