Dear Friends and Patrons, We hope that you and your families are safe and well. While we have cancelled our Summer Seasons and Annual Sarasota Improv Festival, we are excited to be able to bring you special live musical and comedy entertainment along with educational opportunities – all at reduced capacities – this summer. Now running through June 20, FST is entertaining outdoor diners with … Continue reading Update: FST On COVID-19
Swing is alive and kicking in the 21st century. For proof, check out The Swingaroos – a sizzling sextet, comprising some of New York City’s finest swing players. It’s the brainchild of lyricist and lead vocalist, Kimberly Hawkey and pianist and composer, Assaf Gleizner. Their band has been a sure-fire crowd-pleaser in a long string of Florida Studio Theatre Cabaret productions, including Hollywood Serenade and … Continue reading The Swingaroos: Still Swingin’ After All These Years
Sarah Durham has a background in playwriting, and has studied improv and comedy writing at The Second City troupe in Chicago. Durham is now the head writer for Florida Studio Theatre’s Sketch Program, and a member of FST Improv. She knows a thing or two about dramatic structure. Whether it’s Hamlet or Harpo, there’s a basic three-part template… The key character (or characters) fight for a … Continue reading Can’t Stop the Comedy Train
The Worlds That Jones Made Playwright Kenneth Jones is many things — a playwright, lyricist, and librettist, to name a few. An overnight sensation he’s not. Before writing his own plays, he spent 15 years as a theater critic. Then Jones took a leap of faith — and changed his job description to playwright. His early work made a splash. But Alabama Story was his first … Continue reading Inside the Playwrights Project – Kenneth Jones
Does your teen know every word to the Hamilton soundtrack? And all the original choreography to Mean Girls? Or do they just dream of seeing a Broadway show one day? You might have a theatre nerd on your hands – time to celebrate! These reads will give them more Broadway trivia to amaze you with. Seth’s Broadway Diary – Volume 1 by Seth Rudetsky Seth Rudetsky … Continue reading Great Summer Reads for Theatre Kids – Ages 13-17
There’s nothing better than diving into an incredible story while you’re waiting a bit post-lunch to get back into the pool or outside to play with your friends! These books will be hard for your young reader to put down…but maybe they’ll loan them to you when they’re finished? Let their imagination run wild with these exciting and interactive reads ideal for ages 8-12. Jack … Continue reading Great Summer Reads for Theatre Kids – Ages 8 to 12
“America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath- America will be!” -Langston Hughes Dear Friends and Patrons, We stand with our Brothers and Sisters. We stand with the Fallen. Say their names. Out loud. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Tamir Rice. Emmett Till. Say them over and over. They are like prayers beckoning us. Their last breaths plead with us. … Continue reading Florida Studio Theatre Statement
Do you have a little one who always wants to be in the spotlight, behind the scenes, or watching from the audience? Check out these picture books that are perfect for ages 3-7. Full of beautiful illustrations and imaginative stories, these books may even catch the eye of the grownup in the room. Introduce the exciting world of theatre with a few of our favorites … Continue reading Great Summer Reads for Theatre Kids – Ages 3 to 7
The Internet has always been a source of untold wealth for entertainment. But now that we’re spending more time at home, it has become a way to bring the arts right to your doorstep. We’ve been able to visit museums from our couch and view livestreams of incredible performances from all over the world. Here are a few of our top picks of theatrical streaming … Continue reading What’s Streaming? – Theatre Picks for Your Family
The Stages of Change Playwright Rachel Lynett doesn’t want to complain about society. She wants to change it. That passion fires her current works in progress as part of FST’s Playwrights Project. Her latest plays include As You Are, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and Carry Me, which explores the confluence of the abolitionist and suffragist movements. Both plays draw from the past. But … Continue reading Inside the Playwrights Project – Rachel Lynett
