Florida Studio Theatre Welcomes Back FST Improv, Beg. Tonight, 6/23

After the snowbirds have fled, comedy will descend on Sarasota with an action-packed summer of laughs. Florida Studio Theatre is bringing back another season of FST Improv, where Sarasota's homegrown troupe of funny guys are back for more shenanigans. The FST Improv season returns to its Saturday Night spot tonight June 23, and will continue on Saturdays this summer at 8pm in the Goldstein Cabaret. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000 or by visiting the Box Office.

FST Improv is Sarasota's resident Improv troupe at Florida Studio Theatre. Under the direction of Rebecca Hopkins, the Improv program has expanded from its humble beginnings in 2001 to a year-round performance schedule, the Sarasota Improv Festival, and Improv education classes.

In addition to the FST Improv summer season, the 4th Annual Sarasota Improv Festival returns for two-nights of non-stop comedy with 10 of the hottest groups on the Improv scene nationwide on July 20 and 21. Acts from Chicago, Boston, Austin, Miami, Atlanta (and everywhere in between) will perform on the Cabaret stage. Pricing varies for the weekend, with passes available for the weekend at $49, nightly at $29, and per individual show at $10/each.

In one-hour slots, groups will perform different types of Improv shows: traditional Improv games, long-form comedy, short sketches and musical improv. Returning to the fest after sold-out appearances on FST's stage are Available Cupholders (Austin, TX), Dad's Garage (Atlanta), SAK Comedy (Orlando), Jester Theater (Orlando), ImprovBoston (Boston), Just the Funny (Miami), Lazy Fairy (Sarasota), and the "home team" troupe to kick it all off, FST Improv (Sarasota). Sure to be audience favorites are new kids on the block, Stacked: All-female Musical Improv and The Hitmen, both from Chicago.

The full Sarasota Improv Festival schedule will be available soon.