Orange Blossom Award: The Keeper of Women’s Stories
by Avery Anderson
Today’s Orange Blossom Award goes to someone whose work is so woven into Tampa’s arts landscape that many people don’t realize they’ve been shaped by it — not directly, but through the countless stories she’s helped bring into the world.
Long before a performer steps into the light at Powerstories Theatre, before the first rehearsal, before the script even meets a casting table, Fran Powers has already done something quietly revolutionary: she created a space where women’s true stories aren’t just welcomed — they’re the point.
Powerstories began as her dream 25 years ago, born from the belief that storytelling could be an engine for confidence, clarity, and community. But what grew around that idea is something far rarer: a theater defined not by scale or spectacle, but by its humanity.
Marketing director Deb Kelley has watched that happen in real time.
“For 25 years, Fran has led not only with vision, but with heart,” she said. “She has built Powerstories Theatre into a safe space where voices are honored, stories are uplifted, everyone is welcomed, and community is strengthened.”
If you’ve ever stepped into Powerstories and felt something soften — a kind of exhale, a sense of ease — Deb has a theory about that. Years ago someone described the theater as “walking into a hug.” But the more she thought about it, the more she realized the building wasn’t the hug at all.
It was Fran.
“She doesn’t just produce theatre, she nurtures people,” Deb said. “She gave her blood, sweat, and tears to bring true stories to the stage. She deserves this beautiful recognition for both her passion and determination.”
Her leadership style is its own quiet lesson. No pedestal. No hierarchy. No distance.
“Fran embodies gratitude and grace in leadership, making everyone around her feel valued and seen,” Deb added. “Unlike many employers, Fran does not stand above — she stands beside us, rooting us on toward success.”
Artistic Director Clareann Despain sees that ethos ripple through everything the organization touches.
“Fran has built a beautiful organization that does vital work uplifting the stories of women. Her commitment to the truth, women and the arts shines through in everything she does. She inspires every day.”
Powerstories is, in many ways, a blueprint for what community-rooted theater can be. Not a monument, but a mirror — reflecting women’s lives in their complexity, resilience, humor, and truth. And for a quarter-century, Fran has kept that mirror polished, steady, and accessible to anyone who needed to see themselves in it.
The Orange Blossom Awards exist for work like this: patient, principled, deeply human. The kind of cultural labor that doesn’t always make headlines but absolutely makes a city.
Today, we honor the keeper of women’s stories, the architect of a home for truth-telling, and the woman who taught Tampa what a story can do.
Congratulations to Fran Powers — today’s Orange Blossom Award honoree.
What Are the Orange Blossom Awards?
A month-long series from The Arts Passport celebrating the people and organizations whose quiet, steady work strengthens Tampa Bay’s arts ecosystem. No applications. No campaigning. Just community-driven recognition, released daily in December.
Other Orange Blossom Stories:
December 1
Avery Anderson
December 2
Avery Anderson
December 3
Avery Anderson