Jacksonville's Florida Theatre Will Participate In Red Alert Effort

From The JAX Chamber:

August 28, 2020

The Florida Professional Presenters Consortium, a statewide organization of over 60 performing arts venues, including the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, is joining “Red Alert,” a nationwide effort to encourage Congress to provide relief for the live entertainment industry, which has been uniquely affected by the pandemic.

On Tuesday night, September 1, 2020 from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight, performing arts venues across the nation and across Florida will light their exteriors in red as part of a nationwide call to action, imploring the US Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S. 3814/H.R. 7481) and the Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258/H.R. 7806) as quickly as possible.

The Florida Theatre is working with colleagues at AVL Productions and Local 115 of the International Alliance of Stage Employees on this important call to action.

The RESTART Act and the Save Our Stages Act offer economic relief to the live events industry, which has been shuttered since March, 2020. Red Alert also advocates for extending Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, to provide relief to those without work since March due to COVID-19. Nationwide, 12 million show workers are estimated to be unemployed because of Covid-19, including designers, technicians, programmers, stagehands and others.

Numa Saisselin, President of Florida Theatre said, “Performing arts venues are closed because we know that Covid-19 spreads within intimate, closed spaces, which of course perfectly describes a theatre or club. We were the first to close and will be the last to open. We’re happy to do it, but we are without income, and need help.”

Kevin Stone, President of Florida Presenters and Vice President of Florida Theatre said, “Our culture, the music, dance and theatre created and performed in each of our cities, is what makes them unique and special places. We must make sure that survives. It’s also about jobs and the economy. The member venues of Florida Presenters alone create a total economic impact every year of $495 million, which supports the Full Time Equivalent of 15,425 jobs, $377.7 million of household income, $21.8 million of local government fees and taxes, and $26.1 million of state government fees and taxes.”

Fans and the general public can help raise awareness and create pressure on Congress to act now in several ways. Visit saveourstages.com to send a letter to your US Senators and your US Representative. Use the hashtags #SAVEOURSTAGES and #RedAlertRESTART on social media. Light your own residence or business red in a show of solidarity, or use a red filter on a social media image.

The Florida Professional Presenters Consortium represents performing arts venues throughout the State of Florida, from Panama City to Key West, from the largest cultural institutions in the state to the smallest, most vital organizations in rural and underserved counties. The business of culture is a major component of Florida's diverse economy, contributing a $1.4 billion impact to the state's economy. The activities of the members of Florida Presenters contribute almost a half billion dollars to that impact.

These members of Florida Presenters are participating in #REDALERTRESTART:

1. Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami
2. Arts Garage, Delray Beach
3. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
4. Big Arts, Sanibel
5. Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale
6. Center for the Arts at River Ridge, New Port Richey
7. Coral Springs Center for the Arts, Coral Springs
8. Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center/Palm Beach State College, Belle Glade
9. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando
10. Duke Energy Center for the Arts/Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
11. Flagler Auditorium Performing Arts Center, Palm Coast, Florida
12. Florida Theatre, Jacksonville
13. King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne
14. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach
15. Lyric Theatre, Stuart
16. Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton
17. Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College, Niceville
18. Miami Theatre Center, Miami Shores
19. Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
20. Ocean Reef Cultural Center, Key Largo
21. Old School Square Center For The Arts, Inc, Delray Beach
22. Opening Nights at Florida State University, Tallahassee
23. RP Funding Center, Lakeland, FL
24. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
25. Seminole Theatre, Homestead
26. South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, Miami/Cutler Bay
27. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
28. Sunrise Theatre for the Performing Arts, Fort Pierce
29. Thrasher Horne Center, Orange Park
30. Times Union Center for the Performing Arts, Jacksonville
31. University of Florida Performing Arts, Gainesville
32. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota

The historic, nonprofit Florida Theatre is sponsored by Community First Credit Union. For a complete list of upcoming events or to buy tickets visit the Theatre's official website floridatheatre.com.

Visit the website for AVL Productions atavlproductions.com.

Visit the website for the Local 115 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees at iatse-115.com.

About Florida Theatre: From ballet and opera to contemporary pop, jazz, rock, country and blues the nonprofit Florida Theatre offers 200 cultural and entertainment events annually for every taste and age. More than just an entertainment center, Florida Theatre is also home to graduations, awards ceremonies, lectures, business meetings and charity events that support the community's schools, churches, hospitals and civic groups. As an anchor to downtown development along the beautiful St. Johns River, Florida Theatre draws 250,000 people to Jacksonville's center each year. The magnificently restored Florida Theatre is recognized as one of the finest concert venues in the Southeast. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Florida Theatre holds special memories for four generations. From the Vaudeville acts and silent films of its earliest days to today's blend of performances of all kinds, the Florida Theatre has served as Jacksonville's premier entertainment center since 1927.

This press release was produced by The JAX Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.