Deborah Bostock-Kelley - Page 11

Deborah Bostock-Kelley

A twice-published author, multi-time award-winning playwright, magazine writer, theatre reviewer, and newspaper journalist with 30+ years in journalism and business copywriting, Deb is not one to shy away from controversial storylines. She was a 2022 Recipient of the Gobioff Foundation Grant, a 2019 Recipient of the inaugural Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Denise Deneen award for her work in theatre, and a 2017 Recipient of Theatre Tampa Bay's Jeff Norton Dream Grant. With the grants, she produced and directed her original production, "Breast Advice," in the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival; she produced and directed (with another educator) their school shooting play, "A Necessary Conversation," at Straz's TECO Theatre with a talkback with leaders in the community with ticket sales donated to Moms Demand Action, Tampa. A Necessary Conversation won Broadway World Tampa's 2018 BEST ACTOR and BEST ACTRESS Awards. In 2020, the play was nominated for BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT OF THE DECADE. An expanded version of this bullying, mental health, and gun violence drama was showcased during the 2021 Voices of Truth Theatre Festival at Powerstories Theatre, winning CRITIC'S CHOICE and Regional Broadway World's 2022 BEST PERFORMER and BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A STREAMING PLAY.

In the summer of 2019, she reached out to social media for true stories about breasts, from shape and appreciation to size and cancer. In December, she wrote "Breast Advice," a show that workshopped to a standing-room-only audience in Powerstories Theatre and was called "The Vagina Monologues for boobs." A portion of ticket sales was donated to The Affirmations Project, which works with survivors of breast cancer and domestic abuse. The production was accepted into the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival in September 2022 and won Regional Broadway World's 2022 Runner-Up for BEST NEW PLAY OR MUSICAL.

In May 2023, a series of her plays debuted in her sold-out, standing-room-only playwright showcase weekend at Safety Harbor Art and Music Center called Tapestry: A Weekend of Socially-Conscious Storytelling. This featured "Breast Advice" and a full-length new version of her school shooting survivor's play "#NotOneMore." It was a finalist for Creative Loafing's BEST PLAYWRIGHT and a multi-nominee for Broadway World Awards: BEST ENSEMBLE: Breast Advice and #NotOneMore, BEST NEW PLAY OR MUSICAL: # NotOneMore, BEST PLAY: Breast Advice, # NotOneMore, BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Me, # NotOneMore, BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY: #NotOneMore, BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY: #NotOneMore.

In September 2023, her one-act LoveYouMore, about the bullying of a transgender girl, was accepted and performed at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival.

In 2024, #NotOneMore was accepted and will be part of the June 2024 Tampa International Fringe Festival.
www.thewriteonecreativeservices.com/original-plays

Relying solely on word-of-mouth client testimonials, since 2005, Deb has successfully operated the WriteOne Creative Services, a PR, copywriting, graphic, and web design business that offers a larger agency's talent and design/print capabilities without the overhead expense.

Life Amplified, a variety showcase for grassroots charities and the philanthropic side of Deb's writing and design company, celebrates its 10th year in 2024. Deb and Life Amplified have been honored by Bay News 9 Everyday Hero in February 2016 and Fox13 Hometown Heroes in May 2014. With 100% venue donation and talented volunteer performers, Life Amplified has helped fundraise and raise awareness about human trafficking, PSTD, military sexual trauma, bullying, sexual violence prevention, and LGBTQ issues. It has been on hiatus since the pandemic, but is back on September  28, 2024, with an affirming musical spectacular prom aptly called Life Amplified SPECTACULAR at Carrollwood Cultural Center's The Studio, benefitting PFLAG Safety Harbor. www.lifeamplifiedshowcase.com

Like so many she knows, she is an invisible illness warrior. Deb lives her busy life to show others that you can thrive and not have to be your diagnosis.




LEARN MORE ABOUT Deborah Bostock-Kelley

First Show:

Our Town

Favorite Show:

Come From Away

Favorite Stories:



BWW Previews: JERSEY BOYS HAS LOCAL ROOTS WITH ACTRESS AMY WEAVER  at Straz Center For The Performing Arts
BWW Previews: JERSEY BOYS HAS LOCAL ROOTS WITH ACTRESS AMY WEAVER at Straz Center For The Performing Arts
March 12, 2020

Featuring beloved hits like a?oeSherry,a?? a?oeBig Girls Don't Cry,a?? a?oeWalk Like A Man,a?? a?oeCan't Take My Eyes Off Youa?? and a?oeDecember 1963 (Oh What A Night),a?? Jersey Boys tells the story of the trials and tribulations of the quartet. The audience will learn how they went from being The Four Seasons to being a solo artist of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

BWW Previews: LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT HAS WORLD PREMIERE OF THE PEOPLE DOWNSTAIRS  at American Stage
BWW Previews: LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT HAS WORLD PREMIERE OF THE PEOPLE DOWNSTAIRS at American Stage
March 9, 2020

Opening on March 13 and running through April 5 at American Stage, the world premiere of The People Downstairs tells the story of Mabel, a lonely, middle-aged shut-in, a visually-impaired woman who lives with her funeral home custodian father, Miles in Buffalo, NY. When a court-appointed guardian threatens to put them in a nursing home, Miles sets out to find true love for his daughter.

BWW Review: Playwright Pens Incredible New Musical Genre, Steampop With MELINA: A STEAMPUNK MUSICAL TR at Carrollwood Cultural Center The Studio
BWW Review: Playwright Pens Incredible New Musical Genre, Steampop With MELINA: A STEAMPUNK MUSICAL TR at Carrollwood Cultural Center The Studio
March 8, 2020

Melina: A Steampunk Musical is a dash of Shakespeare, a dollop of Jules Verne, a pinch of Sherlock Holmes, a smidgen of Phantom of the Opera, and a splash of Greek tragedy mixed with an utterly original pop opera. It is something that you'll definitely want to support to get to future theatre festivals, and way beyond staged readings to a real set and props, lighting and sound, to fully realize this incredible Steampunk/Steampop vision inside of Gretchen's head.

BWW Previews: ONE NIGHT ONLY, TWELVE ACTRESSES GETS REAL ABOUT VAGINAS IN V-DAY ST. PETE 2020 BENEFIT PERFORMANCE  at NOVA 535
BWW Previews: ONE NIGHT ONLY, TWELVE ACTRESSES GETS REAL ABOUT VAGINAS IN V-DAY ST. PETE 2020 BENEFIT PERFORMANCE at NOVA 535
March 6, 2020

a?oePowerful. Raw. Real.a?? Producer, director, and actress Samantha Stevens described the upcoming production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues tonight. In celebration of VDAY St. Pete 2020, for one night only, on March 3, at the event space NOVA 535, a dozen talented women will be talking, laughing, shouting, and sobbing about something frequently whispered in hushed tones.

BWW Previews: FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, COLLAGE: A CABARET BRING GENERATIONS TO STAGE  at Plant High School
BWW Previews: FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, COLLAGE: A CABARET BRING GENERATIONS TO STAGE at Plant High School
March 2, 2020

Featuring the professional talents of Scott Daniel, Dan Franke, Georgia Mallory Guy, Colleen Cherry, Kara Sotakoun, Ryan Bernier, Kristin Carbone, Michael St. John and Young Artists Ensemble members Caroline Howard, Jamesyn Horton, Emily Stephens, Kate Shamblin, Jake Perez, Nikala Hale, Blase Roque, Collage also showcases over 20 students of HB Plant High School Theatre Company.

BWW Previews: SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL SHIMMIES BACK into Jaeb Theatre At Straz Center For The Performing Arts
BWW Previews: SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL SHIMMIES BACK into Jaeb Theatre At Straz Center For The Performing Arts
February 25, 2020

Returning August 17 is Shout! The Mod Musical at Straz Center's Jaeb Theatre. Shout! The Mod Musical is a nostalgic and fun jukebox musical revue into the subculture of 60s London that helped define a decade, showcasing many of the iconic songs that captivated the UK and the US.

BWW Review: WORKING WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL OF THE WORKING CLASS  at Powerstories Theatre
BWW Review: WORKING WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL OF THE WORKING CLASS at Powerstories Theatre
February 21, 2020

With stage direction and an ensemble that was nothing short of perfection, a live band that complimented and didn't overpower the vocals, costumes, choreography, sound and lighting and a set that, despite being in a small area, felt huge, this was a spectacular start to the professional theatre's 20th year of providing true stories to their audiences. Based on the book by Studs Terkel, Working A Musical wasn't your typical musical. There was no actual plot, no rising action, no twist, no denouement. It was organized in a way that one scene made an easy transition into the next, being directly related to what the earlier character had said. It was a wonderful series of vignettes and songs that gave us a behind-the-scenes close-up look at the person behind the job.

BWW Review: RUMORS Leaves Audience in Stitches at Hat Trick Theatre
BWW Review: RUMORS Leaves Audience in Stitches at Hat Trick Theatre
February 15, 2020

a?oeRumorsa?? offers palpable, infectious energy of its ensemble cast. Never a dull moment, the fast-paced, witty dialogue paired with the constant movement of the cast is executed flawlessly. The speed and flow of the conversations didn't give us, the audience, even a moment to recover before another insane zinger flew. You don't have time to laugh at one before they spout out a dozen more.

BWW Previews: TICKLE YOUR FUNNYBONE WITH FARCE OF NATURE  at Plant City Entertainment
BWW Previews: TICKLE YOUR FUNNYBONE WITH FARCE OF NATURE at Plant City Entertainment
February 13, 2020

Farce of Nature tells the tale of a single crazy day in the life of an Arkansas family, the Wilburns. While trying to find the source of a putrid smell, chaos ensues. The cast features three married couples.

BWW Previews: DISNEY'S THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS! Comes to  Straz Center For The Performing Arts' TECO Theatre
BWW Previews: DISNEY'S THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS! Comes to Straz Center For The Performing Arts' TECO Theatre
February 7, 2020

Directed by Jamie Lynn Gilliam, on February 13-16, The Straz Center's Patel Conservatory will present The Jungle Book, Kids! in the TECO Theatre. Featuring 33 children, from second to fifth grade, the thirty-minute musical performance is geared to the younger set, though everyone can enjoy the story of Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo, and the ferocious Shere Khan and all their jungle friends. Even the forest comes alive in this Disney tale.

BWW Previews: INAUGURAL MUSICAL, WORKING, A MUSICAL DEBUTS TO CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY at Powerstories Theatre
BWW Previews: INAUGURAL MUSICAL, WORKING, A MUSICAL DEBUTS TO CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY at Powerstories Theatre
February 3, 2020

To commemorate their 20th year in the Tampa Bay community bringing new, authentic and often original stories based in truth, Powerstories Theatre is switching it up in 2020 with its first Broadway musical opening February 20. In a series of monologues and songs, Working A Musical tells the relatable story of working-class men and women and compels the audience to look at the person behind the job. Based on Studs Terkel's best-selling book of interviews with American workers, Working A Musical is a vibrant depiction of the workers often taken for granted. The homemaker, the schoolteacher, the waitress, the millworker, the mason, the trucker are just a few of the voices represented.

BWW Previews: MARK CORDES, THE SPOUSE WHISPERER, at Jaeb Theatre At Straz Center For The Performing Arts
BWW Previews: MARK CORDES, THE SPOUSE WHISPERER, at Jaeb Theatre At Straz Center For The Performing Arts
January 24, 2020

The title of his one-man show, The Spouse Whisperer, was a playful jab at the reality TV shows with whisperer in the title. a?oeIf they can go around and tell how to make dogs and horses better than I'm going to be the spouse whisperer. Everybody gets the title.a?? Mark said that The Spouse Whisperer was all humor-driven with some scientific information thrown in, so it had some basis in fact. It's also interactive. From 18 to senior citizens, everyone can find something to relate to. The audience is given cards upon entering the show and asked to write questions and comments that he will respond to in the second half of the performance. He noted that no matter the corner of the country, the concerns about relationships were surprisingly universal.

BWW Previews: FLORIDA DRAMA KIDS BRINGS FROZEN JR  to HCC Brandon Campus Theatre
BWW Previews: FLORIDA DRAMA KIDS BRINGS FROZEN JR to HCC Brandon Campus Theatre
January 23, 2020

Under the production of owner Faith Clark and co-direction of Jake Indano and Dulcie Mishkin, on January 25 & 26, Florida Drama Kids will bring to stage 56 students, ages 6-17 in Disney's Frozen Jr. at Hillsborough Community College, Brandon campus.

BWW Previews: MUSICAL VARIETY SHOWCASE FUNDRAISER FRAGMENTATION - ONE NIGHT ONLY - DEBUTS FOR Vivid Theatre Productions
BWW Previews: MUSICAL VARIETY SHOWCASE FUNDRAISER FRAGMENTATION - ONE NIGHT ONLY - DEBUTS FOR Vivid Theatre Productions
January 23, 2020

A traveling professional theatre company, Vivid Theatre Productions founder Drew Eberhard is excited to debut his second musical cabaret, a show called Fragmentation: Moving from Captivity to Liberation, a fundraiser for his first season. One night only, Sunday, January 26 at Villagio Cinemas, it features some of the best voices in Tampa Bay.

BWW Review: A Great Girls Night Was Had By All at Jaeb Theatre At Straz Center For The Performing Arts
BWW Review: A Great Girls Night Was Had By All at Jaeb Theatre At Straz Center For The Performing Arts
January 19, 2020

Last night was girl's night at Jaeb Theater. A couple hundred ladies (and a few of their poor ill-prepared boyfriends and husbands) and I shared in the engagement party of Sharon's daughter Candy Rose. Though we never actually met Candy Rose, like a real ladies' night, there was booze, dancing, karaoke and a walk down memory lane.

BWW Previews: Skeleton Crew Tells Story Of Detroit's Auto Plant Workers During Recession  At American Stage
BWW Previews: Skeleton Crew Tells Story Of Detroit's Auto Plant Workers During Recession At American Stage
January 19, 2020

Funny, electric, and heart-breaking are three words director L. Peter Callender used to describe the debut of Dominique Morriseau's Skeleton Crew at American Stage January 22 a?' February 23.

BWW Previews: CURRENT AND FUTURE BALLET STARS PERFORM TOGETHER IN STARS OF TODAY MEET THE STARS OF TOMORROW GALA  at Straz Center For The Performing Arts
BWW Previews: CURRENT AND FUTURE BALLET STARS PERFORM TOGETHER IN STARS OF TODAY MEET THE STARS OF TOMORROW GALA at Straz Center For The Performing Arts
January 13, 2020

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the world's largest ballet student scholarship competition and global dance network a?" is kicking off its 21st season with the Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala performance, on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at 8 p.m. in Ferguson Hall, as a co-presentation with the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

BWW Previews: WINTER CABARET SHOWCASES PATEL STUDENTS AND FACULTY  at Straz Center For The Performing Arts' TECO Theatre
BWW Previews: WINTER CABARET SHOWCASES PATEL STUDENTS AND FACULTY at Straz Center For The Performing Arts' TECO Theatre
January 10, 2020

Performed by Patel Conservatory students, grade 7-adult and several faculty, the Patel Conservatory will present a a?oeWinter Cabareta?? on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m., in the TECO Theater. The show will feature renditions of solo, duet and small group musical theater favorites with Patel faculty performing a comical a?oeOverdone Audition Song.a??

BWW Previews: INNOVOCATIVE THEATRE BRINGS A SHAYNA MAIDEL, STORY OF FAMILY REUNITING AFTER HOLOCAUST  to Stageworks Theatre
BWW Previews: INNOVOCATIVE THEATRE BRINGS A SHAYNA MAIDEL, STORY OF FAMILY REUNITING AFTER HOLOCAUST to Stageworks Theatre
January 8, 2020

In a country wrought with divisiveness, Innovocative Theatre is bringing A Shayna Maidel by Barbara Lebow to stage at Stageworks on January 10 a?' 19. Directed by Staci Sabarsky, starring Larry Corwin, Kristina Kourkoulos, Kayla Witoshynsky, Thomas Brown, Michele McCarty, and Sunshine Hughes, A Shayna Maidel is a tale of a Jewish family picking up the pieces of their lives and coming together, despite each person having traveled a different life path to be reunited after World War II in 1946.

BWW Previews: THIRTY PATEL CONSERVATORY STUDENTS BRING WHITE CHRISTMAS  at Straz Center For The Performing Arts
BWW Previews: THIRTY PATEL CONSERVATORY STUDENTS BRING WHITE CHRISTMAS at Straz Center For The Performing Arts
December 17, 2019

Coming to Straz Performing Arts Center, under the expert direction of Suzanne Livesay, Vice President of Education, 30 seventh through twelfth graders, Mackenzie Prince, Aaron Graham, Wren Livesay, Isabella Ferber, Will Wallace, Alondra Rios, Victoria Huerta, Quinten Hall, Ericca Leyva, Emily Patrick, Ryan Pope, Tristan Horta, Hathaway Miller, Dawson Snyder, Emma Oros, Emma Iannuzzi, Ben Avriett, Asia Folsch, Mara Gamson, Jazmine Jackson, Ben Avriett, Kennedie Clinton, Alexandra DeRousie, Asia Folsch, Mara Gamson, Brilee Gold, Emmerson Grabill, Quinten Hall, Tristan Horta, Jazmine Jackson, Ericca Leyva, Hathaway Miller, Jadon Milne, Samantha Money, Emma Oros, Sofia Oros, Emily Patrick, Ryan Pope, Zoe Priolo, Gabe Russe, Dawson Snyder, and Caroline Williamson star in the beloved classic story White Christmas on December 20.



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