Subject
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Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Fiscal Year 2026 Agreements that extend Resident Community Performing Arts Organization status to Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville Musical Theatre, and Victorian Lyric Opera Company to enable these community organizations to provide performances at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre & Social Hall.
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Department
Recreation & Parks
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council of Rockville authorize the City Manager to continue to extend resident community performing arts organization ("RESCO") status to Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville Musical Theatre, and Victorian Lyric Opera Company in Fiscal Year 2026 and authorize the City Manager to execute the attached agreements.
Discussion
The Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2026 agreements continue the provision of RESCO status to Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville Musical Theatre, and Victorian Lyric Opera Company, that are legacy community performing arts organizations based within the City of Rockville’s municipal boundaries. These organizations have performed out of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre & Social Hall (“theater”) and held RESCO status for decades. Through the designation of RESCO status, the City of Rockville:
• supports legacy performing arts organizations with a complete theater experience by allowing their members to fully participate in every aspect of a theatrical production;
• establishes a commitment to allow the performing arts organizations to have recognized visibility via association with the theater;
• encourages community engagement through theatrical productions;
• allows the theater to present a season which showcases different performing styles; and
• provides reduced rental rates for the selected community performing arts organizations.
Additionally, the agreements determine the framework of RESCO operations at the theater, provide a portion of leased storage space at the storage building located at Rockville Civic Center Park, and offer premier placement of productions in the venue’s master calendar.
Historically, the Mayor and Council of Rockville have supported Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville Musical Theatre, and Victorian Lyric Opera Company and their RESCO status. The execution of the agreements will extend the City of Rockville’s relationship with its legacy RESCOs and continue to encourage community engagement and participation in the performing arts.
Mayor and Council History
The first time the agreements were brought to the Mayor and Council of Rockville was in FY 2023. The agreements are brought to the body for consent annually.
Next Steps
If approved by the Mayor and Council of Rockville, the RESCOs and City Manager will execute the attached FY 2026 agreements, which have been reviewed for legal sufficiency by the Office of the City Attorney.