{"id":203559,"date":"2026-03-24T06:41:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T06:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/203559\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T06:41:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T06:41:19","slug":"birthday-candles-makes-southeastern-premiere-at-florida-studio-theatre-in-april-wgcu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/203559\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Birthday Candles’ makes southeastern premiere at Florida Studio Theatre in April | WGCU News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kate Alexander is a celebrated director, educator and actor. She has a knack for getting straight to the heart of a play.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the measure of a life?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Associate Artist Ben Liebert said that\u2019s an apt description of \u201cBirthday Candles,\u201d upcoming at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota. As the play opens, Ernestine Ashworth is baking a cake on her 17th birthday \u2013 and agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it\u2019s her 18th birthday. Then her 41st. Her 70th. Her 107th.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe track this family over about 100 years \u2026 and so the audience gets to go on this ride of experiencing all of their challenges, but in little fits and starts,\u201d Liebert pointed out. \u201cSo the audience is always at the edge of their seat, trying to get on board with the family and root for them as the years fly by.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Wendy Kiesewetter, Digital Marketing and Media Relations Associate, Florida Studio Theatre <\/p>\n

Florida Studio Theatre Associate Artist Ben Liebert <\/p>\n

Through Ernestine Ashworth, the audience experiences the vicissitudes of her life and that of her family over five generations. It\u2019s 107 years of life packed into 90 minutes \u2013 with a real cake baked onstage every night.<\/p>\n

\u201cBirthdays are a tradition,\u201d Liebert explained. \u201cWe often get together and celebrate them together. For an audience, that’s a pretty common human experience, and the specificity of the play lets us all feel it universally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The emotions are raw and they\u2019re amplified in the cozy confines of the Gompertz Theatre. Alexander and Liebert wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are putting challenging but heartfelt shows on our stage because \u2026 our audiences \u2026 want to come to the theater and they want to feel and they want to escape a little bit, but also challenge the way they feel,\u201d said Liebert. \u201cAnd there’s nothing more real than coming to see human actors on a stage telling you a story that’s just for you on that one night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPreviews begin April 1. The play opens April 3 and runs through May 17.<\/p>\n

\"FST<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Wendy Kiesewetter, Digital Marketing & Media Relations Associate, Florida Studio Theatre <\/p>\n

FST Associate Artist Rachel Moulton plays the part of Ernestine Ashworth.<\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n

\u201cBirthday Candles\u201d closes FST\u2019s Winter Mainstage Series with warmth and reflection.<\/p>\n

\u201cVariety\u201d calls this journey \u201ca true gift\u201d and \u201ca bold reminder to live each day with zest and adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

BroadwayWorld hails the show as \u201ctender\u201d and \u201ctimeless,\u201d while the New York Post declares it\u2019s filled with \u201ctremendous humor and energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liebert characterizes the show as \u201cmagical realism\u201d because each scene takes place on a birthday, with the supporting actors playing their own grandparents, parents and children.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike life itself, this show carries audiences through the humor, heartbreak, and wonder of an entire lifetime,\u201d says Kate Alexander, who directs the production.<\/p>\n

\"FST<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

With this production, Rachel Moulton and FST Director Kate Alexander celebrate their 10th collaboration together.<\/p>\n

Alexander has led productions at Florida Studio Theatre of \u201cA Tailor Near Me,\u201d \u201cDorothy\u2019s Dictionary\u201d and \u201cBad Books.\u201d As the founder of FST\u2019s award-winning theatre education program, she has trained thousands of students and played a vital role in shaping the theatre\u2019s artistic vision for more than 40 years.<\/p>\n

The cast stars FST Associate Artist Rachel Moulton as Ernestine Ashworth.<\/p>\n

With this production, Moulton and Alexander celebrate their tenth collaboration together. <\/p>\n

Since 2012, Moulton has appeared in 17 productions at FST, including five world premieres. Now in her seventh season as an FST associate artist and her third season as FST\u2019s Director of Education, Moulton is a vital presence on and off the stage. Her previous FST credits include \u201cThe Cancellation of Lauren Fein,\u201d \u201cUgly Lies the Bone,\u201d \u201cGrounded,\u201d \u201cMaytag Virgin,\u201d \u201cParalyzed,\u201d \u201cHeisenberg,\u201d \u201cHonor Killing,\u201d \u201cAlabama Story\u201d and \u201cThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Freddie<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Wendy Kiesewetter, Digital Marketing & Media Relations Associate, Florida Studio Theatre <\/p>\n

Freddie Lee Bennett (‘Ruined,’ ‘Shotgun,’ ‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ ‘The Cancellation of Lauren Fein\u201d’) plays Billy and John.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the cast are Freddie Lee Bennett as Billy\/John (\u201cRuined,\u201d \u201cShotgun,\u201d \u201cThe Play That Goes Wrong,\u201d \u201cThe Cancellation of Lauren Fein\u201d), Rod Brogan as Kenneth (\u201cThe Lehman Trilogy;\u201d \u201cNetwork;\u201d \u201cMy Lord,\u201d \u201cWhat a Night;\u201d \u201cAmerican Son\u201d), Sarah Elizabeth Colt as Joan\/Alex\/Beth (\u201cTroubadour,\u201d \u201cTake It to the Limit,\u201d \u201cDivas\u201d), Susan Haefner as Alice\/Madeline\/Ernie (\u201cThe Prima Donnettes\u201d), and Peter Kendall as Matt\/William (FST debut).<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Wendy Kiesewetter, Digital Marketing & Media Relations Associate, Florida Studio Theatre <\/p>\n

Peter Kendall makes his Florida Studio Theatre Debut as Matt\/William. <\/p>\n

Making up the creative team is Kate Alexander (director), Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay (scenic design), Andrew Gray (lighting design), Nicholas Christensen (sound design), Madison Queen (costume design), Shira Lebovich (AEA stage manager), Carissa Ater, and Kate Johnson (stage management intern).<\/p>\n

\"Sarah<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Wendy Kiesewetter, Digital Marketing & Media Relations Associate, Florida Studio Theatre <\/p>\n

Sarah Elizabeth Colt (‘Troubadour,’ ‘Take It to the Limit,’ ‘Divas’) plays Joan\/Alex\/Beth.<\/p>\n

Setting<\/p>\n

A play such as \u201cBirthday Candles\u201d benefits from a smaller, more intimate environment like the Gompertz Theater, which has 275 seats.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I love about Florida Studio Theater, why I love directing and working here, is that all of our spaces are so intimate,\u201d said Liebert. \u201cEven when we do big shows, the farthest seat in the back of the house is still right on top of the stage. It is so difficult not to be engaged in the story. Whether it\u2019s a big adventure set in Monte Carlo [\u201cLucky $tiff!\u201d], or trying to go to the moon [\u201cThe Blue Sky Boys\u201d], they\u2019re still very human stories and because our spaces are so intimate, those human stories come across the footlights and really can affect an audience as opposed to trying to do something this small and intimate at a house like the Van Wezel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Susan<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Wendy Kiesewetter, Digital Marketing & Media Relations Associate, Florida Studio Theatre<\/p>\n

Susan Haefner (‘The Prima Donnettes’) plays Alice\/Madeline\/Ernie.<\/p>\n

The fact that the audience is so close to the action forces the actors to pay strict attention to every minute detail, including their facial expressions and where they\u2019re looking.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe work just as hard, if not harder, because everyone can see every little reaction that’s happening on somebody’s face,\u201d said Liebert.<\/p>\n

Support for WGCU\u2019s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kate Alexander is a celebrated director, educator and actor. She has a knack for getting straight to the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":203560,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":{"0":"post-203559","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-florida","8":"tag-florida","9":"tag-florida-headlines","10":"tag-florida-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}