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Francis Wilson Playhouse

Francis Wilson Playhouse Francis Wilson Playhouse is an award winning community theater in Clearwater, Florida. And she did!

About FWP

You may have be wondering who was Francis Wilson and why does our Playhouse bear his name? If you had lived in the small town of Clearwater between 1905 and 1935, you might have seen him about town – he was short man with a jaunty step, a ready smile, expressive eyes and often wore a straw hat. If you had played golf, lawn bowling or bridge back then, you would have thought him charming

, kind and sincere in all he did. If you were his neighbor, you would have lived next to him at 400 Osceola Avenue – his house still stands today and is on the same bay as the Playhouse. It was during this time that Francis Wilson was well known as a celebrity on Broadway. He had the urge to entertain, had a preference for comedy – as most of us do – and having begun his career in Philadelphia as an entertainer back in the middle 1800′s, his experience on the stage was extensive. He was eventually so successful on stage that he formed his own theatre company and furthered his popularity off stage by protecting the interests of his fellow cast members and stage crews who were beginning to be exploited by an emerging Theatre Syndicate. And so, in 1913 he led a counterattack against this exploitation by forming what we now know as The Actors’ Equity Association. The results of his actions improved the actors’ working conditions, helped to assure the public of quality live theatre and most of all gave him the credibility to represent actors and the public in order to have community theatre prosper and grow. He was so committed to this cause that he actually came out of retirement at the age of 71 to play the role of “ACRES”, and in this role his portrait was painted and when you come to visit us, you will see it hanging in our lobby. With all his seventy one years of promoting quality stage performances, Francis Wilson’s greatest contribution to theatre took place in 1935 in Clearwater on the bay. Having inspired a group called The Little Theatre of Clearwater, he convinced his friend Mary Bokto loan him $5,000.00 (which back then was an enormous amount of money) he wanted to use this loan in order to provide this theatre group with a permanent home. She also graciously stated that the money would NOT be a loan, but considered a gift under the condition that the building would be a memorial to him and be called, THE FRANCIS WILSON PLAYHOUSE. Her proclamation was cast in bronze and hangs on our “giving tree wall”. When you come to visit us, please take the time to look at the stone chimneybreast, the bronze cast of Mary Bok can be seen just above the fireplace which dates back to 1935. The Theatre Membership was so enthusiastic and happy at the prospect of having their new “Little Theatre” that they held bridge luncheons, suppers, bingo games and all kinds of events to raise funds for furnishing the lobby and other interior public areas. And then with great civic pride, the Playhouse had its opening night on January 7, 1935.

Operating as usual

Join us tonight at 8pm for our final performance of 2022 - CAST PARTY CHRISTMAS! Our audience absolutely LOVED it yester...
12/18/2022

Join us tonight at 8pm for our final performance of 2022 - CAST PARTY CHRISTMAS! Our audience absolutely LOVED it yesterday for our matinee, so let's have a party and end 2022 with a bang! Wear your best tacky sweater and sing along!

Get your tickets here, while you can: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/93rd-season-concerts/

12/18/2022

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our run of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. We hope you had a royally great time! See you in January for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF!

It's time for a 💥 FLASH SALE 💥 on 3 of our remaining performances (Thurs/Fri/Sat) of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS! Use promo cod...
12/14/2022

It's time for a 💥 FLASH SALE 💥 on 3 of our remaining performances (Thurs/Fri/Sat) of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS! Use promo code FWP20 at checkout and get your tickets for just $20!

Get your discounted tickets here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/once-upon-a-mattress/

Get in the Holiday Spirit with your friends at Francis Wilson Playhouse! We can't wait for our Cast Party Christmas conc...
12/12/2022

Get in the Holiday Spirit with your friends at Francis Wilson Playhouse! We can't wait for our Cast Party Christmas concert on Saturday, December 17th at 2pm and Sunday, December 18th at 8pm. Wear your best ugly sweater and sing along with our cast of incredible singers!

Get tickets here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/93rd-season-concerts/

Tonight we were honored to be joined by Liza Fuller, the daughter of Dean Fuller, one of the writers of ONCE UPON A MATT...
12/10/2022

Tonight we were honored to be joined by Liza Fuller, the daughter of Dean Fuller, one of the writers of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS! Thank you, Liza, for joining us tonight and sharing fun stories with the cast and crew after the curtain call. 🏰✨

We've reached the final performance of our opening weekend of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Thank you to everyone who has joined...
12/04/2022

We've reached the final performance of our opening weekend of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Thank you to everyone who has joined us so far! We can't wait to see you all again, starting Thursday of next week!

Get your tickets for the remaining performances here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/once-upon-a-mattress/

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at FWP - we hope you have a wonderful Turkey Lurkey time!
11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at FWP - we hope you have a wonderful Turkey Lurkey time!

10/29/2022

Make sure you stumble along to the theater tonight to see our final Saturday night performance of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. We close tomorrow! As a special treat, here's a sample of "As We Stumble Along", as sung by our Chaperone, Lisa Reimer! (feel free to give her a standing ovation from wherever you are - we wouldn't blame you)

Stumble to your seats here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/drowsy-chaperone/

FLASH SALE! We are excited to announce $20 tickets for our final weekend of performances of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE! Use pr...
10/20/2022

FLASH SALE! We are excited to announce $20 tickets for our final weekend of performances of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE! Use promo code DROWSY20 at checkout and get your $20 seats! You must purchase between now and 10/26.

Get your tickets here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/drowsy-chaperone/

10/19/2022

People all over Tampa Bay are loving THE DROWSY CHAPERONE! Only two weeks remain - get your tickets while you still can. Run, don't stumble along, and come join us for a night of non-stop laughs!

Tickets: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/drowsy-chaperone/

Escape from 2022 and into the Musical Comedy World of 1928. Goofy Gangsters, Ditzy Chorines, Latin Lotharios, Lovestruck...
10/17/2022
Drowsy Chaperone | Francis Wilson Playhouse

Escape from 2022 and into the Musical Comedy World of 1928. Goofy Gangsters, Ditzy Chorines, Latin Lotharios, Lovestruck Lovers and more bring this hilarious musical comedy to life! It's a laugh a minute in this Tony Award winning musical romp.

Tickets here:

About the Show Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical. The Man in Chair appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical, and it comes to life! Hailed b...

Address

302 Seminole Street
Clearwater, FL
33755

Telephone

+17274461360

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Auditions for ONCE UPON A MATTRESS are coming soon! Join us at the theatre on September 11th & 12th at 7pm. We can't wait to see you! More info and casting requirements here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/auditions/

Thanks for coming to see our show. Sad to tell ya, we gotta go! We had so much fun these past few weeks - this is one for the history books! Here’s our closing afternoon curtain call!

No matter what you do on the stage - keep it light, keep it bright, keep it gay! Meet our Roger DeBris! Tickets: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/the-producers/

The Producers at FWP
The Producers at FWP

In just two short weeks, we will be opening THE PRODUCERS! Tickets are going fast, so get yours today! Pick your seats now and don't miss out: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/the-producers/

Opening TOMORROW is Neil Simon's hilarious comedy, FOOLS! Tickets available here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/fools-2/

Meet the Ghosts of A CHRISTMAS CAROL!
Meet the Ghosts of A CHRISTMAS CAROL!

It's OPENING NIGHT of A Christmas Carol! We are so excited to bring this incredible musical version to our stage for the first time. Meet our Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future! Limited tickets remain for the rest of the run. Get them now here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/a-christmas-carol/

We open A CHRISTMAS CAROL in just two weeks from today! Meet our Ebeneezer Scrooge, Rick Kistner! Do you have your tickets yet? This show is destined to be the Sell-Out Holiday Event of the Season! Get them here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/a-christmas-carol/

We have gotten so many fantastic messages about TWO BY TWO, so we thought we'd share a few. <3 Tomorrow kicks off our second weekend of shows. Get tickets here: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/two-by-two/

Meet the Cast! Lee Holmes plays Noah, and he's no stranger to the FWP stage! You may have seen him in our previous productions of Brigadoon, Titanic, It Shoulda Been You, and Pirates of Penzance! His portrayal of Noah is not one to be missed! Tickets: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/two-by-two/

We can't wait to welcome you back into the theatre with Two by Two! Tickets and more info at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org!

We assembled some of our leading players from our 2018 production of CURTAINS to remind you that we're all SHOW PEOPLE and that, very soon, the show must go on! We hope this puts a smile on your face! <3 If you're inclined to donate to FWP, head to this link: https://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/showpeople/

Opening Next Week....BRIGADOON!

I Do! I Do! is now open! Tickets are already limited - get yours at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org!

OPENING TONIGHT: Harvey! Get your tickets now at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org. Must close December 15th!

Opening in 10 days....it's HARVEY! #HarveyAtFWP

THIS JUST IN: South Pacific is completely sold out! You can get on our waiting list by calling the box office at 727-446-1360. Thank you to our audiences for your incredible support! #SouthPacificAtFWP

Tomorrow we head back to South Pacific to wash that man right outa our hair! Tickets are extremely limited for the next two weeks - get yours today at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org!

Have you ever been to Bali Ha'i? Bloody Mary (Jo Mabini Greene) knows all about it. 💐

South Pacific opens tomorrow! Best availability is on Thursday evening performances - we are close to capacity on the entire run! Get your tickets while you still can at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org! #SouthPacificAtFWP

South Pacific opens on Thursday! Do you have your tickets? Head to FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org now to pick your seats!

Titanic is mostly SOLD OUT! Only a handful of tickets remain for the rest of our performances! Best availability is on Thursday, August 29th, our added show! Don't miss the boat! FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org for tickets and info.

Get your tickets for TITANIC! August 15 - 21, 2019. FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org

ANNOUNCING our 90th Season of Shows at Francis Wilson Playhouse! Tickets are now on sale at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org for the entire season. See you at the theatre!

Check out this video of our concert cast rehearsing with Nathan, our musical director, in preparations for PURE IMAGINATION, our final concert of the season! One day only, this Saturday! Two shows! Tickets at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org! You won't want to miss the voices in this one. :-D

I HATE HAMLET opens this week. Andrew (Chris Cavazza) is about to play Hamlet. There’s a seance. The lightning flashes. John Barrymore appears. What could go wrong? Join us starting Thursday night! #IHateHamletAtFWP TICKETS: FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org or call 727-446-1360!

You may have seen Lisa and Nathan as Carrie and Mr. Snow in our production of CAROUSEL earlier this year! They’re back, singing together again in INTO THE WOODS! Check out this cool little mashup of their duets that they made right before tonight’s performance! Three chances left - get your tickets now! #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

Meet the Witch #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP
Meet the Witch #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

She's not good, she's not nice, she's just right. Meet Francesca, our Witch! #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

Meet Jack #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP
Meet Jack #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

He's met the giants in the sky! Now, meet Drew, our Jack! #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

Meet Little Red #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP
Meet Little Red #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

The path is straight, she knows it well. Meet Shianne, our Little Red! #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

Meet Rapunzel #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP
Meet Rapunzel #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

She's locked in a tower that has no door or stairs. But.....why? Meet Skylar, our Rapunzel! #IntoTheWoodsAtFWP

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Here's a promo for my current show A Christnas Carol at FWP! You won't want to miss this one!
Who’s in the mood for live theatre??? We tell you about Mamma Mia at the Francis Wilson Playhouse
When it comes to live theatre, Mamma Mia, we're back! We chat with the folks from Francis Wilson Playhouse coming up at 9am!
Comedy Tonight! was fantastic! It was as good as watching a variety show on TV back in the day! Thanks to those bubbling creative minds at work for us!!
The Francis Wilson Playhouse will host “The Best of Times,” a Broadway concert on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. This is a celebration of songs by legendary composer Jerry Herman: http://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/broadway-concerts/
Just saw Brigadoon - another absolutely fabulous show! The productions and the actors are just wonderful! Bravo!!!
Welcome to Brigadoon! Our show is NOW OPEN! Only a handful of tickets remain for the entire run - get yours now at FrancisWilsonPlayhouse.org!
A classic musical fantasy by Lerner & Loewe, “Brigadoon” is set in a mythical cursed village which appears only once a century. It is a love story for the ages that shows at the Francis Wilson Playhouse Feb. 20 to March 8, and is part of the theater’s 90th epic season. Tickets are on sale now: http://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/brigadoon/
The Francis Wilson PlayhouseFrancis Wilson Playhouse will host “The Fabulous 50s” Broadway concert on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
“I Do! I Do!” is a romantic musical comedy based on the play, “The Fourposter,” that plays Jan. 16-26, 2020, at the Francis Wilson Playhouse. The show is part of the theater’s 90th epic season. This musical resonates with couples of all ages through the ups, the downs, the kids, the fights and the reconciliations that come with a musical 50-year marriage commitment: http://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/i-do-i-do
“I Do! I Do!” is a romantic musical comedy based on the play, “The Fourposter,” that plays Jan. 16-26, 2020, at the Francis Wilson Playhouse. The show is part of the theater’s 90th epic season. This musical resonates with couples of all ages through the ups, the downs, the kids, the fights and the reconciliations that come with a musical 50-year marriage commitment: http://franciswilsonplayhouse.org/i-do-i-do
Great performance this afternoon of South Pacific. Ushering for first time, nice folks volunteering.
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