Laboratory Theater

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.

Laboratory Theater of Florida in Fort Myers is mounting the world premiere production of “Alien: The Musical Parody.” The show is a hilarious new take on the 1979 sci-fi horror classic film “Alien.” We hear from Lab Theater founder and Artistic Director Annette Trossbach, who conceived of and wrote the show, along with Earl Sparrow who composed the music.

Florida's new anti-drag statute was intended to prevent children from seeing sexual content at drag shows, but the State's "Protection of Children" law applies to any adult live performance, including musicals and plays. That has Southwest Florida's 19 local theaters re-evaluating the shows they choose to produce and who they'll admit into performances.

The Laboratory Theater of Florida in Fort Myers is mounting the world premiere production of the parody play, “Save Hamlet.” We learn more about the play and what Lab Theater has in store for the summer and its upcoming 15th anniversary season in a conversation with the director of “Save Hamlet” Madelaine Weymouth and Lab Theater founder and artistic director Annette Trossbach.

The Laboratory Theater of Florida in downtown Fort Myers is currently performing the Southwest Florida premiere production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Fairview.”The play tackles themes of implicit bias, prejudices, stereotypes, race, surveillance and privilege, but through an innovative and powerful defiance of convention.We explore the play in a conversation with the production’s Assistant Director Makayla Davis, actors and cast members Zaria Brown and Tijuanna Clemons, and Laboratory Theater founder and Producing Artistic Director Annette Trossbach.

Through its theatre education program, the Laboratory Theater of Florida in downtown Fort Myers presents a limited engagement production of the Stephen Gregg’s documentary-style thriller play “Trap,” based on the true story of an incident that occurred in the Oak Box Theatre in Menachap, California.