One Year of Us (And You Saw it First)

Look, let’s be honest. Starting a local arts journalism platform in the mid-2020s was, statistically speaking, an act of pure, unadulterated lunacy. But because you—our core members—decided to back this play, we didn't just survive. We grew.

You got the early bird preview of our big changes last week, and I’m already seeing the credits flying. Dozens of you have already redeemed your seats for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and HIR. That’s the dream: less time messing with promo codes, more time in the theater.

Before we get to the news, a quick refresher on the team you’re helping me build and the new "Impact Amplifier" mission we’ve launched thanks to your support.

The Arts Passport is no longer just me screaming into the void from a coffee shop. Because of your membership dues, we’ve been able to bring on:

These people are here because you showed up. This isn't just a win for us; it’s a win for the idea that our creative scene deserves a professional, sustainable home.

We’ve worked with 18 local arts orgs this year, handling the "boring" admin and marketing heavy lifting. We do the "how" so they can focus on the art. To scale that, we just launched the Amplifier Grant—a 1-1 marketing match for local nonprofits. Your support provides the foundation for us to offer these services at a massive discount to the groups that need them most.

You’ve already got the keys to the bus. As a reminder, the "new" Passport kills box office fees forever. Most partner shows retail for $50, but for you, they are just 5 Credits.

Ready to Redeem?

• Danny and the Deep Blue Sea | Jobsite Theatre (5 Credits)
• Then They Came for Me | freeFall Theatre (5 Credits)
• HIR | Dead Canary Theatre (5 Credits)

There is a specific brand of silence that happens in the Shimberg Playhouse just before the lights go up. It’s not the polite, diamond-dusted hush of the Carol Morsani Hall next door. It’s tighter. More anxious. It’s the silence of a crowd waiting for a car crash they’ve been told is actually a ballet.

When Jobsite Theater opens John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea this May, they aren't just staging a play; they’re conducting an exorcism of the "polite" arts scene.

In a region currently obsessed with sleek new high-rises and the sterile "glow-up" of the Riverwalk, Danny is a deliberate middle finger to the polished. The play follows two human shipwrecks in a Bronx dive bar. Danny (Alex Teicheira) thinks his hands are only good for breaking things; Roberta (Georgia Mallory Guy) thinks she is beyond the reach of forgiveness.

Director Summer Bohnenkamp isn't interested in the "Aubrey Plaza-fication" of the work. This production feels like a homecoming to the play’s 1983 roots—where the sweat was real and the stakes felt life-or-death. This isn't "dinner theater." This is the kind of work that demands you look at the person sitting next to you and wonder what secrets they’re carrying under their skin.

• When: May 6–31, 2026
• Where: Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center, Tampa
• Why it matters: Jobsite is the resident "punk rock" soul of the Straz. They’re making sure we don't forget how to bleed.

• The Awakening: Tampa City Ballet is proving that Sleeping Beauty isn't a museum piece—it's a way to keep professional talent from fleeing to NYC. Catch it at the New Tampa PAC, May 16-17. Read More Here
• The Laboratory: The St. Pete New Works Festival (March 25 – April 4, 2027) is a two-week "yes" to the radical act of letting artists fail, pivot, and soar. Read More Here
• Theatre Church: Dead Canary is staging HIR at The Studio@620. Expect flying porridge, "humiliation makeup," and a snapshot of a family in freefall. It’s messy, and it’s perfect. Read More Here

Thank you for a hell of a first year. Now, let’s go make some noise.

— Avery