Founded in 1973, Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is a professional regional theatre located in downtown Sarasota and has grown to serve more than 230,000 live attendees each year. The largest subscription theatre in the state, FST has six core programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, Education, and New Play Development.
As Florida Studio Theatre was forced to close its five stages on March 15, FST is now down to a crew of about 30 people. Still, the theatre is moving forward, and is readily preparing to reopen in early 2021. In the meantime, Sarasota’s acclaimed contemporary theatre is continuing to find new ways to serve its loyal audience.
INVESTING IN THE BEST NEW PLAYS OF TOMORROW
Over the past seven months, FST has increased its investment in New Play Development. With funding assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program, FST launched a new artistic initiative: The Playwrights Project.
The Project employed 33 playwrights, sketch comedy writers, and musical theatre developers as full-time staff writers for eight weeks, each creating new work that will be considered for future production on FST’s stages.
But the creative process did not stop when the Project came to a close in mid-June.
Several Project artists have gone on to join FST’s Playwright Collective, a brain-trust of top tier playwrights from across the country, working closely with FST’s artistic staff to develop new work for the FST stage. More than a dozen new plays are currently in process and headed for Mainstage production.
THEATRE TRAINING GROWS ONLINE
One of the most significant ways that FST has been able to serve the community is through The FST School. Since May, students from as far as California, Connecticut, and Mexico have explored Acting, Theatre Writing, and Improvisation without leaving the comfort of home, thanks to FST’s new online classes.
“I almost didn’t sign up, as I feared my creativity had been buried under the weight of the present day,” said past student Kate H. “But I’m glad I did. I spent this morning writing, instead of being glued to the news cycle.”
“My daughter has always had a knack for performing arts, but has had a hard time overcoming her shyness,” shared FST School parent Shaina N. “Since she started taking classes at FST, I’ve noticed an immense improvement in her confidence!”
Also, in order to serve those who are doing so much to serve us, The FST School has expanded its scholarship program to include teachers, front-line workers, and their families as well.
THEATRE IN THE SCHOOLS
FST is partnering with another Sarasota arts organization, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, to inspire young audiences through theatre with new virtual programming!
Instead of traveling within classes to FST and the Van Wezel to experience the magic of live theatre, elementary schools will have free access to two online musicals adapted from beloved children’s books: Chicken Dance and Anne of Green Gables.
In addition to these two streamed online musicals, FST is offering an interactive, virtual adaptation of its award-winning, arts-in-education initiative, WRITE A PLAY, to area schools entirely free of charge.
Now in its 30th year, FST’s WRITE A PLAY program gives students the example, tools, and inspiration to write plays of their very own.
Although just the ghost lights remain on in FST’s five stages, we know that this is only “intermission”. The curtain will rise again. And when it does, we can’t wait to see you there.
The Division thanks Florida Studio Theatre for their participation in this feature!
For more info about FST and their programs, be sure to visit their website at www.floridastudiotheatre.org, and on social media: Twitter at @FSTSarasota, and Facebook and other platforms at @floridastudiotheatre!
Presented by Leon County Government, the “Ode to Understanding” project brings together the forces of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, The Village Square, the Florida A&M Concert Choir, and the Morehouse College Glee Club to create a profound community event that will open hearts and inspire civil discourse.
The concert’s second half will present Beethoven’s beloved Ninth Symphony, a fitting expression of humanity, brotherhood, bonding and equality. Beethoven’s Ninth is a life-affirming masterpiece whose joyful message has inspired millions of people worldwide since its premiere in 1824. Through partnerships with local government, other arts organizations, and community members, the event underscores the importance of community to transcend division.
Making Light is taking an inclusive cast — including both “neurotypical” kids and those with special needs — to the FTC’s Inclusion Festival this year. “The story of the musical is about acceptance and how differences make us stronger,” explained MLP executive director Juliet Yaques. “We are really excited to showcase, to our peers in the Florida arts community, how beautiful inclusion can look and sound.”
Making Light Productions is a Tallahassee-based non-profit organization with the mission of providing an inclusive performing arts education for children of all abilities, as well as providing job opportunities for adults with disabilities. “We began with just 21 kids in the converted garage of my Tallahassee home in 2016,” says Broadfoot. “And the demand for inclusive arts has grown to the extent – over 550 registrations in the past year – that we’ve outgrown locations twice now!”
After renovations, the new Making Light headquarters will also house a real on-site community theatre, explains Yaques. “Performance space has been a real challenge for us,” she said. “It is for all arts organizations in the area. But our challenges are unique.” She explained that children with special needs are often overwhelmed by new locations and take time to grow accustomed to the sights, sounds, even smells of a new room. “Some of our kids can’t participate in a piano recital or a theatre production if they have to do it in a brand new, rented location that they’ve only seen once before the show.” Having an on-site performance space, she said, will allow Making Light students to rehearse and perform in the same location, ensuring complete inclusion.
Making Light Productions’ inclusive cast of “Under the Rainbow” took the stage at Santa Fe College in Gainesville on Thursday, October 25, at 3:00 PM. The cast will also perform the show at Theatre Tallahassee on January 5-6, 2019. Tickets can be purchased at UndertheRainbowMusical.com.
Conductor, pianist, and Director of Education, Cody Martin, along with Pensacola Opera’s five Artists in Residence, provide mentoring and professional musical support throughout the academic year. The company also provides financial support to help underwrite the production costs associated with the students’ presentations.
The success of the program is due in no small part to the enthusiastic support provided by Angela Barberi, the Fine Arts Coordinator for the Escambia County School District, who is a strong advocate for the importance of the program. “Through our partnership with the Opera we are able to provide relevant arts integration professional development for our teachers and bring incredible Opera experiences to our most under resources students through From Words to Music and the Opera in Our Schools program.”
Located in Delray Beach, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens opened in 1977 with a mission “to engage a diverse audience by presenting Japanese cultural experiences that educate and inspire”. Drawing upon a century-old connection between Japan and South Florida, the museum has served as a cultural center for Japanese art exhibitions, tea ceremonies, educational outreach programs, and Japanese festivals. The Morikami Collections house more than 7,000 Japanese art objects and artifacts, including a 500-piece collection of tea ceremony items, more than 200 textile pieces and fine art acquisitions.
One of the many cultural programs that Morikami offers is their Stroll for Well-Being program. In 2006 Morikami received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to conduct a research study with Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. Researchers undertook the study to determine whether or not garden visits were as effective as, or more effective than, art therapy in relieving symptoms of depression in older adults. Art therapy has been shown to decrease depression in the elderly by allowing elders to express feelings of sadness and loss. The study showed that walking the gardens was as effective as art therapy in alleviating the symptoms of depression in older adults. As a result of this study, the Stroll for Well-Being program was born.
Over 1000 people have participated in the program since its public introduction in 2008 and since 2011, the program has been generously funded by Astellas Pharma US, Inc., which has allowed Morikami to offer the program free of charge to participants of nonprofit therapy groups including veterans, caregivers, cancer survivors and those experiencing chronic illness and grief, among others. Participants are initially offered three months of membership to Morikami and invited to attend three walks and meetings during this time. After this initial membership period, participants in the program have unlimited opportunities for up to a year to visit Morikami to leisurely stroll the garden path, and enjoy the peace and serenity that the garden has to offer. Strolling the garden itself is entirely a personal activity. Past participants have reported that the Stroll for Well-Being program has helped them to effectively reduce stress and alleviate sadness.
In 2014, representatives from the program presented the research at the North American Japanese Garden Association Conference to great enthusiasm. Many gardens throughout the United States have implemented their own programs modeled after Stroll for Well-Being, showing that museums can be places of therapy and stress release in addition to being important cultural centers. Recently, Morikami began expanding the current program to add physical exercises and visualizations to the guided garden strolls, allowing participants to experience the calm and release of the garden whether they are able to attend in person or not.
Culture Builds Florida 