It’s a night of celebration and announcement at Florida Studio Theatre tonight, as the crowds gather at Keating Theatre for a kick-off event marking the 25th anniversary of FST’s Write A Play program, as well as a presentation of the Fall Children’s show, Rumplestiltskin, and the night ends with dessert and drinks under twilight skies, alongside a sneak preview of the cast of this year’s Playmaker’s Tour and a special announcement from Sarasota Mayor Willie Shaw.

Formed in 1991, the Write A Play program unites arts and education to help children explore their world and their perspective through storytelling, providing an artistic outlet and early experience with the theater tradition. For the past 25 years, students have not only written their own plays, but then seen them performed live on stage.

“Early exposure to the arts is a fantastic thing for all children, and the program not only gives them their first theatrical experience but is often a child’s first experience writing creatively,” said Caroline Kaiser, the new director for Children’s Theatre at FST. “I can’t think of a better way to encourage that. They can see their work, share it with their families and be recognized for their originality and creativity.”

According to Kaiser, the Write A Play program sees over 50,000 students each year, turning into an international affair with participant programs in sister cities in countries such as Israel, Russia and Scotland.

In addition, attendees will see a performance of the newly opened production of the classic fairy tale Rumplestiltskin, the first show for the Children’s Theater produced under Kaiser.

“Rumplestiltskin is exactly the kind of show I would want to debut with,” said Kaiser. Especially this version, she added, with its twist from adaptors Beth Duda and Adam Ratner. “The core values of love and honesty and family are something that everyone can relate to and are important to instill in our children.”

St. Peterburg native Andrew Deeb takes the stage in the title role, joined by Julia Amundson in her debut season with FST and Cat Patterson, an acting apprentice for the upcoming season. Actor Tim VanBeverhoudt rounds out a cast directed by FST’s own Jason Cannon.

After the show, cast members of the upcoming Playmakers Tour: Write It Up, Write It Down will be on hand to meet and greet local supporters and explain their goals for the coming year, which will see the Playmakers continuing FST’s educational tradition by bringing performances and writing workshops into area schools.

“It goes directly to our mission statement, to make theater accessible and affordable to as many people as possible,” said Kaiser of the confluence of educational and child-focused programs to be celebrated tonight. “And for me that definitely means children and families.”

The celebration begins tonight at 5:30pm at FST’s Keating Theatre, with the performance commencing at 6:30pm. The event is free and open to the public.