On stage
RisingSTARZ Theater Group
The theater troupe. Last year it staged Our Wicked Truth, an original musical based on Wicked. A holiday show is in rehearsal now.
Chapter 01
A theater troupe for adults with diverse abilities
RisingSTARZ Theater Group is the theater troupe at ProjectFREE, a registered not-for-profit on 51st Street South in Gulfport, Florida. It is made for adults with diverse abilities, and it treats the people in it as actors. That means lines to learn, songs to sing, marks to hit and a cast that depends on every member showing up for the others. The troupe grew out of a place that has put arts and performance at the center since Kim Costanzo founded ProjectFREE in 2009.
The troupe works in musicals. Its most recent production, staged last year, was Our Wicked Truth, an original musical based on Wicked, the Broadway show and the film. Original is the word to notice: it was ProjectFREE's own take on a story the audience already knows. Kim Costanzo says in her Google review that the musicals are stellar, and she credits Music and Art Director Audrey Short with making it all happen.
An empty stage with colored floor tape and stage lights, with folding chairs set out facing it
From read-through to curtain
Every musical is built from the same parts. There is a script, a set of songs, parts to learn, and weeks of rehearsal before the night when it all meets an audience. A troupe finds its footing in the middle of that process, in the rehearsal where a scene goes wrong, gets run again and slowly goes right. Anyone who has stood in a cast knows that the applause is the short part. The work behind it is the long part.
ProjectFREE's weekly running order gives the troupe a head start. The day runs academics at 9:00, art at 10:00, lunch at noon and music at 12:30, Monday to Friday, so singing and rhythm are already part of every day on 51st Street South. A holiday show is being prepared now. ProjectFREE has not published a date, a venue or a ticket price for it, so the way to find out where things stand is to call (727) 603-0595.
Chapter 03
The holiday show, and how to join
The holiday show is the next thing on the troupe's list. After a musical as ambitious as Our Wicked Truth, a seasonal show asks for another full cycle: parts to learn, scenes to rehearse and a performance to land. Details beyond that have not been published, and this page will not guess at them. What can be said is that the troupe is active, rehearsing and still making new work.
To take part, call ProjectFREE or fill in the Apply to Perform form on the website. The Life Skills programs sit within Florida's Agency for Persons with Disabilities services, and no fees are published, so ask about funding when you call. Members can also play in Free2Rock Academy and work in the art studios, and many of the same skills carry across: listening, patience and showing up for the group.
Our Wicked Truth, an original musical based on Wicked, was the troupe's most recent production. A holiday show is in preparation.