ABET stages long-awaited return

The All-Beaches Experimental Theatre is setting the stage for its long-awaited return to its roots. After years of shared spaces and nomadic seasons burdened by unforeseen challenges, ABET recently announced its new permanent home at 2292 Mayport Road in the Pan Am Shopping Plaza.
While the address "technically" falls on the Jacksonville side of the corridor, Artistic Director Raines Carr said operating a space in the backyard of Atlantic Beach provides easy access for patrons and volunteers, all of whom are eager to welcome ABET back home.
"We have been without our own autonomous space for a few years," he said. "Now that we finally settled on a space, we'll start doing the build-out. It's not a huge project but I want our patrons to have a good time and feel like it's money well spent."
With 2,400 square feet, the space will be outfitted with a traditional black box theater with a 75-seat capacity, three restrooms, dressing rooms, ample storage and plenty of parking.
"It will feel very homey. I wanted to keep our aesthetic," said Carr of ABET's cozy charm. "We want to make our brand distinctive, so people know it's us and what we're all about."
Carr is eyeing a September launch for the hard-earned 35th season and is in talks with the board to incorporate some titles from last season that never made it to the stage and perhaps revisit some of ABET's early shows from its first few seasons documented in a book compiled by Jay Fogg of The Shepherd Agency celebrating the theater's 20th anniversary.
ABET is also partnering with another community theater to present a Christmas showcase for the upcoming holiday season.
"The idea was to do some of those original shows as a tribute," he said. "That's my dream. We're looking forward but don't forget that we need to look back as well to know who we are."
Established by founder Carson Merry Bailiee, ABET was originally known as the Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre. The company staged productions at the Adele Grage Center, which fostered an intimate experience in the former City Hall building.
In 1991, the city administrative offices moved to a new city hall on Seminole Road and the old city hall was converted into a community center and named the Adele Grage Community Center in honor of longtime city clerk Adele Grage.
The City Commission granted ABET the use of the former commission chambers and adjoining offices for the community theater. In 2002, a major renovation was completed to add community rooms, a resource center, gallery and verandas to the building renamed the Adele Grage Cultural Center.
Transforming the charming little cottage-like space into a working community theater included the construction of the stage, risers and the relocation of the original tongue-and-groove paneling to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
When issues involving use of the facility closed the curtain at the Adele Grage Cultural Center, ABET relocated to the Kmart Plaza across Atlantic Blvd., prompting the name change to All-Beaches Experimental Theatre to reflect its change in zip code.
ABET outfitted the space with new stadium seating, restrooms and dressing rooms but redevelopment plans for the shopping center pushed them out in 2021, giving the organization just over a month to find a new location.
"As an organization, we have been at the mercy of others who have been very good to us," said Carr, "We got very lucky."
In the spirit of community theater, Players by the Sea also extended a post-Covid lifeline to share its Jacksonville Beach space until they could find a new permanent location.
Then the fire happened.
"Nobody saw that coming," Carr said of the April 2025 fire at Players by the Sea that resulted in the cancellation of the thriller "Misery."
As PBTS managed the structural damage caused by the building's fire suppression system, Carr and the board of directors were forced to pivot yet again.
ABET closed out its 34th season with "The Fantasticks" at Adele Grage and "Moon for the Misbegotten" at WJCT Studios.
For Carr, producing "The Fantasticks" was a nostalgic look back at ABET's roots while continuing to chart a new path forward. ABET originally staged the show in 2002 and many of the original cast returned in 2025.
"It's the idea of taking a bit of the old and taking a bit of the new and pushing us into our next iteration," he said. "It's a credit to how things change but how they stay the same."
Once they get the doors open, Carr is anxiously looking ahead to his five-year plan which includes lighting upgrades and expanded programming options including staged readings, classes and children's theater.
"Now that we have our own space, we can really dig in. Right now, it's all about getting the doors open and getting people in. Everyone wants to do a show tomorrow. There's 110 percent passion behind it," said Carr.
"We are very excited to be coming home, and we want to be part of the Atlantic Beach community. That's our legacy."