New classes, new opportunities
FST Announces Season of youth and Adult education classes
(Sarasota, FL)— Florida Studio Theatre is gearing up for all new sessions of Youth, Teen, and Adult performing arts workshops for the 2015-16 season. The FST Theatre School offers 36 courses, varying in length and discipline, for creative development, advanced education, and performing opportunities. All classes are held in FST’s professional rehearsal studios. Class start dates vary, with Youth and Adult Session I beginning on September 21. Reservations can be made by contacting FST’s Education department at 941.366.1350 or by visiting www.floridastudiotheatre.org.
“We began the program over 30 years ago with a simple belief, “said Kate Alexander, FST Associate Director and Founder of the FST School. “We were not just human beings, but creative beings. Every person, regardless of their age should have an artistic home. What did we mean by that? Like a gymnasium where one goes to exercise their muscles, every person needed a place where they could go to grow their creative self and thus, expand their human potential. The theatre teaches us about the human heart.”
Developed back in 1982 with modest beginnings of 11 students, the program now reaches close to 1,000 students each year. FST provides training to both children and adults of all levels in the language and thought of theatre. “Every single human being is inherently creative,” said Associate Artist, Jason Cannon. “At FST, our theatre classes aim to do simply one thing: Remove obstacles to a student’s natural and abundant creativity. By offering theatrical education that focuses primarily on creativity, every student can achieve their own goals. The classes become communal rather than competitive, celebratory rather than judgmental. No matter where the student is in their theatrical development, they can find new and exciting ways to harness their own creativity and share it with fellow students and ultimately with an audience.”
Alexander speaks to the growth and necessity of FST’s theatre education stating, “Although we have grown to include professional courses too, the mission remains the same. Now more than ever, the theatre is important. It has been noted that we are watching 8-10 hours of screen entertainment daily – we are being fed information. The impact on attention, lack of creativity, thwarted communication, and literacy skills is now being seen. The theatre, with its ancient and rich storytelling history, challenges our imaginations and engagement in all of our emotional senses. It is a beacon for all.”–
The adult teaching staff is comprised of a core of theatre professionals trained to teach, free from personal dictates. FST School’s methodology helps each person find his or her own door to creative achievement. The acting classes use a technique based on the Stanislavski method; the actor must learn to generate truth on stage.
FST Director of Improv and Teaching Artist, Will Luera explains the benefits of these classes stating, “The skills required and taught to us by theatre are not just important for performance but also for helping us succeed in an increasingly fast and complex world. From youth to retired adults, theatre can teach us how to interpret the world around us, be confident in our ideas, support others, and take risks.”
All classes are held in FST’s professional rehearsal studios in the heart of downtown Sarasota at 1241 North Palm Avenue. Class start dates vary with Youth and Adult Session I beginning on September 21. Reservations can be made by contacting FST’s Education department at 941.366.1350 or by visiting Floridastudiotheatre.org.
To view a full list of classes please visit Floridastudiotheatre.org.
About Florida Studio Theatre
Known as Sarasota’s contemporary theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman’s Club building – now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its five theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the newly renovated Gompertz Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret, the John C. Court Cabaret, and Bowne’s Lab Theatre.
Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.
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