Sarasota Jewish Theatre Receives $35,200 In Grants

Sarasota Jewish Theatre (SJT) recently received funding from seven grant makers totaling $35,200 in support of its 2023-2024 season of mainstage productions, traveling performances, and more.

Four general support grants were awarded: The Faith and Freedom Foundation approved $10,000 in funding to support SJT's operations; IAMYES and Falk Weinberger Family Charitable Foundation awarded a grant of $5,000; the Gulf Coast Community Foundation provided season support in the amount of $2,500; and the Mackler Goding Foundation awarded $2,000 for general programming. All four grants recognize and fund the overall mission of SJT.

The George J. & Alice Pugh Donor Fund through Community Foundation of Sarasota County awarded Sarasota Jewish Theatre $6,700 to hire professional security during mainstage performances. SJT performs at The Players Center in the Crossings at Siesta Key mall. SJT's artistic director Carole Kleinberg stated, “In this climate of rising anti-Semitism, we believe that it is important to add a positive Jewish voice to Sarasota's arts community. This is not an abstract intention. Sarasota and neighboring communities have seen a significant increase in anti-Semitic acts, including white supremacist literature left at Jewish homes during Passover this year, and swastikas painted on walls in the last two years here and in nearby St. Petersburg. Hiring security professionals was done out of an abundance of caution and to help our patrons feel comfortable and safe coming to the theatre.”

The Johnson Singer Arts and Education Grant – a teaching artist grant –was awarded to Kleinberg for her work with the theatre and “Charting the Lost Continent.” The $7,500 grant was given in support of the development of a staged reading based on poetry by award-winning Sarasota poet Linda Albert. 

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee awarded SJT a $1,500 grant in support of Jewish Journeys, the three plays that SJT has available for performances at condominium communities, libraries, synagogues, and community organizations: “Charting the Lost Continent,” “The Rest of the Story,” and “The Bintel Briefs – Memories and Melodies.” Organizations can use these performances for entertainment or as fundraisers. 

Sarasota Jewish Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre company dedicated to producing plays which explore the Jewish experience, culture, values, literature, and history. SJT celebrates a wide range of classic and contemporary plays by Jewish playwrights. Becky Mode's “Fully Committed” runs January 31-February 4; M*A*S*H writer Larry Gelbart's “Better Late” is on stage March 13-21; and “The Immigrant,” by Mark Harelick, runs May 1-12.

For more information, visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org or email info@sarasotajewishtheatre.org. To purchase tickets to the performances at The Players Centre Studio 1130, visit ThePlayers.org or call 941-365-2494.