Manatee Players to start work on exterior of new theater

Manatee Players Performing Arts Center/screen capture from video below

From my Manatee Players story running in today's Herald:

The Players’ Riverfront Theatre in downtown Bradenton at 102 Old Main St. has a capacity of 246.

The main stage of the Manatee Players Performing Arts Center (pictured), at nearby 502 Third Ave. W., will seat just fewer than 400 while its second stage should accommodate a crowd of about 100.

The not-so-new, three-fourths-finished facility remains $3.5 million short of the $12 million required to open and operate -- with $15 million cited as the overall completion goal.


In early December, the Herald reported the Players stood only $40,000 short of cash on hand to launch work that would complete the exterior -- one many consider an eyesore and community embarrassment.

“We will be starting in the next month on the exterior,” Players Capital Development Director Janene Witham said.

Click for entire story, which includes Witham's thoughts on the Downtown Development Authority giving Ezra Cafe $250K to relocate downtown and Managing Artistic Director Rick Kerby's thoughts on recent record-setting box office numbers first reported here.