(Photo via Orlando Fringe)
ORLANDO | The Renaissance Theatre Company announced Nov. 25 it’s moving to a temporary new home in the space formerly occupied by Fringe ArtSpace.
The City of Orlando has granted a short-term lease to the Ren at 54 W. Church St., also the former home of Mad Cow Theatre. The company will bring its signature flair to the temporary location with two planned productions starting in December: “The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show” and in January, “Mean Girls.”
Donald Rupe, co-founder of the Ren said to Watermark Out News that OTR Wednesdays will occur in this space beginning Dec. 3.
“Theatre people are scrappy, and we’ve worked quickly to keep the momentum of the Ren going and to continue to provide a space for our community,” Rupe said in a press release. “The swift decision by the city and its Community Redevelopment Agency to support the arts community by helping us find a temporary home says a lot about our local government’s commitment to culture in Orlando.”
The Ren was forced to close by the City of Orlando in September due to fire safety code violations, prompting widespread support from locals. The closure occurred during the Ren’s largest annual production, “Nosferatu,” and financial losses have exceeded $500,000, as the initial closure led to a more in depth permitting process due to the immersive nature of the kinds of productions that the Ren produces.
The company has remained afloat by board member Chris Kampmeier, who has been joined by 350 donors who have given more than $55,000 to the non-profit.
“While safety has always been a priority for us, we don’t do theatre in the traditional way, and we’re learning now how to work within city code in order to keep a fresh and innovative product,” Kampmeier said. “We’ll get to the other side of this and we’ll be stronger for it.”
Opening Dec. 5, “The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show” will maintain its immersive atmosphere in the new venue and “Mean Girls” will occur at the Downtown location even if the Ren gets back into their home space sooner, allowing the company time to operate a production while building and planning their homecoming performance in Ivanhoe Village.
The Ren will leave the city-owned downtown venue at the end of March.
For updates and donations, visit RenTheatre.com
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