Florida Repertory Theatre Responds to Washington’s Destructive Impact on the Arts.

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Florida Repertory Theatre Responds to Washington’s Destructive Impact on the Arts.

Fort Myers’ Only Non-Profit Professional Equity Regional Theatre Pledges to Carry the Torch in Southwest Florida and Encourages the Local Community to Speak Out in Support of the Arts.

(Fort Myers, May 27, 2025): Board members, administrators, and key supporters of Florida Repertory Theatre, a non-profit professional theatre company located in Fort Myers, Florida, are raising their voices in reaction to the current Washington administration’s devastating cuts to arts funding. In response, they are urging the local community to contact their local, state, and national government representatives, to express their concern for and support of the arts.

“These devasting cuts to arts funding are very troubling, and demonstrate a trend by the current administration,” said Florida Repertory Theatre Executive Director Chris Verrill. “What we want our community to understand is defunding the arts at the national level has a ripple effect that will impact arts organizations in Southwest Florida.”

Florida Repertory Theatre leadership’s decision to speak out against the administration’s actions was initiated following the announcement of cancellation of grants and retroactive funding cuts by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The NEA is an independent federal agency and is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide. The sudden shift in federal arts funding is on track to eliminate 50% of NEA jobs and has already cut 75% of jobs at the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH). These actions have made an immediate and negative impact on both active and pending funding for arts organizations throughout the country.

“We are expressing our strong concern,” said Producing Artistic Director Greg Longenhagen. “This new trend in arts defunding, if allowed to continue, will have a detrimental impact on our communities. It will affect the quality of life in the United States, educational outcomes for our children, and trigger economic decline for many industries that benefit from arts organizations including restaurants, retail, parking, housing, and more… the list goes on. We, as local arts leaders, must take action to protect what we’ve built here in our community, and speak in unison with other arts leaders throughout the country to ensure the arts remain a national priority.”

Florida Repertory Theatre, located in the Fort Myers River District, is a non-profit, professional live theatre established in 1998. The company operates on a LOA/LORT-D contract with Actors Equity and works with members of the United Scenic Artists and Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers to produce a wide variety of plays, musicals, and new works, and offers robust education and outreach programs. Committed to improving the quality of life in Southwest Florida, the organization provides first-class regional theatre experiences, and is dedicated to making the arts, especially theatre, accessible to every segment of the community. Florida Repertory Theatre’s professional and education programming touches more than 100,000 people annually and is instrumental to the economic success of downtown Fort Myers.

“Theatre, and arts in general, are at risk in a most unprecedented way,” said Florida Repertory Theatre Board of Directors Chair Janice Danzig. “We are imploring our supporters, and everyone in our community who understands and appreciates the impact that arts make in society and our community, to speak out. Please call or write your government representatives and tell them these actions are wrong, and request that they support the arts.”

Contacts for government officials may be found at https://www.swflinc.com/elected-officials#lee

“Florida Repertory Theatre plans to carry the torch on behalf of theatre arts by continuing to produce a wide range of quality productions and provide education programming for youth in our area, however, we will need financial support to do so,” said Longenhagen. “In our quest to keep professional theatre accessible to all, we are dedicated to keeping affordable prices, as well as offering discounted programs to special populations such as veterans and physically- and/or economically- challenged community members. Therefore, we cannot thrive on ticket sales alone.”

“Our organization qualified for $150,000 in state funding last year, but last summer, those funds – and hundreds of thousands of dollars allocated for arts organizations across the state – were cut from the budget. Thanks to philanthropic contributions from the community, we were able to carry on with our season as planned,” said Verrill. “If/when other grant funding is cut or suddenly disappears, it will be much harder for us to sustain.”

Over the past five years, Florida Repertory Theatre has faced added challenges caused by the pandemic and hurricane flooding. Support for the arts is needed now, more than ever.

“We were very lucky to receive state funding two years ago for necessary hurricane repairs,” said Longenhagen. “Imagine how surprised and sad we were to have our state grant for the arts suddenly disappear right before the start of this season. This is the impact we, and other arts organizations around the country are facing now – in real time. As the national, state, and local arts funding infrastructure continues to diminish, what will that mean for our children and future generations? We must think long term but act now.”

To learn more about Florida Repertory Theatre’s mission, productions, education and outreach programming, and ways you can support, visit FloridaRep.Org.

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ABOUT FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE

Florida Repertory Theatre, a non-profit organization established in 1998, is a professional live theatre producing a wide variety of plays in its two theatre spaces located in the Fort Myers River District. The company operates on a LOA/LORT-D contract with Actors Equity and works with members of the United Scenic Artists and Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers.

Committed to improving the quality of life in Southwest Florida, Florida Repertory Theatre provides first-class regional theatre experiences and is dedicated to making the arts, especially theatre, accessible to every segment of the community.

Beyond producing professional theatrical plays and musicals, Florida Repertory Theatre fosters the development of new works though its annual PlayLab Festival, and as an associate member of the National New Play Network, produces rolling world premieres. The company also has an extensive education program that provides theatrical performances at K-12 schools throughout the five-county area plus on-campus theatre classes, musical-intensive camps, and a conservatory program offering area youth professional theatrical experiences through acting and technical roles.

Florida Repertory Theatre’s professional and education programming touches more than 100,000 people annually.

Learn more at FloridaRep.Org.

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