TAMPA, Fla. — The longest-running theater company in Tampa just received a major gift. Stageworks, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary, is no longer a theater renter but a theater owner.
Karla Hartley has directed a lot of actors in a lot of different places.
“We were rehearsing in storefronts and office space, and you sort of never knew where you were going to do the work,” said Hartley.
In 2011, Stageworks moved into Grand Central at Kennedy in Channelside, and for the first time, they finally felt like they were home. They were renting the space for just $10 a month thanks to the generosity of property owner, Mercury Advisors.
“We raised about $1.4 million to build this. When we got it, it was dirt and some concrete walls,” said Hartley regarding the theater space.
Despite all the progress, the future of the nonprofit in Channelside was never guaranteed.
“So to think that we invested that kind of money and could sort of be dismissed was always a wake up in the middle of the night fear,” said Hartley.
This past year Mercury Advisors was selling all their retail space in the building. However, Directors Ken Stoltenberg and Frank Bombeeck said Stageworks would not be included.
“We wanted to make sure that Stageworks would have a permanent home here when we were gone,” said Stoltenberg. “So when we negotiated the sale agreement, we left this space out of it so we could gift it to Stageworks so they would have it in perpetuity. That’s something that Frank and I always had in the plans.”
It turned out to be a $2.45 million present.
‘“I was astounded when it happened, I was blown away by the generosity, and I can’t express enough how thankful we are here at Stageworks to finally be our own homeowners,” said Hartley.
Being in control of their own space will have a trickle-down effect on the entire theater community.
“There are several other smaller theater companies which use this space when Stageworks isn’t using it, so it benefits hopefully the next two or three Stageworks coming down the pike here in the Tampa Bay area in the decades to come,” said Stoltenberg.
The actors say it’s nice to see a nonprofit that’s changed so many lives receive the recognition they deserve.
“Diverse work, and work for women, and just really giving all the people that live in this area an opportunity to work, and that is a blessing, and to know that now it has a home forever is really great,” said actress Heather Krueger.
Stageworks' next show is “The Smell of the Kill,” running Feb. 10 - 26. For more information, go to stageworkstheatre.org.
