Florida Studio Theatre Welcomes Nancy Rominger as Associate Artist

November 18, 2024 | Sarasota

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) proudly announces the appointment of Nancy Rominger as its new Associate Artist in charge of New Play Development. Rominger joins FST following an impressive 12-season tenure at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF), where she served as Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Southern Writers’ Project, ASF’s new play development program. During her time at ASF, she oversaw the development of 42 new American plays and musicals, with many receiving world premieres and moving on to regional theatres nationwide.

In her new role, Rominger will lead FST’s esteemed New Play Development Program, which is the creative lifeblood of the theatre. The program’s goal is to discover new plays that speak to today’s audiences while nurturing the work of the nation’s most promising playwrights.

“I’m excited to collaborate with all of the amazing artists at Florida Studio Theatre,” said Rominger. “I look forward to continuing to work with and support the bravest theater makers of us all: those that bare their souls and then put it on paper, the playwright.”

FST’s New Play Development Program places immense value on the artistic process—recognizing that a playwright’s journey is often long and solitary, filled with rewriting and reimagining over the course of years. As part of this commitment, FST’s Playwright Collective provides an artistic home for its 14 current members, offering workshops, residencies, and ongoing support as they develop new works.

In 2024, the program expanded its reach with the Recovery Project, which partnered with the Terrence McNally Foundation to commission emerging playwright Jake Brasch, who will develop a new play with mentorship from acclaimed playwright Craig Lucas. This project, along with other initiatives, exemplifies FST’s dedication to fostering bold, new voices in theatre.

Audiences at FST have already experienced the fruits of the New Play Development Program through productions like Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones and In the Book Of by John Walch—plays that Nancy Rominger herself helped develop during her time at ASF. Other recent successes include the world premiere Visit Joe Whitefeather by Bruce Graham, Babel by Jacqueline Goldfinger, Paralyzed by Etan Frankel and America in One Room by Jason Odell Williams, which all originated through FST’s development efforts.

FST’s New Play Development Program extends beyond adult productions, fostering the next generation of playwrights through its Under Six and Seven Up anthologies, which feature works by schoolchildren and are produced annually as part of FST’s Young Playwrights Festival.

Through Rominger’s leadership, FST continues to be a vital force in shaping contemporary theatre, supporting new works that keep the art form relevant and exciting for its audiences.