Mad Cow Theatre facts for kids

Mad Cow Theatre was a special place in Orlando, Florida, where people could enjoy live plays and shows. It was a non-profit theater, meaning it used its money to put on great performances rather than making a profit. It started in 1997 and was located right in the heart of Downtown Orlando.

History of Mad Cow Theatre

Mad Cow Theatre began in late 1997. It was started by four people: Rus Blackwell, Trudy Bruner, Alan Bruun, and Dennis Neal. At first, it was a small project with just two shows in a former blueprint studio in Maitland, Florida.

Over the next four years, the theater moved several times. It rented spaces from different organizations in Central Florida. These included Rollins College, Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, and the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival.

Mad Cow Theatre received support from various groups. These included United Arts of Central Florida and the State of Florida. It also got help from Orange County and local theater fans. The theater won a Golden Brick Award in 2013. This award recognized its help in making 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 teens. These classes were taught by talented local actors and professors. Many of these teachers came from Rollins and the UCF.

Theatre Facilities

In October 2012, Mad Cow Theatre moved to a new home at 54 W. Church St. This location had two different theaters. They shared a main lobby, a ticket office, and a coffee and wine bar. Together, the two theaters could hold up to 227 people.

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

• The Harriett Theatre had seats for 167 people. It was named after Harriett Lake. She was a kind person who supported arts and other good causes 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 type of theater is very flexible and can be set up in many ways. It had seating for 60 people.

The theater moved from its Church Street location in May 2022. This move happened because of an agreement with the City of Orlando.

Theatre Collaborations

Mad Cow Theatre worked with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra on several concerts. These shows were performed at the Bob Carr Theater.

They put on popular musicals like The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, My Fair Lady, and Guys and Dolls. Famous performers like Davis Gaines and Faith Prince appeared in these shows.

They also worked together on concert opera productions. These included Carmen and Porgy and Bess. These performances helped fill a gap after the Orlando Opera closed.