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Tag: Renaissance Theatre

  • Renaissance Theatre Co. finds temporary home in downtown Orlando

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    Credit: Orlando Fringe

    The Renaissance Theatre Co. has found a temporary new home just in time for the holidays — and it’s a familiar space to fans of performing arts in Orlando.

    On Tuesday afternoon, it was revealed that the City of Orlando has granted the Ren a temporary lease running through the end of March to take over the vacant theater facility at 54 W. Church St. in downtown Orlando. This two-theater complex is a familiar spot for local theater fans as it was briefly the home of Fringe ArtSpace and before that, for many years, Mad Cow Theatre.

    This announcement comes just in time to salvage the full run of the Ren’s annual immersive holiday comedy, Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show, set to start on Friday, Dec. 5. So yes, the fictional Gripp & Pfister holiday extravaganza, a Ren tradition since 2021, is back for another go. And, yes, the drag afterparties will still happen as well.

    And once the Holiday is over, this ad hoc space will host a production of hit Broadway musical Mean Girls, starting mid-January. The entirety of the run will happen at the Church Street theater space, regardless of whether the Ren’s home base has reopened by then.

    “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. Though this type of programming isn’t necessarily what we normally do or want to do for the long haul, this will allow us time not only to get through the permitting process but also to plan ahead into 2026 and beyond,” Ren co-founder and artistic director Donald Rupe said in a press statement.

    In the meantime, Ren staff are still working with the city to resolve the building issues that forced their closure back in late September. “The fine folks in Permitting are helping us where they can, but it’s one of those things that just takes time, so we haven’t been able to plan ahead and that’s been really tough,” added Rupe.

    The Office Holiday Party runs Dec. 5-22, and Mean Girls will play Jan. 16-March 15, 2026. Tickets are available now through the Renaissance Theatre Co.’s website.

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    Matthew Moyer
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  • Amid closure, Renaissance Theatre faces near $488K in losses, founder says

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    Credit: Renaissance Theatre Company/Facebook

    Two months after the City of Orlando condemned the Renaissance Theatre Co.’s venue, the troupe this week released an update, citing 34 canceled performances and roughly $488,000 in revenue lost so far. 

    Donald Rupe, Ren founder and artistic director, said in a social media post the shutdown has lasted longer than he expected. His team is now awaiting approval for what they hope to be the final permit that would allow them back into the building.

    The Ren was officially closed on Sept. 19 due to safety code violations just ahead of the theater’s signature Halloween show, Nosferatu. Both Nosferatu and the V-Bar after-show, as well as resident drag night Off the Record, have been staged in modified versions during late September and October at venues like the Plaza Live, the Beacham and the Social.

    Since the closure, Ren employees have collectively lost about $218,000 in wages, while also losing material and labor costs, having to remove the set of Nosferatu, Rupe said.

    But the team still has hope. They are preparing annual comedy The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show and after-party in hopes it can open on Dec. 5 as planned. Tickets will not be sold until there is a guaranteed place to perform.

    However, it is unlikely they will go on the road again soon, as sales from roving dates at venues like the Plaza Live have not covered production costs, Rupe said. 

    “If we find that we need to continue to host events outside of our own venue, we will need to revisit the kinds of shows we produce and look at a budget model that is meant for that kind of production,” Rupe wrote.

    City-mandated requirements have also proven costly. The required upgraded fire-alarm system alone costs around $40,000.

    Rupe credited co-founder Chris Kampmeier and more than 350 donors for helping keep The Ren afloat. Supporters can continue to donate directly at rentheatre.com .

    “We don’t believe that our city can afford to risk losing another theatre, especially one that is so essential to our LGBT+ community, and we cannot wait to get back to creating unique world-class artistic experiences,” Rupe said. 

    Rupe clarified that he does not believe the closure is politically motivated and praised city officials for their support in helping get the building back on its feet.

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    Emmy Bailey
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