Florida Studio Theatre's WRITE A PLAY Program Returns For 35th Year

For the 35th year, Florida Studio Theatre will bring its award-winning WRITE A PLAY program to schools across Florida, inspiring students to imagine bold new worlds, give voice to their ideas, and write their own original plays. This year, FST continues to expand its reach, building on partnerships with Sarasota, Manatee, and Broward County schools while welcoming new classrooms into this one-of-a-kind program.

WRITE A PLAY is a three-part initiative that connects with students and educators multiple times throughout the school year. The journey begins with a professional production at FST. This year, the experience begins with Peter Pan, adapted by Caroline Saldivar and Ben Liebert from James Matthew Barrie's timeless classic. Students attend as a field trip or see it as part of FST's Children's Theatre Series, sparking their imaginations from the start.

”WRITE A PLAY gives students the unique opportunity to not only experience the excitement of live theatre, but also to step into the role of playwright themselves,” said Caroline Saldivar, FST's Director of Children's Theatre. “When children create their own plays, their imaginations take center stage. It's a joyful reminder that every student has a story worth sharing.”

The program's second phase brings the Playmakers directly into classrooms. FST's Acting Apprentices tour schools across the state with The Write Stuff, a collection of award-winning plays written by young students. After the performance, Playmakers lead interactive workshops that break down the four key elements of playwriting: character, dialogue, conflict, and setting. With these tools, students begin creating original plays of their own, guided by teachers. Every student is invited to submit their work to FST's Young Playwrights Festival, which receives thousands of entries each year.

The final step culminates each spring, when students return to the theatre to see the winning submissions performed by professional actors in The Pirate Ship and the Sea Monster & Other Winning Plays. These short works – brimming with humor, heart, and imagination – demonstrate the boundless creativity of young playwrights and celebrate their achievement in front of peers, families, and community leaders.

WRITE A PLAY concludes with FST's annual Young Playwrights Festival, which brings together hundreds of students, educators, families, and theatre professionals from across the state and beyond. Festival winners are honored with certificates, medals, and the joy of seeing their words brought vividly to life.

Teachers and group leaders interested in bringing FST's WRITE A PLAY into their classrooms should contact Caroline Saldivar at writeaplay@floridastudiotheatre.org or by calling (941) 366-9797.