Asolo Conservatory and Selby Gardens Announce Three-Year Partnership

By: Jan. 30, 2018
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Asolo Conservatory and Selby Gardens Announce Three-Year Partnership

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training announced that its "Shakespeare in the Gardens" series will return to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in April 2018, following a sold-out production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2017. This will be the first year of a new three-year partnership between the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, with annual "Shakespeare in the Gardens" productions planned through 2020. This partnership is funded in part by a $60,000 grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.

"We are so honored to have the support of the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation," said Greg Leaming, Director of the Conservatory. "Providing us with a three-year grant for our Shakespeare in the Gardens project allows the Conservatory to increase the level of our training for our students. Perhaps more importantly, it helps establish the Conservatory as an important component in Sarasota's already lively theatre scene. Bringing outdoor productions of Shakespeare to this community is truly a joy, and we could not do it without this invaluable support."

The inaugural "Shakespeare in the Gardens" production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was staged in April 2017 and seen by over 2,900 patrons-many of whom had never before attended a FSU/Asolo Conservatory production. The Selby Gardens also invited a noticeably different audience demographic compared to the Conservatory's standard venue at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, showing increases in younger patrons and families. The Conservatory's demonstrated commitment to community engagement and collaboration with pre-existing cultural assets was instrumental to the Barancik Foundation's granting decision.

"We are pleased to support this performance, which blends the talent of the conservatory's students and the beautiful surrounding of Selby Gardens," says Teri A Hansen, President and CEO of the Barancik Foundation. "We hope many families attend and enjoy Shakespeare in its intended outdoor setting."

The Conservatory will open the next "Shakespeare in the Gardens" production-Much Ado About Nothing-on April 18, 2018. Tickets for Much Ado About Nothing can be purchased now by calling (941) 351-8000, visiting www.asolorep.org, or visiting the Asolo Repertory Theatre Box Office at 5555 North Tamiami Trail in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. A discounted subscription for the three remaining productions of the 2017-2018 FSU/Asolo Conservatory season is also available for purchase.

The 2019 and 2020 "Shakespeare in the Gardens" productions will be announced at a later date.

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are located at 900 S. Palm Avenue in Sarasota, Florida.

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training is a celebrated three-year graduate program culminating in a master of fine arts degree. For more than 40 years, tens of thousands of actors from across the continent have auditioned for admission. A maximum of 12 students are admitted each year. In their second year, the students perform in the Cook Theatre, a 161-seat space designed to create an intimate experience for the audience and actors. Third-year students are seen on the Mertz Stage working with the Asolo Repertory Theatre's professional actors in exciting and significant roles.?For more information, visit http://www.asolorep.org/conservatory/welcome.

The Charles and Margery Barancik family has long believed in the power of philanthropy to shape our world and enrich the lives of all people. It was the expression of this belief that led them in 2014 to establish the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation-a private, family foundation located in Sarasota, Florida. The Barancik Foundation creates initiatives and awards grants in Sarasota and beyond in the areas of education, humanitarian causes, arts and culture, the environment, and medical (research/resources).



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