FST Announces Thought-Provoking Forums Series

November 22, 2024 | Sarasota

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) announces the lineup for the 2024-2025 Forums Series, featuring three panel discussions inspired by the themes explored in the theatre’s productions of Off the Charts & 59^th Street Bridge, The Heart Sellers, and The Cancellation of Lauren Fein. Forums events are free to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call FST’s Box Office at 941.366.9000. A full list and schedule of this season’s Forums Series follows the end of this release.

“The themes this year are invigorating,” explains Kate Alexander, FST’s Associate Director At-Large. “We are at a critical moment in public dialogue where people are polarized in their personal viewpoints and missing opportunities for thoughtful discussion. No matter your political proclivity, the Forums provide a place for real, meaningful dialogue – a need that is more important now than ever.”

Kicking off the Forums Series is The Poetry of Our Lives: How Popular Music Brings Us to Our Humanity, inspired by Off the Charts and 59^th Street Bridge. This panel discussion explores the history of popular music and its ties to social and cultural issues. Moderated by Catherine Randazzo, this forum asks, “Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?” In this discussion, you will find that perhaps both are true. This conversation covers everything from the anti-Vietnam War movement in the U.S. to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, and how music played a key role in implementing widespread change throughout. Panelists include Richard Hopkins (FST’s Producing Artistic Director), Joe Casey (59^th Street Bridge Cast Member), and Dr. Andrew Berish (Associate Professor of Musicology at USF). This forum will take place Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 5PM in FST’s Bowne’s Lab.

The next forum is inspired by the themes presented in FST’s production of The Heart Sellers and will take place on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 5PM in the Keating Theatre. Moderated by Kate Alexander, this event delves into the human stories behind immigration policies and why we fear “The Other”. Titled Bring Me Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Hungry: The Complexity of Immigration in Today’s World, this forum sheds light on the profound impact of how the Hart-Cellar Act of 1965, from which the play is inspired, fundamentally revolutionized U.S. immigration policy. Attendees will discuss the lives of immigrants, the price paid by newcomers, and what they bring to the country.

Our fourth conversation is titled is Cancel Culture: Progress or the Closing of the American Mind?, which dives into the topics tackled in The Cancellation of Lauren Fein. Moderated by The Honorable Judge Charles E. Williams, this forum will address power dynamics and their connection to the issues of race, sexual orientation, and intersectionality. Prepare for a fascinating dialogue that questions morality, cancel culture, and ethics. This event will take place on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 5PM in FST’s Gompertz Theatre.

FST’s 2024-2025 Forums Series includes three panel discussions inspired by the themes explored in the theatre’s productions of Off the Charts & 59^th Street Bridge, The Heart Sellers, and The Cancellation of Lauren Fein. Forums events are free to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call FST’s Box Office at 941.366.9000.