FST to Present Two More Burdick Readings, FORECLOSURE and UGLY LIES THE BONE, 5/12 & 19

Florida Studio Theatre announces two additional staged readings of the Burdick Reading Series. Foreclosure by Vincent Delaney will be presented on May 12 at 7 pm and Ugly Lies The Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino on May 19 at 7 pm. Both readings will take place in the Keating Theatre. Admission is free for these readings and reservations are required. Please RSVP by calling the FST Box Office at (941) 366-9000.

At FST, new play development is an ongoing effort. Due to the multitude of great plays, these events have been added to the series as a special invitation only evenings of new works that have never been produced.

Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins explains this continuation of the series stating, "These plays were added as an addendum to the Burdick Reading Series. Typically we produce three of the workshop productions during the festival. However, this year, we had an embarrassment of riches so we are including the additional plays in an extension of the series.The goal of the new play series is to discover new plays that are suitable for Mainstage Production. Some are delighted to test the strengths of these new works in the hope that at least one of them will appear on our Mainstage next year."

The first added reading is Foreclosure by Vincent Delaney. In the housing crisis, Garrett and Tory remained mostly unaffected while their next-door neighbors Rob and Paige weren't so lucky. When Rob and Paige move back into their foreclosed home, Garrett and Tory are thrilled. However, when they find out their neighbors aren't back on their feet, but squatting in their home, they are forced to navigate jealousy, failure, and the desire for freedom while rekindling their friendship. Delany shared his thoughts leading up to the presentation of his new play saying, "I'm so excited to dive into the play with such a talented group of artists. I know the themes and questions of Foreclosure are resonating so powerfully in Florida today, and I'm eager to bring the play to the community. Florida Stage is famous for its support of new plays, and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to develop the script there."

Each reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright where audience members have the opportunity to provide feedback. Audiences have the opportunity to be a part of the development and creation of exciting potential new plays here at FST.

The second additional reading is of Ugly Lies The Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino. Ugly Lies The Bone is a new play that follows the return home of Jess, an Afghanistan war veteran with severe burns, to her hometown in Southern Florida, which has gone through massive changes with the end of the space era. Jess moves in with her sister, and struggles through immense pain to define a new sense of "normal" when all she wants is her old life back. The play explores themes of PTSD, soldiers' reentrance into society, long term pain management, and how it all affects pre-deployment relationships in a now dying town.

Ferrentino speaks to her anticipation of this reading stating, "Being in this reading series feels like a homecoming. I grew up along Florida's space coast and Ugly Lies The Bone is set in my hometown. I can't wait to return to Florida to share this very personal play to an audience of Floridians. Florida Studio Theater has been a supportive theatrical home for me in the South, where so many of my plays are set and where my heart still is."

About the Sarasota Festival of New Plays: The Sarasota Festival of New Plays seeks to provide a forum for playwrights of all ages to develop plays that can be fruitfully produced. From our Young Playwrights to our emerging adult playwrights and seasoned play-writing veterans, the Sarasota Festival of New Plays seeks to broaden the breadth and depth of thought in American theatre by encouraging people of all ages and all perspectives to write plays. New Play Development is the lifeblood of FST. It is a year-round activity that is fully integrated with each of the theatre's other programs. FST's approach to new play development focuses on the continued life of the work. Aside from presenting world premieres, FST frequently provides plays with their second, third or fourth productions. For example, in the 2009 Sarasota Festival of New Plays, FST provided Black Pearl Sings! with its 3rd production. Black Pearl Sings! has gone on to many productions, becoming one of the most produced plays in the country in 2010. In addition, in 2010, in partnership with the National New Play Network, FST presented the rolling world premiere of Shotgun by John Biguenet.

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 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.

For more information, visit www.floridastudiotheatre.org.