KEEP THE
TALENT HERE
Most theatre artists in Jacksonville are not paid for their countless hours of building sets, memorizing lines, attending rehearsals, creating costumes, or performing live.
Many Northeast Florida actors and theatre artists who wish to pursue a professional theatre career are forced to leave Jacksonville in order to earn a living. Now there’s a way to help keep the talent here.
Pay theatre professionals
The STAGE Fund, which stands for Sustaining Theatre Artists to Grow Excellence, was conceived by a community collaborative and launched by Alicia Somers, Lisa Goodrich, and Diane Brunet-García in 2017 to support top theatre artists in the Jacksonville area—artists who aspire to act or create professionally, rather than simply volunteering at their local community theatre.
In 2018, the STAGE Fund began granting stipends through a pilot grant program with The 5 & Dime, A Theatre Company. Since then, Jacksonville Dance Theatre, Jason Woods Productions, Bab’s Lab, Actors Collective, and Lumen Repertory Theatre have received grants to produce both original work and known classics, with the stipulation that dancers and theatre artists are paid for both rehearsal and performance.
