Industry First: The REP Named to Orlando Sentinel’s Top 100 Companies

Orlando Family Stage (The REP), in partnership with UCF, was named one of Central Florida’s Top 100 Companies by Orlando Sentinel at a special awards luncheon, the first arts and cultural organization to receive this honor in the program’s history. The REP is Florida’s only full-time professional theatre for families and young audiences, and has staged recent box-office hits such as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical and Junie B. Jones The Musical!

A long-standing premiere award program in Central Florida, Orlando Sentinel’s Top 100 Companies seeks to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Orlando, benefiting the city’s economy, work force, and business. The list recognizes companies that demonstrate a core commitment to creating a positive employee experience, measuring workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. Applicants are also evaluated on benefits that are provided to employees in the following categories: core benefits, family related benefits, work environment, communication, training and planning, and supporting documents.

“We have immense pride to be recognized as one of Central Florida’s Top 100 Companies by Orlando Sentinel,” says Gene Columbus, Executive Director. “We work hard to take care of our employees, create a positive work environment, and treat our staff like The REP Family we are!”

We have immense pride to be recognized as one of Central Florida’s Top 100 Companies by Orlando Sentinel.
– Gene Columbus, Executive Director

Orlando Family Stage’s benefits include a flexible work environment, comprehensive medical and dental plan, along with a generous vacation policy, a SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with employer match, and numerous leadership and professional development opportunities.

“I think there’s a belief out there that nonprofit arts organizations can’t be well-run businesses who take care of their people, that require 80-hour work weeks, and inadequate pay,” says Chris Brown, General & Production Manager for the theatre. “We are proud to challenge that misconception, and serve as an example of a great company with an important mission.”

As the State of Florida’s only full-time professional theatre for families and young audiences, Orlando Family Stage embraces telecommuting, flexible work schedules, and those times when you need to bring your child to work.

“We are honored to receive this award, however, it doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels,” Columbus says. “We are excited to improve upon this foundation and continue to gain fulfillment, not only from the work we do, but the way in which we do it.”

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About Orlando Family Stage – The REP is a professional theatre with a mission to create experiences that enlighten, entertain, and enrich families and young audiences. In addition to professional productions, The REP conducts community engagement initiatives. The award-winning REP Youth Academy provides classes and workshops for children, along with professional development opportunities to classroom teachers. Housed in a three theatre complex in Loch Haven Park, The REP is also home to the University of Central Florida’s MFA in Theatre for young Audiences graduate program. The REP is Florida’s only full-time professional theatre for young audiences.

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