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Sarasota, FL, May 9, 2018 - The Board of Trustees of the Players Centre for Performing Arts accepted the resignation of Michelle Bianchi, its CEO and Managing Director, on April 26, 2018. Ms. Bianchi had been with the organization since 2001, having worked in various positions until being named CEO in 2008. The Players Board wishes Ms. Bianchi every good fortune for her future. Her long involvement with The Players has proven to be a success in bringing the organization to its enviable place in the theatrical community of greater Sarasota, and her far-sighted vision will form the basis for generations of Players performers, audiences and students. At the Board of Trustees meeting on May 7, 2018, there was full agreement on the plans for the theater’s future - the building of a new performing arts complex in Lakewood Ranch at its new area of Waterside Place. The Players will be the key anchor for this latest Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR) development. The new theater complex will include a 500-seat main stage auditorium, an adaptable small stage black box theater, a dining and cabaret restaurant/theater, and a number of performing areas for a variety of arts and entertainment. The current theater in downtown Sarasota on Tamiami Trail is in the process of being sold, but will remain the home of The Players until May 2019, fulfilling its 2019 Broadway Series of shows. The growing Arnold Simonsen Players Studio will remain in its new home on Boulevard of the Arts in downtown Sarasota. Donna DeFant, the Board Chair of The Players, said, “This is the single most exciting period for The Players since it opened its doors in 1929. We are taking the upmost care to ensure that every aspect of the new theater complex will enable the highest level of enjoyment by both audiences and performers. Our entire board of directors and theater staff are working together towards that goal.” The Players Artistic Director, Jeffery Kin, added, “This entire project has been so exciting for all of us at the theatre. I mean, how often does a theater company get to build a new performing arts facility from the ground up? To say I am enthusiastic and motivated would be an understatement. As our timing becomes finalized, I’m looking forward to reaching out to collaborate with other area arts organizations all the while creating the perfect theatrical home for the regions performers, creative team members and especially our audience!” The Players is about to launch its 2018 Summer Sizzler Series in June. The subscription for all three shows is $45. The 89th season for The Players at the current downtown location commences in September with a series of big name shows, including Annie Get Your Gun, Hairspray and concluding with Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. # # # The Players Centre For Performing Arts 838 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota FL 34236, 941-365-2494, Fax: 941-954-0282 www.theplayers.org. Box Office: Mon-Sat, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and one hour prior to curtain time. The Players Box Office is located on Tamiami Trail between 10th Street and Blvd. of the Arts.