Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm (Dec-May)
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm (Jun-Nov)
Visitors can find us, tour our galleries and studios, and visit the rooftop at 533 Eaton Street.
Admission to our galleries and campus is always free of charge. As a non-profit, community organization, we offer discounted fees for classes, performances and events to members of The Studios. If you are interested in the benefits of membership learn more here!
From rooftop parties to business gatherings, The Studios offers a host of unique spaces to make your event one for the ages! Learn more here.
Two powerful one-man performances that bring history to life. In Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till, Mike Wiley portrays over 30 characters, recounting the tragic events that ignited the Civil Rights Movement. In A Game Apart, he steps into the world of Jackie Robinson and other black athletes, revealing the challenges and triumphs of breaking sports’ color barriers.
6pm receptions with food and cash bar; shows at 7pm
Presented in Partnership with Rose Diversity Group and the American Legion’s Children and Youth Month
Sponsored in part by Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, First Horizon Bank, Florida Keys Council of the Arts and The Studios’ Youth & Community Programs sponsors
$50, $25 Friends of Rose Diversity, $5 kids
In 1955, a 14-year-old Black Chicago youth traveled to Mississippi with family and Southern cooking on his mind. He stepped off the train into a world of thick color lines, hard-held class systems and unspeakable taboos. Dar He chronicles the murder, trial and unbelievable confession of the men accused of Emmett Till’s lynching.
sponsored by Jane Gardner Interiors
$50, $25 Friends of Rose Diversity, $5 kids
A Game Apart provides a glimpse of Jackie Robinson’s life during a bygone era when a star player was showered with adulation on the field and became a second-hand citizen when he walked off the diamond. Mike Wiley gives a powerful, and entertaining, lesson of courage through dedication, perseverance and leadership.
sponsored by Spottswood, Spottswood, Spottswood & Sterling PLLC
Martin Hennessy, Composer, is a prolific composer of opera and art song. With librettist Stephen Kitsakos, he composed An Incident in Sutton Square (finalist for the 2023 Dominic Argento Chamber Opera Prize), The Woman in Penthouse A, and The Pleasing Recollection: A Cabaret Opera. His opera A Letter to East 11th Street, with a libretto by Mark Campbell, was the first winner of the Domenic J. Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize in 2014. Other chamber works include The Young King, with a libretto by Tom Rowan, commissioned by the University of Maryland; and The Good Friar, with a libretto by Mark Campbell, for the Center for Contemporary Opera and Urban Arias. His Ben Jonson Songs won grand prize at the San Francisco Song Festival, and he has been honored with Copland House and Millay Colony residencies as well as commissions from the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS and the Sorel Foundation. Recent commissions include Nous Deux, a setting of Paul Eluard’s incantatory love poem, for mezzo-soprano and string quintet, commissioned by mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert. He is currently commissioned by Madrid’s Teatro Real’s La Joven to write a new Maria Estuardo, with a libretto by Irma Correa.
Stephen Kitsakos, Libretto, is an opera librettist, theatre director and educator. Writing commissions include the National Endowment on the Arts, the American Opera Project, NYSCA, Catskill Watershed Corporation, ASCAP Foundation and The Woodstock Cycle for the Episcopal Diocese of NY. With Martin Hennessy he wrote the libretti for An Incident in Sutton Square (finalist for the 2023 Dominic Argento Chamber Opera Prize), The Woman in Penthouse A, and The Pleasing Recollection: A Cabaret Opera. With composer Sheila Silver he wrote the libretto for A Thousand Splendid Suns, commissioned by Seattle Opera, based on the bestselling book by Khaled Hosseini, nominated for “Best New Opera 2023” at the International Opera Awards in Warsaw, Poland. Other libretti for Silver include the chamber opera The Wooden Sword, and the Tibetan-themed operatic cantata The White Rooster, commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution. A member of the Theatre Arts Faculty at SUNY New Paltz for fifteen years, Kitsakos was a contributing writer at The Sondheim Review as well as Music in American Life for ABC-CLIO.
Michael Shell, Stage Director, is an Associate Professor of Music in Voice at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Resident Stage director for the Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater. His “visionary” and “masterful storytelling” (Opera News) is steadily leading him to be one of the most sought after directors in the United States. His “thoughtful and detailed score study” (Opera Today) is shown in character development and relationships onstage as well as the complete visual world he creates. Shell has directed productions for Atlanta Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Opera Omaha, Opera San Jose, Opera Tampa, Opera North, Virginia Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Wexford Festival Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He holds a B.M. and M.M. in Music/Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and was a Corbett Scholar at The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Tyler Readinger, Conductor has served as cover conductor for the New York Philharmonic and Allentown Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Reading Philharmonic Orchestra, and guest conductor for the Reading Pops Orchestra. As a student of Arthur Fagen and Thomas Wilkins, he was assistant conductor for the Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater. Tyler was named semifinalist in the 2022 V Nino Rota International Conducting Competition. He has participated in numerous other conducting programs, most recently being the VIII Atlantic Coast Conducting Competition and Masterclass. He is also an avid conductor of film music both in live-to-picture performances and recording sessions.
Rosi Ware, Narrator, is an inspirational speaker and ambassador of Arts & Culture in Key West. Formerly the CEO of Millward Brown, the world’s largest advertising research agency, and a consultant for Kantar & WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, she was honored by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 as one of 75 women in business who had made a difference to the UK. A Founding Board Member, and past President/Board Chair of The Studios of Key West, she was awarded “Humanitarian of the Year” in 2016 by the Red Cross for her work with disabled adults at MARC House. A Board Member and Past President of the Key West Garden Club, and Board Member of Art In Public Places, her hobbies include gardening, theater, literature, music, movies and travel. Rosi narrated the first NEA-funded workshop of A Thousand Splendid Suns which saw its world premiere at Seattle Opera in 2023.
Tomasz Jedrowski, author, is a graduate of Cambridge University and Université de Paris. Swimming in the Dark is his debut novel and was the subject of a hotly contested six-way publishing auction. Bloomsbury gained the rights. It was one of the most popular LGBTQ books of 2020, and was selected as a Book of the Year by The Guardian, NPR, Attitude Magazine, O Magazine and others. It has now been translated into 18 languages. Tomasz was born in Germany to Polish parents. He speaks English, French, German & Polish. He is currently writing his second novel.
photo by Kuba Dabrowski
Mezzo-soprano, Deanne Meek* has had an active international career since the mid-1990’s appearing in major opera houses including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Real (Madrid), Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Opéra de Lyon, Teatro Colón, Théâtre du Châtelet, Gran Teatre del Liceu & the English National Opera. In the US she has sung roles at the LA Opera, Dallas Opera, Washington Opera, Seattle Opera among others. She made her European debut as Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in Dublin, followed by performances throughout the UK in roles such as Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Meg Page in Falstaff, Ruggiero in Alcina, and the title role in La Cenerentola. She champions contemporary works, creating the role of Ma Joad in Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath with Minnesota Opera and performing roles such as Jo March in Little Women & Mrs. DeRocher in Dead Man Walking. Meek appeared at The Studios of Key West as Fariba in the first opera workshop of A Thousand Splendid Suns in 2016.
Praised as “expressive, dynamic & vocally splendid,” baritone Michael Kelly* is sought-after for his riveting interpretations of recital, concert and operatic repertoire. Mr. Kelly has recently performed at Santa Fe Opera, Carnegie Hall, with New York City Opera, the New World Symphony, Seattle Symphony and the Cincinnati May Festival. He performed Bernstein’s Mass with the Mostly Mozart Festival, and gave the World Premiere of a new chamber work by David Del Treidici at NYC’s Symphony Space. In recent seasons he has been heard in Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin, as Hannah Before in Kaminsky’s As One, Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Papageno in Mozart’s Magic Flute, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, and the title role in the NY premier of Carlyle Floyd’s newest opera Prince of Players. In May, 2025, he will originate the role of Harvey Milk in the World Premiere of Harvey Milk by composer Stewart Wallace and librettist Michael Korie at Opera Parallèle. Kelly is known to Key West audiences for his solo performance at The Studios of Key West in The Pleasing Recollection, a Cabaret Opera, by Hennessy and Kitsakos.
A Chorus of Work Collective Students, Church Choir, Anti-Soviet Marchers and Police sung by the cast.
Cast from IU Jacobs School of Music
Abigail McKay Cherry, David Drettwan, Jonathan Elmore, Theo Harrah, Miranda Nilan, Zachary Olmoz, Ashley Ruckman, Kathleen Simunek, Michael Varilla
Orchestra
Tyler Readinger, Conductor
Matthew Gemmill and Andrew Becker, Piano
Thomas Frost, Percussion
The composer’s orchestration has been reduced for this performance from 12 players: Flute (doubling piccolo), Oboe, Clarinet in B flat, Bassoon, Horn in F, Percussion, Piano, and String Quintet
*Courtesy of AGMA, the American Guild of Musical Artists
Key West, FL — The Studios of Key West will host an extraordinary cultural event as Tomasz Jedrowski’s acclaimed LGBTQ novel, Swimming in the Dark, hailed as a modern literary classic for its poignant exploration of love and identity under political oppression, is reimagined as a compelling opera. A pivotal milestone in the project—a developmental staged concert featuring Act One of the opera—will premiere at The Studios on Friday, March 21, and Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at The Studios’ box office, by calling 305-296-0458, or visiting tskw.org.
This bold adaptation is a collaboration between composer Martin Hennessy, librettist Stephen Kitsakos, and IU Jacobs School of Music. Featuring 18 artists from IU Jacobs, the production highlights the significance of adapting powerful literary works into opera, a medium uniquely capable of expressing the depth and complexity of human emotion.
“The story unfolds in 1980, as the communist Polish People’s Republic teeters on the edge of collapse,” said librettist Stephen Kitsakos. “At its heart is a passionate love affair, but it’s also a gripping political thriller set in a country being torn apart by upheaval.”
The opera follows Ludwik and Janusz, two young men whose love is tested by the political turmoil of their time. Their romance begins during a mandatory agricultural camp, where they bond over James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. Ludwik, drawn to acts of subversion, aligns with the Solidarity movement, while Janusz clings to survival within the communist system. The result is a heartbreaking exploration of love, identity, and the cost of living authentically in an oppressive society.
Directed by Michael Shell, Resident Opera Stage Director at IU Jacobs School, the 85-minute Act One will be performed in English by 12 singers and a chamber ensemble. This workshop not only introduces the first act of the opera to audiences but underscores its place in the larger developmental process, showcasing the cultural importance of adapting landmark queer stories for the stage.
Kitsakos and Hennessy have a long history of presenting innovative operas, including Single Occupancies, which premiered at The Studios in 2020, and The Pleasing Recollection, which debuted there before its New York premiere at Feinstein’s/54 Below. Kitsakos’s adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, with music by Sheila Silver, premiered with Seattle Opera in 2023 and was shortlisted for Best New Opera at the International Opera Awards. Hennessy’s recent commission with Madrid’s Teatro Real features a libretto by Spanish poet Irma Correa.
IU Jacobs School of Music has collaborated with renowned companies such as the Santa Fe Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Seattle Opera. Recently, it partnered with the Metropolitan Opera to workshop The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.
Swimming in the Dark is a poignant reminder of how love and art can challenge political oppression, a message that feels especially urgent today as LGBTQ rights face renewed attacks.
Whether you’re a seasoned opera fan or completely new to the genre, Swimming in the Dark promises an unforgettable experience and a powerful evening of love, art, and resistance. Experience a story that dares to explore the intersection of passion and politics, brought to life through the transformative power of opera.
As a special addition to this event, Tomasz Jedrowski will appear at Books & Books at The Studios on Friday, March 21, at 5:00 p.m. to discuss his novel Swimming in the Dark. This intimate conversation will provide audiences with deeper insight into the story that inspired the opera. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the event will take place in the PEAR House Courtyard at 529 Eaton Street. Registration for Jedrowski’s reading is required and can be completed at booksandbookskw.com.
Image: Swimming in the Dark audiobook cover art.
Key West, FL – The Studios of Key West continues its First Look series with a staged reading of Vienna, Vienna, Vienna, a captivating new play by Carey Perloff, directed by Ron Lagomarsino. Featuring a cast of powerhouse performers with Broadway, film, and television credits, this highly anticipated theatrical event takes the stage March 28 & 29 at the Helmerich Theater.
Three generations of Jewish women from a close and complicated family arrive in Vienna for an award celebration. As they navigate the city—searching for their stolen apartment, reading Chekhov, and indulging in exquisite chocolate cake—they wrestle with the past, argue about the present, and reimagine their futures. Vienna, Vienna, Vienna is a moving exploration of forgiveness, survivor guilt, and family bonds, brought to life by an extraordinary creative team.
The reading stars three celebrated actresses:
Playwright Carey Perloff is one of the most celebrated figures in contemporary theater. She served as artistic director of the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco for over 25 years, where she produced and directed groundbreaking work. Perloff’s plays, including Kinship, Higher, and Luminescence Dating, have been performed at major theaters across the country, and she has collaborated with some of the most esteemed actors and directors of her generation. Her talent for weaving history, personal narrative, and sharp dialogue makes Vienna, Vienna, Vienna a deeply compelling new work.
Directing the reading is Ron Lagomarsino, a visionary director whose career spans Broadway, film, and television. He is best known for staging the world premiere of Driving Miss Daisy, launching a play that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and become an enduring classic. His Broadway credits include Alfred Uhry’s Last Night of Ballyhoo, and his extensive television work includes directing episodes of My So-Called Life, Picket Fences, The Unit, Ally McBeal, and Gilmore Girls, among many others. His expertise in bringing compelling stories to life makes this staged reading a must-see event.
“The level of talent in this production is astounding,” says First Look series producer Jeff Johnson. “Between the award-winning playwright, the legendary director, and this phenomenal cast, Vienna, Vienna, Vienna promises to be an unforgettable experience for our audiences.”
Helmerich Theater
Friday, March 28 & Saturday, March 29 at 8 PM
$45 | $35 for members
Tickets for Vienna, Vienna, Vienna are expected to sell quickly. Secure your seat now at TSKW.org or call 305-296-0458 for reservations.
For press inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Elena Devers
The Studios of Key West
elena@tskw.org | 305-296-0458
In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, and Robert Frost (1874-1963), The Studios of Key West is delighted to host the Annual Kids and Teen Poetry Contest each year.
Monroe county students are encouraged to submit poetry entries to the Robert Frost Poetry Contest for Children and Teens by April 30. Children aged 6-12 and teens aged 13-18 are asked to mail or drop their poems off at The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton Street or email poems to poetry@tskw.org. Students should include their name, parent or guardian’s name, phone number and age with submissions. Poetry can be any length, based on any subject, and be rhymed or unrhymed. Teachers may also submit the work of their students. Open to Monroe County only, up to 3 poems per entry. Poems may be submitted in English or Spanish.
Cash prizes are as follows: $150 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place, in each age category.
National Poetry Month is a worldwide celebration that highlights poetry’s vital place in our culture. The Florida Keys have a special connection with Robert Frost, who won four Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry, and wintered many years at the garden cottage of the Heritage House in Key West. Through funds established by the Jeane and Jessie Porter Fund at the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, the contest for children and teenagers was created in his honor, and nurtures and develops the interest of budding poets, and their vital connection to the Keys’ creative spirit.
Winners will be announced online and recognized at a reception and public reading at The Studios of Key West.
supported by the Jeane and Jessie Porter Memorial Fund
NEA Fellow, former Key West Poet Laureate and assemblage artist Flower Conroy’s first full-length manuscript, Snake Breaking Medusa Disorder was chosen by Chen Chen as the winner of the Stevens Manuscript Competition; her second collection, A Sentimental Hairpin was released from Tolsun Books.
Artist and writer Kalo Clarke has teamed up to judge poetry contests with Flower before (“Pepto Bismol bad poetry writing” contest for the best worst poem). Clarke is also known for her artworks in mixed media of unique subject matter, including bats, bees and other creatures.
$4,200 per person based on double occupancy
Additional $600 for single occupancy
$1,100 non-refundable deposit due to secure your spot
For over a decade, The Studios has led pioneering cultural exchanges with Cuba, building friendships with many of its most significant artists and cultural figures. Reap the benefits of those relationships with a whirlwind tour of Havana’s arts scene, including studio visits with celebrated artists, guided tours and sumptuous dinners, as well as opportunities to learn about the historic and architectural treasures of one of the world’s most romantic cities – a UNESCO World Heritage site!
presented in partnership with Gallery on Greene and Project Hemisphere
Questions? Contact Jed Dodds at jed@tskw.org or 305-296-0458 or Fabiola Ortiz (Project Hemisphere) at fab1902@gmail.com or 310-977-9681
• Four nights of oceanside hotel accommodation – Grand Aston Hotel (5-star hotel)
• 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners – fine dining
• Visa fees, licenses and permits
• Motor coach transportation, dedicated bilingual guide
• $500 tax deductible contribution to The Studios of Key West
• Airfare to/from Havana (logistical assistance provided)
• Passenger travel insurance (strongly suggested)
• Gratuities for guide and driver
Duke Riley’s Trading with the Enemy Returns to Key West
Key West, FL — What if pigeons could challenge the way we think about borders, history and politics? In 2013, Duke Riley did just that. A trailblazing artist celebrated for transforming maritime history and urban folklore into captivating modern narratives, Riley orchestrated an extraordinary feat: training a flock of pigeons to smuggle cameras and Cuban cigars across the 90-mile stretch from Havana to Key West. Through this audacious project, Trading with the Enemy, Riley turned these unassuming birds into symbols of resistance, sparking conversations about surveillance, smuggling and Key West’s longstanding unique relationship with Cuba.
For the first time, Riley’s project returns to the island where it originated: running January 2–30, 2025, at The Studios of Key West.
At the center of the exhibition is Riley’s original pigeon loft, made from found materials and stocked with live pigeons. The artist housed a kit of 50 pigeons there In 2013, after four years of meticulous planning and eight months of breeding, with the goal of releasing them in Havana to make the trek home. “The birds were either ‘smugglers’ carrying contraband, and named after historical smugglers, or ‘documentarians’ wearing customized cameras, named after filmmakers who have had brushes with the law,” Riley recalls. “Eleven pigeons successfully completed their mission. One documentarian landed on a yacht and quickly became the subject of conversation.”
In addition to the live installation, the exhibition includes video of the pigeons’ historic flights, painted portraits of the individual pigeons on repurposed Key West roof tiles, and related works that delve deeper into the themes of migration, ingenuity, and exchange. Its resonance has only grown in recent years, with the continued US embargo, and the historic exodus of millions of Cubans in the post-pandemic era.
What to Expect
Join us and meet the artist at the Opening Reception on Thursday, January 2, from 6–8pm.
About the Artist
Duke Riley’s thoughtful, sometimes humorous and often provocative work has been featured in some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, including MoMA, the Smithsonian, and a major solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 2023. He is known for ambitious and daring performative works as well as handmade objects made from trash and repurposed materials that borrow from folk traditions to critique contemporary politics and material consumption.
About The Studios of Key West
The Studios of Key West is the island’s creative hub, fostering connections between artists and audiences through exhibitions, residencies, and performances. For more information, visit www.tskw.org.
On View: January 2–30, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 2, 6–8 PM
Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat, 10am-4pm. Free and open to the public.
Location: Sanger Gallery, The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton Street. www.tskw.org
Made possible by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson
America’s Finest Folk and Americana Artists Shine Indoors and Under the Stars
[Key West, FL.] The Studios of Key West unveils its most exciting Old Town New Folk season yet, featuring an extraordinary lineup of America’s finest singer-songwriters. In 2025, audiences will enjoy intimate concerts in the Helmerich Theater and unique rooftop shows at Hugh’s View, a terrace that captures the island’s radiant evening light.
“Our Old Town New Folk artists will grab you by the heart and leave you hanging on every word,” says Jay Scott, series curator. “Even if their names are new to you, by the end of one set, their stories and songs will make you feel like you’ve known them forever.”
The series launches on January 7 & 8 with Susan Werner & Jonatha Brooke, two renowned performers whose artistry spans genres. Werner, hailed as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today,” charms with sharp wit and dazzling musicianship, while Brooke’s stunning voice and engaging stage presence create an unforgettable experience.
“Susan is a longtime favorite of The Studios, and when we asked her to invite another musician who would resonate with Key West’s unique spirit, she immediately thought of Jonatha Brooke,” continues Scott. “Jonatha’s artistry and authenticity are a perfect match for our audiences, and together, they promise a truly magical start to the season.”
On January 14 & 15, Dom Flemons, known as the “American Songster,” brings a rich tapestry of early American music to the stage. A founding member of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, Flemons masterfully blends banjo, harmonica, rhythm bones, and more into his captivating repertoire.
On February 4 & 5, Will Kimbrough, a legend in the Americana world and co-writer of Jimmy Buffett’s poignant final single Bubbles Up, takes the stage.
Over the Rhine performs on March 4 & 5, offering poetic lyrics and haunting harmonies that have earned them acclaim for over three decades.
On March 11 & 12, Ellis Paul and Radoslav Lorković offer an evening of lyrical storytelling and virtuosic piano and accordion.
Beth Nielsen Chapman, a two-time Grammy nominee, appears on March 18 & 19, performing her deeply personal songs, including works recorded by legends such as Willie Nelson and Bette Midler.
John McCutcheon, performing on April 15 & 16, brings masterful musicianship and moments that resonate deeply with his audience.
Closing the season on April 22 & 23, the Henhouse Prowlers deliver high-energy bluegrass with a modern twist. As “Chicago’s bluegrass ambassadors,” their innovative sound and dynamic shows leave audiences exhilarated.
Hugh’s View, perched atop The Studios of Key West, offers an extraordinary setting for live music, with panoramic views and a backdrop of the island’s shifting evening hues. The Helmerich Theater, by contrast, provides an intimate indoor space with exceptional acoustics, allowing audiences to experience every note and nuance of the performances.
Tickets are available now! Reserve yours by calling 305-296-0458 or visiting tskw.org.
Image: Dom Flemons, the ‘American Songster,’ brings his mastery of early American music to The Studios of Key West on January 14 & 15, blending banjo, harmonica, and storytelling in a captivating celebration of America’s musical roots. Photo by Shervin-Lainez