Orange Blossom Award: The Hugs, the Work, the Legacy

Stephen Bell, a Tampa Bay theatre artist whose work spanned acting, directing, playwriting, technical design and mentorship, died earlier this year. Bell was known for his generosity, collaborative spirit and deep commitment to the local arts community. Photo provided.

by Avery Anderson

Some people leave behind a body of work.
Others leave behind a way of working.

Stephen Bell was the latter.

This year, Tampa Bay lost one of its quiet architects—an artist who didn’t chase the spotlight but somehow illuminated every room he entered. Stephen passed away earlier this year, leaving behind not just productions and scripts, but a community reshaped by his generosity, curiosity, and care.

As longtime friend and collaborator Samantha Martí-Parisi said:

“Stephen loved theatre with his whole being. He performed almost every role onstage and off—actor, director, playwright, builder, musician, mentor—and he gave himself fully to all of them. He delighted in teaching others, often taking curious newcomers under his wing, and he supported every kind of theatre in Tampa Bay, from District competitions to fringe festivals to the companies he helped create. Stephen leaves behind an extraordinary body of work and, heartbreakingly, so many projects still unrealized. And for those who knew him personally, his humor and warmth were unmatched. As the late Dee Ray Crews often said, ‘Stephen gave the very best hugs.’”

That range wasn’t about ambition. It was about service.

Stephen showed up where he was needed. He built things. Fixed things. Made things work. He directed and acted, stage-managed and ran lights, wrote original plays, and composed music—not because he needed credit, but because the work needed doing.

The team at TheatreFor captured that spirit simply:

“Stephen Bell embodied everything this award seeks to celebrate. He was a quiet but powerful force in the Tampa Bay arts scene—an artist whose creativity, dedication, and generosity made our community bloom.”

His contributions were tangible. He wrote Breaking Up, winner of the 2019 TBTF Short Play Competition. His productions of Venus in Fur—first at TheatreOne in 2019 and later at TheatreFor in 2025— demonstrating his ability to elevate a story without overpowering it. He was also a musician and songwriter, using music as another way to strengthen the bond between artists and audiences.

But Stephen didn’t just make art—he made community.

He attended shows across the Bay. He supported theaters through donations and hands-on work. He was always there with a tool, a solution, or a word of encouragement. His kindness uplifted countless artists, neighbors, and friends.

That spirit was on full display in October, when Eileen Navarro and the team at Back Door Theatre hosted a celebration of life reception in Stephen’s honor. The gathering wasn’t somber—it was communal. Artists, collaborators, and friends came together not just to mourn his passing, but to celebrate the breadth of his impact and the many ways he showed up for this community. It felt, fittingly, like a room full of stories—shared, remembered, and held together by the work Stephen left behind.

To honor Stephen with an Orange Blossom Award is to honor the spirit of collaboration, generosity, and creativity that keeps Tampa Bay’s arts scene thriving.

His legacy continues—onstage, backstage, and in the countless artists who learned how to care for a community by watching how he did it.

What Are the Orange Blossom Awards?

A month-long series from The Arts Passport celebrating the people and organizations whose quiet, steady work strengthens Tampa Bay’s arts ecosystem. No applications. No campaigning. Just community-driven recognition, released daily in December.