The story begins when Powerstories Theatre was born in June 1998 as Fran Powers crossed the Wyoming border on a cross country bike trip. The idea took root when she returned to Tampa and notified women of an audition opportunity. She simply asked “Do you have a story to tell?” Eight local women,  ages 30 to 70, with little to no acting background were selected to perform for the general public. An original script “Let the Stories Move You” with original music was written to link all the stories into a cohesive and inspirational theatre piece. Powerstories Theatre debuted in November 2000 at the Friday Morning Musicale in Tampa, Florida. By August 2001 they performed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center to sold out audiences.

The story builds in January 2003, when Fran Powers took a leap of faith and began to pursue the Powerstories dream full time. In March 2003, Powerstories Theatre of Tampa Bay, Inc. became a non-profit agency with the mission of “staging true stories of women and girls worldwide to open minds and hearts.” Significant dates include:

• February 2003 the “Seek and Speak Your Story” workshops were offered to general public,
• May 2003 a second production “Clarity Cometh” opened in Tampa
• May 2003 the Girl stories Project began helping girls in the inner city tell their story using theatre and art,
• July 2004 the first book was published titled Power Stories - Everyday women creating extraordinary lives, AND the women performed for their first national conference, AND work began with Moffitt Cancer Institute to help patients tell their story,
• November 2004 Powerstories was featured in “Smart Women” series in 67 TV stations nation-wide,
• January 2005 the first Girl stories production was performed,
• August 2006 a third production “Bernadette's Bravo! opened in Tampa to sold out audiences.
• November 2006 Powerstories produced and performed a custom show for Moffitt Cancer Center 's 20th Anniversary.
• April 2007 the Girlstories Project wins a national award from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
• June 2007 “Bernadette's Bravo” begins to perform nationally!
• June 2008 the first Girlstories Theatre Project, a troupe of 25 middle school girls who train for seven weeks in the summer, was implemented.