Florida Studio Theatre

Florida Studio Theatre, also known as FST, is a professional non-profit theater located in downtown Sarasota, Florida, and is one of the major cultural resources in the Gulf Coast region. Founded in 1973, FST is a LORT-D contemporary regional theatre and is the third largest subscription theatre in the country (according to a TCG study from 2011). Each year, more than 225,000 attendees are served by FST’s six main programs: its Mainstage Series, Cabaret Series, Stage III, Children's Theatre, Education, and New Play Development.

Florida Studio Theatre
Address1241 North Palm Avenue
LocationSarasota, Florida
Public transitSarasota County Area Transit
TypeTheatre
Opened1973 (1973)
Website
floridastudiotheatre.org

FST consists of five theatre spaces—the historic Keating and Gompertz Theatres, the Parisian-style Goldstein and John C. Court Cabarets, and Bowne's Lab Theatre—all located on a two-block theatre campus.

Current Operating Budget: Over $8 million

Number of subscribers: More than 36,000

Mission

    Florida Studio Theatre holds the following mission:

    • To make theatre accessible and affordable to as many people as possible.
    • To present theatre that challenges with as much gusto as it entertains.
    • To create a public forum for the issues of our day that will foster positive change in our community and beyond.
    • To operate within and for the public trust.

    History of FST Theatres

      MAINSTAGE

      Keating Theatre

      Formerly the Sarasota Woman’s Club, it is amongst the oldest surviving buildings in Sarasota. Founded in 1903, the Sarasota Woman’s Club aimed to create a meeting place for social events, activities, and forums. The town’s first library and the host of numerous committee gatherings, the Woman’s Club also maintained a census and birth registration, an area PTA, and a Red Cross Auxiliary.

      The Sarasota Woman’s Club relocated in 1976 and the building became slated for demolition. Marian McKenna, an FST patron and supporter of the arts, purchased the building and later sold it to Florida Studio Theatre.

      Today, FST’s Keating Theatre seats 173 and hosts FST Mainstage and Children’s Theatre productions.

      Gompertz Theatre

      In 2003, FST purchased the building that would eventually become the Gompertz Theatre. Originally a movie theater in the 1920s, The Great Depression caused the theatre to close. But by the 1940s, the theatre reopened and hosted a variety of road shows and performances. In 1951, the theatre was known at the Palm Tree Playhouse, but it closed again in the 1960s.

      In the mid-70s, Asolo Theatre purchased the space for production purposes and their Stage Two Theatre program, before selling it to Anita Katzman. It was then reoccupied by Siesta Key Actors Theatre and Theatre Works in the 1980s. The building was acquired by Florida Studio Theatre and renamed the Gompertz Theatre in honor of Mrs. Leila Gompertz, who made the lead gift enabling the purchase. Today, FST’s Gompertz Theatre seats 237 and hosts FST’s Mainstage productions.

      CABARET

      Goldstein Cabaret

      In 1996, FST opened its doors to the Cabaret Club, which was renamed the Goldstein Cabaret in 2003 in honor of Ann and Alfred Goldstein. It was the first FST theatre dedicated solely to cabaret performances. From the first production of The Jazz Club to 2019’s The Wonder Years: The Music of the Baby Boomers, the theatre has been home to over 71 productions.

      John C Court Cabaret

      After two years of fundraising to build the Hegner Theatre Wing and add two performance spaces, the John C. Court Cabaret opened in 2013. The Cabaret was named in loving memory of FST Board Member Georgia Court’s late husband, John Court. Today, it’s been home to over 12 original musical revues including Unchained Melodies (2019), Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves (2017), and Laughing Matters vol. 5 (2016).

      IMPROV & STAGE III

      Bowne’s Lab Theatre

      Also part of the Hegner Theatre Wing, Bowne’s Lab Theatre was named for the maternal side of John Court’s ancestor—John Bowne, who is widely considered to be the founder of religious freedom in America. The theatre opened in January 2014 as a space for all things experimental.  

      Bowne’s Lab Theatre houses FST’s Stage III Series, which is dedicated to the producing socially significant productions and plays that are both challenging in content and unique in form. This program features a variety of productions, from Edward Albee’s The Goat to Shear Madness.

      Stage III also encompasses FST Improv. Founded in 2001 by Rebecca Hopkins, FST Improv  performs fully improvised shows every Saturday and select Fridays year round. FST also produces the annual Sarasota Improv Festival. Now in its twelfth year, the Festival brings troupes from all over the world to Sarasota.

      Notable Productions
        • Unchained Melodies (2019) by Richard Hopkins and Rebecca Hopkins with Arrangements by Jim Prosser – Broke record for the most attendees (over 20,000)
        • Honor Killing (2018) by Sarah Bierstock – WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION - Was featured in FST’s 2017 Burdick New Play Reading Series before being produced in 2018.
        • Blue Suede Shoes (2018) by Richard Hopkins and Rebecca Hopkins with Arrangements by Jim Prosser – Broke records for FST’s longest-running production with 191 performances
        • Relativity (2016) by Mark St. Germain – WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION as part of the National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premiere Program. FST commissioned St. Germain to write the play in 2015.
        • Fly (2015) by Trey Ellis & Ricardo Khan – FST’s Regional Premiere production took place before its Off-Broadway debut at the Public Theatre in 2016.
        • Race (2011) by David Mamet - FST receives wild acclaim from this production and introduces community forums that engage leaders and officials on the subject of race.
        • Black Pearl Sings! (2009) – FST’s production led to the show being one of the most produced in 2009-2010 season.
        • Metamorphoses (2004) – In a daring production of Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Ovid’s myths, FST removed most of the floor of the Keating Theatre stage and replaced it with a pool.
        • Smokey Joe’s Café (1999) - FST is the first regional theatre in the United States to produce this show while it is still running on Broadway and on national tour. 
        • Invasion of Privacy (1999) by Larry Parr – WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION. The play is later selected for the National Art "Playwright First" Award and playwright receives an Individual Artists Fellowship from the state of Florida.
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        References

          Official website

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