In the wake of back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton, cultural organizations and live theater companies throughout Tampa Bay are still reeling from the devastation caused by unprecedented wind, rain and storm surges. These safe spaces for the community are bravely charting their course to recovery, proving that the show must—and will—go on.
Though impacted by flood waters in their gallery and visitor center, Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray and her team immediately pivoted, transforming their organization’s annual fundraiser into an Arts Annual Hurricane Relief fundraiser on December 7th.
"What was originally planned as a fundraiser for Creative Pinellas's operating cost will now be a fundraiser for the arts community. We are giving 80% of the net proceeds back to the community," she explains. "There will be a short application that people will have to fill out to receive the funds. We're convening a grant panel, and all that money will go to arts organizations and artists impacted by everything that has happened to the arts community in the past year."
In addition to purchasing their tickets, attendees can buy tickets for impacted artists to show their support or donate to the event on their website. Before the December fundraiser, Creative Pinellas will host a holiday pop-up shop filled with pieces from local artists at a gifting price point on November 29.
“My heart goes out to everyone who was impacted by this. Artists in our cultural community have been hit with a one-two-three punch this year,” Murray explains. “Everyone has been impacted. The long-term effects – we just don’t know. We’re hoping to do whatever we can to help artists get back on track.”
St. Petersburg City Theatre
At St. Petersburg City Theatre, the roof ripped off their celebratory plans just three months shy of their centennial anniversary.
Literally.
Stefanie Lehmann, president of the theater's board of directors, shares an astonishing story that sounds like a dramatic stage play. On the night Hurricane Milton struck, Kevin Crowell, office and facilities administrator, evacuated his home with his daughters and cats, seeking refuge to shelter in place at the solid concrete theater. The family settled into different dressing rooms, and suddenly, a powerful gust of wind peeled the theater’s five-and-a-half-year-old roof back like a can of sardines, drenching the stage, seats and auditorium. Thanks to Crowell’s quick thinking, he cut the power to the building, preventing a potential electrical fire. He, his family and his pets were uninjured.
“He said it felt like a train ran over the top of the building, and then it started pouring in water,” Lehmann says.
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Provided by St. Petersburg City TheatreThe St. Peterburg City Theatre suffered significant damage in Milton.She explains that the theater had been saving for years for significant updates for its 100th anniversary. Unfortunately, all funds will now be redirected to replace the roof, stage, seating and other equipment damaged by the storm. They cannot rely on insurance, as the prohibitive annual costs prevented them from purchasing it, and FEMA currently doesn't offer assistance to nonprofit theaters.
She hopes that decades of paint on the stage for different show sets will prevent the need to replace the entire wooden stage and simply fix concerning areas.
“We wanted to pave the way for the next hundred years with new technology, curtains and audio and lighting systems,” Lehmann says. “All of that has to be put on hold because Milton pulled off a roof we had too much confidence in. That repair quote we got from an expert was 400-500,000 in damage, which we are not a company that operates on that scale. We survive off of donations and ticket sales for our mainstage shows and youth camps. It is a significant mountain to see in front of us.”
Lehmann deeply appreciates their legacy as one of Florida’s longest continuously operating theaters and the unwavering support from patrons and the public. On a Saturday following the destruction, over 110 people came together to assist in the theater's cleanup. From a five-year-old boy learning kindness from his dad to an 80-year-old woman helping in the costume room, the community united to support their beloved theater.
“To see so many people come together to help the theatre is the best example that we’re still doing what we are supposed to be doing,” Lehmann says.
The theater seeks alternative space for their 50-student Fall Youth Camp to perform November’s “Peter Pan Jr." and then their December Mainstage musical, “White Christmas
.”
“To tell our kids who had been rehearsing – many of whom had lost their homes – that their second home was closed, and we weren’t going to do “Peter Pan” was something we refuse to do. It goes against everything we stand for,” she pauses. “Whatever we have to do to keep the show going on, we will find a way. We will find a way to make “White Christmas”
happen, especially for this area that needs something to celebrate and something to bring us together more than ever. The idea of canceling Christmas due to a hurricane is way too depressing. For that to be how we lead into our 100
th season would be to disrespect the 99 years that came before us.”
Adding to financial challenges
Not all damage to Tampa Bay’s theaters and cultural arts centers was physical.
These organizations already faced uphill battles after Governor DeSantis decimated their anticipated funding earlier this year. This financial blow was compounded by losing their spaces due to power outages and the cast, crew, staff and patrons grappling with personal crises. These unprecedented weather events led to unexpected cancellations and shortened runs of regularly scheduled programs, leaving theaters and cultural arts centers hanging by a thread.
Powerstories Theatre’s staff, enduring life-changing personal losses, made the tough decision to cancel an important show, “Jane: Abortion and the Underground”
at Stageworks, right before November’s vote on abortion rights. Due to power outages and damage to the homes of cast, crew and staff, Stageworks also had to cancel half of the scheduled “What the Constitution Means to Me" performances. These theaters lost up to $25,000 in anticipated revenue—critical funds that keep their doors open.
“We didn’t have physical damage, more psychological and spiritual damage, and it ricochets,” Stageworks President and Producing Artistic Director Karla Hartley says. “We had staff members who were managing their own personal crises while still trying to focus on the work that we’re doing. It’s caused all of us to be off our game.”
Hartley says she is questioning whether September 2025 should be a month without programming.
“The public underestimates theater people. We’ve always been the ones who rise above challenges and get it done,” she says. “That’s how we live our lives, and we’ll figure out a way to make it happen again.”
Powerstories Theatre founder and Executive Director Fran Powers adds, “We are here to help our community. Our mission statement is about opening minds and hearts. After the trauma of the hurricanes, we look forward to healing and moving forward together.”
As the theaters and cultural arts organizations rebuild and innovate, they rely on community involvement through volunteering, donating or purchasing tickets to upcoming events. Together, the community can ensure their continued bright future.
Here are ways
to support your local cultural arts and live theaters: