Looking to Beat the Winter Blues?

This Season, FST Improv has a never-before-seen show every week to keep you laughing till springtime.

Beginning January 21, Life’s a Beach, perhaps the most-loved FST Improv show of the Season, returns! This revue-style performance features sketches, musical numbers, and popular improv games that pay special tribute to this beautiful spot in paradise that we hold so dear. From the epic, annual snowbird migration and abundant roundabout confusion to dogs in strollers and seemingly never-ending construction, nothing is safe from a good-spirited tease in this audience-favorite show.

“Life’s a Beach is always particularly fun for both our performers and our audience” said Director of Improvisation Will Luera. “Sarasota is such a special, but also a quirky and unique place to call home or to visit. By laughing together, whether about our persistent parking woes or what ‘Florida Man’ has been up to lately, we connect over our shared affinity for this special spot on the map and in our hearts – red tide and all.”

Then, if you want to ensure that your Valentine’s Day plans are truly one-of-a-kind, look no further than When X Meets Y with FST Improv! For one-night-only on February 11, our team of improvisers will weave a fully-improvised love story – right before your eyes. Be sure to order a bottle of champagne for your table to make your evening extra memorable…or not!

“When most people think ‘improv,’ they often think Whose Line is it Anyway?,” said Luera. “But improv as an artform is so much more expansive than short-form games and prompts that move quickly and deliver a laugh-a-minute. Our trained improvisers get to tap into more of their ‘tool kits’ through shows like When X Meets Y, using the art of spontaneity to create a full-length musical on the spot.”

Just as the improvisers are making it up on the spot, so is our musical improviser, whose job is to take to the piano and provide the performers with a never-before-imagined score.

“It requires a great deal of partnership, teamwork, and a whole lot of listening to make sure we’re working in concert (no pun intended) to deliver a cohesive narrative and musical performance,” explained Luera.

Then, because April Fools doesn’t get enough recognition as holidays go, our team of funny people celebrate on April 1 with Tournament of Fools! This one-night, knock-down, drag-out, comedy battle royale showcases the talents of 12 ensemble members who will compete for your laughter, applause and the coveted title, "Champion of the Fools." After each round of improv scenes, songs, and laughter, you get to vote on who stays and who goes. At the end, there can be only one improviser left standing.

From an all-time audience favorite to a musical romance to a one-night-only comedy battle, the next few months of programming offer improv fans a wide range of improvisational styles, forms, and plenty of opportunities to laugh.