FST to Host 4th Annual PoetryLife Weekend, 5/1-2

FST has officially opened 2015's PoetryLife Weekend for sale with tickets available for the events on May 1 and 2. Proceeds for this weekend of events 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 or online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

PoetryLife Weekend is a one of a kind celebration of the written word and the power of creativity. Event organizer Georgia Court, owner of Bookstore1Sarasota speaks to the excitement of this poetic weekend stating, "PoetryLife is one of the very few poetry festivals that includes all members of the community: young students, college students, and adults. PoetryLife weekend gives Sarasotans an opportunity to come together to celebrate the power and joy that is poetry."

Made possible with the support of BookStore1Sarasota, FST and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the weekend will kick off on Friday, May 2 at 11:30am with Poetry Salon Luncheon in FST's Bowne's Lab. Guest poets Billy Collins, US Poet Laureate 2001-2003, and Marie Howe, New York State Poet Laureate 2012-2014, will share with audience members their personal insights all about the writing life. Making up part of the audience will be local winners of the PoetryLife Adult Division Writing Contest. Tickets for this event are $35 which includes lunch.

Following that evening at 7:00pm in the Goldstein Cabaret will be Live Onstage: Billy Collins, Marie Howe, and Tracy K. Smith, as they delight audiences with readings of their own work. Audience members will have the opportunity to personally greet all three poets. Tickets for this event are $25.

The weekend will continue on Saturday, May 2 at 1:00pm with the Young Voices Poetry Reading, featuring middle and high school students sharing their original work aloud. Guest poets Billy Collins and Marie Howe will be on hand to share their insights with the student readers. This annual event is truly heartwarming - not to be missed. Tickets for this event are $15. Following this event will be the Community Favorite Poem Reading at 4:00pm in the Goldstein Cabaret. Tickets for this event are $35.

Concluding this enriching weekend is the Community Favorite Poem Reading in the Goldstein Cabaret. This event will bring together members of the community from all walks of life to celebrate their favorite poems from published poets. People from throughout the Sarasota community will come together to read their favorite poems and to talk about what makes these poems such a special part of 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 or online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

EVENT LISTING:

Friday, May 1 -

Poetry Salon Luncheon

11:30 am-Tickets $35

Florida Studio Theatre-Bowne's Lab

Live Onstage: Billy Collins, Marie Howe, and Tracy K. Smith

7:00 pm-Tickets $25

Florida Studio Theatre-Goldstein Cabaret

Saturday, May 2 -

Young Voices Poetry Reading

1:00 pm-Tickets $15

Florida Studio Theatre-Bowne's Lab

Community Favorite Poem Reading

4:00 pm-Tickets $15

Florida Studio Theatre-Goldstein Cabaret

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 then acquired the former Woman's Club building, becoming the first permanent venue. Shortly after Richard Hopkins arrived, the building was purchased and 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 Gompertz Theatre, the Parisian style Goldstein Cabaret and 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. 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.

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