ROMEO AND JULIET, MISS JULIE & More Set for FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training 2023-24 Season
Audiences can expect a season filled with powerful performances and thought-provoking storytelling acted by the program's talented second year graduate students.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz May. 30, 2023
The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training has announced its 2023-24 season, featuring two cherished classical works, a staple of modern drama and a play by a leading African American female playwright. Audiences can expect a season filled with powerful performances and thought-provoking storytelling acted by the program's talented second year graduate students. This season will also showcase two shows in repertory, a thrilling new endeavor for the season.
On the upcoming season for the Conservatory, Director Andrei Malaev-Babel said, “During the 2023-24 season, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory will sustain its reputation as one of the top 25 acting programs worldwide by producing a season that will be as challenging for the actors as thrilling for the audiences.”
The season opens with Anton Chekhov's beloved masterpiece, THE THREE SISTERS (OCT 27 – NOV 19), showcasing the talents of second-year Conservatory actors in a major work of classical realism. It will be concluded by an enchanting production of Shakespeare's timeless tragedy, ROMEO AND JULIET (APRIL 5 –28), serving as a culmination of the students' Shakespearian training.
The heart of the season lies in the Kitchen Duology, featuring two plays performed in winter repertory. August Strindberg's MISS JULIE (FEB 15 - MARCH 10) takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of human lust, desire, and longing, while Lynn Nottage's CLYDE'S (FEB 16 – MARCH 9) explores lofty dreams and aspirations against all odds in a captivating narrative set inside a unique kitchen.
“Where else in Sarasota can you see Shakespeare and Chekhov; experience the feverish world of Strindberg and step into hell's kitchen of Lynn Nottage’s tragic-comic masterpiece Clyde’s?” says Malaev-Babel. “Only our highly trained graduate actors can deliver such a unique season, although this time they won’t do it alone. Our audiences will be thrilled to see the Conservatory’s illustrious faculty, and our talented alums join the second-year Conservatory actors this coming season. Such an unprecedented occasion is a cause for celebration, and a treat for our students and audiences alike!”
Continuing its popular Shakespeare in The Ringling Bayfront Gardens series, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory presents ROMEO AND JULIET (APRIL 5 - 28) in the magnificent banyan grove of The Ringling with select performances indoors on the Cook Theatre stage. This production will allow the audience to experience the tragic tale indoors or outdoors, immersing them in the timeless story of love and hate. The Conservatory’s Cook Theatre will be transformed for the 2023-24 season into a thrust that will bring the actors even closer to our audiences, thus immersing them into action, and promising our spectators an experience of communion with the stage unlike any other.
Subscriptions for the four-play season are $100 and on sale now. Single tickets to each play are $35 and go on sale in the Fall. Subscriptions can be purchased in person at Asolo Rep's Box Office at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, or by phone at 941.351.8000
FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY 2023-24 SEASON
The Three Sisters
Previews Oct 24 – 26
Oct 27 – Nov 19
By Anton Chekhov
Directed by Andrei Malaev-Babel
Step into the world of Chekhov's timeless masterpiece, THE THREE SISTERS. Prepare to be moved by the heart-wrenching tale of the Prozorov sisters, whose dreams of returning to Moscow are shattered in a provincial Russian swamp. Discover the secrets that have made audiences weep for over a century and delve into the mystery of why Chekhov protested dramatic interpretations of THE THREE SISTERS. Don't miss your chance to find out in this compelling exploration of this tragic comedy that will leave you breathless.
Miss Julie
Preview Feb 13
Feb 15 – March 10
Witness a clandestine encounter of desire, lust and forbidden love in August Strindberg's MISS JULIE. On a Midsummer Night, the count's daughter, Julie, enters the kitchen, sparking a dangerous connection with the servant, Jean. As their illicit affair unfolds, Christine, another servant and Jean’s fiancé, quietly observes, leading to a shocking climax. Experience a naturalistic tragedy where class, sex and fate intertwine, as Julie and Jean spiral into a mesmerizing "dance of death" that will leave you spellbound.
Clyde’s
Preview Feb 14
Feb 16 – March 9
By Lynn Nottage
Directed by DeAnna Wright
In Lynn Nottage's CLYDE'S, a tumultuous tale unfolds in a dangerous kitchen. Meet Clyde, a seductive and resilient ex-convict who manages a trucker sandwich shop in a remote location. Her loyal staff, also ex-convicts, cling to their jobs while harboring ambitious dreams. United by Montrellous, a Zen-like coworker, they strive to craft "the perfect sandwich." As Clyde's relentless nature clashes with their aspirations, behold a transformative journey where dreams collide, and Clyde's fate hangs in the balance.
Romeo and Juliet
Previews April 2 – 4
April 5 – 28
Directed by Jonathan Epstein
Experience Shakespeare's timeless tragedy, ROMEO AND JULIET, in a groundbreaking production by the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Set in the picturesque Ringling Bayfront Gardens and the intimate Cook stage, audiences can choose between an indoor or outdoor experience. As the Montagues and Capulets' blood feud mirrors today's divided world, explore the universal themes of sacrifice, love and the enduring power of beauty in the face of relentless hatred.
ABOUT THE FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY
The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training is a celebrated three-year graduate program culminating in a Master of Fine Arts degree. For more than 45 years, tens of thousands of actors from across the continent have auditioned for admission. A maximum of 12 students are admitted each year. In their second year, the students perform in the Cook Theatre, a 161-seat space designed to create an intimate experience for the audience and actors. Third-year students are seen on the Mertz Stage working with Asolo Repertory Theatre’s professional actors in exciting and significant roles. For more information, visit asolorep.org/conservatory.
ABOUT THE FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY
The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training is a celebrated three-year graduate program culminating in a Master of Fine Arts degree. For more than 45 years, tens of thousands of actors from across the continent have auditioned for admission. A maximum of 12 students are admitted each year. In their second year, the students perform in the Cook Theatre, a 161-seat space designed to create an intimate experience for the audience and actors. Third-year students are seen on the Mertz Theatre stage working with Asolo Repertory Theatre’s professional actors in exciting and significant roles.
For more information, visit asolorep.org/conservatory.
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