MISSION STATEMENT: Powerstories is a nonprofit professional theatre whose mission is to stage true stories of women and girls to open minds and hearts
and inspire action worldwide.
Show SummaryFREE Bridgerton Fan Tea - Sunday, September 14 with ticket (48 guests)Cast & Creative Team Digital PlaybillWanted! Girls in STEMBeyond the Story - FREE Pre-Show Conversation - Sunday, September 24Artists Wanted!
Dream Big. Change the World.
Ada Lovelace—the spark that ignited
generations of women in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
At the dawn of the British Industrial Revolution, Ada Byron Lovelace, a fiery young inventor and the daughter of the flamboyant poet Lord Byron, discovers the boundless creative potential of “analytical engines.” With her friend and soulmate Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada dreams of a new world where art and technology converge. In Ada and the Engine, written by Lauren Gunderson, Ada envisions a future where these “analytic engines” transform society, blending art and information in ways she might not live to see. This music-laced story of love, friendship, and visionary dreams is a poignant pre-tech intellectual romance… like Bridgerton meets Steve Jobs.
Step into the circuitry of imagination and innovation as we celebrate 25 years of storytelling that dares to dream bigger. In honor of this milestone season, we’re offering $25 discounted tickets for our visionary patrons—like you—who power the heart of our theatre. And because the future deserves a front-row seat, we’re proud to offer FREE tickets to each performance to middle and high school students—nurturing the next generation of STEM dreamers and doers.
Our season journey continues with Ada and the Engine, where mathematics dances with poetry and the future hums just beneath the surface. In a time when women were expected to stay silent in the halls of science and innovation, Ada Lovelace refused to follow the rules. With boundless imagination and extraordinary intellect, she envisioned a future no one else could see—and wrote the blueprint for modern computing. Join us as we illuminate the stage with a tale of brilliant minds, bold ideas, and a woman far ahead of her time.
Gather your fellow visionaries and step into a world where logic meets lyricism, and dreams are calculated with care and wonder. Help us compute a full house and celebrate the elegant equation of community + creativity = magic.
Let’s make this anniversary season unforgettable—one beautifully engineered moment at a time.
—
Ada and the Engine begins at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Matinee begins at 2 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.
Ticket Prices:
- 25th Anniversary Play Ticket – discounted to $25
- FREE tickets to middle and high school students
Sponsor Ticket Prices:
(Includes name in playbill. Extra dollars are 25th anniversary gift to theatre to continue to produce important true stories.)
- Powerstories Angel – $250
- Powerstories Supporter – $100
- Powerstories Friend – $75
Bridgerton Fan Tea – Sunday, September 12 – 1 PM
Buy your ticket, then RSVP. Limited to 48 guests.
Before Ada and the Engine plays,
Join us for tea in Regency -esque ways.
Dress in your finest—vest or lace,
And celebrate this storied place.
With dainty bites and tea in hand,
We mark 25 years, proud and grand.
Just forty-eight may RSVP,
To sip in style and revelry.
Tickets are $25 to attend,
With Ada’s tale to sweetly end.
Students may join the show for free—
A gift to spark their legacy.
After the show, enjoy the treat:
Free photos on the set—so sweet!
So don your pearls, your gloves, your grace,
And help us honor time and place.
Cast
Kayla Witoshynsky
as Ada Byron Lovelace
Ron Nummi
as Charles Babbage
Nick Noelte
as Lord Lovelace
Gigi Jennewein
as Lady Anabella Byron, Mary
John Millsap
as George Gordon, Lord Byron
Creative Team
Alexa Perez –
Director
Allison Bica –
Stage Manager
John Millsap –
Technical Director/Set
Lindsay Ellis –
Costumes
Chloe Adair –
Paint Designer
Xander McColley –
Music Direction
Clareann Despain –
Sound/Projections
Know a Girl Who Loves STEM? Let Her Voice Be Heard!
Powerstories Theatre invites young girls passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math to celebrate Ada Lovelace’s legacy as part of our upcoming Ada and the Engine production.
Submit a 30–60 second video responding to one or more prompts like:
- “STEM means ___ to me because…”
- “Ada Lovelace inspires me because…”
- “Girls belong in STEM because…”
Each participant receives:
- 2 tickets to Ada and the Engine
- A reserved seat at our exclusive Beyond the Story conversation
- Their video featured on Powerstories’ social media
Whether she is building robots, solving math equations, conducting science experiments, or simply curious about how the world works—this is her moment to be seen and celebrated.
How to Submit: Click the link below to help her upload a short (30–60 second) video: https://forms.gle/wPUZHD8qoigyf7mZ7
Help us share her story—and inspire others—just as Ada Lovelace did over a century ago.
BEYOND THE STORY: ADA AND THE ENGINE –
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24
Barbara Bird, PhD, is a retired college professor who taught Interdisciplinary Honors Humanities at St. Petersburg College. She also taught at the University of Tampa and Atlanta Metropolitan College. She earned her doctorate from Florida State University, but her real education began in the 1980s—when computers filled rooms, terminals were “dumb,” and curiosity was her compass. She’s built websites for students, her church, and her neighborhood association, always chasing the joy of making tech feel human. Barbara’s career is proof that logic and imagination really can dance—and Ada Lovelace was her first partner.
Now in retirement, she no longer computes, but the spark Ada lit—the idea that logic and imagination could dance together—never left her. In this talk, Barbara shares how Ada’s legacy shaped her path and why that vision still inspires her today.
Ada Lovelace, nee Byron, melded the best of both parents: her father’s imagination and creative turn of mind and her mother’s analytic intellect and mathematic ability. Grounded in the study of both, she found the perfect outlet for her abilities when she worked with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Machine. Studying its capabilities and improving on them, she created the idea of a modern computer using punch cards. No longer would it be just a calculating machine, but a “thinking machine,” even though it was never built. Every programmer who ever followed, whether Steve Jobs or me, blesses her name.
Powerstories Theatre invites artists of all mediums to submit original works inspired by Ada and the Engine, the poignant and poetic play by Lauren Gunderson that celebrates the brilliance of Ada Lovelace—the world’s first computer programmer—and her visionary partnership with Charles Babbage.
We’re seeking pieces that explore themes of:
- Innovation and imagination
- The intersection of art and mathematics
- Women in STEM and visionary thinking
- Time, legacy, and unrealized potential
- The beauty of logic and the poetry of numbers
Whether your work is digital, traditional, sculptural, or mixed media, we welcome interpretations that reflect Ada’s pioneering STEM spirit.
Submission Guidelines:
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Format: Image of your work (up to 2 pieces), artist statement (max 125 words), and brief description of your work
Eligibility: Open to all artists
Selected works will be featured in a curated digital gallery
Show SummaryBeyond the Story - FREE Pre-Show Conversation - Sunday, September 24FREE Bridgerton Fan Tea - Sunday, September 14 with ticket (48 guests)Cast & Creative Team Digital PlaybillWanted! Girls in STEMArtists Wanted!
Dream Big. Change the World.
Ada Lovelace—the spark that ignited
generations of women in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
At the dawn of the British Industrial Revolution, Ada Byron Lovelace, a fiery young inventor and the daughter of the flamboyant poet Lord Byron, discovers the boundless creative potential of “analytical engines.” With her friend and soulmate Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada dreams of a new world where art and technology converge. In Ada and the Engine, written by Lauren Gunderson, Ada envisions a future where these “analytic engines” transform society, blending art and information in ways she might not live to see. This music-laced story of love, friendship, and visionary dreams is a poignant pre-tech intellectual romance… like Bridgerton meets Steve Jobs.
Step into the circuitry of imagination and innovation as we celebrate 25 years of storytelling that dares to dream bigger. In honor of this milestone season, we’re offering $25 discounted tickets for our visionary patrons—like you—who power the heart of our theatre. And because the future deserves a front-row seat, we’re proud to offer FREE tickets to each performance to middle and high school students—nurturing the next generation of STEM dreamers and doers.
Our season journey continues with Ada and the Engine, where mathematics dances with poetry and the future hums just beneath the surface. In a time when women were expected to stay silent in the halls of science and innovation, Ada Lovelace refused to follow the rules. With boundless imagination and extraordinary intellect, she envisioned a future no one else could see—and wrote the blueprint for modern computing. Join us as we illuminate the stage with a tale of brilliant minds, bold ideas, and a woman far ahead of her time.
Gather your fellow visionaries and step into a world where logic meets lyricism, and dreams are calculated with care and wonder. Help us compute a full house and celebrate the elegant equation of community + creativity = magic.
Let’s make this anniversary season unforgettable—one beautifully engineered moment at a time.
—
Ada and the Engine begins at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Matinee begins at 2 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.
Ticket Prices:
- 25th Anniversary Play Ticket – discounted to $25
- FREE tickets to middle and high school students
Sponsor Ticket Prices:
(Includes name in playbill. Extra dollars are 25th anniversary gift to theatre to continue to produce important true stories.)
- Powerstories Angel – $250
- Powerstories Supporter – $100
- Powerstories Friend – $75
BEYOND THE STORY: ADA AND THE ENGINE –
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 – 4:00 PM
Barbara Bird, PhD, is a retired college professor who taught Interdisciplinary Honors Humanities at St. Petersburg College. She also taught at the University of Tampa and Atlanta Metropolitan College. She earned her doctorate from Florida State University, but her real education began in the 1980s—when computers filled rooms, terminals were “dumb,” and curiosity was her compass. She’s built websites for students, her church, and her neighborhood association, always chasing the joy of making tech feel human. Barbara’s career is proof that logic and imagination really can dance—and Ada Lovelace was her first partner.
Now in retirement, she no longer computes, but the spark Ada lit—the idea that logic and imagination could dance together—never left her. In this talk, Barbara shares how Ada’s legacy shaped her path and why that vision still inspires her today.
Ada Lovelace, nee Byron, melded the best of both parents: her father’s imagination and creative turn of mind and her mother’s analytic intellect and mathematic ability. Grounded in the study of both, she found the perfect outlet for her abilities when she worked with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Machine. Studying its capabilities and improving on them, she created the idea of a modern computer using punch cards. No longer would it be just a calculating machine, but a “thinking machine,” even though it was never built. Every programmer who ever followed, whether Steve Jobs or me, blesses her name.
Bridgerton Fan Tea – Sunday, September 12 – 1 PM
Buy your ticket, then RSVP. Limited to 48 guests.
Before Ada and the Engine plays,
Join us for tea in Regency -esque ways.
Dress in your finest—vest or lace,
And celebrate this storied place.
With dainty bites and tea in hand,
We mark 25 years, proud and grand.
Just forty-eight may RSVP,
To sip in style and revelry.
Tickets are $25 to attend,
With Ada’s tale to sweetly end.
Students may join the show for free—
A gift to spark their legacy.
After the show, enjoy the treat:
Free photos on the set—so sweet!
So don your pearls, your gloves, your grace,
And help us honor time and place.
Cast
Kayla Witoshynsky
as Ada Byron Lovelace
Ron Nummi
as Charles Babbage
Nick Noelte
as Lord Lovelace
Gigi Jennewein
as Lady Anabella Byron, Mary
John Millsap
as George Gordon, Lord Byron
Creative Team
Alexa Perez –
Director
Allison Bica –
Stage Manager
John Millsap –
Technical Director/Set
Lindsay Ellis –
Costumes
Xander McColley –
Music Direction
Clareann Despain –
Sound/Projections
Know a Girl Who Loves STEM? Let Her Voice Be Heard!
Powerstories Theatre invites young girls passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math to celebrate Ada Lovelace’s legacy as part of our upcoming Ada and the Engine production.
Submit a 30–60 second video responding to one or more prompts like:
- “STEM means ___ to me because…”
- “Ada Lovelace inspires me because…”
- “Girls belong in STEM because…”
Each participant receives:
- 2 tickets to Ada and the Engine
- A reserved seat at our exclusive Beyond the Story conversation
- Their video featured on Powerstories’ social media
Whether she is building robots, solving math equations, conducting science experiments, or simply curious about how the world works—this is her moment to be seen and celebrated.
How to Submit: Click the link below to help her upload a short (30–60 second) video: https://forms.gle/wPUZHD8qoigyf7mZ7
Help us share her story—and inspire others—just as Ada Lovelace did over a century ago.
Powerstories Theatre invites artists of all mediums to submit original works inspired by Ada and the Engine, the poignant and poetic play by Lauren Gunderson that celebrates the brilliance of Ada Lovelace—the world’s first computer programmer—and her visionary partnership with Charles Babbage.
We’re seeking pieces that explore themes of:
- Innovation and imagination
- The intersection of art and mathematics
- Women in STEM and visionary thinking
- Time, legacy, and unrealized potential
- The beauty of logic and the poetry of numbers
Whether your work is digital, traditional, sculptural, or mixed media, we welcome interpretations that reflect Ada’s pioneering STEM spirit.
Submission Guidelines:
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Format: Image of your work (up to 2 pieces), artist statement (max 125 words), and brief description of your work
Eligibility: Open to all artists
Selected works will be featured in a curated digital gallery
