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Kevin Lane seeks to grow theater, charitable efforts
By LAUREN JAYNE FOSTER, Jewish Press
For Kevin Lane, it's all about building a legacy.
As the producing director of freeFall Theatre Company, board president of T.O.P. Jewish Foundation, and a member on the Foundation Board at Menorah Manor, Kevin Lane describes his work as "constant."
Lane, along with partner Eric Davis, founded free- Fall Theatre in St. Petersburg, which opened its doors in February. The theater has been converted from what was formerly a church building, after the pair looked at all types of real estate.
Lane says his passion for theater came later in life, after meeting Davis. "We started [performances] slowly, became better, and started doing more and more. We started winning awards, and have blossomed."
"We are changing the face of art in the city and region," Lane said.
Featuring a 50 -by-50 foot black box theater that was transformed from a pink Sunday school classroom, the theater has already had great success beyond expectation with performances including The Frogs, Miss Julie, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Starting Friday, June 24 is Man of La Mancha, with a preview on Thursday, June 23.
The main stage theater, with a more traditional theater set up and more seating, is projected to be ready in the fall of 2013.
Lane's early goal is to make freeFall a repertory theater; one that allows multiple shows to overlap, making use of both the black box theater and the main stage theater.
"We put on a mixture of musicals and non-musicals, comedies, dramas, cutting edge new theater, and the classics."
FreeFall is partnering with Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services on its "Faces" project, which last year produced a hardcover book that told the stories of Gulf Coast clients. This year, "Faces" will be presented in the form of a 25-minute play about indiviudals helped by the agency.
"FreeFall will be writing, producing, directing, and everything in between for this event. We really look forward to building this relationship with Gulf Coast," Lane said.
Despite his very busy theater-dominated life, Lane finds time to serve as the board president of the Tampa Orlando Pinellas (T.O.P.) Jewish Foundation. A member of the foundation for seven years, after holding various positions, Lane was recently named president.
"T.O.P. is a foundation that simplifies philanthropy and makes it more efficient and impactful," Lane said.
The Foundation joins the three Jewish communities to provide permanent resources through endowments to improve life locally, in Israel, and beyond.
It provides assistance to donors, Jewish federations, agencies, synagogues, and other non-profits in exploring gift-planning strategies.
"In my role as president, I drive the mission, and join the board so that we can set and achieve goals, ultimately looking to grow our asset base. I really want to market how beneficial this foundation is."
"With endowments and philanthropy, we are building a legacy that will live on forever."
And his active role in the community does not just stop at that. Lane also sits on the Foundation Board of Menorah Manor, the region's Jewish community sponsored senior healthcare organization, which includes a nursing home, assisted living facility and other services.
"Menorah Manor does great things for the Jewish community, and it is really all about the people who live there. It's all about giving back."
What do all three of Lane's roles have in common? "They help build a legacy in the community that will continue to grow and thrive, and impact as many people as possible."
"We are planting the seeds now for the legacy to grow and live on forever."
To view the original article on the Jewish Press of Tampa website, please click here.
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