Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatre began in late 1997 as a simple two-show project among a group of actors/directors in a former blueprint studio in Maitland, Florida. After an initial four-year period of renting space from such mainstay Central Florida organizations as Rollins College, The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival,[1] The Civic Theatres of Central Florida, and the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival, Mad Cow is now celebrating its 19th Season[2] in Downtown Orlando. Mad Cow has built collaborative relationships with other downtown businesses and has received two Golden Brick Awards for outstanding contribution to downtown life. Mad Cow Theatre has also been named "Best Theatre" by Orlando Magazine for several years in a row.[3]
Contents
About
Regular season
Mad Cow Theatre is a professional theatre company presenting works of theatre for a wide-range of audiences. Mad Cow has presented nearly 150 productions with the start of the 2015-2016 season. Mad Cow Theatre works with Actors' Equity Association under the Orlando Area Theatre contract, and holds open auditions annually.[4]
The 2012-2013 Season was Mad Cow's first season in its new location on West Church Street in the heart of downtown Orlando. The season included great shows such as Sunday in the Park with George and Death of A Salesman. [5]
Mad Cow now produces 10 shows a season: six in the larger theatre, the Harriett, and four in the intimate Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre. Shows in the 2015-2015 season are "You Can't Take It With You," "My Name Is Asher Lev," "The Secret Garden," "Art," "Outside Mullingar," "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "Avenue Q," "The Brothers Size," "The Big Meal" and "Buyer & Cellar."
Operation
Mad Cow Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Mad Cow is supported in part with public funds from the United Arts campaign and by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Florida Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Downtown Development Board, and Orange County through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program. Large support has been given by Orlando's theatre enthusiasts as well.
Mad Cow has a staff and board of directors working every day for the good of the theatre and the community. The original founders were Rus Blackwell, Trudy Bruner, Alan Bruun, and Dennis Neal. The staff is led by executive director Mitzi Maxwell and includes Ashley Hickman, director of development; Audrey McGowen, manager of operations and community engagement; Crystal Edwards, manager of creative development; Waylon LeMasters, assistant technical director; Danielle Paccione, assistant production manager; Lisa Buck, manager of art & design; Aradhana Tiwari, resident director; Matt Underwood, box office supervisor; Tina Blakinship, audience services supervisor; and Dave Batan, Philip Clay, Gabriel DeJesus, Kyle Dusina, and Jen Thomas, box office assistants.
Members of the board of directors are local business people, educators and community volunteers who have ties to and a passion for the arts. Brian McDowell is the chair, with board members including Elizabeth Maupin (vice chair), Mitzi Maxwell (secretary/treasurer), Dr. Jonathan Miller, Amanda Perry, Joe Saunders, Jean Siegfried, Dr. Robert Stonerock, Dr. Alvin Y. Wang, Alan Wilson, and Wendy Zehngebot.
Acting classes
Adult and teen acting classes are sometimes offered evenings and during the summer at Mad Cow Theatre. They are directed and taught by local talent and professors from Rollins and UCF. [6]
Collaborations
Mad Cow Theatre enjoys collaborative partnerships with local governments, businesses, and Orlando arts groups. It was named "Arts Collaborator of the Year" by United Arts of Central Florida.[7]
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
Mad Cow Theatre has collaborated with The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for several concerts, presented at Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. These productions have included The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, My Fair Lady,[8] and Guys and Dolls, and have attracted star talent, including Davis Gaines and Faith Prince.[9] They have also collaborated on a series of concert opera productions, including Carmen[10] and Porgy and Bess to fill the void left by the now-defunct Orlando Opera.[11]
Facilities
In October 2012, Mad Cow moved to its new home at 54 W. Church St. The location, which was formerly a Hooters, is in the middle of the Church Street Market. The build was a part of Reclaim Church Street. It houses two theatres, which share a common lobby, box office, and coffee and wine bar. The facility can house a total of about 260 people at one time and has private restrooms across a small hall.
From 2003 until 2012, Mad Cow Theatre was located in a storefront theatre at 105 S. Magnolia Avenue in downtown Orlando. In this two-theatre complex, Mad Cow is Downtown Orlando's only professional theatre. The two theatres share a common lobby, box office, and wine bar on Magnolia Avenue, which doubles as an art gallery and can be used for social gatherings and catered functions.
The Harriett Theatre
The larger of the two theatres, the Harriett is a fully equipped theatre with 161 fixed seats and 6 flexible seats for guests with special needs. [12] This venue is used for the regular season and the Orlando Cabaret Festival, as well as for business meetings and community and social events. It is named after Harriett Lake, a prominent figure in Orlando's arts scene. Limited-view seats are included in the total count due to a structural column in the theatre.
The Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre
The Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre is a fully equipped "black box" theatre with flexible seating of 50-65 patrons. This venue is used for productions in the regular season, as well as the Orlando Cabaret Festival, the Science Play Festival, and community events. It changes looks with each production, with a seating arrangement that is completely movable. [12]
References
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