ST. PETERSBURG — In an era where national incubators for new plays are shuttering, four St. Petersburg based nonprofits are doubling down on the city’s reputation as a “City of the Arts” by launching the St. Pete New Works Festival. Running from March 25 through April 4, 2027, this inaugural event marks a historic collaboration between Story Keepers, freeFall Theatre, The Studio@620, and Off-Central Players.
The festival is designed as a two-week “living laboratory” for the performing arts, featuring a dense schedule of new play readings, world premiere productions, Florida premieres, and curated networking events. Unlike traditional festivals, this initiative aims to show that St. Petersburg isn’t just a destination for finished work — it is a collective home for artists at every stage of the developmental journey.
A unified vision for a changing landscape
As major national development houses face closures, the St. Pete New Works Festival arrives as a defiant statement of community and sustainability. The festival will utilize the city’s vibrant spaces, activating The Studio@620, freeFall Theatre, and The Off-Central Players to host national and local artists.
“The St. Pete New Works Festival is a necessity for the growth of the arts here in St. Pete,” says Alan Mohney Jr., managing director of Off-Central Players. “We are thrilled to collaborate with freeFall, Story Keepers, and The Studio@620 to bring this festival to life and bring new stories to our community.”
Located at 2260 First Ave. S., the Off-Central sits in the heart of DTSP’s Grand Central District. Opened in 2021, The Off-Central is an intimate black box theatre and gallery space offering audiences an intimate storytelling experience in an immersive environment. Over the course of the past four seasons, The Off-Central has produced over 30 Main Stage productions, with many being award-nominated and winning, and has been home to a children’s educational theater program since its inception, The Big Break Youth Stage.
“This festival is about proving that the ‘City of the Arts’ isn’t just a tagline — it’s a commitment to the messy, beautiful process of creation,” says Avery Anderson, founder of Story Keepers and festival organizer. “We aren’t trying to build one singular organization to replace what’s been lost nationally; we are showing that through collaboration, St. Pete is a collective sanctuary where artists can take risks and find their voice.”
Story Keepers: Story Keepers is a Tampa Bay-based storytelling company producing bold, site-specific work rooted in community, access, and human connection. Focused on new plays and intimate storytelling experiences, Story Keepers brings work out of traditional venues and into shared spaces where stories can be felt up close.
“At The Studio@620, our mission has always been to say ‘Yes’ to the artist,” adds Erica Sutherlin, artistic executive director of The Studio@620. “By partnering with our peers for this festival, we are amplifying that ‘Yes’ and ensuring that St. Petersburg remains a beacon for diversity, innovation, and the next generation of great American stories.”
For more than 20 years, The Studio@620 has been a cultural cornerstone in St. Petersburg, a place where creativity, conversation, and community converge. Under the leadership of Sutherlin, the studio is entering a bold new era with a renewed mission: to ignite cultural vibrancy and propel creative careers by connecting artists, audiences, and collaborators across disciplines. With a commitment to equity, access, and radical imagination, The Studio@620 provides space for exhibitions, performances, residencies, and community partnerships that reflect and shape the stories of our time. Learn more at thestudioat620.org.
“We are thrilled to participate in this project which creates an open format for organizations to show work that simply needs to be new,” says Eric Davis, artistic director of freeFall Theatre. “This allows us to bring one of our major season projects into the festival rather than needing to bow out of a project with more demanding thematic constraints for instance. It should be a fun and varied mix of events.”
Located in West St Petersburg, freeFall Theatre Company is one of Tampa Bay’s most innovative professional theater companies. freeFall was founded in 2008 and moved into its current space at 6099 Central Avenue in 2011. freeFall presents a varied range of classical and new works that are bold, daring, and presented in ways that invite, entertain, and challenge audiences. All freeFall productions are produced and presented locally using acclaimed theater professionals from across the country including many that make Tampa Bay their artistic home. In addition to a full season of shows, freeFall also presents an award-winning series of cabarets, concerts, and special programming as part of their Tandem Series.
Save the Date & Get Involved
The festival is currently in its “save the date” phase. Local and national artists, as well as theater enthusiasts, are encouraged to visit Storykeepers.org to sign up for the mailing list. Subscribers will receive first-access alerts for ticket sales, workshop applications, and the full schedule of events.
The St. Pete New Works Festival is a grassroots collaborative effort. Organizations and individuals interested in supporting the future of new work in St. Petersburg are invited to contact the festival organizers for partnership and sponsorship opportunities. Visit Storykeepers.org for information.