Tampa Bay theater Archives - Creative Loafing Tampa

A stage production photograph by Chaz D. Photography showing (L-R) Michael Gregory, Kayah Bonilla-Mas and Jill Schroeder in 'Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike' at Off-Central Players in St. Petersburg, Florida. Set inside a cozy living room, Michael Gregory sits on the left in a wooden armchair wearing a grey t-shirt, burgundy satin pajama pants, and slippers, facing Jill Schroeder on the right, who lounges in a matching armchair in blue plaid pajama pants and a grey top while sipping from a cup with a straw. In the center background, Kayah Bonilla-Mas stands between them in a yellow patterned dress with a red headscarf, leaning forward over a small round woven table against a backdrop framed by framed artwork, wall sconces, and a staircase.

Arts & Entertainment, Events & Film, Tampa Bay Journalism Project

‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ is the biggest risk St. Pete’s Off-Central Players has ever taken

The production closes this weekend.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport September 17, 2026September 17, 2026

Let’s be honest: when most Tampa Bay residents think about live theater, they tend to split into two camps. Either you’re dropping half a paycheck at a mega-arts center to sit in row ZZ where the actors look like dressed-up LEGO figures, or you’re dodging local theater altogether out of a lingering fear of awkward […]

A promotional character portrait by James Zambon featuring actor Colleen Cherry as Penelope for Jobsite Theater's upcoming production of "Penelope." Captured in a medium close-up shot leaning over a wooden bar top inside a dimly lit venue, Cherry wears a dark teal sleeveless dress, a layered gold chain necklace, and braided hair pinned around her head. Looking directly into the camera lens with a skeptical facial expression, she holds a rocks glass filled with amber liquor in her right hand while gesturing outwards with her open left hand. In the background, framed photos, posters, and warm orange accent lighting create an intimate barroom atmosphere, although the photo is shot inside The Hub dive bar in downtown Tampa.

Arts & Entertainment

‘The Odyssey’ is cool, but this Tampa actress is doing a one-woman musical from Penelope’s perspective

Jobsite Theater has tapped Colleen Cherry for the folk-pop, one-woman show running through Sept. 6.

by Ray Roa August 12, 2026August 12, 2026

A medium-shot, indoor candid photograph of Dr. Kanika Tomalin speaking at an event inside the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tomalin is positioned to the right, looking toward the left with a warm, engaged smile. They are wearing a long-sleeved, dark-colored, semi-sheer black top with a subtle circular pattern. They are holding a dark, open folder or script in their hands. A professional studio microphone on a stand is positioned in front of them. The background is softly out of focus, showing the interior of the venue with hints of studio lighting and a neutral, professional environment.

Arts & Entertainment

In St. Pete, Studio@620’s 2026-27 season is a bold interrogation of the American dream

The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg sponsors the lineup.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport June 22, 2026June 22, 2026

A dramatic, theatrical stage photograph of actors Alysha Deslorieux and Ken Wulf Clark performing as Middle Allie and Middle Noah in The Notebook. They are illuminated by bright overhead stage spotlights against a pitch-black background while heavy, simulated rain falls all around them. In the center, Clark, wearing a wet white tank top and blue jeans, is standing and lifting Deslorieux into the air. Deslorieux, wearing a wet, knee-length blue dress, is looking down into Clark's eyes with their hands resting gently near Clark's face. The image captures an intense, romantic embrace in the middle of a downpour.

Arts & Entertainment

‘The Notebook’ musical, with songs by Ingrid Michaelson, opens this week in Tampa

It runs through May 31 at Straz Center.

by Ray Roa May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Donations will be tripled during Jobsite Theater’s ‘Hedwig’ concert fundraiser in Tampa

You will be harrased for contributions on Sunday.

by Ray Roa April 16, 2026April 16, 2026

A two-panel composite of Tampa-based actors Noa Friedman and David Friedman. On the left, Noa Friedman poses in a white tank top against a neutral background with her blonde hair styled in a bob. On the right, David Friedman smiles broadly in a navy blue blazer over a white t-shirt against a dark grey background.

Arts & Entertainment

Siblings from Tampa Bay’s acting Friedman family make co-acting debut in important freeFall production

They’re playing brother and sister in ‘And Then They Came For Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank.’

by David Warner April 7, 2026April 7, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

American Stage brings St. Pete park ‘Into the Woods’

‘No one is alone’ after dark at Demens Landing.

by Laura Troyer March 25, 2026March 25, 2026

Production still from 'The Shark Is Broken' at Jobsite Theater. From left to right: Christopher Marshall (as Roy Scheider) reads a newspaper, Cody Farkas (as Richard Dreyfuss) sits at the center of a wooden table with a bottle, and Paul Potenza (as Robert Shaw) laughs while holding a drink. They are seated in the wood-paneled galley of a boat with blue-tinted windows in the background, captured during a March 2026 rehearsal in Tampa.

Arts & Entertainment

Review: Tampa’s Jobsite Theater may have netted a spring blockbuster with ‘The Shark Is Broken’

It’s a terrifically entertaining, impeccably cast 90-minute comedy-drama starring three of Tampa Bay’s best actors.

by David Warner March 23, 2026March 23, 2026

Two actors engaging in a dramatic scene on a dimly lit stage during a rehearsal of The Studio@620's 'Julius Caesar.'

Arts & Entertainment

Gender-swapped ‘Julius Caesar’ sells out premiere in St. Pete

The Studio@620 production runs March 12-22.

by Laura Troyer and Selene San Felice March 12, 2026March 12, 2026

Actor Suzy Eddie Izzard smiling on a red carpet; the person has blonde hair and wears red lipstick, a black top, and a thin gold necklace. The background shows a blurred outdoor event setting.

Arts & Entertainment

Interview: Before solo ‘Hamlet’ in Tampa, Suzy Eddie Izzard says drama and acting ‘was a substitute for love and mum’s affection’

Izzard plays 22 different characters in her solo version, which runs five times from March 13-16.

by Marty Clear March 12, 2026March 12, 2026

A studio portrait of a person with short, curly dark hair and a beard, looking toward the camera with a wide smile. They are wearing a dark olive-green button-down shirt with a subtle grid pattern, posed against a solid grey background.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa actor Max Carley turned his life around and rediscovered theater

He just won a full scholarship to the Atlantic Acting Program, an affiliate of the renowned Atlantic Theater Company.

by David Warner January 29, 2026January 29, 2026

A studio portrait of a person with short dark hair and a mustache, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. They are wearing a grey blazer over a black and grey plaid button-down shirt, accented with a long wooden bead necklace featuring a circular gold pendant, all set against a solid grey background.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa actor Lance Markeith Felton is incapable of making a false move—on stage, at the mic, or in the classroom

You just saw him as the fierce young civil rights warrior Dasher in ‘When the Righteous Triumph.’

by David Warner January 29, 2026January 29, 2026

A woman sitting contemplatively on a chair in a sunlit living room with vintage decor.

Arts & Entertainment

New Tampa Bay arts production company premieres with in-home shows

Story Keepers stages ‘The Pink Unicorn’ in homes and backyards around St. Pete.

by Selene San Felice January 9, 2026January 9, 2026

A performer in a beanie and grey cargo pants stands on stage, looking back toward an out-of-focus figure in the extreme foreground. In the background, a second performer holding a script appears to be mid-dialogue against a backdrop of black curtains.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa’s Jobsite Theater isn’t pretending ‘Comedy of Errors’ is a thesis statement

It runs Jan. 14-Feb. 8 at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

A woman in a red jumpsuit poses dramatically on a red velvet armchair against a matching red background, reaching her hand toward the camera.

Arts & Entertainment

Clearwater’s TheatreFor stages one-woman fringe double feature

‘My Life as an ‘Inspirational P*rn Star’ and ‘Furniture Boys’ recently showed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

by Selene San Felice December 29, 2025December 29, 2025

Two performers embracing on a dark stage lit by warm spotlights, likely from a holiday production. The person on the left has long, curly hair and wears a white lace overlay, while the person on the right wears a green knit beanie and a collared shirt. Small, illuminated Christmas trees stand on the set behind them.

Arts & Entertainment

Four holiday theater productions to check out in Tampa Bay

More ‘Caol’ing, plus an adaptation of an O. Henry classic.

by David Warner December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

A close-up theatrical shot of two musicians. One person, wearing an earth-toned outfit, is singing and playing a large acoustic guitar, while the other person, in dark jeans and a sheer top, holds a small fiddle or violin and looks off to the side.

Arts & Entertainment

St. Pete’s American Stage puts a 21st century twist on a holiday classic

VIP tickets for ‘The Magi’ allow audience members to sit at one of five tables on stage, complete with table-side service.

by David Warner December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

An individual, identified as Juan Rodriguez, performing as a Foley artist on stage. The person, wearing a fedora and a graphic t-shirt, holds up a heavy metal chain in the air while looking towards it. A piano, a microphone, and various sound props are set up around them.

Arts & Entertainment

Jim Sorensen presents his favorite parts of ‘A Christmas Carol’ in Tampa

The music and most of the sound effects will be handled by Juan Rodriguez.

by David Warner December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Lakeland native plays Elder Smith in ‘Book of Mormon’ coming to Sarasota this month

The show returns to the Van Wezel Dec. 9–14 after its sold-out run in 2016.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

An actress sits on a bed with a cluttered, poster-covered backdrop, singing or speaking dramatically with her arms outstretched. A stuffed Garfield toy sits to her left; Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

Arts & Entertainment

Interview: Sarasota actress Ann Morrison brings Broadway’s ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ to Tampa

The show runs Nov. 18-23 at the Straz Center.

by Marty Clear November 10, 2025November 10, 2025