Florida Studio Theatre to Host World Premiere of Tate Elizabeth Hanyok’s DOG MOM

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Tate Elizabeth Hanyok's new comedy will be directed by Nancy Rominger at FST's Keating Theatre.

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Florida Studio Theatre will present Dog Mom, a new comedy by writer, producer, and filmmaker Tate Elizabeth Hanyok. Directed by FST Associate Artist and Literary Manager Nancy Rominger, this National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere begins previews June 24, opens June 26, and runs in FST's Keating Theatre.

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At the center of this new play is Liz, a fiercely independent New Yorker whose carefully ordered life is suddenly thrown off course when a stray dog appears at her doorstep. What begins as an unwanted responsibility quickly becomes an unexpected journey filled with laughter, friendship, and the discovery that family sometimes arrives in the most surprising ways.

Equal parts comedy and heart, Dog Mom explores connection, resilience, and the transformative bond between people and their pets.

"One of the greatest gifts of developing Dog Mom for the stage was the opportunity to learn from audiences, actors, and fellow artists long before the play reached its world premiere," said Hanyok. "An early draft was featured in Florida Studio Theatre's Burdick New Play Festival, and that experience proved instrumental in shaping the script. Theatre is a live story laboratory, and the artists at FST helped reveal moments and relationships that ultimately became some of my favorites in the finished play."

Following its reading at FST, Dog Mom continued its development through workshops at the Seven Devils Playwrights Foundry in Idaho before becoming part of the National New Play Network's Rolling World Premiere program. The production joins a distinguished group of theatres across the country collaborating to introduce new American plays to audiences nationwide.

Rominger previously directed FST's script-in-hand reading of Dog Mom during the 2025 Burdick New Play Reading Festival. She joined FST in 2024 after serving for 12 seasons at Alabama Shakespeare Festival as Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Southern Writers' Project, overseeing the development of dozens of new plays and musicals. Her FST directing credits include Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, Don't Dress for Dinner, Shedding a Skin, and Advice.

"Tate has created characters who are funny, flawed, and deeply human," said Rominger. "At its heart, Dog Mom is about opening yourself to connection, even when life doesn't go according to plan. Audiences will laugh a lot, but they'll also recognize pieces of themselves in these relationships."

The cast features Katharine McLeod as Liz, returning to FST after appearing in Don't Dress for Dinner. Joining her are Ryan G. Dunkin as Ruben, Marina Re as Nell, and Kelsey Leigh Stalter as Dog. Kraig Swartz serves as swing for the production.

The creative team includes Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay (Scenic Design), Madison Queen (Costume Design), Kate Landry (Lighting Design), Nicholas Christensen (Sound Design), Brianna McVaugh (Fight Choreography), Shira Lebovich (Stage Manager), and Kate Johnson (Stage Management Intern).

Written by Tate Elizabeth Hanyok, Dog Mom marks another exciting chapter in FST's commitment to developing and producing new American plays. Hanyok's previous work includes the Hulu feature Sex APPeal, which she wrote and produced, as well as the Lifetime thriller Friends Until the End, which she directed. She also produced, adapted, and starred in Love and Baseball, released on HBO Max. Most recently, she had the unique opportunity to perform the role of Dog in the play's world premiere production.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/sarasota/article/DOG-MOM-to-Open-at-Florida-Studio-Theatre-20260616)._