An 18th Century Jewel in Sarasota, Florida!

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