Florida is a state populated by a mix of'native' Floridians and a large influx of retirees and families who have moved south to enjoy the warm climate. This large percentage of retirees, many of whom are financially well-off, creates a supportive environment for performing arts by financial support and ticket sales, resulting in a rich atmosphere of creativity and performance.
While many who come to Florida make it their permanent home, others still enjoy'snowbird' status and spend only winters in Florida. For that reason, performing arts organizations will sometimes structure their seasons around the snowbird season. Snowbird season is most applicable to central and south Florida - Orlando and all areas south. Most come down in early fall and depart by Easter.
In addition to areas with large populations of retirees, many beach communities with a laid-back atmosphere contribute to a creative vibe, resulting in places where artistic types tend to congregate. For visitors, especially those who love the visual and performing arts, these are great communities to visit. Theater lovers will find both community and professional theaters, with a large concentration of professional companies in the lower half of the state.
North Florida
North Florida, with its mix of beach towns, cities, and rural areas, has several opportunities to see great theatrical performances. Pensacola, located in the panhandle, offers the Saenger Theatre. On the National Register of Historic Places, this theater is home to a mix of local and touring productions, including a Broadway series. Pensacola also has a local community theater, the Pensacola Little Theatre, which has been running for 70 years.
Panama City, a bit further east, has several theatrical venues. The Marina Civic Center plays host to a multitude of local and touring productions of all kinds. The Kaleidoscope Theatre is a community theater with a 35 year history. The Martin Theatre, originally a movie house, has been converted to a live stage and is home to the Martin Theatre Ensemble, which presents its own season, and the Presents series, which showcases touring performances.
In the state capital, theater lovers can enjoy live theater at the Tallahassee Little Theatre, a 55 year old community theater group that produces a main stage season along with a coffee house series, and other special events. Theatre A La Carte, a musical theater group, also performs on the Tallahassee Little Theatre stage. The Young Actors Theatre, a workshop and performing arts school for youth, presents in-house productions, family touring theatrical performances such as Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, and more.
Tallahassee is also home to the Leon County Civic Center, which hosts a Broadway Series presenting such shows as Evita, Cats, Chicago, and more. Located a few minutes outside of Tallahassee is the town of Quincy, which is home to the Quincy Music Theatre, which bills itself as North Florida's largest and only all-musical community theater. About three hours southeast is Gainesville, home to the Hippodrome State Theatre. A professional theater with an impressive past, the theater has played host to such famous playwrights' premier works, including Tennessee Williams and Paula Vogel.
On the Atlantic coast lies Florida's largest city, Jacksonville. This is home to the well-known Alhambra Dinner Theatre, which produces a year round roster of shows complete with full dinner. Jacksonville is also home to Florida's longest running community theater, the 87 year-old Theatre Jacksonville. For those with children, try Theatre Works, a company dedicated to producing quality children's shows. They present in-theater shows, in-school shows, and free summer theater with popular shows like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Max and Ruby, and Junie B. Jones.
Also in Jacksonville is the Stage Aurora Theatre, a professional company whose mission is to "enlighten the mind by way of the arts through the African-American experience." A bit further south lies St. Augustine, home to the Limelight Theatre, a non-equity theater offering professional quality productions.
Gulf Coast & Central Florida
The Gulf Coast area is home to several theater companies, from Tampa to Naples. Tampa is home to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the largest performing arts center in the Southeast. Year round offerings include a Broadway touring series and live performances by Stageworks. The Gulf Port Community Players, a community theater group with a full season, is located in the St. Petersburg Beach area. Stages is a professional theater group in the Tampa area that presents classic fairy tales on the stage.
The Gorilla Theatre, the city of Tampa's only professional Equity theater, produces not only popular shows and musicals, but original works as well. The theater also hosts a jazz series, a Young Dramatists Project, and improv performances. Eckerd Theatre Company, located in nearby Clearwater, is in residence at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. A professional company that performs locally and tours, they produce over 200 performances each season. American State, located in Tampa Bay, is yet another professional theater, operating under an Equity contract, and producing a full season of shows.
Traveling south to Sarasota, visitors will find the Asolo Theatre Company. A professional theater, it also partners with the FSU MFA program for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.
For visitors to the Ft. Myers/ Naples area, the Florida Repertory Theatre is the flagship professional theater. Producing high quality theater in the historic Arcade Theatre, the season runs October to May, with a summer season as well. Out on Sanibel is the Old Schoolhouse Theatre, and in town is the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. Naples, a bit further south, has the Naples Dinner Theatre, and the area is also home to several community theater groups.
South East Florida
A high concentration of professional theatrical groups make their home in this area. The Actors' Playhouse, in Coral Gables; Florida Stage in West Palm Beach; the Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach; and the Seaside Theatre in Daytona Beach are some of the most respected professional Equity regional theaters in the South.
Visitors to southeast Florida can find live performances at the many civic centers, professional theaters, dinner theaters, and community playhouses all the way down to the Island Opera, the Red Barn Theatre, and the Marathon Community Theatre in the Keys.
Florida has a well-rounded population, with large supporters of the arts. This creative and supportive environment has been key to the great well of theatrical talent that makes its home in Florida. Visitors to Florida are sure to find extremely high quality theatrical performances across the state.