A Show for all Seasons

"It was a learning experience," he says. "But I believe very strongly in my beliefs, and I'm not going to be held back because of a narrow-minded approach to how people view things."

The encore

So what's next for Prather and his mini theater empire? The Prather Family of Theatres is considering the possibility of acquiring additional theaters. The company is also looking into launching national tours, by taking shows it produces and sending them to different venues across the country.

Closer to home, Prather says, "There could be another opportunity in Southwest Florida in the next three or four years." And the Broadway Palm Theatre is looking forward to celebrating its 100th production in October with The Full Monty. That's an appropriate milestone production for this theater, which has always challenged itself and has never held back.