CONTACT: Nicole Clayton
Public Relations Associate
(941) 366 – 9017 ext. 338
[email protected]
DATE: March 25, 2014
FST Extends 5 Shows This Season
(Sarasota, FL) —Florida Studio Theatre has now extended five shows in the 2013-14 Mainstage and Cabaret Seasons. The two most recent extensions in the lineup are POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES which is now playing through April 27, and FREUD’S LAST SESSION which now sees its second extension playing through April 5. Tickets are on sale and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person, by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Kicking off a great year in the Goldstein Cabaret was POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES which first opened to an eager audience on January 3, 2014. With groovy melodies and multi-talented musicians onstage, the audiences have raved about the show: “That was amazing!” “Great show!” “Absolutely fabulous!” Critics agree. Jay Handelman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune described the show as, “beautifully sung and performed by a talented group of singer/musicians.” The Venice Gondolier said, “For this show, playing multiple instruments is the norm.” Led by artists like John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, Harry Chapin, and Carole King, this musical revue celebrates their top hits and the songs that transcended generations. Featuring songs: “How Sweet It Is,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the classic “I Feel The Earth Move” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
After the now fifth show to extend this season, Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins, described this show’s success stating, “I am delighted that we will extend the run of POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES. This is one of our most successful cabaret shows to date, and may well prove to be a record breaker. I think it is successful because we have a host of beautiful songs, from John Denver to Simon and Garfunkel. This is all executed by one of the best musical ensembles we have assembled. The five singer musicians mesh beautifully. Each in their own right is exquisitely talented, and together they far exceed the sum of their parts. True artistry is occurring every night on the Goldstein Stage.”
Just around the corner at the Keating Theatre, two giants of twentieth century thinking have been going head to head debating life’s biggest questions. The audience has described the show as, “riveting” and “fabulous.” The critics have also weighed in. Marty Fugate from The Observer said the show had, “pitch-perfect tone” and was “nuanced and witty.” TotalTheater.com described this as a play that “shows that scholarship and intellectual pursuit can be dramatic, even exciting.”
This 2013/2014 season, FST has extended five shows: MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT, THURGOOD, THE PRIMA DONNETTES, POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES, and FREUD’S LAST SESSION. Returning FST company member, Jeffrey Plunkett, playing the role of C.S. Lewis in FREUD’S LAST SESSION, describes his thoughts of the now twice extended show stating, “There is nothing quite like doing a smart play for such a smart audience. We can feel them following not only the arguments, but the personal histories that inform these men and their intellectual journeys. We are thrilled to be extended and share this very special piece of theatre with more of the Sarasota community. Sarasota’s commitment to live theatre is exemplary and as artists, we continue to be so grateful for that.”
POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES is now playing through April 27th in the Goldstein Cabaret and FREUD’S LAST SESSION which now sees its second extension playing through April 5thin the Keating Theatre. Tickets are on sale and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person, by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org. FST is located in historic downtown Sarasota at 1241 North Palm Avenue, Sarasota FL 34236.
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 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, 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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Florida Studio Theatre 2013-14 Season
Winter Mainstage:
Monty Python’s Spamalot – November 13 thru January 25
Thurgood – December 11 thru March 8
Daddy Long Legs – February 5 thru April 5
Tom Jones – April 9 thru June 1
Winter Cabaret:
The Prima Donnettes – October 23 thru February 15
Poems, Prayers and Promises January 1 thru April 20
Too Darn Hot – February 19 thru June 7
Improv:
Out of Bounds –February 4, 7, 9, 14, 16, 22, 27 | March 1 | April 5
52 Card Pick Up –February 1,8, 15, 21, 28 | March 4, 9, 14, 16, 27 | April 4, 12
Text M… For MURDER! –March 7, 8, 15, 22, 28, 29 | April 1, 6, 11, 13, 24
Special Events:
Freud’s Last Session– March 12 – 23
Thurgood Forums Project – January thru February
For the Ages – October 1 thru May 1
Kids Komedy Club – December 21, 28, January 4, February 8, March 1
