IMAGE VIA ORLANDO FRINGE
Orlando Fringe launched a fundraiser this week to help cover expenses related to relocating their office from the Lowndes Shakespeare Center by the end of August.
The organization set a (pretty modest) $2,500 goal on GiveButter and had raised $1,890 from 21 supporters at the time of this post. The fundraiser comes after negotiations with Orlando Shakespeare over a new lease agreement broke down in late June, according to a story by Matt Palm for Orlando Sentinel.
In the piece, Fringe leaders cited an unacceptable rent increase, saying the proposed terms — a per-square-foot rate plus fees and 10% of utilities — would drive their bill to roughly $98,000 next year. Fringe artistic director Tempestt Halstead said the organization “had to think long-term about what fits in our budget as a nonprofit.”
Orlando Fringe has since shared that it has found new office space at 634 Virginia Drive [GMap], a slightly smaller space of 1,300 SF, but with costs comparable to what the organization currently pays Orlando Shakes, adjacent to Nora’s Sugar Shack.
Despite leaving their office at the Shakespeare Center, Orlando Fringe will continue to use venues at Loch Haven Park for their annual festival. Leaders from both organizations are scheduled to discuss how their partnership will look going forward, including how Fringe will continue to use venues in the park.
Orlando Fringe is home to the longest-running theatre festival in the United States and draws upward of 60,000 patrons each May. The 2026 festival, themed “35 Years Weird,” took place earlier this year. Donations to support the move can be made at givebutter.com/orlandofringemove.
