Pictured: Oak by Terry Guest is one of Urbanite Theatre's 10th season productions.

Earlier this week, Sarasota’s Urbanite Theatre announced the programming for its 10th season. For the last decade, Urbanite Theatre has strived to be a little bit different than the rest of the performing arts institutions in the region–located in a smaller, more intimate venue, Urbanite has used these constraints to its advantage, pumping out a repertoire of contemporary plays, oftentimes from younger or emerging playwrights.

“It does feel like a milestone to have reached a decade of seasonal programming at Urbanite. We’re no longer new, but at just 10 years we’re still not that old,” says Summer Wallace, Producing Artistic Director. “In a short period of time, we’ve survived two hurricanes, the red tide, a global pandemic and now we’re launching season 10. In our history, Urbanite has remained steadfast in bringing the boldest voices to Sarasota and season 10 is no different in regards to that.”

Urbanite’s 10th season will feature four mainstage productions, with three world premieres and one regional premiere. The season opens on October 20, with the regional premiere of  The Sound Inside, a 2020 Tony-nominated play that follows the intense bond between a Yale creative writing professor and one of her students. Next comes the world premiere of Judith, a one-woman show starring Olivia Scanlon about a sister who has to transform herself to try and protect the reputation of her brother, William, in Victorian-era England. William, however, isn’t just any old William–he’s William Shakespeare.

Judith, is followed by another world premiere in Westminster, the winner of the 2023 Urbanite Theatre Modern Works Festival, which will be directed by Wallace and focuses on the strained relationship between lifelong friends Pia and Krys, when Krys gifts Pia a surprise rescue dog. A play that toes that line between farcical comedy and heartfelt drama, Westminster takes a deeper dive into the prejudices people carry through the lens of adopting a rescue dog. Last but certainly not least is the world premiere of Oak by Terry Guest, whose play At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen played at Urbanite during their 2021-22 season. Oak is a southern gothic horror that follows a community along Odella Creek where children have been going missing for decades.

 “I think the season captures the intricacies of the human experience, weaving together stories of mystery, loneliness, love and resilience,” says Wallace. “They’re all actor driven productions and they all are surprising to a degree as well. I read a lot of plays and always think it’s fun when I read a play and go ‘woah I didn’t expect that!’"

Pictured: Oak by Terry Guest is one of Urbanite Theatre's 10th season productions.