Mad Cow Theatre facts for kids

Mad Cow Theatre was a special kind of theater in Orlando, Florida. It started in 1997 and was known for putting on plays for people in the area. It was located right in the middle of Downtown Orlando.

How Mad Cow Theatre Started

Mad Cow Theatre began in late 1997. It was founded by four people: Rus Blackwell, Trudy Bruner, Alan Bruun, and Dennis Neal. They started with just two plays in an old blueprint studio in Maitland, Florida.

After that, the theater moved many times over four years. They rented spaces from different groups in Central Florida. These included places like Rollins College, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, and the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival.

Mad Cow Theatre received support from different groups. These included United Arts of Central Florida and the State of Florida. The theater also got help from local people who loved theater. Mad Cow Theatre won a Golden Brick Award in 2013. This award was for helping to make downtown Orlando a better place. Orlando Magazine also named it "Best Theatre" in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

The theater also offered acting classes for adults and teenagers. These classes were taught by talented local actors and professors. Some teachers came from Rollins and the UCF.

Theater Buildings and Spaces

In October 2012, Mad Cow Theatre moved to a new spot at 54 W. Church St. This location had two separate theater spaces. They shared a main entrance, a ticket booth, and a coffee and wine bar. Both theaters together could hold 227 people.

The theaters were used for many things. They held regular plays and the Orlando Cabaret Festival. They also hosted business meetings and other community events.

• The Harriett Theatre could seat 167 people. It was named after Harriett Lake. She was a kind person who supported arts in Central Florida. Some seats had a limited view because of a column in the theater.
• The Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre was a black-box theatre. This means it was a simple, flexible space. It could seat 60 people.

The theater moved from the Church St. address in May 2022.

Past Performances

Mad Cow Theatre put on many different plays. They had shows in both the Harriett Theatre and the Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre. For example, in their 2017-2018 season, they performed plays like Big River and Fun Home. They also had special events, including plays in Spanish.

Working with Other Groups

Mad Cow Theatre worked with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. They put on several concerts together at the Bob Carr Theater. These shows included famous musicals like The Music Man and My Fair Lady. Well-known performers like Davis Gaines and Faith Prince sometimes joined these shows.

They also worked together on opera concerts. These included Carmen and Porgy and Bess. They did this to offer opera after the Orlando Opera company closed.