Founded in 1953, The Naples Players (TNP), a nonprofit community theater, performed plays in various locations throughout Naples for the first 22 years of its existence. In 1998, the Sugden Community Theatre opened on Fifth Avenue South and became TNP’s home. Twenty-six years later, the theater underwent an extensive $21 million dollar renovation and reopened in July for its seventy-first season.
Under the leadership of Bryce Alexander, CEO and executive artistic director, the theater is nationally recognized as a model for maximizing engagement with the community. As for the renovation, “accessibility was a priority,” says Alexander. The new facilities include a private sensory-friendly room and hearing-assistance technologies, as well as increased seating through additional venues and extra classrooms for educational programming.
A separate library housing 70 years’ worth of play scripts and a costume shop were added. “There is even a new volunteer lounge for the more than 700 annual volunteers who contribute over 65,000 volunteer hours,” says Alexander. The only LEED-certified theater in the state (for energy efficiency and environmental design) is surrounded by foliage-lined walkways and contains a community atrium with public access, enhancing the downtown streetscape.
The company will stage Almost, Maine, a collection of tales celebrating the extraordinary moments that transform ordinary lives, in the Price Studio Theater October 16 to November 10.
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