Butler
Florida Studio Theatre
Director, 2015
REGIONAL PREMIERE! The Civil War, 1861. An escaped slave seeks sanctuary, but the laws of the land are unrelenting. With sharp wit and tongue-in-cheek humor, BUTLER takes us on a journey through legal loopholes to find the true meaning of freedom.
PREVIEWS & FEATURES
- Get a sneak peek with this preview article in THE SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE.
- And go Behind the Scenes with playwright Richard Strand in this feature article in the TICKET SARASOTA.
- Read the in-depth Production Notebook at AMERICAN THEATRE!
- BUTLER featured in an article on “the history of racial divide on stage” in THE SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE.
ACCOLADES
- CREATIVE LOAFING 2016 “BEST OF THE BAY” AWARDS NOMINEE for BEST LOCAL STAGE DIRECTOR
- SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE “HANDY” AWARDS NOMINATIONS BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
- BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
- BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY (both Eric Hoffmann and Shane Taylor)
- BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY (Jim Sorensen, also RECIPIENT)
- BEST SCENIC DESIGN (Moria and Isabel Curly-Clay)
REVIEWS
- TotalTheater.com: At Florida Studio Theater, Butler’s got everything: Jason Cannon’s astute direction, a perfect small office set full of the General’s still crated belongings, sensible period-evoking lighting, and sound bringing in the outside when called for. Costumes suit the drama perfectly and even the hair styles aid characterization… Fortified with hilarious comedy… As comic as it is cogent… Real characters, sharp debate. Total Rating: 4 Stars.
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Who knew history could be so much fun?… A humorous spin on history… Entertaining… Surprisingly hilarious… Lively… Vibrant, energetic… Deep sense of humanity… Fanciful imagining.
- Sarasota Magazine: Hoffmann, Taylor, Ditmyer and Sorensen, working at a high level under the sharp direction of Jason Cannon, succeed in making Butler a delight… Highly amusing… A pleasant surprise… You’ll come away both intrigued and entertained… A delight.
- The Observer: Director Jason Cannon creates a believable (and often hilarious) Socratic dialog between the general and the fugitive slave. It’s more than an intellectual exercise. Cannon never lets us forget what’s at stake… A war of words and wit… Strikingly original, defiantly smart, and very, very funny…
- TalkinBroadway.com: Jason Cannon, an Associate Artist at FST, directs capably, keeping the pace lively… Butler is representative of Florida Studio Theatre’s finest work, a well chosen play, thought provoking, yet entertaining in a fine production.