West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wednesday, November 27, 2024) In May, 2024, Palm Beach Dramaworks was honored as Non-Profit of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. It was an acknowledgment of the theatre’s contribution to the community; recognition of the artistry, commitment, and leadership of its cofounders, Producing Artistic Director William Hayes and Managing Director Sue Ellen Beryl; and the perfect prelude to the company’s 25th anniversary season, which opened on November 1.
It’s been a remarkable journey. PBD launched in December, 2000: the company had no backers, no money, and no clear vision of what the theatre should be. Hayes knew he wanted to produce work that would challenge and move audiences and illuminate the human condition, and he believed there were local audiences hungry for that type of fare. But what that meant in terms of play selection was unformulated. Beryl borrowed $10,000 from an employer, and PBD rented an old, soon-to-be demolished 200-seat theatre at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where it produced three shows that first season.
The company spent the next two seasons at a 45-seat theatre carved out of an 800-square foot storefront on Clematis Street, before turning office space into an 84-seat theatre on Banyan Boulevard, which became its home for the next eight years. It was there that PBD’s vision came into sharp focus. They even gave it a name: Theatre to Think About.
More than a catch phrase or a brand, Theatre to Think About is a guide to the kind of work PBD has been producing for most of its existence. The company has distinguished itself with a mixture of classic, contemporary, and world premiere plays that take audiences on an entertaining and emotional journey, stir the imagination, and stimulate discussion and debate. An important part of that mix are works by the likes of Edward Albee, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean-Paul Sartre, playwrights who pushed the envelope. They were risky choices early on when the theatre was trying to establish itself. But their plays helped develop PBD’s reputation and grow its audience – to the point where the company outgrew its theatre.
In 2011 – on 11.11.11 – PBD moved into its state-of-the-art, 218-seat home on Clematis Street, renovating an old theatre to its specifications. The city of West Palm Beach facilitated the move to what became the Don & Ann Brown Theatre; the city purchased the building on PBD’s behalf and leased it to the company, which agreed to purchase it within five years. Thanks to generous support from donors, PBD purchased the venue outright two years earlier than scheduled.
Each season, the award-winning company produces five shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. In 2016, PBD was the recipient of the Muse Award for Outstanding Arts & Cultural Organization given by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. In 2020, the company received the Bill Von Maurer Award for Theatrical Excellence, a special Carbonell Award given to the theatre company that “exemplifies excellence for the totality of its programming: productions, educational outreach, developmental programs, and audiences served.”
PBD has had a significant financial impact on the downtown West Palm Beach community as well, as patrons frequent local restaurants, shops, and hotels. The company also collaborates with area businesses to promote special dinner and theatre packages, contributing to the tourism industry.
On November 8, with many local dignitaries in attendance, PBD held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially begin the 25th anniversary celebration, led by Hayes, Beryl, and Chief Financial & Operating Officer Rudina Toro. Mayor Keith James proclaimed November as PBD month in West Palm Beach, and Congresswoman Lois Frankel – who, as mayor, was the driving force behind the city’s purchase of the theatre for PBD – also delivered remarks.
The company will celebrate its milestone season again on March 15, when it holds its annual gala at the Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center. But the real celebration takes place eight times a week at the theatre, where patrons can watch gifted artists in distinguished productions of superb plays. That, in itself, is reason to rejoice.
