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Stageworks Theater is one of Tampa’s longest
running professional theatres. Originally the
theater was founded in 1983 by Anna Brennen.
Brennen received her formal theatre training
at Carnegie Mellon and the University of
California, Berkeley. She studied with Sandy
Brennen's professional acting credits include
understudying Colleen Dewhurst in Hamlet and
the three leads in Much Ado About Nothing for
the New York Shakespeare Festival. She appeared
with the Theatre for New York City, Playwrights
Horizons, and the Chelsea Theatre, and directed
plays in California and New York before coming
to Tampa Bay.
In 2011 Stageworks found their permanent home
in Downtown Tampa’s Channel District located
within the Grand Central at Kennedy (live, work,
is led by a new Producing Artistic Director, Karla
Hartley. The theater works with close 200 artists
and over 100 volunteers each year. They also
serve approximately 20,000 audience members
annually.
Every year Stageworks produces seven shows
as part of their main stage production. Their
commitment is to showcase diverse and socially
challenged content that entertains their audience
while providing a platform for professional artist
to perform. The theater prides itself on serving
the community with their outreach and education
programs like their Youth Emerging Artist
Drumming program for at-risk youth ages 8-18.
Stageworks is a crucial part of the Tampa cultural
landscape. Why spend money on airfare, hotel,
and the NYC highly expensive restaurant scene
when we have a professional, affordable theater
in our own backyard. Honestly, Tampa is not New
York City, and it would not be fair to compare
the two. However, a night with Stageworks and
dinner at the adjacent restaurant CENA will
deliver you an entertaining evening.
Stageworks
Theater
stageworkstheatre.org
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A R T & C U L T U R E