When American Stage and Duncan McClellan Gallery Collide: “Weird in St. Pete” and the Art of Immersive Theatre
There’s something magical about theatre when it steps off the traditional stage and into unexpected spaces. That’s exactly what American Stage has done with its latest immersive performance, Weird in St. Pete, staged inside the Duncan McClellan Gallery, where glass art, sculptural space, and local folklore come together to create a one-of-a-kind theatrical journey.
The Performance: Weird in St. Pete
Running through October, Weird in St. Pete is not your typical sit-down show. Audience members move in small groups through the gallery, encountering characters from St. Petersburg’s local mythos—some legendary, others nearly forgotten. The setup is walk-through and interactive, with staggered start times so that different groups overlap, giving the entire space a living, breathing energy.
The setting—the sculpture garden, the glowing glass works, the ambient lighting—becomes more than just a backdrop. It’s part of the storytelling. Local legends such as Mary Reeser, Beat writer Jack Kerouac, and other curious figures from St. Pete’s folklore are brought vividly to life. The performance treads the line between theatre, site-specific art, and immersive installation, offering an intimate and atmospheric experience that invites audiences to explore rather than simply watch.
Why It Matters
This fusion of visual art and theatre reflects a growing trend in arts communities everywhere: people crave experiences rather than passive viewing. The show deepens the sense of place and history by drawing from local stories, and it challenges how we think about “performance spaces.” Galleries are no longer just for looking—they can be stages.
For audiences, this kind of theatre is visceral, emotional, and surprising. Weird in St. Pete uses the existing architecture, artworks, and garden space of the Duncan McClellan Gallery to heighten the drama and create an organic form of stage design that evolves as the audience moves through it.
A Brief History
American Stage
Founded in 1977 as The Palisades Theatre of Florida at what is now Eckerd College, American Stage began as a small theatre devoted to education and touring productions. By 1979, it had converted a former cinema house downtown into a 179-seat venue, launching its Mainstage subscription series.
In 1984, the company officially became American Stage Theatre Company and soon after became the first non-profit theatre in the Tampa Bay area to operate under full contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Its beloved American Stage in the Park series began in 1986, bringing Shakespeare and modern classics to outdoor audiences in St. Petersburg’s parks.
Over the decades, American Stage has evolved into one of Florida’s most respected regional theatres, known for bold, thought-provoking productions. Its “Beyond the Stage” programming—taking performances into parks, galleries, and unconventional venues—illustrates its mission to bring art to the community and the community to art. Weird in St. Pete is a continuation of that spirit.
Duncan McClellan Gallery
Glass artist Duncan McClellan developed a fascination with glasswork early in his career and trained with master craftsmen across the United States and Europe. In 2009, he transformed a former tomato packing plant in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District into a vibrant gallery, studio, and event space.
Today, the Duncan McClellan Gallery is one of the most recognized glass art venues in the country, showcasing work by both established and emerging artists. The space includes a working hot-glass studio, sculpture garden, and expansive indoor galleries that shift with each exhibition. Beyond its visual beauty, the gallery serves as a hub for community events, lectures, performances, and collaborations like Weird in St. Pete, blending fine art with live experience.
Looking Forward
When you combine American Stage’s tradition of bold, boundary-breaking theatre with the immersive, luminous environment of the Duncan McClellan Gallery, you get moments that stretch the very definition of performance.
Weird in St. Pete represents a collaboration that brings together the best of both worlds: the storytelling power of live theatre and the atmospheric wonder of visual art. It reminds us that creativity thrives when artists and audiences meet in unexpected places—and that in St. Petersburg, the line between stage and gallery is as fluid and captivating as glass itself.
