Arts events for Sarasota-Manatee: Jan. 14-20
Our weekly guide to the visual and performing arts in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
A little outdoor reading with Urbanite
Urbanite Theatre returns to performance mode for the first time in nearly a year with the first of three staged readings of new works that will be presented outdoors. The first program, presented today through Saturday at Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus, features Ronan Ronán Noone’s “Thirst,” which is inspired by Eugene O’Neill’s “A Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” It is set in the Tyrone family kitchen where the audience meets two Irish immigrant servant girls trying to find their way in a new world. It features familiar local actor Amanda Schlachter as Bridget, FSU/Asolo Conservatory student Zoya Martin as Cathleen and Tom Foley, previously seen in Urbanite’s “Ideation,” as Jack. Co-artistic director Brendan Ragan directs the reading, which will be presented at 6 p.m. today through Saturday at Selby, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. Tickets are $25. For more information: urbanitetheatre.org
John Sims premieres new work
The Ringling is marking Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with the premiere of “2020: (Di)Visions of America,” which marks the end of Sarasota artist John Sims’ 20-year multimedia project “Recoloration Proclamation.” Sims is currently an Artist in Residence at the museum. His program, which will be presented online at 7:30 p.m. Monday, will feature Dr. Lisa Merritt, a doctor dealing with COVID-19 in her work; the local leader of the Black Lives Matter movement and a woman whose relative was a slave on the Gamble Plantation in Manatee County. Sims’ full “Recolaration” project features a series of Confederate flag installations, performances and exhibitions that look at complex issues of identity, cultural appropriation and visual terrorism in relations to Confederate iconography and African-American culture. In addition to Monday’s live premiere, a recorded version of “(Di)Visions of America” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23, 30 and Feb. 1. Admission is $15, $13.50 for Ringling members. For more information: ringling.org/events/2020-divisions-american-john-sims.
Orchestra explores ‘Inspirations’
Sarasota Orchestra kicks off the new year with a program it calls “Inspirations,” built around the idea of how great composers seek out the works of other talents to create their own new pieces. Among them is “Entr’Acte” by Caroline Shaw, the youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music. Shaw has said the 2011 composition was inspired by hearing a performance of Haydn’s Op. 77, No. 2 quartet. The program, which will be performed live in Holley Hall this weekend and then made available for home streaming on Jan. 21, also features Antonin Dvorak’s Nocturne in B Major, Op. 40 and Josef Suk’s Serenade for Strings. Suk studied with Dvorak, who encouraged the younger composer to try writing in a less-melancholy style. Seating for the live performances is extremely limited because of coronavirus restrictions. For information: 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org. Home streaming, available Jan. 21-26, is $10.
WBTT celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is unable to present its annual program honoring the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. But it is making available a streaming video of its 2019 celebration “MLK: Celebrating His Legacy in Spoken Word and Song.” The production features readings of Dr. King’s speeches and writings (by the Rev. Charles S. McKenzie Jr.) along with songs by WBTT artists, including founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs. It was recorded during a performance at the Booker High School VPA Theatre. It is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Sarasota County Bar Association’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion. For more information; westcoastblacktheatre.org
Hermitage programs online
The Hermitage Artist Retreat has a busy weekend of events. At 7 p.m. Thursday, it partners once again with the Van Wezel Foundation on the latest “Unscripted+” program, with a free and open community conversation with arts advocate, educator and author Eric Booth, who has been called the “father of the teaching artist profession.” It is the third in an occasional series of programs between the two organizations. And at 5 p.m. Friday, it will join with Asolo Repertory Theatre for a virtual conversation with playwright Joshua Harmon, the author of such plays as “Bad Jews,” “Significant Other” and “Admissions.” Both events will be presented on Zoom and free registration is available at hermitageartistretreat.org
New Plays in focus at American Stage
American Stage launches the fifth season of its “21st Century Voices: New Play Reading Festival,” featuring four new works, a series of workshops and panels, all focused around the theme of mental health. For the first time, the plays and other programs will be presented virtually and spread over two weekends (contining Jan. 22-24). At 7:30 p.m. Friday is the virtual reading of Amber Palmer’s “In Search of the Mothman,” about two sisters dealing with a tragedy in their hometown, And at 7:30 p.m. Saturday is Cris Eli Blak’s “Sons of Liberty,” about a young man dealing with PTSD after combat injuries and how it affects his family, his relationship with his brother, and what it means to be a person of color. Both readings will be followed by discussions with the playwrights and directors. Passes are $55 for all events over both weekends, $30 for one weekend or $15t for individual readings. For more information: 727-823-7529; americanstage.org
enSRQ introduces new music
At its season-opening concert online, ensembleNEWSRQ founders Samantha Bennett and George Nickson performed individually and together as they experimented with virtual concerts. For the group’s second program “Solitude and Suffrage,” they expand the mix of musicians, with six instrumentalists joining singer Thea Lobo for a program of contemporary music that ranges from selections from Ulysses Kay’s 1950 piece “Fugitive Songs,” to Quinn Mason’s 2019 composition “The 19th Amendment.” Bennett and Lobo are featured along with cellist Natalie Helm, violinist Mia Laity, violist Rachel Halvorson, clarinetist Bharat Chandra and pianist Jesse Martins. The program will be streamed live and for free at 8 p.m. Monday from First Congregational Church, and will be available for up to a year. To watch, visit ensrq.org
A local history of architectural design
Sarasota has a rich history of innovations and creativity in architectural design, which you can explore in the new exhibit “Designing Sarasota: An Architectural History” at the Center for Architecture’s gallery at 265 S. Orange Ave. The exhibit begins with archeological evidence found on local beaches and continues with local architectural styles and trends through the years, up to modern day. The exhibit is up through April 17. Because of safety concerns, no more than 10 people will be allowed in the gallery at one time and face masks are required. To register for a visit: cfasrq.org/events
‘Nunsense’ returns at Manatee Players
The Manatee Players get back in the habit with a new production of Dan Goggin’s long-running hit “Nunsense” about a fundraising variety show put on by the Little Sisters of Hoboken. Along the way they reveal some hidden talents and a little about their lives and ambitions before they became nuns. The production, directed and choreographed by Cory Boyas, features Victoria Gross, Jessica Babcock, Madison Bradley, Kaleigh Valach and Lauren Butterfield. The productions opens today in the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 501 Third Ave. W., Bradenton and continues through Jan. 31. Four performances are available for drive-in movie style presentation or home streaming. 941-748-5875; manateeperformingartscenter.com
McCurdy’s offers laughs online
While McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre is temporarily closed because of the challenges of live performances during the pandemic, the theater is still providing some laughs for its fans. It has put together a video comedy special called “Laff Trak” featuring segments with three comedians – Helen Keaney, Vinnie Ward and Al Ernst. Keaney has served as a host on HSN and was a cast member of “3 Blonde Moms.” Ward, who has been heard on Sirius XM radio, was a finalist in the Florida’s Funniest competition in 2016 and took part in the 2018 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival. Al Ernst was named Entertainer of the Year by Carnival Cruise Lines and has appeared on numerous TV programs. The program is available to rent for $7.99 or to buy for $9.99. It is available at mccurdyscomedy.vhx.tv.
Getting blue at 530 Burns Gallery
530 Burns Gallery highlights local artists Bettina Sego and Linda Richichi in its latest group show “Indigo Dreams.” It is inspired by the bright colors reflected across the water from the night sky and new visions of the new year. The show, which opens Thursday, continues through Feb. 9 both in person at 530 Burns Lane in Sarasota’s Burns Court neighborhood or online at 530burnsgallery.com.
Wit and humor of Erma Bombeck
During her long career as a columnist and television commentator, Erma Bombeck generated a lot of laughs among fans who saw themselves and their families in her stories about life with a spouse and kids. Theater audiences can get a taste of her sense of humor in the one-woman play “Erma Bombeck – At Wit’s End,” by twin sisters Allison and Margaret Engle. It runs through Sunday at the Charlotte Players’ Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. The play tells the story of Bombeck’s years as a housewife in Dayton, Ohio, where she started writing about the average travails of life in the suburbs. Her column, “At Wit’s End” eventually ran in hundreds of newspapers and she was a correspondent on “Good Morning America” for about 15 years. Paula Pender directs actress Sandi Wood as Bombeck. Tickets are $22 for adults and $11 for students, and safety measures are in place. 941-255-1022: charlotteplayers.org
Rainforest masks at Selby Gardens
For the 18th year, Selby Botanical Gardens hosts its annual Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica exhibit at its downtown Sarasota Campus through Jan. 31. It showcases artists from the Borucan Indian tribe of Costa Rica, and their colorful work is on display in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and available for sale. Such masks were originally created hundreds of years ago to defend against Spanish invaders, but have since become appreciated for their artistic value and the skill involved. One major difference this year is that because of the coronavirus, the artists themselves are unable to attend. Selby Gardens is at 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. 941-366-5731; selby.org.
Bishop museum explores nature
From the stars that fill the night sky to the waters below the surface of the earth and just about everything in between, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature helps visitors understand the world (and more) around us. The planetarium offers “Mars Revealed’ and “Flight Through Our Solar System” at various times each day. In the Mosaic Backyard Universe, designed for all ages, there are scale models of the solar system and a freshwater pond filled with turtles. And inside, you can discover fossils of the earliest animals known to have existed in Florida and a gallery about the pre-history of Gulf Coast. You also can see manatees being cared for by the museum's rehabilitation facility. Bishop Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday at 210 10th St., West, Bradenton. For more information: 941-746-4131; bishopscience.org
Artist captures the world
With “Between the Sky and the Water,” the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College presents a mid-career retrospective of the work of German-born artist Janaina Tschäpe. She delves into painting, drawing, installation,sculpture, photography, video and performance. The different genres, styles and formats create a holistic cosmology or, as the museum describes it, “a grand evolutionary opera where each piece plays a supporting role, subsumed by the totality of the body.” The museum also is featuring an exhibition of work by Sarasota School architect Carl Abbott with “Architecture for Nature” and its Bistro doubles as an exhibit of classic cafe chairs that may get overlooked because of their familiarity. The museum is at 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For more information: sarasotaartmuseum.org