Prior to the horrific mass shooting of 2016 at Pulse in Orlando Florida, there was the arson that took the lives of thirty-two gay men at The Upstairs Lounge in New Orleans on June 24, 1973. On the same night, Sydney Trahan, a young nursing student, was arrested for dancing at Brady’s, a notorious lesbian bar in the French Quarter. Her parents, Bud and Helen Trahan struggle to gain some control over their lives and restore a sense of normalcy after Syd’s transgressions that night. Their neighbors, Beverly and Beau Larson, try to be supportive friends while hiding their secrets that intertwine with the tragedy of The Upstairs Lounge and Syd’s arrest. The Larsons face terrible realities as the Trahan family makes choices they couldn’t make. Will Syd’s future be saved? Will she come out of this the person she wants to be? Will Bud and Helen love their daughter unconditionally? Will the Larsons survive the truth when forced to face it? All this is revealed in SYD. 

LAB Theater Project is a non-profit 501(c)3 production company focused on producing new works in the Tampa Bay Community. Our belief in a "playwright first" focus is resolute and a core value of the company. Along with a focus on developing new works, we also focus on training new theater artists to join our growing community. 

We only produce works from emerging playwrights and develop, through education, new artists (Actors, Directors, Stage Managers, and Designers) for the continued growth of live theater artistry. 

We currently produce four new plays per year, often utilizing students in aspects of the production; thereby, giving students the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned while working side by side with established professionals in the community as well as enriching the collaborative creative process of the playwright.

Our Mandate: 

• Bring the Playwright's vision to life.
• Grow as artists.
• Develop new theater artist: Actors, Directors, Designers, & Stage Managers.
• Build a core of artists who desire a life-long practice of theatrical artistry.