|
Return to About FST
History of Florida Studio Theatre
1973 -
Florida Studio Theatre is founded by Jon Spelman as an alternative professional
theatre company. The company tours to isolated audiences including nursing
homes, community centers, migrant camps and prisons.
1977 -
Through the generosity of local supporters, use of Sarasota's Historic Women's
Club Building is obtained for FST. The facility provides office space and a 72
seat theatre.
1980 -
Richard Hopkins is named Artistic Director. From an initial audience of 100
subscribers, he has since guided the theatre's growth from a small touring
company to a nationally recognized regional theatre which impacts nearly 200,000
adults and children each year.
1982 -
FST expands the seating capacity of its Mainstage theatre from 72 to 165.
Today, FST's Mainstage productions impact nearly 15,000 subscribers and 12,000
single ticket purchasers.
1982 -
FST establishes its Education Wing for Sarasota area school children. Today,
the Education Wing inspires over 50,000 children in theatre arts programs
throughout Florida.
1983 -
FST produces its first week-long New Play Festival. Today, FST receives over
1000 plays from adults and over 7000 plays from children annually.
1985 -
FST completes payment on its historic home in the Woman's Club Building.
1987 -
FST's operating budget exceeds $500,000. FST's annual budget has quadrupled
since then to over two million dollars and each year the theatre continues to
operate in the black.
1991 -
FST launches its Write A Play Tour in Sarasota County Schools. This program now
annually inspires over 50,000 school children throughout Florida to write plays.
1992 -
FST inaugurates its first Summer Season which now serves more than 15,000 people
during the Summer months.
1993 -
FST inaugurates the Young Playwrights Festival and the Florida Playwrights
Festival as part of its New Play Program.
1994 -
FST receives NEA Challenge Grant to expand Write A Play throughout the
Southeastern United States.
1995 -
FST opens the doors to its 8000 square foot support facility. The new building
houses a scene shop, rehearsal and classroom space and production offices.
1996 -
FST opens the doors to its Cabaret Theatre with 3,000 subscribers. The number
of subscribers has since risen to over 7,000 individuals.
1997 -
FST purchases an 8000 square foot office building adjacent to the theatre.
1998 -
On the verge of our 25th anniversary, nearly 200,000 adults and children are
touched by FST's programs. Our subscriber base of nearly 15,000 people is the
largest of any theatre its size in the United States.
1999 -
The high octane musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe, celebrating the songs
of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, opens the FST 1999 season. 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. FST produces the world premiere of
playwright Larry Parr's Invasion of Privacy. The play is later
selected for the National Art "Playwright First" Award and Mr. Parr receives an
Individual Artists Fellowship from the state of Florida.
2000 -
FST begins renovation on the new Annex. This building, subsequently named the
Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Theatre Wing, currently houses FST's Artistic,
Education and Administrative offices, as well as a Costume Shop.
2001 -
FST begins restoration of the historic Woman's Club Mainstage building at a cost
of $1.2 million. FST completes the 2001 season with more than 8,400 subscribers
to the Mainstage and 5,100 subscribers to the Cabaret.
2002 -
In response to the growing number of subscribers, the Mainstage Winter Season is
extended to 8 week runs and the Cabaret Season is extended to 9 week runs.
2003 -
FST completes renovations on the historic Women's Club building. FST renames
its two theatre venues. The Keating Theatre is named in honor of Ed and Elaine
Keating, and the Goldstein Cabaret is named in honor of Ann and Alfred
Goldstein. Both couples made large gifts to FST.
2004 -
FST celebrates its 30th Anniversary Season. In addition, the theatre purchases
the former TheatreWorks building, renaming it the Gompertz Theatre in honor of
Mrs. Leila Gompertz, who made the lead gift enabling the purchase. FST Improv
performs its first full season of live comedy improvisation in the Goldstein
Cabaret. Expanded lobby space is opened in the Keating Theatre - the room is
renamed the Bea Friedman Room.
2005 -
The inaugural season of FST Stage III kicks off in the Gompertz Theatre with
Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? The season continues with the
audience hit THE MALE INTELLECT: an oxymoron? and finishes with the
critically acclaimed The Exonerated. In addition, FST tackles 24
productions on its three stages over the season, producing works such as
Metamorphoses and premiering new Cabaret works including The Rise and
Fall of Western Civilization According to Tom Lehrer.
2006 -
FST continues to broaden its horizons with bold new productions of contemporary
plays, starting off with Ethel Waters: His Eye is on the Sparrow. Next
comes Donald Margulies' new play Brooklyn Boy, followed by the hilarious
Moonlight and Magnolias. Our Winter Mainstage Season finishes with the
audience hit Around the World in 80 Days. Our Summer Season includes the
hysterical musical The Big Bang, then comes Bad Dates and finally
Fiction
2007 -
2008 -
Now in our 34th year, FST's programs reach
over 150,000 adults and children. FST has grown from a small touring company to
a theatre complex with 3 theatres and 4 buildings with over 45 full-time
employees and 120 guest artists annually. After 30 years of diligence, Florida
Studio Theatre continues to grow by staying focused on its mission and remaining
true to its founding principles.
| 
