WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - There were new efforts underway Friday to revive Winter Garden's Garden Theatre — just days after its owners announced it was closing due to "financial challenges."

The Facebook group “Save the Garden Theater!” — which has more than 250 members — has started working with the city and rest of the Winter Garden community with the goal of getting the theater back up and running.

The news of the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden taking its final curtain came as a shock to much of the community, but not Stephanie Elliott.

“I found out about Garden Theatre closing just like everybody else on Facebook," she said. "I was scrolling through my phone and saw, 'Garden Theatre closed.' Immediately, I posted, 'Garden Theatre closed, let’s get someone in here who can manage it properly, manage the humans and the resources.'”

On Garden Theatre’s door, a letter from a child performer could be seen pleading for the theater to open back up for her "Little Mermaid" play. Elliott, who is a former employee of the theater, said it’s heartbreaking, as the closure takes away access and an introduction for the next generation to the performing arts.

“If you take those things away from the next generation, from the children who want to be a part of something like that, it could be crippling for them," she said. "We have to be mindful about keeping art organizations open, funded, but also make sure they are raising our children in a safe place."

Winter Garden City Manager, Jon Williams sent spectrum news a statement:

“The City of Winter Garden became aware of the Garden Theatre announcing its closure at the same time as the public. Although the city owns the building, the city’s longstanding agreement with the theatre does not grant the city jurisdiction over its operations and finances. As such, the city did not have a role in the theatre’s decision to close its doors. Currently, the city is looking into the legalities and ramifications of the closure and this process will take time. Meanwhile, what is certain is that the Garden Theatre is an important cultural resource for Winter Garden and Central Florida and the historical garden theatre will remain intact as a theatre.”

Elliott, who is a member of the Facebook group “Save the Garden Theater!”, said it is important to keep community theater going in Winter Garden.

“There needs to be a call to the city of Winter Garden to consider the intentions of the next organization that takes over that space," she said. "The next organization that takes over that space is going to have a huge responsibility to diversely cast and hire — meaning on-stage and behind-the-scenes and administration, all in one. They’re going to have to do it, because it is their responsibility to represent the community that they should be serving."

While the doors at the Garden Theatre remain closed, Elliott said she hopes that won’t be the reality for much longer.