FST announces the 2016 summer mainstage season
(Sarasota, FL)—Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Mainstage Season kicks off with the culture clash comedy, The Fabulous Lipitones, the touching and funny production of The Roommate, and the courageous journey of self-discovery in The God of Isaac. The season opens on June 1 and plays through August 21 in the Keating and Gompertz Theatres. A subscription to all three shows can be purchased for as little as $39. All subscriptions and single tickets may be purchased at the FST Box Office in person or by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
“Barbershop goes Bollywood” says the New York Times of The Fabulous Lipitones, FST’s first show of the 2016 Summer Mainstage Season. From the writers of The Cosby Show, Mark St. Germain and John Markus, The Fabulous Lipitones is, “A song-stuffed comedy,” according to the New York Times. A high note leaves a barbershop quartet without their fourth member just before the national competition. When the voice of “Bob” is heard through the phone the Lipitones are all ears… but when they meet him in person, he’s not quite what they expected. A comedy of misunderstanding, stereotypes, and the path to perfect harmony. “It’s about accepting ‘the other’,” said Producing Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins of The Fabulous Lipitones. “It does this in a light-hearted way. To be exposed to so many people, customs, religions…it makes the world a really interesting place to be.” The Fabulous Lipitones will be playing in the Gompertz Theatre from June 1 to June 19.
Second in the season is The Roommate by Jen Silverman. Broadway World calls it a ”Challenging piece of storytelling.” Brooklyn meets Iowa City when Sharon finds a ‘sensible’ roommate. She quickly learns that Robyn couldn’t be further from the conservative ladies in her book club. Hell-bent on getting to know Robyn, Sharon deploys her charm. The Roommate tells the story of two humorously mismatched middle-aged women, both with the overwhelming desire to reinvent their lives. The Roommate will be playing in the Keating Theatre from July 6 to August 7.
Hopkins describes this production stating, “It’s the odd couple meets Pulp Fiction, without all the violence. The way it deals with issues and values in different castes and classes and how the characters really stick to those values is very similar. In The Roommate, you have two very different women who are essentially reinventing themselves. Two women with very different values and life experiences come together. It’s really interesting to see how they influence each other.”
Closing out the Summer Mainstage Season in the Gompertz Theatre is the funny and touching play, The God of Isaac by James Sherman. It’s 1977 and a neo-Nazi group wants to stage a demonstration in the Jewish community of Skokie, Illinois. Isaac Adams, a second generation American Jew, wonders what his involvement should be – if anything. Determined to find the truth, Isaac journeys to find the meaning of his heritage, his relationships, and himself. Described as “Hilarious, shrewd, and touching” by the Chicago Sun Times, The God of Isaac will be playing in the Gompertz Theatre from August 3 to August 21.
Hopkins speaks to the universal connection between audiences and The God of Isaac stating, “Why do so many people identify with Jewish plays? Groups that have been through a major struggle – most Americans come from that in our lineage, so we can relate. In this play, the protagonist is connected to his God by only a thread, which is similar to average America today in their connectedness to God and religion. We all ask ‘Who am I? Where do I fit in this world? What is my connectedness to my culture?’”
All three shows of the Summer Mainstage Season – The Fabulous Lipitones, The Roommate, and The God of Isaac– will be presented at FST’s Keating or Gompertz Theatre. Single tickets range from
$36-39. A subscription for all three shows can be purchased for as little as $39. All subscriptions and single tickets may be purchased at the FST Box Office in person or by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
About Florida Studio Theatre
Known as Sarasota’s Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Artist, Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company then acquired the former Woman’s Club building, becoming the first permanent venue. Shortly after Producing Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins arrived, the building was purchased and 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 Gompertz Theatre, the Parisian style Goldstein Cabaret and 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. 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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