THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION - Florida Premiere At Florida Studio Theatre

(Photo By Maria Lyle)

FST prepares a divine comedy to close out the Summer Season.

Closing out FST's summer season is an off-Broadway comedy you can believe in. Evan Smith's THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION gets its Florida premiere in FST's Keating Theatre, with performances beginning August 3.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org  by phone at (941) 366-9000 or by visiting the Box Office in downtown Sarasota.

THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION tells the story of two Catholic sisters whose faith is rocked after a visit from a young evangelist. To fight back, the women invite the missionary and their unsuspecting parish priest to a truly devilish dinner party, where they stage a theological showdown in this all-out questioning of faith and belief.

"It's a Dogma Eat Dogma world," said Associate Director Kate Alexander, who is directing The Savannah Disputation . "Savannah, Georgia, is a rich city, filled with idiosyncratic people who celebrate the art of rhetoric and individualism, a magical and mystical place, a crossbed of many religions. However, it is not a play about religion. This delightful comedy is about Dogma. It is about people who do not ‘think' but who espouse canned-rhetoric and think they are having a ‘dispute' of sorts, with all the dash and aplomb of people who are comfortable expressing themselves."

Hailed as "one of the best new American plays of the season" during its recent New York run, THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION is the latest from Evan Smith, a Savannah, Georgia native whose other plays include Psych, The Uneasy Chair, Servicemen, and Daughters of Genius. His TV pilot, Debs , was a part of Naked TV, produced by Fox TV/Naked Angels. Mr. Smith is a graduate of Yale Drama School and the recipient of a Whiting Award.

The cast of The Savannah Disputation features FST favorites Susan Greenhill (last seen as Shirley Valentine in Shirley Valentine ), Lisa McMillan (last seen as Mrs. Shubert in Shear Madness), and Sheffield Chastain (last seen in The 39 Steps ). Lindsey Wochley rounds out the cast in her FST debut.

Ms. Greenhill and Ms. McMillan portray the Catholic spinsters: the good-natured, sometimes susceptible Margaret and the no-nonsense, always spirited Mary (respectively). Ms. Wochley will play the door-to-door evangelical with a good heart, Melissa. And Mr. Chastain will play Father Murphy, the unsuspecting parish priest.

FST Associate Director Kate Alexander will helm the production. April Soroko, who recently designed the set and costumes for FST's RACE, will be the Set and Costume Designer for THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, with David Upton as the Lighting Designer.

The Savannah Dispuation will have preview performances on August 3 and August 4, with a press opening on Friday, August 5 at 8pm in the Keating Theatre. The play will run through Sunday, September 4. Single tickets range from $19 for previews to $29-$34.

Florida studio theatre
1241 N. Palm Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
Box Office 941.366.9000

Tickets may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person or by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

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