(Abridged From Dangerous Ladies Shindig – February 24, 2020) When I arrived in 1980, we started with 72 seats and tin cans for lights. We had 103 subscribers and a budget of $140,000. That year, we survived and grew to 450 subscribers. I remind myself: Never forget your roots, Richard. We wanted to make great contemporary theatre that our friends could afford to come and … Continue reading FST Leading the Way
I am often asked, “What in the world prompted you to build five theatres!?!” My answer is simple: I did not set out to build five theatres. It just happened. Here is how it happened and why… We started the “resident operation” of FST in 1980. Before that, FST was an alternative touring theatre. The first five years we focused on producing challenging contemporary theatre. … Continue reading Five Theatres: A Case for Diversity
Welcome back. It’s the beginning of a new season. And this new beginning is filled with anticipation, excitement, and just the right amount of gleeful fear. Why? Because now, we set out on a journey to bring the best in contemporary theatre to one of the best audiences in the country. I am entering my 40th Season as your Artistic Director. When I started in … Continue reading Towards A Fervent Theatre
At FST, we are lucky to have such a large subscriber base. Subscribers are those individuals who sign up for an entire season of plays. There are significant dollar savings for the subscriber, plus subscribers get their choice of the best seats first. According to facts and figures provided by Theatre Communications Group (the service organization for the non-profit professional theatre in America), FST has … Continue reading Theatre for Audiences
New plays matter because they speak to the contemporary consciousness. FST has been developing and producing new plays since the mid-70s when Jon Spelman founded the theatre. Our New Play Development Program was “formalized” in the mid-80s. FST has produced over 100 new plays that have gone on to productions throughout the United States. We do it because new plays matter. New plays matter because … Continue reading New Plays Matter (More Than Ever)
Thirty years ago, I was peeking through the theatre curtain, watching FST’s production of Sam Shepard’s play True West. We had mounted a truly fine production of this remarkable new play, and audiences were thrilled with it. However, as I peered through the curtain I saw a young couple in their thirties sitting in the second row, who were clearly disengaged. I could not, for … Continue reading The Art or The Audience
We have a fantastic Mainstage line-up this Winter! It is the kind of season that comes together every five or ten years. It’s a “marquee” season: three of the plays received highly successful, high-profile Broadway productions and the fourth is a World Premiere. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder won the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction, and … Continue reading A Marquee Season with Challenges and Entertainment
Summer has arrived and FST is shifting gears. It seems like only yesterday when Sarasota Summers slowed to a lazy tropical pace, and the neighborhood dog would sleep in the street. All of the theatres would close, as the snowbirds flew north and the locals went fishing. Well, the locals may still go fishing, but the dog is definitely out of the street, and FST’s … Continue reading A Florida Studio Theatre Summer
New plays matter because they speak to the contemporary consciousness. FST has been developing and producing new plays since the mid-’70s when Jon Spelman founded the theatre. Our New Play Development Program was ‘formalized’ in the mid-’80s. FST has produced over 100 new plays that have gone on to productions throughout the United States. We do it because new plays matter. • New plays matter … Continue reading New Plays Matter
I am often asked, “what in the world prompted you to build five theatres!?!” My answer is simple: I did not set out to build five theatres. It just happened. And here is how it happened, and why. We started the ‘resident operation’ in 1980. Before that, FST was a touring theatre for six years. When we produced that first resident season our goal was … Continue reading Five Theatres: A Case for Diversity
