VENICE, Fla. — It’s been a year of rebuilding but there are still pieces of the Venice Theatre that remind Murray Chase that the work is far from over.

What You Need To Know

  •  Venice Theatre suffered massive damage from Hurricane Ian

  •  A year after the storm, officials say the theater still has a year or so of repairs before it can be back to what it was

  •  They anticipate the rebuilding effort will cost about $14 million

“This storm really laid a devastating, devastating impact, a wallop on our community by the destruction of this building,” Chase, the former executive director of the Venice Theatre, said.

Chase said he has seen this majestic space grow into a beacon for the area.

“When you see a 90-year-old dancing and working with a 12-year-old as if it’s natural, then you know that this community has something special, and that happens daily,” Chase said.

It happened inside the theater, but that all changed with Hurricane Ian.

The strength of the storm destroyed the roof covering the stage, several inches of water made it into the house.

Even a year later, the house is empty, and the stage remains bare.

“To see it damaged, people still have a little gut punch going on,” Chase said.

Community theater is an interesting thing, though, he said.

In the immediate aftermath, there were tears and there was a loss for words, but in a place like the Venice Theatre, those emotions don’t last long, Chase said..

“They were pretty devastated for about 15 minutes,” he said. “And it was amazing how fast the jokes started to come.”

He said within hours, there was a plan to not only bring the Venice Theatre back, but to make it better than ever.

They’re still raising money and working on the rebuild, which Chase says will cost about $14 million when everything is said and done. 

“It’s pretty devastating, but we’re underway,” he said. “We’re making progress.”

It’s that optimism that is seen in every construction worker or member of the Venice Theatre, because Chase knows just how special a place like this can be.

“I came here to stay three years and here I am 30 years later,” he said. “That tells you something about the quality of the community.”

In the meantime, the theater is utilizing two other spaces on its campus, but they’re much smaller than the main stage, so Chase said the revenue isn’t the same.

Thankfully, they only suffered minor damage from the storm, so it didn’t take them long to get back on track, he said.

“We had a few roof penetrations, but nothing severe,” Chase said. “As soon as we could get power and A/C to this to this room, we were ready to go.”

He said the space was important, not only for the business, but for the people who are impacted by the arts.

“It’s an example of America’s theater, in that America’s greatest theater is its community theater,” Chase said.

Chase said that's why he can’t wait until this historic theater can raise its main curtain once again.

Chase has stepped down as executive director, but is continuing as a supervisor of the restoration project.

When it’s complete, which he anticipates should be done by the fall or winter of 2024, he plans to fully retire.

In the meantime, people can still purchase tickets for shows in their smaller venues and can donate money to help in the effort to rebuild their destroyed main stage.