St. Pete MAD (Music, Acting, and Dance) Reveals New Home

St. Pete MAD (Music, Acting, and Dance) Reveals New Home

St. Pete MAD is proud to announce the location of its new performance and rehearsal space: 5313 27th Avenue South in Gulfport.

Founded in 2014 to empower young performers through process-driven arts education, St. Pete

MAD has developed into the premier performing arts program for Pinellas County youth. The

new dedicated rehearsal and performance space will allow St. Pete MAD to expand its

programming, introduce its revolutionary new curriculum, The Chain, to a larger audience, and

create teaching fellowships that bring national talent to the area. Long-term plans for the space

include a Mystery Dinner Theater, and a Children’s Theater program, neither of which currently

exist in Pinellas County.

St. Pete MAD founder Dru Rabin underscores the importance of the new location: “As we

approach a decade of nurturing young talent in the St. Pete area, we realized the value of

having our own dedicated education and performance space. Our pre-professional shows

require extensive time and effort to produce, and the rising costs of rentals were limiting our

mission of guiding young performers through community-building, performance-based arts

education.”

The space into which St. Pete MAD will move this month is part of the Sunflower Private School,

who recently purchased the property that they have rented from the Gulfport Presbyterian

Church for 47 years. The school’s Director, Nicole Molnar-Riveros said, “We couldn’t be more

excited to share this space that has been special to many, with St. Pete MAD. The building will

now be the home for two organizations that center on empowering children while focusing on

creativity and building community.”

The former church sanctuary, which sat 200 people with traditional church pews, will be

reconfigured to accommodate rehearsals and performances, with the fall session of St. Pete

MAD’s classes and musical productions scheduled to begin there later this month.

Rabin notes: “The partnership with the Sunflower Private School enables us to establish a place

on their campus that is more than just a physical space. It’s literally a sanctuary where creativity

and community can connect. We can now expand our classes and workshops in

characterization, movement, stage dynamics, and voice, so that more students of all ages can

experience our innovative acting program.”

Loyal families return to St. Pete MAD year after year, both for the professional-level training and

performances, as well as the sense of community those programs create. Heather Minichillo has

two daughters, 9 and 13 years old, who have performed with St. Pete MAD for three years. “As

parents you always hope to find activities that interest and challenge your children, and St. Pete

MAD does that. Our girls have grown as actors and as people, and the lessons they’ve learned

through MAD are invaluable.”

Registration for St. Pete MAD’s fall production: The Adams Family closes on August 12th. Visit

https://www.stpetemad.com/ for more information.

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About St. Pete MAD (Music, Acting, and Dance)

Founded in 2014, St. Pete MAD (Music, Acting, and Dance) is a community-focused

organization dedicated to empowering young performers through process-driven arts education.

Approaching its tenth year in 2024, St. Pete MAD's vision is to provide an extraordinary

performing arts experience where young performers prioritize community above competition,

honor process over product, and put ensemble before ego. With a strong emphasis on

leadership, empathy, and community-building, St. Pete MAD offers a wide range of programs

that help young artists grow and thrive in the performing arts.

In 2022, St. Pete MAD had 482 student enrollments, and over 2,570 fans attended eighteen

performances. As Shorecrest Preparatory School’s Performing Arts Partner, we provide summer

camps and after school programming on their campus. Since 2017, we've partnered with St.

Petersburg Art Alliance to provide talented low-income young artists the opportunity to

experience our program.

Learn more at www.stpetemad.com.

For additional images, videos, and related materials, please visit our media kit here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V3empDEncATN13PS724nLcI5SFyD5OVr?usp=sharing

For more information, please contact:

Dru Rabin

Artistic Director and Founder

St. Pete MAD (Music, Acting, and Dance)

dru@stpetemad.com

(727) 453-0029

www.stpetemad.com