From the origins of our name, to the stages on which we have performed, the ‘Asolo’ story is rich in history – both in our community and abroad. But Theatre by its very nature is here one moment and gone the next. It is for that beautiful, ephemeral reason that we must make an extra effort to capture and record the work of so many artists and community members that have helped Asolo Rep thrive through the years.
The name ‘Asolo’ comes to us from Asolo, Italy, a beautiful town tucked in the hills of the northern countryside. There, a lovely 18th-century theatre, caught the eye of Everett “Chick” Austin, the first Director of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. He acquired the theatre’s interior for the museum’s collection in 1949. 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 and operas, first as the Asolo Theatre Festival and later as the Asolo Theatre Company.
Over time, the company grew from a seasonal festival into a year-round operation and was recognized as the first State Theatre of Florida, later becoming a founding 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.