Laboratory Theater

Laboratory Theater of Florida in Fort Myers announced this month that founding producing artistic director Annette Trossbach is retiring from the theater company. Trossbach reflects back on the triumphs and challenges that have come during her tenure, the theater’s impact on the Southwest Florida community, and highlights some of Lab Theater’s stand-out productions over the years.

Stephon Clark was standing in his grandmother’s backyard with a cell phone in his hand. Tamir Rice was playing with a toy gun in a park. In the play “Good Bad People,” Amiri Johnson was taking out the garbage at the homeless shelter where he lived. Rather than focus on the institutional racism that frequently gives rise to cases like these, “Good Bad People” shines a light on the grief experienced by the family members left behind.

Four shows open, seven productions close and 11 others continue their runs this week in Southwest Florida theaters.

On Saturday, the Laboratory Theater of Florida announced that Annette Trossbach is retiring as its producing artistic director. Trossbach founded the lab in 2009. During her 16 years at the helm, she established the lab as a bastion for innovative, groundbreaking theater productions. Along the way, she transformed local theater into a safe and acceptable environment in which artists and audiences can explore, discover and expand personal horizons and raise their social consciousness.

Six shows open, one closes and 13 others continue their runs this week at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

Two shows open and two others close this week in Southwest Florida theaters while 10 others continue their runs.

On November 21, the Fort Myers Historic Preservation Commission denied The Laboratory Theater of Florida’s retroactive application for permission to place a mural on the Second Street side of their building at 1634 Woodford Ave. In compliance with their decision, Lab Theater has begun the process of removing the mural.

Bob Hilliard was stationed in Europe at the end of World War II. After celebrating New Year’s Eve in Paris, he and a buddy spent the first ten days of 1946 on leave in London. Three years later, Hilliard wrote a musical based on that period in his life … and in the life of our nation. The script has resided in desk drawer for the past 75 years, but it comes to the stage of The Laboratory Theater of Florida on Saturday for limited run of five performances.

This week, theatergoers have 17 productions from which to choose, including one new play and performances of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker by Gulfshore Ballet and Sarasota Ballet.

Laboratory Theater of Florida is mounting a production of playwright Lynn Nottage’s comedic play “Clyde’s.” Nottage is the first and only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. We explore the play in a conversation with the production’s director Tijuana Clemons, actor Sonya McCarter, and Lab Theater founding artistic director Annette Trossbach.