Linda Larsen, international Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker and 45-year Actors’ Equity Association member credits the Sarasota Players with the success of her journey. In her early 20’s, in one of her first-ever “big stage” productions she was cast as a Cockney maid in See How They Run – and that was it! She went on to perform professionally for years, ultimately pausing her career to earn an MFA at the FSU Asolo Conservatory. During the early 90’s she parlayed her actor training and experience into full day workshops for trial attorneys teaching “Acting Techniques and the Art of Persuasion.” That led to an acclaimed career as a professional speaker to more than 1,500 groups world-wide, including one memorable event to 17,000 teenagers at a Future Farmers of America convention. She says she still has nightmares about that one. Linda is married to her co-chair, the funny, fabulous brilliant John Scalzi.

John Scalzi has been performing on-stage, in one form or another since, age 7, at which time he put on magic shows for his friends and neighbors. That early experience led to his role as the magician on the Captain Kangaroo Show. He studied acting at the NC School of the Arts and then for 2 years in England at Montview and Central School of Speech and Drama. Classically trained, his credits include Romeo and Juliet, Way of the World, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf and, most recently he delighted audiences as “The Body” in Florida Studio Theater’s hit show, Lucky Stiff. Honoring his “science nerd” side, John studied meteorology at CCNY, and did his graduate work at FSU. He has been our much-loved meteorologist at WWSB-TV for 30 years, and is married to his co-chair the beautiful, witty, soulful Linda Larsen.