Tag Archives: Michael Spring

McCraney’s Antony And Cleopatra Is Referendum On Future Of Florida Theater

At a minimum, Thursday’s opening of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s fresh spin on Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra is a watershed event for the region. But this co-production of GableStage, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Public Theater lays out a put-up-or-shut-up challenge to South Florida audiences and funders: Do you want to become a major theatrical hub?

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in Features | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

County Board Allows Mayor To Deal On Last Debts Blocking Coconut Grove Playhouse

The Miami-Dade County Commission voted to allow the mayor to negotiate away debts that remain a deal-breaking roadblock to the resurrection of the Coconut Grove Playhouse as a Jan. 15 deadline closes in.

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Breaking News: Miami-Dade Faces Crucial Vote Tuesday on Coconut Grove Playhouse

The Miami-Dade County Commission faces a decision Tuesday that could make or break the resurrection of the Coconut Grove Playhouse as deadlines close in. With discussions still underway on deal-killing debts, the commission will consider whether to authorize the mayor to incur $120,000 of expenses to seal outstanding deals before Jan. 15.

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

State Approves Coconut Grove Playhouse Rebirth Plan From County, FIU And GableStage

The Governor’s cabinet gave crucial approval Tuesday to Miami-Dade County, Florida International University and GableStage partnering to reopen the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse as a professional theater and educational complex.

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Breaking News: Coconut Grove Playhouse Moves A Step Closer, But Debts Threaten Future

The creation of a new theater on the site of the Coconut Grove Playhouse came one step closer at midnight Monday when the state’s lease application process closed with only one party expressing interest — a partnership among Florida International University, Miami-Dade County and GableStage. But pending lawsuits threaten the future of the deal.

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Breaking News: FIU Proposes Partnership With County And GableStage To Operate Closed Coconut Grove Playhouse

By Bill Hirschman Another option has emerged for the future of the Coconut Grove Playhouse — a partnership among Miami-Dade County, Florida International University and GableStage to operate a 300-seat theater with an annual $2.6 million budget. The arrangement was …

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in General | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Irreplaceable Playbills, Costumes And Ephemera Rescued From Coconut Grove

In the six years since the Coconut Grove Playhouse shuttered, irreplaceable theatrical history has festered in a fetid, crumbling structure, endangered by everything from larcenous-minded vagrants to Florida’s infamous mold-rich climate.
But in a third-act development worthy of a melodrama, Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables and the University of Miami library’s special collections division have rescued some of the Grove’s treasures.

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in Features | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

Friday UPDATE: State Takes Over Title To Coconut Grove Playhouse; Future Uncertain

The state of Florida will take ownership of the shuttered Coconut Grove Playhouse Friday morning as officials warned a month ago, a state spokeswoman confirmed Thursday afternoon.

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Bill Hirschman
Posted in News | Tagged , , | 4 Comments