Peter Kendall and Rachel Moulton in FST's production of "Birthday Candles". Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

Can you fit a life into 90 minutes? At Florida Studio Theatre’s (FST) upcoming production, the Southeastern premiere Birthday Candles, the team gives it their best shot. The play by Noah Haidle, which originally premiered on Broadway in 2022, follows Ernestine Ashworth as she ages from 17 years old to 107, recreating the same birthday cake each year over the course of a century. Throughout the play, the audience learns of the extraordinary moments that make up one seemingly “ordinary” life, through love, heartbreak and all of the special scenes in between.

“The beauty of it is that when you pack that much life into a compact period of time, you see a 17-year-old go through relationships, marriage, the deaths of family members, that’s a pretty wide expanse,” says Richard Hopkins, producing artistic director and CEO of FST. “The play is almost metaphysical and makes you really appreciate life in general. It starts off with this teenager who is very dissatisfied with her life and wants to make a mark on the world, but as time goes by, that ambition subsides and she becomes a normal human being with needs and children who have needs as well.”

Although the story centers around Ernestine, Birthday Candles is not a one-woman show. Five other actors portray an evolving cast of family members and friends that shift as the story progresses through time. “You actually meet her family and watch them grow alongside Ernestine,” says Rebecca Hopkins, managing director of FST. “You get to see all the cycles of her life from her parents to her husband to their children together and ultimately, her grandchildren. Everyone’s life is a story and each one has drama, success and pain.”

Part of the fun for the audience is the challenge that Birthday Candles presents to the actors. Without an overt use of prosthetics or makeup, Rachel Moulton (Ernestine Ashworth), must evolve her performance as her character ages into different phases of her life. “It is a great acting challenge and that is part of the joy of the play,” says Richard Hopkins.

Birthday Candles, April 1-May 17, Florida Studio Theatre, 1265 First St, Sarasota.

Peter Kendall and Rachel Moulton in FST's production of "Birthday Candles". Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

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