NNPN in Florida: Theatre Lab & Florida Studio Theatre

NNPN’s national impact is made possible by the extraordinary Member Theaters bringing bold, adventurous new work to communities across the country. Throughout this campaign, we’ll be spotlighting Member Theaters from our hub cities to celebrate the incredible diversity of theaters, audiences, and stories that make up our network.

Through June 30, 2026, all gifts will be matched up to $20,000 thanks to the generosity of NNPN founder David Goldman and Carol Dweck - extending the reach of every contribution in support of new plays and the theaters that champion them.

This week, we’re excited to feature two Florida-based Members: Theatre Lab (Associate) and Florida Studio Theatre (Core).

Donate & Join the Match!

Tell us a little about your theater and your role in the local arts community.

Theatre Lab: Theatre Lab is the resident professional company at Florida Atlantic University and one of the only theaters in all of Florida exclusively dedicated to new work. We begin each season with our Heckscher Theatre for Families production (new plays for audiences ages 8-108), two MainStage productions (World, US, or Regional premieres), and then close the season with our Owl New Play Festival, produced in collaboration with the Department of Theatre & Dance, featuring two full productions, developmental readings of new plays, and additional lectures & workshops on the themes and topics from the onstage work.

Having just wrapped up our 11th season, we have, to date, presented 34 full productions (20 World Premieres, more than 100 developmental readings, and served more than 15,000 students in grades 4-12 through our robust educational outreach programming.

FL Studio: Florida Studio Theatre, a LORT-D Regional theatre, has over fifty years of regional theatre history and is recognized as Sarasota’s contemporary theatre since the 1980s. New Play Development is the lifeblood of Florida Studio Theatre, with active participation in annual new play festivals, playwright commissions, collaboration grants, and producing new plays each theatrical season. Our mission is to bridge the gap between artists and audiences, ensuring that high-quality theater is within reach for everyone, regardless of background or income.9

Sarasota is about the audience connection. With FST’s mission to provide accessible and affordable theatre to as many people as possible, it’s where the elite meet the street. We offer low prices to reach as many people as possible and focus on story—the playwright’s words, the actor, and the audience interaction. Under Richard Hopkins’ artistic leadership, FST remains deeply mission-driven with a clear focus on the audience, making the theatre a cultural draw for all Sarasota residents and future residents alike. Audiences know that all are welcome and that we provide high-quality theatre at affordable prices. We are a well-kept secret to some, and in recent years a growing tourist population has discovered our unique theatrical offerings—up-close, personal contemporary theatre—while also enjoying the ability to walk to nearby arts and cultural venues for touring theatre, opera, ballet, and dance.

What makes the theater scene in your city or region unique?

Theatre Lab: South Florida is a unique theatrical community with theaters, artists, and audiences spanning more than 150 geographical miles across three counties and, yet, still feels like a well-connected and fairly small community. We are a tourism-based economy and so many of our audience members are seasonal guests to our area. Professional regional theatre only began, in earnest, in the 1970s (amazing what can happen once air conditioning becomes ubiquitous) and so we do not have the same “generational tradition” of theatre going as you might find in other areas. That being said, there is a remarkable amount of new work being created, developed, and produced in our area and, now, making its way out to the rest of the country.

FL Studio: Sarasota has a way of feeling both quietly intimate and nationally connected, and Florida Studio Theatre sits right at that intersection. In a beach town with an unusually deep appetite for new work, FST’s audiences don’t just welcome contemporary plays—they expect them. There’s a closeness here between artists, audiences, and ideas that allows bold stories to take root, evolve, and spark real conversation. It’s a place where new plays aren’t treated like experiments on the fringe, but as a vital part of the community’s cultural life.

Sarasota’s audience is as diverse as its programming. FST welcomes a mix of local residents, seasonal “snowbirds,” and international visitors who contribute to the city’s vibrant cultural atmosphere. The theater’s programming is designed to appeal to this broad audience, with performances that reflect both local interests and global themes. Our community includes families, retirees, young professionals, and children of all ages, all united by a shared appreciation for the arts.

How does your theater contribute to the development of new plays or playwrights in your area?

Theatre Lab: We are exclusively committed to new work and have been since our founding in 2015. 70% of our full productions have come directly out of our reading & development programs and other shows we’ve helped develop have gone on to literally hundreds of productions across the country. We remain invested in the work and careers of playwrights who join us for either readings or productions and frequently work with those playwrights again and again.

We frequently provide workshops, led by professional playwrights, to area writers and writer-curious attendees on the craft of playwriting. Our Future PAGES Project educational outreach program provides students in grades 4-12 the tools to craft and tell effective stories – teaching them that their voice matters and how to make sure it is heard. In another program, LabRATS, we mentor aspiring writers at the high school level – pairing them with a professional playwright to craft original short plays which receive a reading at our annual new play festival.

FL Studio: Florida Studio Theatre stands as a dynamic force in Sarasota’s local arts community, dedicated to championing new play development and fostering meaningful artistic connections. At the heart of our mission is a vibrant collective of playwrights who regularly collaborate with FST, bringing a broad spectrum of perspectives and innovative storytelling to our stage. These playwrights contribute through workshops, script readings, and full-scale productions, ensuring that our audiences experience theater that is both relevant and impactful. What makes their work distinctive is the emphasis on contemporary themes, bold narratives, and a commitment to exploring stories that resonate deeply with Sarasota’s diverse audience.

Our playwright collective’s collaborative spirit is exemplified by recent highlights, such as the Rolling World Premieres of “My Lord, What a Night!,” “Relativity,” “Advice,” “Bad Books,” “Babel,” and the upcoming RWP of “Dog Mom.” Playwrights engage with FST as Keynote Speakers during our Young Playwrights Festival, providing real world experiences of the importance of new plays in our community sparking the imaginations of young playwrights. By partnering with playwrights across the country and hosting these signature events, FST cultivates a vibrant community where artists and audiences connect through fresh theatrical experiences. These collaborations not only spark creative growth but also drive audience participation, making FST a cornerstone of innovation and accessibility in Sarasota’s arts scene.

How has being part of NNPN influenced your theater’s work or approach to new play development?

Theatre Lab: Being part of NNPN has significantly expanded our network of playwrights and new plays. No less than ten of our productions (and a vast number of readings) were scripts we were introduced to on NPX. We’ve participated in four Rolling World Premieres and, last season, one of those, The Last Yiddish Speaker, garnered a local award for Outstanding New Work. In recent seasons, we’ve been introduced to even more playwrights by the playwrights who have joined us – which lets us know that we must be doing something right if people are recommending us and our work to their colleagues.

FL Studio: As noted previously, participation in NNPN has enabled FST to expand the range of its playwright relationships, facilitating the development of new works by playwrights who are new to FST and strengthening enduring connections with established playwrights as we continue to support these plays. This initiative has cultivated engagement with emerging playwrights nationwide, granting access to writers we may not have encountered otherwise. Through membership, FST is able to foster collaboration with theatres in the Network, establish new connections, and sustain the ongoing development of both emerging and established playwrights' new works.

What is one NNPN-supported project, production, or collaboration that best represents your theater’s impact in your region?

Theatre Lab: The 2025 and 2026 Owl New Play Festivals. The festival had always been a weekend of readings until we expanded in 2025 to include full productions.

The theme of the 2025 was “Mental Health and how technology can support or damage it”. We offered the World Premiere of The Impossible Task of Today by Jeff Bower. The department presented a workshop production of The Frankenstein Project by E.M. Lewis. A third “Main Event” that year came together when we were able to offer the first production of The Happiness Gym by Ken Weitzman on its RWP journey. That production was a collaboration with the department and created with, partially designed by, and implemented using students in the Department of Theatre & Dance alongside some professionals. This collaboration expanded our involvement with the students in a significant way and had a lasting impact on the excitement for new work among the student-body.

The 2026 festival featured the World Premiere of INFERNA by Joanna Castle Miller – who I was introduced to by Deborah Zoe Laufer at the 2024 Showcase of New Plays in NY. Again, the networking was what made the network work – we produced two of Joanna’s shows in 2026 and have continued to plan work with her in 2026-27.

FL Studio: Although there are numerous examples, I recall our “Women in Playwriting” Collaboration Grant, where we featured NNPN Playwrights Lia Romeo, Sarah Bierstock, Jackie Goldfinger, and Minita Gandhi. These four talented writers captivated audiences with their distinctive narratives, shared personal victories, and demonstrated how powerful stories can transform our perspectives on one another. The collaboration also intentionally engaged local artists and creatives, uplifting their work and perspectives to enrich the development and impact of these new plays.

How does being part of a national network like NNPN strengthen the work happening locally?

Theatre Lab: Our work with NNPN has raised our national profile and that is a real point of pride among our audience and supporters. They are very excited to hear about shows, which they discovered with us, moving to other regions for successful productions.

FL Studio: Being part of a national network like NNPN allows Florida Studio Theatre—five intimate spaces within a deeply connected artistic community—to extend the life of a play well beyond Sarasota. Through resources like the Rolling World Premiere program and the continued expansion of the New Play Exchange, NNPN strengthens our ability to discover plays, connect with playwrights, and build lasting artistic relationships across the country. That national connection supports what we do locally: it deepens collaboration, brings greater context to the work on our stages, and ensures that new plays continue to grow, travel, and engage audiences long after closing night—far beyond our sun‑drenched city.

If you could share one message about your theater and your region’s creative community with NNPN supporters and donors, what would it be?

Theatre Lab: Go see, support, and enjoy new plays.

FL Studio: Florida Studio Theatre and Sarasota offer a rare range of artistic experiences, made possible by the strength of our assets: five intimate theatres, a committed staff, and artists who return again and again to create new works, engage with donors, and access new opportunities. Our greatest resource, however, is our audience. Their curiosity, loyalty, and willingness to engage deeply with new work create an environment where artists feel supported, and storytelling can take real risks. That shared investment—between audiences, artists, and the people who make the theatre run every day—is what continues to sustain and define Sarasota’s creative community.

Theatre Lab