Florida Studio Theatre Reveals 2026 Burdick New Play Reading Festival

Florida Studio Theatre has announced the lineup for its 2026 Burdick New Play Festival, featuring staged readings of three new works by contemporary American Playwrights. This year's Festival includes Upgradeable by Sandy Rustin, Fundraiser by Brent Askari, and Please the Court by Sharyn Rothstein. Readings will take place on April 17, April 24, and May 1 at 3PM in FST's Keating Theatre.

New play development lies at the heart of FST's mission. Festivals like this provide emerging works with a platform, live audiences, artistic collaboration, and valuable feedback, helping playwrights refine their scripts and move their plays closer to full production. To date, FST has produced 37 world premieres, many of which began in its New Play Development program.

Each playwright will travel to Sarasota for a week of rehearsals and development sessions with FST's artistic staff and guest artists. At the end of the week, the work will be presented as a script-in-hand staged reading, followed by a post-show discussion that invites audience members to share feedback and insights with the creative team.

"New play development is the engine that keeps theatre vibrant," said FST Associate Artist in charge of New Play Development, Nancy Rominger. "Every play we consider a classic today began as something simpler – often a reading just like this. These festivals are the lifeblood of the art form, where daring ideas are explored and the next generation of great plays begin.”

Audiences may recognize these playwrights from previous productions at FST. Rustin wrote The Cottage, which appeared in the Gompertz Theatre in 2019. Askari and Rothstein both had plays produced in the 2025 Stage III Series, Advice and Bad Books, respectively.

“We're thrilled to welcome Rustin, Askari, and Rothstein back to FST,” added Catherine Randazzo, FST Associate Producer. “Each of these playwrights brings a distinctive voice and having them return with new work makes this year's Festival especially exciting. Their continued relationship with FST speaks to the Festival's commitment to nurturing artists over time and giving audiences the chance to experience the evolution of their work.”