Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$985,327

Total expenses

$2,234,369

Contributions and grants received

$269,070

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$446,387

Investment income

$250,390

Other revenue

$19,480

Total assets, end of year

$6,388,208

Total liabilities, end of year

$763,738

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$5,624,470

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,148,722

Management and general expenses

$1,009,933

Fundraising expenses

$75,714

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,148,722

Program services were 51.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• SARASOTA'S FIRST AND OLDEST PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATION, SECOND OLDEST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, BEGAN IN 1930, IN THE MIDST OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WITH A SEASON OF ONE-ACT PLAYS. TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-ONE MEMBERS/PATRONS EACH PAID A TWO-DOLLAR SUBSCRIPTION FEE FOR THE SERIES.THE PLAYERS FIRST PERMANENT HOME WAS BUILT OF NATIVE PECKY CYPRESS IN 1936. THE ORIGINAL THEATRE SEATED TWO HUNDRED FORTY SIX AND COST JUST OVER $9,000. THE PECKY CYPRESS BUILDING WAS TORN DOWN TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEXT THEATRE ON NORTH TAMIAMI TRAIL, WHICH OPENED IN JANUARY 1974, SEATING FOUR HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN. THAT FACILITY WAS SOLD IN 2018 AND VACATED IN OCTOBER 2020 AT THE HEIGHT OF CLOSURES RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE PLAYERS PERFORMED IN VARIOUS INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VENUES UNTIL OPENING AN INDOOR VENUE OF ITS OWN AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2021 AT 3501 S. TAMIAMI TRAIL IN THE CROSSINGS AT SIESTA KEY.THE PLAYERS THEATRE HAS ACHIEVED A REPUTATION FOR QUALITY PRODUCTIONS AND FOR CREATING PROGRAMMING THAT ENTERTAINS, EDUCATES, AND ENLIGHTENS. THE THEATRE SERVES A DIVERSE AUDIENCE WITH MEMORABLE AND MEANINGFUL YEAR-ROUND PERFORMING ARTS THAT INCLUDES THE BROADWAY THEATRE SERIES, THE SNAP (SOMETHING NEW AT PLAYERS) SERIES, THE SUMMER SIZZLER SERIES, THE PLAYERS PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL, CONCERTS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.THE PLAYERS STRIVES TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE ARTISTIC QUALITY IN THE CONTEXT OF A VOLUNTEER BASED THEATRE. ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP FROM SOME OF THE AREA'S BEST PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORS, MUSIC DIRECTORS, CHOREOGRAPHERS, SET, LIGHTING AND COSTUME DESIGNERS, CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CHALLENGES EVERYONE TO ACHIEVE HIGH ARTISTIC STANDARDS.THE PLAYERS MAINTAINS AFFORDABLE TICKET PRICES, FROM $5 TO $35, ENSURING THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVE THEATRE IS AVAILABLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. THE PLAYERS ALSO PROVIDES OVER THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TO LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCIES EACH YEAR THROUGH ITS CHARITY PREVIEW PERFORMANCE PROGRAM.

  Expenses $1,013,465 · Revenue $560,639

• THE PLAYERS PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO OPENED IN 1995 AND IS THE EDUCATIONAL ARM OF THE PLAYERS THEATRE. IT IS A REPUTABLE PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO AND VITAL FEEDER TO THE PLAYERS THEATRE FOR ACTORS. THE STUDIO OFFERS CLASSES FOR STUDENTS AGE THREE AND OLDER. CLASSES INCLUDE THE STUDY OF ACTING, SINGING AND DANCE. AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL, CROSSOVER SKILLS ARE EMPHASIZED. THERE ARE TWENTY-NINE CLASSES OFFERED EACH WEEK, SPECIALTY WORKSHOPS, AND AN EIGHT-WEEK INTENSIVE SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN AGES SEVEN TO SEVENTEEN. IN ADDITION TO CLASSES, THERE ARE THREE COMMUNITY OUTREACH ELEMENTS OF THE STUDIO: THE PLAYERS KIDS; AND THE SARASOTA PLAYERS FOLLIES, A FIFTY-FIVE AND OLDER TRAVELLING PERFORMING TROUPE. OVER THREE HUNDRED STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM CLASSES AT THE STUDIO ANNUALLY.

  Expenses $135,257 · Revenue $159,127

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

• BILL PORTER

  CHAIRMAN

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  15

• BILL RUSLING

  VICE CHAIR

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  5

• DAVID SANDERS

  TREASURER

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  5

• JOEY SCHEERLE

  BOARD TRUSTEE

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  2

• JEFFREY CARLSON

  SECRETARY

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  5

• LEIGH TESAR

  BOARD TRUSTEE

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  2

• MICHAEL TESAR

  BOARD TRUSTEE

  Total calculated

  $0

  Hours/week

  2

• WILLIAM SKAGGS

  CEO

  Total calculated

  $119,948

  From this org

  $94,924

  From related orgs

  $0

  Other

  $25,024

  Hours/week

  40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

14 July 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202531959349300248

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