Florida Studio Theatre Receives $10,000 Grant from the Manatee Community Foundation to Support WRITE A PLAY

SARASOTA, Fla. (May 6, 2026) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) has received a $10,000 grant from the Manatee Community Foundation to support its 2026-2027 WRITE A PLAY program, a year-round arts education initiative that empowers students to create and share their own original stories.

For more than 35 years, WRITE A PLAY has inspired young people to explore their creativity through theatre. The program reaches more than 30,000 students annually across Florida, as well as nationally and internationally, guiding participants through every step of the playwriting process. From in-school workshops led by professional teaching artists to live performances at FST’s Keating Theatre, students gain the tools and confidence to transform their ideas into fully realized scripts.

Since its launch in 1991, WRITE A PLAY has served more than one million students, with a strong focus on Title I and underserved schools. For many participants, the program provides their first experience with live theatre as both audience members and as creators.

Through classroom residencies and interactive performances, FST’s Playmakers introduce students to storytelling, character development, and dramatic structure. Each year, thousands of students submit original plays to the Young Playwrights Festival. A select group of winners is chosen for professional production at FST, where their work is brought to life onstage by professional actors for live audiences.

“Every child comes into the world wired for imagination and meaning making. What they often need is not permission, but practice,” explains Caroline Saldivar, FST’s Director of Children’s Theatre. “Our work is about offering children the tools to move their ideas from their minds to the page, and the courage to believe in their own unique creative selves. We believe firmly that children in our community should have access to high quality arts programs, including FST’s WRITE A PLAY program, regardless of their financial circumstances. We are deeply grateful to the Manatee Community Foundation for sharing this belief. Because of their partnership, students across Manatee County Schools are being seen, supported, and invited to step fully into their creative selves.”

The program’s impact is felt not only by students, but also by educators who see firsthand how the arts enhance learning.

“We appreciate you all coming out to our schools,” said Tina Peters, a third-grade teacher at McNeal Elementary. “It gets harder and harder to adapt and find fun learning experiences for our students. The fact that we don’t have to leave the school makes it so much better!”

With support from the Manatee Community Foundation, FST will continue expanding access to arts education, ensuring more students have the opportunity to develop their voices, share their stories, and experience the transformative power of theatre.

For more information about WRITE A PLAY or to support FST’s education programs, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

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About Manatee Community Foundation

At Manatee Community Foundation, we partner with our citizens to strengthen and enhance our community through philanthropy, education, and service – now and forever. 

In a county with a tradition of authentic care and a giving spirit, MCF is the bridge between generous donors, business leaders, our government, and nonprofit partners, so together, we can invest in our community and everyone can thrive. We foster connections, share knowledge, provide funding, and engage others to act today, for a better tomorrow. We believe that together, we can do greater things.

Since our inception as a local grass-roots organization in 1998, we have invested over $70 million dollars in the areas of health and human services, education, arts and culture, the environment, and animal welfare. We believe in creating opportunities for all and are committed to the continuous investment and evolution of our diversity, equity, inclusion and access work. 

As the only community foundation in Manatee serving the entire county and beyond, MCF is your partner in philanthropy, and the trusted steward of charitable legacies and the guide for current giving through donor-advised funds, field of interest funds, designated funds, scholarship funds, unrestricted funds, and agency funds.  See more information about Manatee Community Foundation at www.manateecf.org

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.