Bravo Theatre

Bravo Theatre offers acting, singing, dancing, and theatre activities with a focus on musical theatre education. The program includes performance opportunities and works under the umbrella of the Fringe Theatre Key West.

Bravo Theatre states that its mission is to provide quality, professional level musical theatre education to the young minds of Monroe County, with a focus on outreach to children in need through scholarship programs and in-school education. The program’s stated goal is to nurture personal and emotional growth, as well as character and community development, through performance opportunities that will translate to real world applications. It describes itself as an organization dedicated to growth and education for children in the world of theatre, offering a comprehensive learning experience that touches on all aspects of the theatre world and aims to give an adequate depiction of the process of production. It also states that it provides a creative, fun, safe environment for kids to learn and grow.

Bravo Theatre notes that this is its first summer season under the umbrella of the Fringe Theatre Key West and that Bravo has been a project since its original incarnation in 2009. The program collaborates with some of the top artists in the community’s theatre world and focuses on outreach to children in need through scholarship programs and in-school education. It is under the umbrella of the Fringe Theatre Key West, and Rebecca Tomlinson serves as a sounding board between Bravo Theatre and the Fringe Theatre. Rick Worth was instrumental in the creation of Monroe County’s Arts in Public Places development.

The leadership team includes Penny Leto as director, Lauren Thompson as director, Ben Pegg handling sound, Kendall Cameron handling lighting, Jack McDonald as set designer, Rick Worth as set designer, Gary “Sushi” Marion as costume designer, Aramis Ikatu as spot director, and Rebecca Tomlinson as Fringe Theatre’s artistic director. Staff credentials include Penny Leto, who has owned and operated the Coffee Mill Dance Studio since 1983 and has taught theatre and dance in almost all of the schools in the lower keys, as well as with Keys Kids. Lauren Thompson is a Key West native who has been performing on local stages since her childhood and works as an actress, choreographer, and director in theatres in Key West. Ben Pegg is a Florida-based producer and songwriter, a sound designer for the Waterfront Playhouse, Red Barn, and The Studios of Key West, and an accomplished guitarist and singer songwriter. Kendall Cameron was a school principal. Jack McDonald is the set designer for the Red Barn Theatre. Gary “Sushi” Marion studied fashion design at Bassist College, trained at Jansport, has worked in NYC Fashion Week for 6 years for Ohne Titel, and designed the shoe for Key West’s New Years Eve shoe drop. Rebecca Tomlinson has a PhD in theatre and is the artistic director of the Fringe Theatre Key West. Rick Worth has made his mark in Key West over the past 30 years, and Gary “Sushi” Marion has been a costume designer in the theatres in Key West for the last 27 years. Lauren Thompson moved back in 2017.

Last updated February 12, 2026.