Sarasota’s Original Anti-Depressant

Photos by Matthew Holler and John Jones.

fst improvCAST

Jason Cannon Sarah DurhamKyle Van Frank

Matt Walker

DIRECTED BY Will LueraPRODUCED BY Rebecca Hopkins

artist profilesJASON CANNON is an Associate Artist at FST, which means he directs plays and musicals, collaborates with playwrights, teaches acting and playwriting classes, and tries to give more good advice than bad to Acting

Apprentices. Mostly, though, he trims his beard, gets walked by his dogs, and makes the best key lime pie this side of the Myakka.

SARAH DURHAM is originally from Campbellsville, Kentucky. She is the Head Writer for FST Sketch and is a member of FST Improv. Her writing has been either published or

produced in five states. Sarah studied improv and comedy writing at The Second City in Chicago. At FST, Sarah has co-written Deck the Halls: Home for the Holidays and Deck the Halls: A Holly Jolly Holiday for FST’s Children’s Theatre Series. She has also helped develop The Wonder

Years, Outlaws and Angels, and Light My Fire for FST’s Cabaret Series. She hopes to continue to write joy into people’s lives.

KYLE VAN FRANK is originally from Memphis, TN and was a member of FST’s 19-20 Acting Apprenticeship Program. He currently serves as FST’s Directing and Education Fellow where

he performs, directs, and teaches in various programs. Past FST credits include Deck the Halls: A Holly Jolly Holiday (Jolly) and Write it Out: 2019 Playmakers Tour. Other professional credits include Richard III and You Can’t Take It With You at the 61st Season of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Newsies (Crutchie), and Smoke on the Mountain (Rev. Oglethorpe). Kyle is a graduate of The University of Alabama and is a proud member of the Second Phase of the Actors Equity Association’s Membership Candidacy Program.

with Helena Rankin on Piano

artist profilesMATT WALKER has been performing and teaching improv across the country since 2010. He worked at the Nerdist Showroom at Meltdown Comics and performed at iO West, The Second City,

Upright Citizens Brigade - LA, and The Pack Theater in Los Angeles. Matt performs with various groups, including The Third Thought (Tampa, FL). Currently, he performs with FST Improv and produces shows, including The Estate Show and The Never No Show in St. Pete. To follow: @mattwindwalker and at mwwalker.net.

HELENA RANKIN (Pianist) is originally from Ithaca, NY. She has most recently worked as part of the production team for FST’s productions of Light My Fire, Bright Star, and Tomás and the Library

Lady. She has played piano since she was 5-years-old, and is very excited to be a part of FST Improv!

WILL LUERA (Director) is the Director of Improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre, Director of Big Bang Improv, and serves as the Artistic Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston. Will is Co-

Creator of Healing Moments for Alzheimer’s, a nonprofit organization that provides education advocacy and ministry for persons with dementia and their caregivers. Will tours globally as an improv and theater actor, director, and instructor, performing and teaching regularly all across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

REBECCA HOPKINS (Host/Founder/Producer) is the founder and producer of FST Improv and the Sarasota Improv Festival. She has also been actively involved in development of FST’s

Cabaret productions since her arrival in 1998. In addition to being Lead Developer for That’s Amoré! and Light My Fire, this season she was also part of the development team for Outlaws & Angels. Previously she was the Lead Developer on The Wonder Years: The Music of the Baby Boomers; Unchained Melodies; Blue Suede Shoes; Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves; Yesterday; American Pie; and Poems, Prayers, and Promises. She has been the head writer on all five Laughing Matters shows. Some of her favorite shows she helped develop include: Mack the Knife; The Prima Donnettes; That’s Life; The Wanderers; My One and Only Gershwin; Hot and Cole; The British Invasion; The Flip Side; and Outlaws and Angels. Mrs. Hopkins serves as Managing Director for Florida Studio Theatre, and as such, is the Chief Operations Officer. Mrs. Hopkins is responsible for oversight of FST’s Administration, including the Business Office, Development, Marketing, Box Office, Front of House, Restaurant, Budgeting, and maintaining the overall quality of FST’s internal management. Mrs. Hopkins serves on the Board of Directors for the League of Resident Theatres and for the Theatre Communications Group. She is the former President of the National New Play Network. In 2012, the Arts & Cultural Alliance awarded Mrs. Hopkins the Cultural Champion Award in recognition of her many years of accomplishment and growth with Florida Studio Theatre. In 2016, Mrs. Hopkins was awarded the Luminaire Award, honoring excellence in creativity, philanthropy, advocacy, and all elements that are keys to future growth of the arts in Sarasota.

941.366.9000 | floridastudiotheatre.org

FST COMPANYEDUCATION & TOURS

Director of Children’s Theatre .....................Caroline Kaiser Director of Education ...............................................Josh FordEducation Administrator .................................Pamela SmithTeaching Artist/YPF Coordinator ...................Adam Ratner Education Group Sales Assoc ......................Hannah BagnallTeaching Artist .....................................................Denee Lortz

COMMUNITY RESOURCE GROUP

AUDIENCE ENRICHMENT GROUP

OUTSIDE ASSISTANCEHouse Counsel ..............................................Michael E. Siegel.................................................................. Shutts & Bowen LLPFacility Custodian ..............Confidence Cleaning CompanyCaretaker ................................................................ Doctor Nik

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMDirecting and Education Fellow ....................Kyle Van FrankLighting Fellow ....................................................Justen ZhangLiterary Intern ...............................................Benedict BurgessLiterary Intern .....................................................Alex DrinnenLiterary Intern ...............................................Hannah ZwernerProduction Intern .......................................... Joshua WilliamsScenic Production Intern ..................................... Justin Allan Scenic Production Intern ..............................Mesha McClarySound Fellow .................................................... David SabbaghStage Management Intern ........................... Elizabeth AdamsStage Management Intern .............................. Amanda BalterStage Management Intern ...............................Henry HansonStage Management Intern .............................. Shira LebovichStage Management Intern ...............................Helena Rankin

Jan ColemanLarry ColemanShirley FeinMaddy FreshwaterCarol GilbertSy Goldblatt Jim GoldmanSandy GoldmanRobert GradyWendy GradyBonny IsraeloffValerie JoelsPatricia Kordis

Marie KroppSusan Landau

Frank MalicksonMatty Matheson

Graci McGillicuddyJill Ross

Ina SchnellAlan SchottensteinLois Schottenstein

Lois StulbergCharlie Ann Syprett

Martin Taffel

Ina SchnellCommissioner Willie

Charles ShawHoward Tevlowitz

Honorable Charles E.WilliamsRose Chapman

Hon. Larry L. EgerTrevor HarveyThe Jewish Federation of Sarasota-ManateeGilbert KingMichéle D. RedwineDr. Eddy Regnier

BOARD OF TRUSTEES President ............................................... Dennis McGillicuddyVice-President ............................................. Richard HopkinsSecretary/Treasurer ......................................Patricia Courtois Trustee ..............................................................Gaele BartholdTrustee ...............................................................Georgia CourtTrustee ................................................................Jeff HotchkissTrustee .............................................................Robert IsraeloffTrustee ..............................................................Barbara LupoffTrustee ................................................................Patrick MulvaTrustee ..................................Honorable Charles E. Williams

EXECUTIVE STAFFProducing Artistic Director ....................... Richard HopkinsManaging Director ......................................Rebecca Hopkins

ARTISTIC STAFFAssociate Director At-Large .........................Kate AlexanderCasting/Hiring Coordinator ........................... Alexa Doggett Casting Associate/Artistic Assistant ............. James Ashford Resident Pianist ..................................................... Jim ProsserAssociate Artist ................................................. Jason CannonAssociate Artist ...................................................Ellie MooneyAssociate Artist .............................................. Rachel MoultonAssociate Artist .......................................Catherine RandazzoDirector of Improvisation ......................................Will LueraAssistant to the Artistic Director .....................Doris IemoloLiterary Associate ................................................. Meg Gilbert

PRODUCTION STAFFDirector of Special Projects .................................. Bruce PriceProduction Manager ..............................................Lizzi NehlsAssistant Production Manager.............................Louis VetterTechnical Director .............................................. Roland BlackCostume Shop Manager ...........................Adrienne WebberSound Supervisor .................................................Thom KorpLighting Supervisor .................................Michael CummingsProps/Paint Supervisor .............................. Kristine KreutzerLead Carpenter .................................................. Marco Acosta

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFGeneral Manager .............................................Jill ZakrzewskiDirector of IT .................................................... Clarke Weigle Business Manager .......................................Carmen GonzalezAssociate Business Manager ........................ Orville CorderoBusiness Office Associate ................................David WallaceAsst. to the Managing Dir .............................. Sarah DurhamFacilities Manager .......................................Joseph Goepfrich Facilities Technician .............................. Mark Quackenbush Company Manager ...........................................Luke JohnsonDirector of Marketing .....................................Becca JenningsPublic Relations Associate ................................. Lydia Baxter Marketing Associate............................................. Sarah HaleyDigital Marketing Associate .................................Justin JonesDirector of Indiv. Giving ................ Melody Mora-Shihadeh Development Associate ................................Rachel MoultonDevelopment Associate .................................Matthew QuickEvents Coord./Gen. Mgmt. Asst.................................JT Priar Patron Services Manager ...................Kelsey Wehde WilsonBox Office Manager ............................................Gigi DelperoAsst. Box Office Manager ...............................Andie AntonikRestaurant Manager .............................................. Tom CurryRestaurant Manager ..........................................Karen KrasterAsst. Restaurant Manager .................................... Sara MillerAsst. Restaurant Manager .................................. Kristy PlumReceptionist/ Volunteer Coord ....................... Joan O’Dowd