EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY INVITES THE COMMUNITY TO HELP SUPPORT LOCAL ACTOR AND ECTC THEATER ED

Miramar Beach, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2017) — Emerald Coast Theatre Company (ECTC) invites the community to help support one its own.

Darla Briganti, ECTC’s lead educational programming instructor, has been traveling to and from Orlando to care for her ailing husband Kevin Kain. After a nine-month battle, he passed away August 31. ECTC has established a public GoFundMe campaign to help her with medical bills and living expenses during this difficult time.

“Miss Darla — as we all fondly call her — has been an integral part of the growth of the ECTC Educational Programs. Her expertise and dedication to her theater students is clear through her passion and the attention she gives to each and every child. Our hearts hurt for one of our own, for one of the tribe,” said ECTC producing artistic director Nathanael Fisher.

Originally from Orlando, Darla Briganti attended the University of Florida on a full acting scholarship and received a BFA in 1982. Her career in the entertainment industry spans 30 years where she has worked as an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer throughout the southeast. Her most treasured roles to date include the title roles in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and “Mame,” as well as Mama Rose in “Gypsy.” Last season, she appeared on the ECTC stage as Dorothea in “Eleemosynary.”

In addition to her professional acting career, "Miss" Darla founded her own award-winning youth acting troupe, Our Gang Players, which gave her a chance to share her passion with the next generation of theater enthusiasts. Upon moving to the Emerald Coast she immediately began working for Oz Children's Theatre, where she had a successful eight-year run, directing more than 30 productions with young actors ages 4-18.

Currently, Miss Darla is in her second year with ECTC's educational theater programs. She also enjoys teaching professional film acting to students of all ages at her acting school, A Class Act Studio in Fort Walton Beach. Many of her current and past students are successfully pursuing their careers in larger markets including Atlanta, New Orleans, New York and Los Angeles.

To contribute to Miss Darla’s GoFundMe campaign, visit GoFundMe.com and search for “Darla-family-fund” and link to it from ECTC’s Facebook page.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Link to images of Darla Briganti here.

ABOUT EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY

Emerald Coast Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2012 by Nathanael Fisher, MFA, and his wife, Anna Fisher. Based in Miramar Beach, Florida, ECTC’s mission is to enrich and entertain the Emerald Coast community through professional and educational theater. ECTC operates year-round with a two-fold mission to provide both educational and professional offerings to the Northwest Florida community. Educational outreach includes after school and home-school programs, touring and staged productions, summer camps, workshops and classes. The professional theater efforts are focused on thought provoking productions, festivals and collaborations as well as acting and improv workshops and classes for adults.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Zandra Wolfgram

Wordplay Ink

zandra@wordplayink.com

(850) 218-8805

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