Deborah Bostock-Kelley - Page 3

Women of Resistance at New Tampa Performing Arts Center is stirring, urgent, and unforgettable, blending history and artistry in a way that stays with you.

ThinkTank Theatre and Tampa Fringe bring H*tler’s Tasters to the Tampa Fringe Blackbox Theatre in Ybor. The dark comedy follows four teenage girls forced to taste Hitler’s meals, blending the terror of survival with the rituals of girlhood. The intimate staging places audiences inches from the table as the cast navigates humor, fear, loyalty, and the shifting power dynamics of growing up under war.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical brings its explosive sparkle and emotional fire to Ruth Eckerd Hall, led by Amara Berhan as Arabia, one of the powerhouse Lady Ms who ignite the show from the first moment.

Carrollwood Cultural Center ushers in spring with a vivid, soul‑stirring revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. This production leans into the heartbeat of the story- the love, fear, devotion, and fracture between Jesus, Judas, and Mary. The result is a rock opera that feels both timeless and urgently human, inviting audiences into the final days of Jesus’s life.

An all‑women Julius Caesar arrives at The Studio@620, reimagining Shakespeare’s political thriller inside the modern corporate world. Adapted by Roxanne Fay and directed by Kristin Clippard, the production examines how ambition, persuasion, and fear shape the pursuit of power when women step into roles historically-written for men. With a cast of leading Tampa Bay artists interrogating the language and emotional stakes of the play, this contemporary staging brings renewed urgency to questions of leadership, loyalty, and the ease with which public opinion can be swayed.

The teens at Metropolitan Ministries have spent the winter shaping an original play that blends humor, heart, and the boldness of their own voices, guided by Straz Center teaching artists Erin Lekovic and Annalise Drab.

A vivid multimedia tribute honoring Hedy Lamarr, Josephine Baker, Nancy Wake, Noor Inayat Khan, Andrée Peel, Lee Miller, and Virginia Hall through contemporary dance, original music, and striking visual art in a powerful celebration of seven remarkable women of the WWII Resistance.

Powerstories Theatre’s 6th Annual Voices of Women Theatre Festival returns March 5–8, 2026, showcasing powerful new work by women playwrights. Audiences will experience three evenings of full‑length staged readings in the General and Women Playwrights Over 40 categories, plus a night of bold ten‑minute plays by local writers. The festival also features Seek and Speak Your Powerstory presentations.

Patel Conservatory’s Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS invites families into a whimsical world of candy-colored adventure as Charlie Bucket tours Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. Featuring young performers ages seven to eleven, the production blends beloved songs from the classic 1971 film with new musical surprises, delivering a joyful, imaginative journey filled with humor, heart, and the magic of possibility.

At a time when art and identity feel increasingly intertwined with public debate, Stageworks Theatre turns to a story that asks what it truly costs to follow one’s calling. My Name Is Asher Lev traces the journey of a young painter torn between devotion to his faith and devotion to his craft, a conflict as intimate as it is universal.

Created by the Emmy®-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, &Juliet at the Straz was a witty burst of female power, driven by knockout vocals. Anne’s challenge to Shakespeare to imagine a stronger woman set the whole story in motion. Though even with strong performances from the men, this show belonged to the women, and that felt exactly right for this moment.

Riverdance 30 – The New Generation arrives at Ruth Eckerd Hall on February 3 and 4 with a revitalized anniversary production that blends the iconic power of the original show with new choreography, costumes, and stunning visual design.

Himself and Nora stars Robert Teasdale as celebrated author and poet James Joyce, while Katie Davis, in her freeFall debut, gives voice to Nora, whose influence on Joyce’s personal and artistic evolution cannot be overstated.

When Matthew Morrison steps onto the Murray Theatre stage on February 5, he is leaving the polish behind and inviting audiences into a performance built on truth, connection, and the joy of being fully present.

This was a technicolor circus‑concert fever dream. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a circus, a rock concert, and a neon‑soaked art installation had a baby, the answer is simple: Blue Man Group. And let me tell you — it was amazing, bright, colorful, and unapologetically LOUD in the best possible way.

Patel Conservatory’s new immersive play To the Stars, written by Cory Kennedy Barrow and brought to life by teen puppeteers and actors, invites young audiences into a universe where wishes strain the constellations and imagination becomes a shared mission. Blending tactile “moments of wonder,” heartfelt emotional beats, and student‑driven dramaturgy, the production celebrates hope, collaboration, and the power of storytelling to rekindle belief in what’s possible.

TampaRep’s upcoming production of God of Carnage promises an uncomfortably funny, sharply intimate experience under the direction of Alexis Carra, who has updated the play to 2026 and staged it in the round to heighten its immediacy. Carra calls the story “painfully current,” noting how quickly the characters’ polished civility collapses.

The high‑energy national tour of & Juliet bursts into the Straz Center, February 10 to 15, led by 18‑year‑old Fabiola Caraballo Quijada, who brings infectious joy and fire to a Juliet determined to rewrite her own ending. Packed with iconic Max Martin hits like “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Baby One More Time,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” the Emmy-winning musical flips Shakespeare on his head with humor, heart, and a heroine choosing life on her own terms.

A gripping true survival story brought to life on a towering 18-foot mountain inside Stageworks Theatre, where Joe Simpson’s fight to live unfolds with visceral intensity.

Turn the thermostat down and your expectations up. Award-winning playwright Deborah Bostock Kelley brings a razor-sharp, laugh-out-loud staged reading to town with Hot and Bothered, a one-night-only world debut at The Studio at Carrollwood Cultural Center.