Marco Island Center for the Arts Presents: Artist of the Year Awards Reception Honoring the Past & Present of Performing Arts
April 17, 2025, Marco Island: The Marco Island Center for the Arts invites the community to a celebratory evening at the Artist of the Year Awards Reception on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., honoring the Past & Present of the island’s vibrant performing arts community. This year’s event recognizes two exceptional individuals: Pat Berry, a pioneer and foundational force in Marco Island theater, and Ron Clark, the Arts Center Theatre’s sound and lighting designer who has transformed and uplifted the theater’s technical capacity through his efforts.
The evening will feature delicious appetizers and drinks generously provided by Kretch’s Restaurant. We are also proud to acknowledge Marco Island Office Supply as the event sponsor, helping make this celebration of creativity and community possible.
Honoring the Past: Pat Berry
A beloved icon in Marco Island’s arts history, Pat Berry is often referred to as the “grandmother of theater” on the island. Her journey began in 1974, when she co-founded the first children’s theater with Betsy Bitner. This grassroots initiative blossomed into an adult troupe by the late ’70s, known for their comedy and romance-filled productions. Before finding a permanent home, Pat’s troupe performed dinner theater shows in local restaurants, creating memorable evenings of food and entertainment.
In the early ’90s, Pat helped establish The Marco Players as a nonprofit, which found its home at Marco Town Center, where an 83-seat theater still serves the community today. Her talents ranged from directing and producing to accounting and promotion—doing whatever it took to keep the curtains rising.
Beyond the stage, Pat launched the Marco Island Film Festival in 1998, a high-energy event organized out of her accounting office with a team of over 100 volunteers. For over five years, the festival brought celebrities and thousands of filmgoers to Marco, creating a tourism boom and cementing Marco Island’s place on the cultural map.
Pat later returned to the theater world with Island Theater Company, again working with youth and teens and launching popular productions including the annual fan-favorite Broadway Sings. She also founded SoapFest, a glitzy, star-studded weekend fundraiser that ran for 20 years and raised critical funds for youth programs and local nonprofits.
Pat’s creative spirit, boundless energy, and leadership have left an indelible mark on Marco Island’s artistic community. She is also the proud mother of three daughters and one son, who no doubt carry forward her legacy of dedication and heart.
Though she stepped away from the spotlight at age 75, Pat’s contributions continue to shine through every performance and program born of her vision.
Celebrating the Present: Ron Clark
Ron Clark, the technical mastermind behind the Arts Center Theatre’s recent transformation, is leading Marco Island into a bold new era of performing arts. With a background in photography, film, sound design, and editing, Ron’s passion for storytelling evolved from writing short films to mastering every behind-the-scenes element of stagecraft.
After being introduced to theater tech by a friend, Ron joined the Marco Players team just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Rather than let the pause derail him, he used the time to master lighting and QLab software, setting the stage—literally—for his future with the Arts Center Theatre.
When the Center assumed operations, Ron helped to upgrade the entire system to a fully computerized platform. His work reached new heights as projection capabilities were added to the theater Through innovation and dedication, Ron is raising the bar for what’s possible in small-stage productions, and redefining what “community theater” can mean.
Event Details:
What: Artist of the Year Awards Reception – "Past & Present"
When: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: Marco Island Center for the Arts
Admission: Free and open to the public
Enjoy: Complimentary appetizers & drinks courtesy of Kretch’s Restaurant
Sponsored by: Marco Island Office Supply
Join us in raising a toast to two incredible contributors—Pat Berry and Ron Clark—as we honor the legacy and future of the performing arts on Marco Island.
For more information, please contact Marco Island Center for the Arts at (239) 394-4221 or visit www.marcoislandart.org.