WRITE A PLAY
Florida Studio Theatre is proud to present the 30th year of FST's award-winning WRITE A PLAY program entirely VIRTUALLY for the 2020-2021 school year. This online program will be offered at NO COST to schools through a partnership with The Community Foundation of Sarasota and generous gifts from Florida Studio Theatre’s supporters.
To reserve your classroom’s virtual experiences click here or contact Caroline Kaiser, Director of Children’s’ Theatre at (941) 366-9797 or by email at [email protected]
WRITE A PLAY is a year-round comprehensive arts integration program with a unique blend of professional plays, exciting theatre experiences, and in-class workshops. Through participatory learning with a special emphasis on literacy, this program has developed an impressive record of success, reaching over 47,000 students annually.
All students are encouraged to submit their work to FST’s Young Playwrights Festival, which celebrates those students and their teachers whose plays show a strong understanding for the theatrical process and reveal a budding creative talent that deserves congratulations! For more information, or to submit a play, please click here. The deadline for play submissions is February 26, 2021.
Click here to watch the PBS Documentary about WRITE A PLAY.
WRITE A PLAY: ELEMENTARY (Kindergarten - Fifth Grade) is a three-part program, designed to have multiple interactions with each student and educator throughout the school year. For the 2020-2021 school year all of these experiences are offered VIRTUALLY.
To book your classroom’s experiences click here or contact Director of Children’s’ Theatre Caroline Kaiser at (941) 366-9797, [email protected]
PART 1: The Play That Sets the Example
(Streaming for the 2020-2021 school year)
Co-presented with The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
In this introduction, students will see a professional play that serves as an example of a play. Performances are offered through online streaming in 2020.
Florida Studio Theatre is proud to present in partnership with The Van Wezel, two streaming productions from ArtsPower, for students in grades K-5.
About Chicken Dance (Grades K-2): Every barnyard has its bully! But two of the barnyard’s chickens, Marge and Lola, will not stand idly by. ArtsPower’s musical portrays the colorful story of these two barnyard chickens on a mission to win the barnyard talent contest first prize of two tickets to see the great Elvis Poultry in concert! But first, they must present a performance that will score higher than a flock of very talented ducks, led by Mac who loves to play the bully. Can Marge and Lola face their challengers, against all odds, and win the talent contest?
About Anne of Green Gables (Grades 3-6): Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla need a boy to help with the chores around their farm on Prince Edward Island. They are not expecting Anne Shirley, a vivacious orphan with a wild imagination and a breathless fascination to find a place she can call home. ArtsPower’s heart-warming musical, based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved novels, follows Anne on her unlikely journey to find the family she’s always wanted.
Click to reserve your classroom’s streaming theatre experience today!
PART 2: The Play That Inspires
(Zooming Into Your Classroom for the 2020-2021 school year)
This part of the WRITE A PLAY program includes performances of award-winning plays by former students. Performers also introduce the four fundamental elements of a play: Character, Setting, Conflict, and Dialogue and improvise plays live on stage with the children’s ideas. All students are encouraged to submit their play submitted to FST’s Young Playwrights Festival playwriting competition. FST receives submissions from more than 6,000 playwrights each year, and about a dozen plays are selected for a full-scale production.
Zoom Into Playwrighting: For the first time ever, Florida Studio Theatre is presenting this interactive playwriting experience via Zoom. The show and writing workshop are combined into a memorable creative experience designed for both in-person and concurrent digital learners. In addition to the live zoom experience, teachers will be provided pre-recorded video lessons and step-by-step writing guides to continue playwriting in their own classrooms. This special combination of theatre and language arts is designed specifically to get your students excited about writing.
Click to reserve your classroom’s LIVE Zoom experience today!
PART 3: The Play That Celebrates Young Playwrights
(Streaming Spring 2021)
The Brave Princess and Other Winning Plays: Students see the winning plays written during this past school year brought to life in a full theatrical production performed by professional actors. The program culminates with FST’s Annual Young Playwrights Festival, where hundreds of students, their families, educators, playwrights, and dignitaries gather to celebrate the outstanding plays created over the course of the year.
Click to reserve your classroom’s streaming theatre experience today!
WRITE A PLAY: Secondary (Grades 6-12) offers classroom workshops led by our professional teaching artists. These workshops will reinforce your teaching methods and use arts integration tools to motivate your students to unleash their creativity through writing.
Students have the option to submit their plays to FST’s annual Young Playwrights Festival. Each student will be recognized for their participation and achievement. Winning writers will be honored by FST on the day of the festival in Sarasota, FL.
Zoom Playwriting Workshop
For the 2020-2021 school year, FST teaching artists are available to "Zoom into your classroom" to teach playwriting workshops. These workshops will teach the fundamentals of playwriting and get your students writing plays of their own.
This virtual program will be offered at NO COST to schools through a partnership with The Community Foundation of Sarasota and generous gifts from Florida Studio Theatre’s supporters.
Click here to request your classroom workshops.
Embracing Our Differences
For teachers who are interested in partnering with Embracing Our Differences, FST is also offering a playwriting workshop inspired by this year’s exhibit. To learn more about this free “Make a Day of It” partnership you can visit Embracing Our Differences online here.
To reserve your class’ playwriting workshop or Embracing Our Differences' Make A Day of It workshop click here or contact Director of Children’s Theatre Caroline Kaiser at (941)366-9797 or [email protected]
Click here to request your classroom workshops.
PLAY SUBMISSION FORM
For guidelines on how to submit your play for consideration in 2021 Young Playwrights Festival click here.
HELPFUL GUIDES
For a step-by-step playwriting guide (recommended for grades 6-12) click here.
For a playwriting brainstorm (recommended for grades K-5) click here.
Teachers Tips - Coming Soon!
WATCH
Elementary Playwriting Video Tutorials:
Character Lesson | WATCH
Setting Lesson | WATCH
Conflict | WATCH
Dialogue | WATCH
Final Steps | WATCH