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Month: June 2024

Laughter and confetti mark SAK Comedy Lab’s official return to Church Street

Laughter and confetti mark SAK Comedy Lab’s official return to Church Street

Laughter filled the air Saturday evening, along with confetti and streamers, as SAK Comedy Lab officially opened a new home for its improv performances on Church Street.

SAK, which established its first local theater in 1991, is now located in a new $1.4 million facility on the second floor of the 55 West development — around the corner from its previous digs on Orange Avenue.

“This is keeping art in downtown,” said Barbara Hartley, executive director of Orlando’s Downtown Arts District at Saturday’s grand-opening celebration. “It’s amazing to have such a great organization here.”

Hartley, who has been attending SAK shows since she was in high school, said the troupe’s new location pairs well with Fringe ArtSpace — just across the pedestrian bridge over Church Street — and together the two theaters could help rejuvenate downtown.

“It starts to cement everything,” she said. “It’s coming to life.”

Her enthusiasm was echoed by Kelly Allen, marketing and communications manager for the city’s Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency. The city is contributing about $300,000 toward the construction of the new space. read more

There are new digital nomads on the block: families

There are new digital nomads on the block: families

By Sam Kemmis | NerdWallet

For some, “digital nomad” evokes the image of a young, unencumbered tech worker sending emails from the beach. Indeed, three-quarters of digital nomads are under age 40, according to a 2023 survey of over 1,200 digital nomads by Flatio, an online accommodation platform.

Yet some families have joined the digital nomad lifestyle, leaving their belongings — and the idea of a “home” — behind as they travel the globe. The lifestyle may not afford families the same hammock-swinging freedom that digital nomads without children enjoy, but these adventurous parents say the trade-offs are worth it.

“We really like the whole adventure,” says Chris Oberman, founder of Moving Jack, a blog about his family’s trips around the world. “Normal things like going to the supermarket become really special because it’s a new experience.”

Originally from the Netherlands, Oberman, his partner, their 6-month-old baby and their two cats are currently in Iraq. They plan to move to South Korea this summer. read more