Arts & Culture

Naples Players near completion of $21 million year-long renovation

WGCU | By Tara Calligan

Published May 22, 2024 at 12:41 PM EDT

Naples Players Stage Manager Cole Butcher stands in the Kizzie Theater (formerly Blackburn Hall). Upgrades include 452-seat proscenium theater with balcony (308 seats on the main floor; 144 in the balcony), state-of-the-art sound system by Meyer Sound, acoustical design by Gary W. Siebein, custom millwork walls fabricated by local cabinet maker John Jewell, an orchestra pit for 16 musicians, state-of-the-art lighting system, a one-of-a-kind “Sensory Booth," and more. — Naples Players Stage Manager Cole Butcher stands in the Kizzie Theater (formerly Blackburn Hall). Upgrades include 452-seat proscenium theater with balcony (308 seats on the main floor; 144 in the balcony), state-of-the-art sound system by Meyer Sound, acoustical design by Gary W. Siebein, custom millwork walls fabricated by local cabinet maker John Jewell, an orchestra pit for 16 musicians, state-of-the-art lighting system, a one-of-a-kind “sensory booth," and more.

The Naples Players at Sugden Community Theatre in downtown Naples is going through a phase. Two phases to be exact. The theater is undergoing a massive renovation of existing performance spaces and expanding to better serve the community.

Phase one of the three-year project will be unveiled to the public on June 1, 2024 after a year of construction.

During a hard-hat tour of The Naples Players on May 17, Stage Manager Cole Butcher shares why he joined the theater over a decade ago.

"I came here and I realized that community theater is so much more than that stereotype of it," Butcher said. "It's how the arts can impact the community that makes you a community theater."

With the support of 750 volunteers, Butcher says the driving force behind The Naples Players' $21 million renovation project is community.

"The money for the $21 million capital campaign project has come from the community," Butcher said. "We've had private donors. We're working with two local banks to help fund this project."

Phase one of The Naples Players' $21 million renovation project is nearing completion. The 10,700-square-foot expansion is expected to generate an additional $1.5 million in revenue and increase on-site educational programming space by 175%.

The 10,700-square-foot expansion is expected to generate an additional $1.5 million in revenue and increase on-site educational programming space by 175%.

The main stage, now named The Kizzie Theater, has been revamped to seat 450 visitors in the proscenium and 144 in the new balcony.

The theater underwent significant upgrades to its sound and lighting systems, largely utilizing local contractors. The reconstructed orchestra pit has a capacity of 16 musicians.

"Our acoustic paneling is custom designed for us," Butcher said. "They are slatted with a hard reflector surface or an absorbent surface behind it. So every single seat that you have will actually have an absorber and a reflector behind it."

A view from the catwalk in the Kizzie Theater. "These catwalks were designed to be wider than standard to ease have more availability for traveling among it," Butcher said. "It is easily accessible for wheelchairs and people with mobility issues and then all of our lighting positions are right at arm height, so there's no more hanging over and you know bending yourself in odd places you can just lift the light, hang it, clip it in."

Butcher notes that a unique sensory-friendly booth is among a few firsts being celebrated by The Naples Players with the renovation.

"Anybody with sensory-friendly needs, or who is neurodivergent, can buy tickets to this specific booth where they can control their own lighting, sound, [and] temperature," Butcher said. "They will have tactile wall functions, different seating options, whatever they need to enjoy the performance."

It will be the first booth of its kind in the nation, and features a private entrance, concession, restrooms, and a personal usher.

Two new black box theaters and other amenities are expected in phase two. Once completed, the facility will be Florida's only LEED-certified, energy-efficient theater.

The Naples Players' 71st season opens on June 26, 2024 with the classic tap-dancing musical "42nd Street."

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