FST Improv heads into summer with the return of its most popular show, Life’s a Beach, our go-to show for celebrating (and poking fun at) all things “Sarasota.” Drawing inspiration from audience suggestions, the cast of FST Improv weaves sketches, musical numbers, and classic improv games that pay special tribute to this beautiful spot in paradise we hold so dear. From the epic annual snowbird migration and abundant roundabout confusion to dogs in strollers and seemingly never-ending construction, nothing is safe from a good spirited tease.

“We celebrate her strengths, weaknesses, and the things that make her so…Sarasota.”

-Kevin Allen, Cast Member

“This show has been an audience favorite for years,” said FST Director of Improv Will Luera. “And with all there is to love about Sarasota, it’s easy to see why. It’s fun to laugh at ourselves!”

“Sarasota almost becomes an additional character in the show,” added cast member Kevin Allen. “We celebrate her strengths, weaknesses, and the things that make her so… Sarasota.”

But we won’t just be poking fun at Sarasota. We also get to poke fun at life! We all know that life’s a “beach” – that’s our nice way of saying it – this year more than ever. And what better way of celebrating our emergence from quarantine than by laughing together about some of the “beachy” things life has thrown our way?

^{Left to Right: Sarah Durham, Kevin Allen, and Will Luera. Photos by Matthew Holler.}

Improvisers Will Luera, Sarah Durham, Kyle Van Frank, and Kevin Allen will team up to bring an all-new show to Sarasota audiences every Saturday night. Beyond the audience prompts, it’s really the chemistry of the performers that drives any good improv show. And all four of these performers have it after improvising together for several years.

“We’re at this level where I can sometimes anticipate what ‘move’ they are going to make next,” said Luera of his fellow cast mates. Beneath the spontaneity, good improv isn’t truly a-free-for-all, though it often looks that way to audiences. We’re following a system and are armed with a toolbox of tricks. Since I’ve started working with these three other performers, we’ve learned what tools each of us bring to the table. It makes for a more seamless experience for both the artist and the audience.”

This summer doesn’t just mark the return of Life’s a Beach for FST Improv, it also marks the troupe’s return to Bowne’s Lab.

^{FST’s Bowne’s Lab. Photo by Matthew Holler.}

“I can’t wait to be back on the Bowne’s Lab stage,” said Luera. “Since I’ve been at FST, the Bowne has always been the home of FST Improv. Over the last few months, it’s been fun to take an improv ‘vacation’ and travel to FST’s Keating Theatre stage. But the Bowne is really our home and it will feel great to be back under those twinkle lights, hearing the occasional clink of audiences’ silverware and glasses, and experience a night of laughter together in such an intimate performance space.”

Whether you’re looking for a giggle, a chortle, a chuckle, or a down right tear-inspiring, full body laugh, you know where to find it – along with everything you love and loathe about Sarasota – this summer with FST Improv.

Life’s a Beach will play every Saturday at 7:30PM in FST’s Browne’s Lab beginning June 5 . For tickets or more information, click here.