Florida Studio Theatre Announces Engaging 2025-26 Forums Series

SARASOTA, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2025) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the lineup for the 2025-2026 Forums Series, featuring five panel discussions inspired by the themes explored in the theatre’s productions of A Tailor Near Me, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, One Hit Wonders, A Night with Janis Joplin, and Birthday Candles. Forums events are free for FST patrons to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call FST’s Box Office at (941) 366-9000. A full list and schedule of this season’s Forums Series follow the end of this release.

“This year’s themes urge you to look inward to an examined life,” explains Kate Alexander, FST’s Associate Director At-Large. “This year, we tackle issues of relationships, our moral compass, and the measure of life itself. In an AI age that continually diminishes social connection and responsible thought, we are proud to produce these forums and create a space for discussion and connection when we need it more than ever.”

Opening the Forums Series is The Cut of a Man: Exploring Men and Relationships, inspired by FST’s production of A Tailor Near Me. Moderated by the Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, this panel discussion explores the quiet courage it takes to be seen, to be heard, and to be trusted. In a culture that prizes stoicism, men often carry an unspoken burden: the fear that showing emotion is a weakness. During this discussion, you’ll ask: What do we lose when we refuse to lean on one another? This forum will take place January 15, 2026, from 5-6PM in FST’s Bowne’s Lab.

Following is Forging Common Ground: Balancing Personal Beliefs and the Law, moderated by the Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams. Based on the Stage III production Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, this discussion invites us into a private reckoning: a leader measuring his choices, his legacy, and the moral cost of power. What does it mean to lead not for applause, but for responsibility? Where does personal conviction end and duty to the American ideal begin? And in a time when trust in institutions feels fragile, what can we learn from a leader who believed that principle – not popularity – must anchor public service? This engaging event will take place January 29, 2026, from 5-6PM in FST’s Bowne’s Lab.

The next forum is inspired by the themes presented in One Hit Wonders and will take place on February 26, 2026, from 5-6PM in the FST’s Bowne’s Lab. Moderated by Catherine Randazzo, this event reflects on the ways music shapes identity and cultivates belonging. Titled The Power of a Song: Building a Cabaret Show, this event invites us into the intimate work of creation at Florida Studio Theatre, exploring how cabaret shows are conceived, written, and performed. We ask: How does a song bridge differences, heal divisions, or illuminate shared human experience? What about the act of singing together makes strangers feel like neighbors, and neighbors feel like family?

Afterwards, FST presents Echoes Uncredited: The Forgotten Price of Inspiration, covering themes from FST’s Stage III production A Night with Janis Joplin. In this discussion moderated by the Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, we step back into the ‘50s and ‘60s, where artists like Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin soared the charts. Their inspiration came from the blues: the rich, expressive storytelling music that found its origins in African American culture. However, this racially divisive time did not allow many artists of color to cross over into the mainstream white charts. Join us on March 19, 2026, from 5-6PM in FST’s Bowne’s Lab as we trace the pulse of a changing nation as soul inspired pop culture through its songs.

Our final conversation, The Measure of a Life: Meaning and Mortality in an Age of Perfection, dives into the topics tackled in FST’s production of Birthday Candles. Co-moderated by Kate Alexander and Dr. Mary Davenport, this forum invites us to realize that, beneath an era obsessed with polished surfaces and curated routines, a quiet truth lies beneath the surface: life is messy. In this discussion, we ponder: What does it mean to lead a life that becomes fully human? This thoughtful event takes place on May 7, 2026, from 5-6PM in FST’s Keating Theatre.

“Florida Studio Theatre has been a leader in this community in exploring a variety of issues through the lens of theatrical performance,” said the Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, 12^th Circuit Judge, FST Board Member, and part of the Forums Steering Committee. “The performances themselves and the themes within these productions allow us to spark conversations and constructive dialogue in a safe and nonjudgmental environment.”

FST’s 2025-2026 Forums Series includes five panel discussions inspired by the themes explored in the theatre’s productions of A Tailor Near Me, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, One Hit Wonders, A Night with Janis Joplin, and Birthday Candles. Forums events are free for FST patrons to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call FST’s Box Office at (941) 366-9000.

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FST’S 2025-2026 FORUMS SERIES

The Cut of a Man: Exploring Men and Relationships
Inspired by themes presented in A Tailor Near Me
WHEN: January 15, 2026, from 5-6PM
WHERE: FST's Bowne’s Lab

In a culture that prizes stoicism, men often carry an unspoken burden: the fear that showing emotion is a weakness. According to a 2021 survey from the Survey Center for American Life, only 21% of men reported receiving emotional support from a friend in the past week – half the rate of women. Beneath the data lies a deeper truth: the friendships and connections that sustain us are often left unrealized, locked behind walls built from expectation, tradition, and fear. Join us as we explore the quiet courage it takes to be seen, to be heard, and to trust another with the weight of our own humanity.

MODERATED BY
Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, 12^th Judicial Circuit Judge

 Forging Common Ground: Balancing Personal Beliefs and the Law
Inspired by themes presented in Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground
WHEN: January 29, 2026, from 5-6PM
WHERE: FST's Bowne’s Lab

Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground invites us into a private reckoning: a leader measuring his choices, his legacy, and the moral cost of power. What does it mean to lead not for applause, but for responsibility? Where does personal conviction end and duty to the American ideal begin? And in a time when trust in institutions feels fragile, what can we learn from a leader who believed that principle – not popularity – must anchor public service?

MODERATED BY
Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, 12^th Judicial Circuit Judge

The Power of a Song: Building a Cabaret Show
Inspired by themes presented in One Hit Wonders
WHEN: February 26, 2026, from 5-6PM
WHERE: FST's Bowne’s Lab

The Power of a Song invites us into the intimate work of creation at Florida Studio Theatre, exploring how cabaret shows are conceived, written, and performed to foster dialogue, joy, and empathy. We ask: How does a song bridge differences, heal divisions, or illuminate shared human experience? What about the act of singing together makes strangers feel like neighbors, and neighbors feel like family?

MODERATED BY
Catherine Randazzo, FST Associate Producer

 Echoes Uncredited: The Forgotten Price of Inspiration
Inspired by themes presented in A Night with Janis Joplin
WHEN: March 19, 2026, from 5-6PM
WHERE: FST's Bowne’s Lab

 In ‘50s and ‘60s, artists like Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and Janis Joplin soared in the charts. Their inspiration came from the blues: the rich, expressive storytelling music that found its origins in African American culture. However, this racially divisive time did not allow for many artists of color to cross over into the mainstream. Join us as we trace the pulse of a changing nation as soul inspired pop culture through its songs.

MODERATED BY
Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, 12^th Judicial Circuit Judge

 The Measure of a Life: Meaning and Mortality in an Age of Perfection
Inspired by themes presented in Birthday Candles
WHEN: May 7, 2026, from 5-6PM
WHERE: FST's Keating Theatre

 Birthday Candles invites us into the intimate reckoning of living fully. How do we embrace the beauty of our failures alongside our successes? How do we cultivate joy when the world demands constant achievement? And in the balance of highs and lows, what does it mean to lead a life that embraces imperfection and becomes fully human?

CO-MODERATED BY
Kate Alexander, FST Associate Director At-Large
Dr. Mary Davenport, PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

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About Florida Studio Theatre

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is Sarasota’s contemporary theatre. Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five theatres located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact – providing intimate and engaging settings for high-quality, professional performances.

Today, FST has established itself as a major force in American Theatre. FST is the largest subscription theatre in the state of Florida and among the largest in the country, serving more than 225,000 live attendees each year across its diverse programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, Improv, The FST School, and New Play Development.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. Hip and historical, entertaining and challenging, we are where everyone is welcome to engage in the art of theatre.