Florida Studio Theatre Announces Return of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground

SARASOTA, Fla. (January 15, 2026) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is pleased to announce a limited return engagement of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, the acclaimed solo drama by Richard Hellesen exploring leadership, legacy, and responsibility. By popular audience demand, the production will return to FST’s Bowne’s Lab for a special encore engagement, playing March 11 through March 22, 2026.

History remembers the general. This play reveals the man. Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground offers an intimate and deeply human portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, reflecting on leadership, sacrifice, and the quiet moral courage required to put service before self. Through candid reflection and moments of surprising humor, the play invites audiences inside the private thoughts of one of America’s most steady hands during turbulent times.

Our critics have hailed Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground as “extraordinary” and filled with “dignity,” according to Total Theater. The Venice Gondolier-Sun praises the production as “powerful,” “intimate,” and “perfect,” writing that audiences were “so rapt by the performance” and calling it “a perfect play for this perfectly intimate space… worthy of Broadway.”

“Eisenhower wasn’t the loudest voice in the room, but he was often the wisest,” said Nancy Rominger, Director and FST Associate Artist/Literary Manager. “What makes this play so compelling is its focus on integrity, restraint, and responsibility. These qualities defined Eisenhower’s leadership and feel especially meaningful today. This return engagement gives audiences another opportunity to sit with a truly thoughtful American story.”

Rominger leads new play development at Florida Studio Theatre, where she champions fresh theatrical voices while directing Mainstage and Stage III productions. She joined FST in 2024 after 12 seasons at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, serving as Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Southern Writers’ Project, ASF’s celebrated new play development program. There, she oversaw the development of 42 new American plays and musicals, many premiering at ASF before earning critical acclaim at regional theatres nationwide. Her FST credits include Don’t Dress for Dinner, Dog Mom, Shedding a Skin, and Advice.

Appearing in the role of Dwight D. Eisenhower is David Sitler*, who returns to FST for this engagement. Sitler is thrilled to be back, having previously appeared at FST in the one-man show The Things They Carried, as well as The Exonerated, and In the Belly of the Beast. His career spans Broadway, national tours, and regional stages from coast to coast, with roles ranging from Atticus Finch to Scrooge. Sitler’s work also includes award-winning film and television performances, music videos, and video games.

The creative team includes Nancy Rominger (Director), Kate Landry (Lighting Design), Nicholas Ryan (Sound Design), and Julia Hornsby (Costume Design).
*Indicates members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Experience the profound story of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, returning to Bowne’s lab starting March 11 and running through March 22, 2026. Preview performances will be held March 11 and 12, with an official reopening on March 13, 2026. Single tickets start at $29.

Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is currently part of FST’s three-show Stage III subscription, which also includes Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk, an inspiring story about forging your own path; and A Night with Janis Joplin, an explosive tribute to one of rock’s most fiery voices. Subscriptions are on sale now for as little as $59, and single tickets start at $29. For more information, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call (941) 366-9000.

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Sponsors

Florida Studio Theatre is grateful to the sponsors of its 2026 Stage III series: Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax, The Shubert Foundation, and Florida Arts & Culture.

Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is presented through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com

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.