INNOVATIVE. COLLABORATIVE. INCLUSIVE.
BRADENTON’S BEST LIVE THEATER
2023 GOLD WINNER
LAST CHANCE!
“The Ballad of Old Manatee,” an immersive historical drama with folk music, is returning to the Manatee Village this spring. Inspired by true events from the Village of Manatee’s origins, this year promises to be bigger and better than before!
April 4 - 20, 2024
The production closes this weekend!
WHO WE ARE
The Hat Theater Collective is a new collaborative theater ensemble created by Danae DeShazer.
Through innovative and immersive theatrical experiences, The Hat strives to be a catalyst for change, community, and conversation. The Hat’s original historical drama inspired by local history, The Ballad of Old Manatee, raised more than $4000 for historical preservation—and will return to Downtown Bradenton in April 2024.
The Hat’s mission is to create empathetic communities through site-specific theatrical experiences. Unlike traditional live theater, attending a production at The Hat will be unique each time! From immersive theater at a historical park to the courtyard of a Greek restaurant, site-specific theater allows The Hat to activate the Bradenton community in new and dynamic ways. The Hat collaborates with Manatee County organizations, non-profits, and businesses to present new works, contemporary plays and musicals, and cabarets in unconventional spaces.
LATEST NEWS
“Danae DeShazer is the right leader to bring a diverse, innovative and inclusive theatre company to the Bradenton community.
As a business leader and talented creative, Danae knows that the process of creation requires a wealth of vision, tenacity, perspective, and resources. But the act of creation, and the flash of brilliance it produces, is worth the investment.”
— Eleni Sokos, Sokos Solutions