One of the many things my wife and I enjoy as ‘life-timers’
in Sarasota, Florida is the arts. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by the
arts in all forms and we were both exposed to the theater in our youth, thanks
to The Asolo Theater.
The Asolo was on the Ringling Art Museum
grounds and was the only theater we knew...other than The Players and movie theaters! As a
teenager, it was wonderful to see ‘live’ actors as opposed to movie actors. There was just something special and exciting about sitting in the boxes in that ornate, horseshoe shaped theater. We even knew some of the actors. My wife Liz graduated from Sarasota High School with Paul
Rubenfeld who was in Asolo productions and went on to become a famous
improvisational comedian and stage actor in Los Angeles with The Groundlings
troupe. (He is also known as Paul Reubens and…Pee Wee Herman!) Liz also ushered at The Asolo as part of a youth program so she was able to see almost every production.
The original performance space for our Asolo Repertory
Theatre was housed in that historic theatre which was built in 1798 and
initially located in Asolo, Italy just outside Venice. In 1930, the Asolo
Theatre was dismantled and put into storage. In 1949 the museum director of the
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art learned of the theatre's existence and
saw the theatre as an ideal acquisition for the museum. The State of Florida
agreed and purchased the theatre which was crated and shipped to Sarasota,
Florida. In 1952, the theatre was set up in a gallery in the Ringling museum. In
the late 1950's it was decided that the theatre should be reconstructed so that
modern theatre performances could be staged. The Asolo Theatre opened its doors
on January 10, 1958. After a few ups and downs along the way, the theatre was moved to its current location
on the Ringling grounds and is now known as The Historic Asolo Theatre.
As the arts grew more and more popular in Sarasota, the adjoining Jane B. Cook Theatre was opened in 1994 as a
primary performance venue for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training
Program and to host Asolo Rep productions, rounding out the two theaters that
comprise the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. For visitors who are
interested in learning more, tours of the theaters are available. Asolo
Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, which is unique in that its productions take
place in three theaters, two of which are historic theaters in Florida and one
of which is imported from Europe. The Florida State University Ringling Center
for the Cultural Arts is home to the primary venues, the Mertz Theatre and Jane
B. Cook Theatre, where the Asolo Repertory Theatre acting company performs
regularly. The Historic Asolo Theater, where the Asolo Repertory Theatre also
occasionally performs, is still housed on the Ringling Museum property.
The Historic Asolo Theater is truly a jewel that gave me a lifetime appreciation
for wonderful live productions. So if you are looking to live in a town that is
known for The Arts, Sarasota, Florida is it! Call me for all of your Real
Estate needs in the Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice and Englewood area…and maybe we
can take in a play or two together!
Here’s a great video about the history of The Asolo:
Sources and Credits: Visit Florida, Asolo Rep, The Ringling
Museum, Wikipedia, YouTube
