Presented by the Olympia Theater
Grant funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Sponsored by the Miami Downtown Development Authority |
June 17, 6:30pm
|
About 'In the Lobby Lounge . . . WORDS!'
In December 2013, the Olympia Theater received a $50,000 challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to expand its monthly “In the Lobby Lounge . . .JAZZ!” series, a popular monthly event that is free and open to the public.
“In the Lobby Lounge . . . WORDS! will be our second foray into the wonderful world of Wednesdays in Downtown Miami,” says Executive Director Robert Geitner, “bringing theatre and prose to the Olympia Theater on a monthly basis.” Future words-oriented evenings will include directed play readings, improv, skits & spontaneous theater, short stories, readings of excerpts from longer works of fiction, and personal monologues “in their own words.”
Beginning in 2013, the lobby series was created, boasting monthly events on the second Wednesday of each month with free admission, happy hour, and some of the best jazz ensembles in South Florida, including Federico Britos, Nicole Yarling, Rose Max, Oriente, Pauley Cohen and LeNard Rutledge. The Miami Downtown Development Authority sponsored the “Lobby Lounge” event, which quickly grew from an initial audience of 20 to more than 200 and has expanded to the second floor lobby.
Throughout 2015, the Olympia will expand the series to include programming every Wednesday night. Jazz will continue on the second Wednesday of the month, and other performing arts genres based on broad themes on each of the other Wednesdays. The series will be eclectic, playing host to a range of culturally diverse music, cabaret, theatrical readings, storytelling, performance art, and even – on select Wednesday nights – anything goes!
“The project is an exciting one”, says Geitner, “to offer free performing arts activity in the lobby of the theater to draw new audiences to the venue and enhance the cultural experience for a new Downtown Miami neighborhood.” The theater’s ornately decorated lobby is transformed cabaret-style with tables and a small stage complete with lights and drape, creating a wonderfully acoustic and intimate performance venue.
In the Lobby Lounge...WORDS! is a FREE event that is open to the public. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the readings will start at 6:30 p.m. Cocktails will be available at the cash bar. Attendees are invited to enjoy a guided tour of the historic Olympia Theater during intermission.
Future In the Lobby Lounge . . . WORDS! events are scheduled for May 20th & June 17th and by October will be scheduled the first Wednesday of every month.
. . . and don’t forget to join us for In the Lobby Lounge . . .JAZZ! on the second Wednesday of each month.
The Olympia Theater opened in 1926, but the fun is just beginning!
* * * * * * * * * *
About the Olympia Theater
The Olympia Theater opened in 1926 as Downtown Miami's palace for silent movies and vaudeville. Olympia Center, Inc., the non-profit organization managing the City-owned, historic “movie palace” on Flagler Street in Downtown Miami, has been working since 2011 to bring exciting new programming to Miami’s original Performing Arts Center.
About City Theatre
City Theatre is a professional theatre company in Miami, FL that is celebrating 20 years of dedication to the development and production of new work, specifically the short play format in 2015. Best known for its award-winning Summer Shorts – America’s Short Play Festival, City Theatre also presents in its annual programming The Festival Family Musical, CityWrights Professional Weekend for Playwrights Conference, and the LGBT-themed Shorts Gone Wild Festival. The company fulfills its educational mission with the Short Cuts Educational Tour that introduces students throughout South Florida to the art of theatre.
About Front Yard Theater Collective
The Front Yard Theatre Collective is an improv and sketch comedy theater group, founded in 2010 in Downtown Miami. It all started as a group of theater enthusiasts experimenting with short form games and open mics, and grew into a monthly show at The Garret, one of the most popular clubs in Downtown Miami. The FYTC’s original skits, musical guests, and surprising improv games unite to produce some of the most innovative entertainment in South Florida.
Past productions include “Alice in Wynwoodland” and “History on Wheels”, both productions set throughout Downtown Miami and Wynwood, with audience members riding as a group on bicycles from scene to scene. Front Yard Theatre keeps growing and through collaborations with other Miami based community outreach groups and projects like In the Lobby Lounge, aims to bring the community together and revitalize the cultural life of our city via art, theater and our love for the 305.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of communities in the United States where the Knight brothers once owned newspapers. The Knight Foundation invests in ideas and projects that can lead to transformational change.
Help us match the Knight Arts Challenge Grant!
“In the Lobby Lounge . . . WORDS! will be our second foray into the wonderful world of Wednesdays in Downtown Miami,” says Executive Director Robert Geitner, “bringing theatre and prose to the Olympia Theater on a monthly basis.” Future words-oriented evenings will include directed play readings, improv, skits & spontaneous theater, short stories, readings of excerpts from longer works of fiction, and personal monologues “in their own words.”
Beginning in 2013, the lobby series was created, boasting monthly events on the second Wednesday of each month with free admission, happy hour, and some of the best jazz ensembles in South Florida, including Federico Britos, Nicole Yarling, Rose Max, Oriente, Pauley Cohen and LeNard Rutledge. The Miami Downtown Development Authority sponsored the “Lobby Lounge” event, which quickly grew from an initial audience of 20 to more than 200 and has expanded to the second floor lobby.
Throughout 2015, the Olympia will expand the series to include programming every Wednesday night. Jazz will continue on the second Wednesday of the month, and other performing arts genres based on broad themes on each of the other Wednesdays. The series will be eclectic, playing host to a range of culturally diverse music, cabaret, theatrical readings, storytelling, performance art, and even – on select Wednesday nights – anything goes!
“The project is an exciting one”, says Geitner, “to offer free performing arts activity in the lobby of the theater to draw new audiences to the venue and enhance the cultural experience for a new Downtown Miami neighborhood.” The theater’s ornately decorated lobby is transformed cabaret-style with tables and a small stage complete with lights and drape, creating a wonderfully acoustic and intimate performance venue.
In the Lobby Lounge...WORDS! is a FREE event that is open to the public. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the readings will start at 6:30 p.m. Cocktails will be available at the cash bar. Attendees are invited to enjoy a guided tour of the historic Olympia Theater during intermission.
Future In the Lobby Lounge . . . WORDS! events are scheduled for May 20th & June 17th and by October will be scheduled the first Wednesday of every month.
. . . and don’t forget to join us for In the Lobby Lounge . . .JAZZ! on the second Wednesday of each month.
The Olympia Theater opened in 1926, but the fun is just beginning!
* * * * * * * * * *
About the Olympia Theater
The Olympia Theater opened in 1926 as Downtown Miami's palace for silent movies and vaudeville. Olympia Center, Inc., the non-profit organization managing the City-owned, historic “movie palace” on Flagler Street in Downtown Miami, has been working since 2011 to bring exciting new programming to Miami’s original Performing Arts Center.
About City Theatre
City Theatre is a professional theatre company in Miami, FL that is celebrating 20 years of dedication to the development and production of new work, specifically the short play format in 2015. Best known for its award-winning Summer Shorts – America’s Short Play Festival, City Theatre also presents in its annual programming The Festival Family Musical, CityWrights Professional Weekend for Playwrights Conference, and the LGBT-themed Shorts Gone Wild Festival. The company fulfills its educational mission with the Short Cuts Educational Tour that introduces students throughout South Florida to the art of theatre.
About Front Yard Theater Collective
The Front Yard Theatre Collective is an improv and sketch comedy theater group, founded in 2010 in Downtown Miami. It all started as a group of theater enthusiasts experimenting with short form games and open mics, and grew into a monthly show at The Garret, one of the most popular clubs in Downtown Miami. The FYTC’s original skits, musical guests, and surprising improv games unite to produce some of the most innovative entertainment in South Florida.
Past productions include “Alice in Wynwoodland” and “History on Wheels”, both productions set throughout Downtown Miami and Wynwood, with audience members riding as a group on bicycles from scene to scene. Front Yard Theatre keeps growing and through collaborations with other Miami based community outreach groups and projects like In the Lobby Lounge, aims to bring the community together and revitalize the cultural life of our city via art, theater and our love for the 305.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of communities in the United States where the Knight brothers once owned newspapers. The Knight Foundation invests in ideas and projects that can lead to transformational change.
Help us match the Knight Arts Challenge Grant!