'Blackbird' Olivier Award-Winning Play Opens At FST

Blackbird Closes Stage III Season

Olivier Award-Winning Play Opens at FST  

Florida Studio Theatre concludes its 2009 Stage III Season with Blackbird, opening April 22 and continuing through May 7, 2009. Described as "masterly, mesmerizing...extraordinary" by the New York Times, Blackbird received the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2007. 

A confrontational drama of misplaced love. Fifteen years after an illicit affair between Ray and Una, she arrives unannounced at his office door. Raw emotions ignite as each are forced to face their personal demons. Love, regret and the power of the past transform their very existence. 

Director Beth Duda described, "Blackbird is a powerful play dealing with the secrets, shame, and the conflicted and devastating emotional aftermath of an 'inappropriate' relationship shared by Ray and Una.  The play presents us not with black and white answers of moral rights and wrongs, but instead pulls us into the uncertain territory of shades of grey.  Una and Ray are two wounded souls trying to make sense of the time they spent together.  As they struggle with their memories, we are faced with the raw and emotional truth that their lives are forever changed as a result of their choices." 

Blackbird was first produced at the Edinburgh International Festival (King's Theatre) in 2005. It played at the Albery Theatre in London, England in 2006 and made its U.S. premiere at the Manhattan Theatre Club in May, 2007. 

New York Actress Sarah Stockton makes her FST debut as Una. An Asolo graduate, her New York credits include Rokhele in the world premiere, English adaptation, of Sholem Asch's With Current at the Center Stage as well as Celie in Language of Angels and Sarah in JB at the 78^th Street Theatre. Her film and TV credits include Amy in 3lbs and Adelle in the feature film The Unidentified. 

New York Actor Dan Patrick Brady makes his FST debut as Ray. Off-Broadway he has appeared in Fubar, Curse of the Starving Class as Wesley and Women and Football as Vinnie. His other credits include Zoditch in Journey of the Fifth Horse, Norman in The Norman Conquests trilogy and Richard in The Lover. Brady's Film and TV credits include All My Children, Loving, Shoot First: A Cop's Vengeance, and Paradise Falls. 

Blackbird is directed by Florida Studio Theatre's Beth Duda. Ms. Duda has been affiliated with FST since 1991 as an actress, playwright, teacher, and director.  Most recently, Beth directed UNDER SIX, the compilation of winning plays written by elementary school students.  As Associate Director of Youth Education, Ms. Duda teaches classes in Monologue, Scene Study, Play Production, Musical Theatre and a class for students with special needs. She has written, co-written, and conceived several one act plays including: Immigrant Children, Bus stop, Hannah The Kid Detective, Vote For Me In '53, Playing Baseball in the Rain and Poof. Through her work at Florida Studio Theatre, Beth helped lead a program that has taught thousands of economically challenged students to write short plays.  After teaching workshops, in which she instructed and cajoled the students to take the risk of writing their ideas down, Beth took her own advice and wrote her first full length play, Up To Home. 

The production design team includes FST staff member Marcella Beckwith (Costume Design) and Bruce Price (Lighting Design) along with Set Designer Lauren Feldman. 

Blackbird runs through May 7, 2009 at the Gompertz Theatre. Tickets are $19 - $32 and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person, by phone (941) 366 - 9000 or online at www.floridastudiotheatre.org.

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