Renaissance Theatre Co. is going big to dig out of a financial hole, announcing that Broadway star Megan Hilty and drag icon Shea Couleé will co-headline a fundraising gala at The Plaza Live on Tuesday, September 22, with an ambitious goal of raising $200,000 for the Ivanhoe Village company.
According to Orlando Weekly, the gala kicks off at 7 p.m. with a special meet-and-greet featuring Hilty, followed by an 8 p.m. show where she'll perform a 25-minute set of music. Renaissance co-founder Donald Rupe described Hilty, whose credits include Wicked, Death Becomes Her, 9 to 5: The Musical, Annie and Noises Off, as a musical theater icon, per the outlet's report. Attendees are encouraged to dress in Renaissance-themed attire, and tickets are available online.
Hilty earned a 2016 Tony Award nomination for her role in Noises Off and originated the lead role of Madeline Ashton in the 2024 Broadway adaptation of Death Becomes Her, according to the MICHELIN Guide. She's also known to TV audiences from her turn as Ivy Lynn on NBC's Smash, as well as appearances on Patsy and Loretta and Sean Saves the World, Orlando Weekly reports.
A Drag Race Champion Joins the Bill
Sharing the marquee is Shea Couleé, who won RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5 in 2020 and went on to become the first drag performer cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Slug in the Disney+ series Ironheart, according to SaportaReport. Couleé also finished as a finalist on Drag Race Season 9 and the all-winners All Stars Season 7, the outlet notes.
The pairing underscores Renaissance Theatre Co.'s dual identity as both a serious dramatic company and a hub for Orlando's drag scene. In April, Orlando drag performer Myki Meeks, a resident performer at the Ren, won Season 18 of RuPaul's Drag Race, a milestone Hoodline previously reported ties directly into the company's weekly Wednesday drag showcase, Off the Record.
Why the Company Needs $200,000
The gala's fundraising target traces back to a costly crisis. In September 2025, the City of Orlando condemned Renaissance Theatre Co.'s Ivanhoe Village venue after safety inspectors flagged non-permitted construction, including an unapproved second floor, along with fire code violations discovered during preparations for the company's annual immersive production, Nosferatu, according to Orlando Shine. City inspectors issued a notice to vacate after identifying life-safety hazards such as missing fire suppression and obstructed exits, the outlet reported.
That shutdown cost the nonprofit nearly $488,000 in lost revenue before it secured temporary municipal space on Church Street in downtown Orlando to resume performances, Hoodline's earlier reporting found. Despite the closure, the theater kept paying its 60 staff members and performers even as ticket and concession sales dried up. Orlando Weekly's report on the gala describes the Ivanhoe space closure as having led to months of construction, permitting work and venue-shuffling for the company.
Back Home, But Still Recovering
Renaissance Theatre Co. officially reopened its Ivanhoe Village facility in March after completing required safety upgrades, including a $40,000 voice-directed fire alarm system, and changing its building classification from a ballet studio to a live theater, according to Bungalower. Rupe told the outlet that immersive theatrical staging requires hundreds of additional permitting requirements compared to traditional stage setups, which is part of why the financial recovery has stretched well past the reopening.
The company was co-founded in February 2021 by Rupe and producer Chris Kampmeier with a mission to produce original, immersive theatrical experiences while prioritizing fair pay for artists and LGBTQ+-focused programming, per Bungalower's account. The founders acquired their Ivanhoe Village warehouse building in late 2021 and quickly built a local reputation for non-traditional staging.
A Return to The Plaza Live
Holding the gala at The Plaza Live carries some symbolic weight. During the 2025 condemnation, the Ren temporarily shifted performances of Nosferatu to The Plaza Live under the title VBar: Condemned for September and October of that year, Orlando Shine reported, with the venue stepping in on short notice while the company worked through city permitting issues.
Built in 1963 as Orlando's first two-screen movie theater, The Plaza Live in the Milk District now operates under City of Orlando ownership following a $10 million renovation, according to The Plaza Live. The historic venue's main hall can hold up to 1,330 guests and is managed by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra foundation.
Renaissance Theatre Co.'s ambitions have also reached beyond Central Florida. In summer 2024, the company mounted an Off-Broadway run of its original musical From Here at Manhattan's Pershing Square Signature Center, featuring an all-Orlando cast and crew telling a story of community resilience following the 2016 Pulse Nightclub tragedy, according to TheaterMania. Written and directed by Rupe, the musical originally premiered in Orlando before making its New York debut.
