In July of 2022, April Golombek and Steven Bucko met Chelsea Young from the city of Mulberry. The city had recently renovated a beautiful old theater called The Gem. Golombek and Bucko were looking for a future home for a theater company that didn’t exist … yet.
“Chelsea was eager to have live theater at The Gem,” Bucko said. “It was a perfect match. We assembled the team and quickly went to work creating what would become The Missing Piece Theatre Company.”
The Missing Piece Theatre Company’s first show, The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens, was in March of 2023, and what was to initially be a two-show season quickly became four.
“Between the support of our audiences and the amazing partnership with the city of Mulberry, we quickly realized that we had found our home,” Bucko said. “Our second season added another four shows and here we are starting season three.”
The mission of The Missing Piece Theatre is to create immersive arts experiences, stimulate curiosity and challenge audiences to join them in telling the next story.
“This season is a journey through the ‘classics,’” Bucko said. “Whether it is a silly look at Shakespeare; Anything Goes, the classic Cole Porter musical; the Disney [classic] The Little Mermaid Jr.; or probably the most classic American play of all time, Our Town, we are thrilled to continue to partner with the Mulberry community to provide high-quality theatrical experiences for our audience, with the lowest ticket prices of any community theater.”
The theater group’s latest production is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], which is one of the world’s most frequently produced plays. Featuring all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, performed in 97 minutes by three actors, this fast-paced, witty, physical comedy will bring laughter for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike.
“We are thrilled to have John David Partain join us for his first full production at The Missing Piece,” Bucko said. “He as more than 25 years of experience in the arts throughout Central Florida.”
Local Brandon resident Fralia Colon recently joined the theater group as the stage manager for their upcoming production.
“I am honored to have been asked to work with three professional actors and a superstar director,” Colon said. “This is going to be a fast-paced production, which means I will have to depend on the amazing backstage and tech crew. It’s a team effort for sure, and we’re excited for the community to see it.”
Bucko and Colon hope the community will love their latest production.
“Our hope for this play, like any of our shows, is to have our audiences leaving with a huge smile on their face and overcome with the energy that only live storytelling can create,” Bucko said.
If you would like to learn more about The Missing Piece Theatre or if you’d like to attend their production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], you can visit its website at www.themissingpiecetheatre.org. The play runs from Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 30. The Gem Theater is located at 118 NW 1st Ave. in Mulberry.
