The word ‘Asolo’ originated in Asolo, Italy with a lovely 18th-century theater acquired by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art for its collection more than 50 years ago. In this little jewel of a theatre, a fledgling acting company, founded by faculty of Florida State University (FSU), began performing a summer series of plays first as the Asolo Theatre Festival and later as the Asolo Theatre Company.
Later, the company grew to become the respected first State Theatre of Florida, eventually evolving into a year-round professional theatre, a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres (LORT). In 1973, the theatre officially partnered with the FSU School of Theatre to mentor the actors in its MFA program – a relationship which became the highly acclaimed FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.
The acting company and its audiences eventually outgrew the Ringling's Historic Asolo Theater, and the company moved into its current home within the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, where it has enjoyed notable success.
