Venice Theatre prepares as Ian anniversary arrives

VENICE — For Venice Theatre, anniversaries are normally something to be celebrated.

The anniversary of a performance, or a celebration of a fundraising project are events that are praised and fondly remembered.

But coming up in the next week is an anniversary that marks a challenging time in the theater’s history.

As Hurricane Helene approaches Florida and brushes by Venice, the theater will reach the two-year anniversary of the day Hurricane Ian destroyed a big part of the theater’s building.

The damage to the theater was so dramatic that it became the local symbol of just how bad Hurricane Ian was.

And the road to recovery is still ongoing.

“Things are starting to happen now,” said Camille Cline, the theater’s director of advancement.

She is referring to the $16 million fundraising campaign to restore and enhance Venice Theater.

“We still have a long, long way to go,” she said. “We’re very grateful to the city and the community for what they’ve already done. We know it’s going to take a whole community effort.”

Preparing for Hurricane Helene

As the approach of Hurricane Helene came into focus, theater staff began preparing the various buildings for yet another big storm.

The area under construction has been secured, with a lot of that able to handle rain. Much of the staff’s attention went to doors and walls.

In the past year, the theater’s lobby has flooded each time there was a heavy rain. In preparation for Helene, a sealant was applied to the outside walls, and sandbags were placed against the buildings' many doors.

“We feel very confident the lobby will not take on any water,” said Kim Kollar, the facilities manager.

She said she spent a long time considering “what-if” scenarios to determine where leaks could happen and what needed to be protected.

“I worry a lot about the Raymond Center,” she said. “That’s our temporary space.”

Getting Help From Many Sources

The fundraising efforts have taken many twists and turns. Reaching $16 million is not easy but it’s attainable, Cline said.

The theater has embraced a variety of ways to raise money, from seeking donations to offering special promotions. The latest features the “Have A Seat Campaign,” where somebody can buy a theater seat for $7,500 and have their name put on it.

Residents can also sponsor a concert for $2,575.

The theater will continue to embrace the idea of getting funding from many sources, Cline said. Early on, the theater was counting on large amounts of money from Ian recovery funds, including Sarasota County’s Resilient SRQ program.

But the County Commission spent the money elsewhere.

“It was a blow when we didn’t get the funding,” Cline said. “But we’ve pivoted … Many more people understand (our goals) and gotten on board. We’re exploring a lot more sources for funding.”

And getting more sources comes with an extra benefit, Cline said.

“That means we have champions in a lot of different areas.”