Three years ago, Hurricane Ian inflicted devastating damage on Venice Theatre’s main stage. The damage was so extensive, it’s a required a complete rebuild of the 75-year-old Jervey Theatre.
Venice Theatre will celebrate a major milestone in this effort on Oct. 16 when the construction crew hoists the final beam into place at the highest point in the rebuilt theater. In addition to local dignitaries and donors, Venice Theatre staff will be on site to welcome community members to witness and celebrate this historic event.
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Since Hurricane Ian, Venice Theatre has worked tirelessly to restore and bring its iconic facility up to code. During the rebuild, Venice Theatre has maintained most of its programming, albeit in different locations and with greatly reduced capacity and income.
The restoration has steadily moved forward with the rebuild in spite of funding setbacks. First, $6 million from the Office of Housing and Urban Development was denied to Venice Theatre, the largest community theatre in the State of Florida and second largest in the nation. Venice Theatre had anticipated this funding for more than a year since the Resilient SRQ Hurricane Relief Plan was introduced.
Then, promised funding from its commercial lender never materialized.
And then Gov. DeSantis’ veto of arts funding from the state — funding the theatre has used responsibly for more than 25 years — came as another shock.
So far, $5.9 million in repairs have been completed. To compensate for the lost funding, Venice Theatre has initiated a $25 million Next Act renovation campaign. While it has raised nearly 40% of this amount, the remaining funds must be secured in order to complete the Jervey Theatre restoration. As a result, the theater’s anticipated opening has been pushed back from late 2025 to late 2026.
Venice Theatre is celebrating its 75th Diamond Season. Prior to Hurricane Ian, Venice Theatre was responsible for an annual economic impact of $50 million in the heart of Sarasota County.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
