FST to Present Regional Premiere of CHAPATTI, 4/8-5/30

No one tells a story like the Irish. Florida Studio Theatre's fourth Mainstage production, Chapatti is filled with the ole' Irish storytelling wit of playwright Christian O' Reilly. Single tickets range from $36 to $39 and may be purchased online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000, or by visiting the Box Office.

This Regional Premiere production tells the tale of two lonely animal-lovers living in Dublin for whom romance is a distant memory. When forlorn Dan and his dog Chapatti cross paths with the amiable Betty and her nineteen cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people rediscovering the importance of human companionship and heartfelt connections.

Returning to the FST stage to play the role of the endearing, yet outspoken cat lady is Susan Greenhill. Greenhill reflects on her return to the FST stage and this charming story of life and love stating, "I look forward to any play that brings me back to FST. I was last here in Becoming Dr. Ruth and that was an incredible experience. I have a feeling Chapatti will be another. I adore that it says love can happen at any time, any age and to those of us who think we are well past it. To all you animal lovers - I'm one of you."

Playing opposite Greenhill is native Dubliner, Colin Lane. Also a previous FST company member in the 2011 production of Ghost-Writer, Lane has appeared in several Broadway productions. His credits include A Touch Of The Poet and Molly Sweeney, and Off-Broadway in The Colleen Bawn, Philadelphia Here I Come, A Child's Christmas In Wales, Seconds Out, Poor Beast In The Rain, Liverpool Fantasy, How Love Is Spelt, and King Lear among others. Lane comments on the appeal of this stating, "I find the language deceptively simple, mesmerizing, and not easy to memorize. Its humor is gentle in that flat understated Dublin accented way. If Christian O' Reilly hadn't specifically put his characters in their 60s I would find it difficult to pinpoint what age they were at all. It's a love story for the ageless."

Holding strong to their conviction that love is for the young, these two charming and at times cantankerous characters learn that it's never too late to be surprised in life. Single tickets range from $36 to $39 and may be purchased online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000, or by visiting the Box Office.

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 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.

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