Tickets on Sale for Florida Studio Theatre's 2014 PoetryLife Weekend

FST has officially opened 2014's PoetryLife Weekend for sale with tickets available for the events on May 2 and 3. All proceeds go to benefit The PoetryLife Fund, a support for educators teaching poetry in the community. Tickets for all events can be purchased through the Florida Studio Theatre box office at 941-366-9000, online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, or in person at 1241 N. Palm Avenue.

PoetryLife Weekend celebrates and supports inspiration in education. Made possible with the support of BookStore1Sarasota, FST, and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the events of this creative weekend will bring together the poets and readers of our community as they share their passion for poetry as well as their original poetry with the community. Event organizer Georgia Court, proprietor of Bookstore1Sarasota, said, "PoetryLife brings the nation's (and the world's) finest poets to Sarasota each year. I'm delighted to be part of a project that serves to enhance this city's already-thriving arts community. Theater, opera, symphony, ballet, fine art, jazz-it's a joy to help bring poetry to the mix."

The weekend will kick off on Friday, May 2 at 10:00am with The Craft of Poetry panel discussion in the Bowne's Lab. Audiences will have the opportunity to pose questions to award winning guest poets Mark Doty, Kevin Young, and Sandra Alcosser, who has published seven books of poetry, including A Fish to Feed All Hunger and Except by Nature. Tickets for this event are $15.

Following that evening at 7:30pm in the Goldstein Cabaret will be Mark Doty & Kevin Young Live on Stage, as they delight audiences with readings of their own work. The evening will also feature a reading by the winner of PoetryLife's College Division Poetry Contest. Tickets for this event are $15.

The weekend will continue on Saturday, May 3 at 10:00am with the Young Voices Poetry Reading, featuring more than 20 middle and high school students reading their own work aloud. These students are the winners of the PoetryLife Middle and High School Division Poetry Contest. The reading will be followed by a discussion with award-winning guest poets, Mark Doty and Kevin Young. Tickets for this event are $15. Following this event will be the Above and Beyond Luncheon at 12:00pm in the Court Cabaret, honoring our area's educators who share the joy of poetry with their students all year long. Tickets for this event are $35.

Concluding this exciting weekend is the Community Favorite Poem Reading. This event will bring together members of the community from all walks of life to celebrate their favorite poems from published poets. Members of our community are invited to read aloud the poems that have held meaning for them throughout their lives. Tickets for this event are $15.

All proceeds go to benefit The PoetryLife Fund, a support for educators teaching poetry in the community. Tickets for all events can be purchased through the Florida Studio Theatre box office at 941-366-9000, online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, or in person at 1241 N. Palm Avenue.

EVENT LISTING:

Friday, May 2 -

The Craft of Poetry - Panel Discussion

10:00 am-Tickets $15

Florida Studio Theatre-Bowne's Lab

Mark Doty and Kevin Young Live Onstage

7:30 pm-Tickets $15

Florida Studio Theatre-Goldstein Cabaret

Saturday, May 3 -

Young Voices Poetry Reading

10:00 am-Tickets $15

Florida Studio Theatre-Keating Theatre

Above and Beyond Luncheon

12:00 pm-Tickets $35

Florida Studio Theatre-John C. Court Cabaret

Community Favorite Poem Reading

3:00 pm-Tickets $15

Florida Studio Theatre-Keating Theatre

About Florida Studio Theatre: Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building - now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its five theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the renovated Gompertz Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret, the John C. Court Cabaret, and the Bowne's Lab Theatre.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.