Studio Theatre history

1983 | FST produces its first week-long New Play Festival.

1985 | FST completes payment on its historic home in the Woman's Club Building.

» FST established an education department for area school children in 1982. Its Write a Play program, launched in 1991, in which teams of actors visit schools and encourage students to write plays, reaches more than 50,000 children throughout the state and culminates in live performances each spring.

» In 1992, FST expanded and launched summer seasons.

1993 | FST inaugurates the Young Playwrights Festival and the Florida Playwrights Festival as part of its New Play Program.

1994 | FST receives NEA Challenge Grant to expand WRITE A PLAY throughout the Southeastern United States.

1995 | FST opens the doors to its 8000 square foot support facility.

1997 | FST purchases an 8,000 square foot office building adjacent to the theatre.

1998 | On the verge of our 25th anniversary, nearly 200,000 adults and children are touched by FST's programs.

1999 | The high octane musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe, celebrating the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, opens the FST 1999 season.

2000 | FST begins renovation on the new Annex.

2001 | FST begins restoration of the historic Woman's Club Mainstage building at a cost of $1.2 million.

2003 | FST completes renovations on the historic Women's Club building.

2006 | FST continues to broaden its horizons with bold new productions of contemporary plays, starting off with Ethel Waters: His Eye is on the Sparrow.

Following the death of founding Artistic Director Curt Dempster in January 2007, ensemble artist William Carden was appointed Artistic Director in April of that year and has led the company and ensemble since.

In 2009 EST was ranked #2 nationally (after Actors Theatre of Louisville) and #1 in New York as a leading play producer in a survey of notable new and experienced playwrights, in the TDF landmark publication Outrageous Fortune by Todd London and Ben Pesner.

2011 | FST received wild acclaim from its production of David Mamet's Race, while also debuting an online blog conversation and several community forums that engaged leaders and officials on the subject of race.

In 2012 the EST/Youngblood Program was awarded a Village Voice Obie, the Ross Wetzeon Award, and EST actor member Steven Boyer also was recognized with an Obie for his outstanding performance in Hand to God.

2013 | The John C. Court Cabaret opens and the Cabaret audience grows by 20%.