Florida Studio Theatre Showcases Boundless Creativity in "The Pirate Ship and the Sea Monster & Other Winning Plays"

SARASOTA, Fla. (March 4, 2026) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) presents The Pirate Ship and the Sea Monster & Other Winning Plays, an imaginative and uplifting collection of original short plays written by elementary school students locally and around the world. This creative final show of the 2025-26 Children’s Theare Series opens March 22 and runs through April 19, 2026, in FST’s Keating Theatre.

A beloved tradition for more than 30 years, this annual production transforms the words of young playwrights into fully staged performances brought to life by professional actors. During the 2025-2026 school year, more than 5,000 students submitted original plays. From that pool, 11 winning scripts were selected for performance. This year’s production also features the return of The Pirate Ship and the Sea Monster, a standout favorite from last season.

The selected plays span genres and styles, from laugh-out-loud comedies and whimsical adventures to heartfelt stories filled with meaningful lessons. Together, they highlight the originality, humor, and emotional insight of young writers while celebrating the power of imagination onstage.

“Bringing these twelve humorous, touching, and ultimately inspiring plays to our Keating Theatre is a joy every single year,” says Caroline Saldivar, FST’s Director of Children’s Theatre. “It is especially important this year, when so many lean on AI to think for us. Showcasing these plays reminds us that every one of us is creative and has the power to create something original.”

The cast features performers from FST’s Professional Training Program, an intensive year-long acting apprenticeship that provides emerging artists with hands-on professional experience. Bringing these stories to the stage are Christiana Allison (Deck the Halls, Snow White), Ray Barber (Deck the Halls, Snow White), Grayson Buchanan (Peter Pan), Maya Carpentiere (Peter Pan), Ryan Dugan (Peter Pan), Amanda González (Peter Pan), and Sheila Wallis (Peter Pan).

The creative team includes Caroline Saldivar (Director), Dellan Short (Associate Director), Richard Hopkins, Kate Alexander (Additional Artistic Support), Casey Seiler (Scenic Design), Kate Landry (Lighting Design), Nicholas Christensen (Sound Design), Julia Hornsby (Costume Design), Audrey Smith (Prop Design), Tori Martinson (Stage Manager), and Jim Prosser (Original Music).

Join the fun from March 22 to April 19! Tickets start at just $12 and are on sale now at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or by calling (941) 366-9000.

Performance Schedule*

Sunday, March 22 at 10AM
Saturday, March 28 at 10AM and 12PM
Saturday, April 4 at 10AM and 12PM
Sunday, April 12 at 10AM
Sunday, April 19 at 10AM
Saturday, April 25 at 10AM
Saturday, May 2 at 10AM
*Additional performance dates may be added.

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Sponsors

Florida Studio Theatre is grateful to its sponsors of the 2025-26 Children’s Theatre Season: The Shubert Foundation, Florida Arts & Culture, Bishop-Parker Foundation, The Exchange, Manatee Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Wells Fargo, Sister Cities Association of Sarasota, The Patterson Foundation, Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, and Publix Super Markets Charities.Sponsored in part by the Bank of America Client Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, as well as by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for this program was provided in part by The School Board of Broward County, Florida – SEAS Program.

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.