downtown

Sentinel theater critic Elizabeth Maupin’s first published review from the festival was quintessentially Fringe: “When you think of clowns, you rarely think of severed limbs” began her positive write-up for the clowning comedy of Toronto duo Mump & Smoot.

The first festival impressed Sentinel entertainment columnist Commander Coconut, who summed up the fun this way: “What we saw we liked, and it’s always good to see lots of people in downtown Orlando, especially weird people.”

Sentinel theater critic Elizabeth Maupin’s first published review from the festival was quintessentially Fringe: “When you think of clowns, you rarely think of severed limbs” began her positive write-up for the clowning comedy of Toronto duo Mump & Smoot.

The first festival impressed Sentinel entertainment columnist Commander Coconut, who summed up the fun this way: “What we saw we liked, and it’s always good to see lots of people in downtown Orlando, especially weird people.”

Sentinel theater critic Elizabeth Maupin’s first published review from the festival was quintessentially Fringe: “When you think of clowns, you rarely think of severed limbs” began her positive write-up for the clowning comedy of Toronto duo Mump & Smoot.

The first festival impressed Sentinel entertainment columnist Commander Coconut, who summed up the fun this way: “What we saw we liked, and it’s always good to see lots of people in downtown Orlando, especially weird people.”

A new company called the Iron Yard will soon call half of the first floor home. It is a private school that promises to teach students computer web coding in 12-weeks. Iron Yard Instructor David Rogers said, "You're training for a job. You're training to be a front-end engineer in an entry-level position."      The Iron Yard's been around for 4 years and is already in five other cities.      The company says it chose Orlando in part because of the city's focus on growing a digital main street.

Catalyst — a 7,000-square-foot collaborative shared workspace for entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers — is opening late this summer in downtown Orlando in the Yowell-Duckworth Building at 1 S. Orange Ave. Catalyst will offer a combination of open workspace with shared and dedicated desks, private office space, conference rooms with video-conferencing capability, a craft coffee bar and lounge, as well as high-speed Internet connectivity. Those interested in working in a shared workspace environment will have access to the site for a monthly membership basis with no long-term contract.

"I've seen them start with D's and F's, and these kids now have A's," said Phil Zoshak, programs coordinator for Page 15, a nonprofit that runs the Homework Room at the Downtown Recreation Complex. "We've seen their grades improve; we've seen their attendance improve. We've really seen growth in these kids."

Starter Studio will provide education, mentors, legal and financial resources, and networking opportunities for the companies. In exchange, Starter Studio will get an equity stake in the companies.

ideally opening at about the same time as SunRail. Set to accept fares in May 2014, SunRail will run from DeBary in Volusia County through downtown Winter Park and Orlando to south Orange County. The $1.2 billion train should provide potential riders, Wilson said, because many will be looking for a way to get to their final destination. Wilson, who studies pedestrian and cycling patterns, said people typically are willing to walk no more than a half-mile.

FTA has also donated thousands of tickets to charities, underprivileged children and theater students, as well as more than $1.5 million in scholarships to theater students in the State of Florida. Most recently FTA has invested in a community spaces downtown called The Abbey and The Mezz, donating its use to charities and local arts groups, resulting in these groups raising more than $2 million for their respective organizations.

EIGHTY PERCENT OF ALL PROCEEDS GENERATED BY FTA STAYED WITHIN AND HELPED THE ORLANDO COMMUNITY.

We are creating new opportunities for the most important arts organizations, the Orlando Ballet and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. By making these strong business decisions, we will ensure the Center’s existence and effectively fulfill its vision – Arts for Every Life.