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.”

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.

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.

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.