FST Announces The 2nd Annual Sarasota Improv Festival 7/16-17

Florida Studio Theatre announces the 2010 Sarasota Improv Festival. A two-day event, July 16th and 17th , the festival will highlight great improvisation companies from across the state of Florida and throughout the United States.

The festival will also feature workshops, such as Improv For Dummies, Talking Heads Anonymous, Interactive Improv and more. Each workshop will be taught by the professional Improvisers attending the festival. From Miami to Chicago this is a must see event for anyone with a funny bone! "We were thrilled with the response to the inaugural festival last year. It was 48 hours of non-stop lunacy.

People would come for one show and stay for the whole weekend," says Rebecca Langford, FST's Managing Director and Director of the FST Improv Program, "We are looking forward to the second edition as we bring together a diverse group of comedic talents." Audiences will recognize a few of the groups on the schedule. Available Cupholders (Austin, TX), Dad's Garage (Atlanta, GA), and SAK Comedy(Orlando, FL) are all returning for another go around. "These three groups were audience favorites from last year. " says Langford. New to festival are Dominuzuelan (Chicago, IL), Just the Funny (Miami, FL), The Dumb Show (St. Pete, FL), The Jester Theatre (Orlando, FL), and Boston Improv (Boston, MA). 

"We have a strong showing from around Florida," says Langford "After word of the first festival got out we received submissions from all over the state. Improv comedy is very strong in our state (probably because there is so much material to work with) and we are bringing in some of the best." Joining the hi-jinks will be Sarasota's Lazy Fairy.

And of course, all three of FST's comedy teams - FST Improv, Vintage Whine (the country's only Senior Improv Troupe) and Kid's Komedy Club, will be on hand to host the mayhem. Each group will perform a 40 minute set over the course of the weekend. "From shows to workshops there will be something for everyone," says Langford. "With over 40 performers it promises to be a fantastic weekend. Unless you don't like to laugh in which case you might want to get that checked."

FST's Improv program has a history of rapid growth: from its humble beginnings in 2001, as a weekly class that served five students, within two years Improv opened its first performance season - which promptly sold out. Since that time, the program has grown into an annual event, running through part of FST's winter season (from February through April), and then throughout the entire summerseason (June through September). FST Improv has attracted young Gulf Coast audiences, spawning a youth arts culture that includes other improv troupes, performance groups, and an arts e-magazine that keeps young Sarasotans connected to arts events.

This is a program that is ripe for expansion; currently FST Improv plays to sold out audiences each week, doling out equal parts fun and social commentary in short, comic sketches, a form of theatre that shares the sameGreek roots as classical theatre. The Sarasota Improv Festival is a two day event taking place July 16th and 17th at the Goldstein Cabaret. Please see the attached full schedule. Weekend passes are available at $49.00. Friday only and Saturday only passes are available at $29.00.

Individual Tickets are $10 per person (Kids Komedy Cabaret are $6.00 and includes lunch and FST's Vintage Whine are $5.00) and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person by phone (941) 366-9000 or online www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org. Advanced purchase of tickets is recommended. Florida Studio Theatre is grateful to the Sarasota Improv Festival Sponsors; Anything Arts, the Florida Arts Council, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Hotel Indigo, Herald-Tribune Media Group, Hotel Ranola, Marriott, Northern Trust, Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues, SNN News 6, SRQ Media Group, Spotlight Graphics, and Yummy Stuff.

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building - now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting Contemporary Theatre in its three theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret and its newest space, the Gompertz Theatre.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

2010 Sarasota Improv Festival Performance Schedule July 16-17, 2010 Goldstein Cabaret

Tickets: $10 Individual $29 Evening Pass $49 Weekend Pass (All Access show pass) Workshops $29 Friday, July 16, 20106:00 pm - FST Improv Opens the two days of laughs (Sarasota) 7:00 pm - The Jester Theatre (Orlando)8:00 pm - Available Cupholders (Austin)9:00 pm -The Dumb Show (St. Petersburg)10:00 pm - Dad's Garage (Atlanta)Saturday, July 17. 201011:00 am - FST's Kids Komedy Cabaret (Sarasota) 11:00 am - Workshop - Improv For Dummies (FST Improv) 11:00 am - Workshop - Talking Heads Anonymous (Dominizuelan)1 pm - Workshop - Interactive Improv with Jeff Wirth3 pm - Workshop - Direct Feedback Boot Camp (Available Cupholders)5:00 pm - FST's Vintage Whine (Sarasota)6:00 pm -Just the Funny (Miami) 7:00 pm -Improv Boston (Boston)
8:00 pm - SAK (Orlando) 9:00 pm - Dominzuelan (Chicago)10:00 pm - Available Cupholders (Austin)11:00 pm - Lazy Fairy (Sarasota) 11:40 pm - Improv Jam