Asolo Rep Receives $25,000 Grant from Publix Super Markets Charities

Asolo Repertory Theatre today announced it is the recipient of a $25,000 grant from Publix Super Markets Charities for two of its education programs during the 2012-2013 season, Main Stages and New Stages.

Main Stages opens the doors of Asolo Repertory Theatre to more than 2,000 students each season through its student matinee performances. Study guides and pre- and post- show activities produced by the theatre, as well as a post-show discussion with the actors, enhance the educational experience and connect directly to Core Curriculum Standards. During the 2012-2013 season, middle and high school students throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties watched productions of 1776 and You Can't Take It With You in the Mertz theatre.

New Stages, now in its fourth year, brings theatrical productions to more than 18,000 students and others annually throughout the state of Florida through its New Stages Tour. The Acting Company for the tour is the 3rd year class of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, who perform Shakespeare classics adapted specifically for the student audience. For the 2012 season, the New Stages Tour presented Macbeth, for 2013, the show will be Romeo and Juliet.

"Students develop an appreciation for the arts while gaining empathy for and insight into the lives of others through the Main Stages student matinees and the New Stages Tour," said Lily Junker, interim Director of Education for Asolo Rep. "They are incredibly popular and successful programs that continue to grow each year, thanks to the support they receive from the community."

"In a region as culturally rich as Sarasota/Manatee, too many young people still have never experienced a live theatrical performance. We are grateful to Publix Super Markets Charities for their stalwart support of our Main Stages and New Stages programs, which are helping to reverse this, by giving local students in eight Florida counties life-changing theatre experiences that instill a love of the arts while enhancing what they're learning in the classroom," said Tricia Mire, Asolo Rep's Director of Development.

Now in its 54th season, Asolo Repertory Theatre is widely recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in the southeastern United States. One of the few true repertory companies in the nation, Asolo Rep presents a diverse repertoire of newly commissioned plays, bold reinterpretations of contemporary and classical works, and provocative new musical theatre experiences each season. With its ambitious theatrical offering and groundbreaking education, outreach and audience development programming, Asolo Rep is more vibrant and its work more relevant than ever.

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