WRITE A PLAY
We are proud to present the 28th year of the WRITE A PLAY program. 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 50,000 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 involved in writing a play and reveal a budding creative talent that deserves congratulations! For more information, or to submit a play, please click here.
Subscriptions are available for the 2018/2019 School Year - SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Students can participate in the full three-show WRITE A PLAY Program for $15 per student.
Our Secondary WRITE A PLAY Writing Workshop Tour is also booking for the 2018/2019 school year. One Day residencies at your school start at just $450!
To SUBSCRIBE or book the Secondary tour please contact Hannah Bagnall, Education and Outreach Associate at (941) 366-9797 or by email at [email protected].
Subscription Package:
Peter Pan (at FST)
Begins October 9, 2018
Begin the series with a fresh look at the timeless classic. Join Peter on his adventures to Neverland, a magical island where there are no parents, no chores, and fairies and pirates rule! Introduce your students to Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, a horde of mischievous Lost Boys, Nana the dog, and - last but not least - a very hungry, ticking crocodile. This new and exciting adaptation of this classic story celebrates imagination and storytelling.
Imagination Rocks
Begins October 16, 2018
Take the next step in the series with a play that will inspire your students to write plays of their own! In this interactive theatrical experience your students will learn the ingredients of a play and see a brand new play created with their ideas right before their eyes. More than just a performance, this show comes with up to eight in class workshops to get your students writing. All students are encouraged to submit their plays for FST's 2019 Young Playwright's Festival to be considered for a professional production in the spring.
A Beary Big Adventure & Other Winning Plays
Begins March 25, 2019
Finally your students will see the winning plays from FST's 2019 Young Playwright's Festival. Performed by a cast of professional actors, the show includes authentic stories from the minds of your children that will contain laughter, lessons, and learning for us all.
Add Onto Your Subscription!
Experience these exciting plays here at FST, or let us take the magic of theatre on tour to your school!
Snow White (On Tour)
Begins October 1, 2018
A fresh look at the timeless story that stars a beautiful princess, her evil queen, a huntsman, one magic mirror, and the legendary seven dwarfs - all told by TWO ACTORS! This creative adventure brings to life a fairytale world before your very eyes with the inspiring creativity and dynamic theatricality you've come to expect from Florida Studio Theatre.
Deck The Halls : Home For The Holidays
Begins November 25, 2017
A brand new rendition of everything that makes the holidays in Sarasota special. With all new songs and sketches, audiences should get ready to celebrate the holidays – Florida style - palm trees with decorations, swimming in the sea, sand snowmen, and more. 'Tis the season to deck the palms and join in on the fun at this interactive family show.
Available at FST or on tour to your school!
“An outstanding job of providing REAL integration of the arts with the classroom.
Thank you for being my partner in education!” - Sue Rowe, Phillipi Shores Elementary School
FLORIDA STANDARD FULFILLMENTS
- Language Arts
- Prewriting
- Drafting
- Revising
- Editing for Language
- Conventions
- Publishing Creative Writing
- Listening & Speaking
- Theatre Arts
- Creation & Communication
WRITE A PLAY Awards
2013 | Be More… Knowledgeable Award from WEDU
2008 | National Endowment for the Arts: Statewide Touring
2004 | National Endowment for the Arts: Statewide Touring
2001 | National Endowment for the Arts: In-School Programming
1999 | National Endowment for the Arts: “Under Six” Program
1997 | Golden Gavel Youth Program Award from Sarasota Herald-Tribune
History of WRITE A PLAY
In 1991, FST launched the WRITE A PLAY Program as an arts-in-education initiative designed to inspire youth to write plays. Students are encouraged to write from their own point of view and in doing so they create a diverse group of plays such as No War Can Tear Our Love Apart, a touching tale of the love between a girl and her father leaving for active duty, and The Adventure of Captain Captain, an entertaining story about thwarting evil, saving the day, and not judging a book by its cover. They tell about relationships, lessons they’ve learned, and how sometimes the world is a very big place. Initiated with the support of the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts Challenge Funds, the WRITE A PLAY program now impacts over 50,000 attendees each year throughout the United States, Israel, Russia, and Scotland, and continues to inspire them to open their minds and imaginations.
Click here to watch the PBS Documentary about WAP.
The Benefit of an Arts Education
Click here to read a bulletin from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Read about the benefits of theatre for the young
This NY Times blog post asks children how the arts has changed their lives
Learn about the impact of children's theatre
SUBSCRIBE NOW! Students can participate in the full three-show WRITE A PLAY Program for $15 per student.
For more information and to become a WRITE A PLAY subscriber contact Hannah Bagnall, Education and Outreach Associate at (941) 366-9797 or [email protected].
Subscription Package:
Peter Pan (at FST)
Begins October 9, 2018
Begin the series with a fresh look at the timeless classic. Join Peter on his adventures to Neverland, a magical island where there are no parents, no chores, and fairies and pirates rule! Introduce your students to Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, a horde of mischievous Lost Boys, Nana the dog, and - last but not least - a very hungry, ticking crocodile. This new and exciting adaptation of this classic story celebrates imagination and storytelling.
Imagination Rocks
Begins October 16, 2018
Take the next step in the series with a play that will inspire your students to write plays of their own! In this interactive theatrical experience your students will learn the ingredients of a play and see a brand new play created with their ideas right before their eyes. More than just a performance, this show comes with up to eight in class workshops to get your students writing. All students are encouraged to submit their plays for FST's 2019 Young Playwright's Festival to be considered for a professional production in the spring.
A Beary Big Adventure and Other Winning Plays
Begins March 25, 2019
Wise, heartfelt, and often hilarious this anthology of award-winning short plays highlights the most creative and imaginative writing from Elementary school students. Performed by a cast of professional actors, these authentic stories from the minds of children contain laughter, lessons, and learning for us all.
Add Onto Your Subscription!
Snow White (On Tour)
Begins October 1, 2018
A fresh look at the timeless story that stars a beautiful princess, her evil queen, a huntsman, one magic mirror, and the legendary seven dwarfs - all told by TWO ACTORS! This creative adventure brings to life a fairytale world before your very eyes with the inspiring creativity and dynamic theatricality you've come to expect from Florida Studio Theatre.
Deck The Halls: Home For The Holidays
Begins November 24, 2018
A brand new rendition of everything that makes the holidays in Sarasota special. With all new songs and sketches, audiences should get ready to celebrate the holidays – Florida style - palm trees with decorations, swimming in the sea, sand snowmen, and more. 'Tis the season to deck the palms and join in on the fun at this interactive family show.
If you cannot come to us, we can bring the magic of live theatre to your school. All productions are available to tour.
DYNAMIC WORKSHOPS ON TOUR
FST offers in-class workshops as a one-day, three-day, or week-long residency. Our professional teaching artists 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 and sketches 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.
For available packages, scroll down. To purchase a residency or package please contact Hannah Bagnall, Education and Outreach Associate, at (941) 366-9797 or by email at [email protected].
Historically Speaking - NEW!
This special three-day classroom experience explores the past and the present through a theatrical lens.
Day 1 - Staging History (Available January-March 2019) Join FST as we bring some of history's most memorable and meaningful moments to life - right in your own classroom. Performed by a cast of professional actors, this show will dramatize the human truth behind some of history's most riveting stories
Day 2 - Writing History (Available January-March 2019) Students will engage in a playwriting workshop, giving them the tools and techniques to write about their own personal histories. All students are encouraged to submit their writing to FST's Annual Young Playwright's Festival playwriting competition to be considered for a professional production in Spring 2019.
Day 3 - Making History (Available May 2019) Students will see the performance of winning plays as a part of FST's Young Playwright's Festival. Performances are offered in your classroom or as a special field trip at FST. This anthology of plays showcases some of the most inspiring and creative pieces written by middle and high school students from around the globe.
Playwriting 101
This workshop is the cornerstone of Florida Studio Theatre’s WRITE A PLAY program. Using proven theatrical methodology FST teaching artists will guide students to write plays of their own. Workshops focus on the 4 elements of a play: Characters, Setting, Problem, and Dialogue and the importance of truth on stage and on the page.
Finding Your Voice
Students will explore their own thoughts and ideas through the lens of spoken word poetry. Using rhythm, rhyme and storytelling exercises your
students will learn how express their voice as a writer. Classroom themes and topics can easily be intertwined into this unique learning experience
blending language arts and theatre into one.
Improv for Life
Using engaging Improvisational games, Improv For Life will help your students grow in Public Speaking, Creative Collaboration & Teamwork, Leadership, Listening and Recieving, and Giving Constructive Feedback. A great workshop for preparing students to interview for college or a job!
Improv for STEAM
Students will learn communication and presentational skills that will help them engage their audience and be confident scientific communicators. The workshop culminates in a commercial pitch ala TV’s Shark Tank where students will inform and persuade the audience about their chosen scientific topic.
Being An Ally
An FST teaching artist works with students to get out of their digital world and back into interpersonal relationships. Students will learn through discussion, writing, and exercises how to practice empathy, listen better, and most importantly 5 practical ways they can be an ally for those around them being bullied or experiencing discrimination.
FLORIDA STANDARD FULFILLMENTS:
- Language Arts
- Prewriting
- Drafting
- Revising
- Editing for Language
- Conventions
- Publishing
- Creative Writing
- Listening & Speaking
- Theatre Arts
- Creation & Communication
AVAILABLE RESIDENCY OPTIONS
ONE DAY | $450
Students will learn the elements of the chosen subject(s). Subject offerings include: Playwriting, Spoken Word, Sketch Comedy, and Screenwriting. Teaching artists utilize improvisation and acting games with the students to explore various themes and ideas for writing. After a brainstorming session, teaching artists will assist the students in creating original plays, sketches, or poetry. For more information click here.
THREE DAY | $999
- DAY ONE: Introduction to the elements of the chosen subject, improvisation and acting games for exploration, and a brainstorming session with students to create ideas for original works.
- DAY TWO: FST teaching artists will assist the students individually or in pairs to create their original plays, sketches, or poetry pieces.
- DAY THREE: Students will work with teaching artists on final revisions for their piece. Once complete, all students will participate in an in-class reading of the sketches and plays. The subject of Spoken Word will have an in-class poetry slam.
ONE WEEK | $1499
- DAY ONE: Introduction to the elements of the chosen subject, improvisation and acting games for exploration, and a brainstorming session with students to create ideas for original works.
- DAY TWO: FST teaching artists will assist the students individually or in pairs to create their original plays, sketches, or poetry pieces.
- DAY THREE: Students will continue to write and revise their pieces with the assistance of FST Teaching Artists and fellow students.
- DAY FOUR: Students will cast and rehearse their plays and sketches. Spoken Word will explore variations of the way their pieces are read in differing styles of Spoken Word Poetry.
- DAY FIVE: Students will perform their work in the classroom for their fellow students and invited guests.
All workshops are one hour long. However, when a residency is purchased, FST teaching artists are present at the school for one full day. They can teach up to 5 one hour workshops in one day. Dependent on school schedule.