Asolo Repertory Theatre has unveiled its plans for the future in a five-year strategic plan entitled “Staging Our Future.” With major gifts from multiple local philanthropists and community foundations, the theater looks to upgrade existing facilities and build new ones to consolidate its operations into an expanded cohesive campus, as well as spur on new play development and audience outreach. Some of the changes are already underway.

With a lead gift from Beverly Koski, Asolo Rep has already purchased properties at 7590 Commerce Court, next door to the current rehearsal and production facility on Tallevast Road, with plans to combine the two into a single state-of-the-art production center—The Robert and Beverly Koski Production Center Campus. “It’s a vision that came from Bob and Beverly Koski,” says Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. “That we have a real campus."

Together with pledged funds from the Muriel O’Neil Fund for the Performing Arts Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Asolo Rep will construct exercise and physical therapy rooms for performers, collaborative spaces for creative teams and—most importantly—two side-by-side rehearsal spaces allowing for music and staging to be prepared simultaneously. Currently, music rehearsal happens in one building and stage rehearsal in another, hampering collaboration and adding a lot of waiting to the process. “Now it can all happen at the same time,” says Edwards. “It’s a much more efficient use of everybody’s time.”

Also with funding from the Muriel O’Neil Fund, a new sound system has already been installed in the Harold and Esther Mertz Theatre, to be debuted with the season opener, Evita, on Nov. 14. For the past 12 years or so, “we’ve just done what we can,” says Edwards, resulting in a sound system built incrementally from a hodgepodge of different brands’ components—functional, but not ideal. “They’re all in the same family now,” he says, “which makes it much easier to program, and the quality of the sound is far superior.” The upgrade also gave the theater the opportunity to install its first “center cluster”—a bundle of speakers that can be lowered and raised from the ceiling.

Between the contributions to the new campus, the sound system for the Mertz and $125,000 to establish an endowment fund for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training Student Fellowship, the Muriel O’Neil Fund will contribute a total of $705,000 to “Staging Our Future.”

Thanks to a major gift from Herman and Sharon Frankel, Asolo Rep will also be constructing the Herman and Sharon Frankel Asolo Rep Annex to enhance operations at the theater’s home campus at FSU Center for Performing Arts. The annex will house collaborative spaces, office spaces for education and outreach, archival storage and offsite planning. And with an increase in personnel, Edwards says many will be dedicated to new play development. "We are part of the national pipeline in a way have not been able to be," he says. 

Pictured: The leaders of Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Staging Our Future Capital Campaign, The Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Beverly Koski celebrate the unveiling of Staging Our Future. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Sweet Mom Italy puts a singular twist on the classic Cassata Siciliana, a traditional sweet popular in all areas of Sicily. This round sponge cake is softened with Cointreau and ricotta cheese with an outer dome of house-made marzipan, topped with whipped cream and garnished with with grape and orange-peels. The lime-colored marzipan gets its visually pleasing color from the pistachios’ natural hue. This sweet treat would typically have candied fruits in its moistened cake center, but Sweet Mom breaks tradition, opting for chocolate chips in its traditional creamy ricotta filling instead. With its silky taste, though the Cassata Siciliana is technically a softened cake, it could serve as an alternative to ice cream or a creamy mousse confection. And the fun shape and color of this dessert makes a small bite with a cappuccino an instagram-worthy experience.  

Photo by Dylan Howell.

Sweet Mom Italy, 1473 Main St., Sarasota, 941-952-3608.

This matching Chiara Boni set, imported straight from Italy, is beautiful business-wear designed for a lady on the go. The plum fabric combines jersey with the luxe look of crepe, making for a comfortable, yet durable set for everyday routine or special occasion. This long lasting, machine washable essential will save the trip to the laundromat for a later date. Kiss inconvenient clothing goodbye after welcoming this dynamic duo into the closet. Top $498, leggings $328. 

Photo Credit: Wyatt Kostygan

L. Boutique

Sarasota Memorial’s medical staff honored two physicians for outstanding service to the hospital and the community and installed its new leaders for 2017–2018.

Sarasota Pediatrician Dr. Katherine Keeley was awarded the health system’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award, while Interventional Radiologist Dr. Scott Perrin was named 2017 Physician of the Year. Both were selected by a committee of physician leaders. Over the years, Keeley has served as SMH’s chief of staff and chief of pediatrics, and helped create and strengthen SMH’s affiliation and clinical partnership with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Perrin joined SMH’s medical staff in 2013 as part of the health system’s new partnership with Radiology Associates of Florida/Florida Interventional Specialists, and offers life-saving options for many patients whose conditions have been deemed too risky for traditional surgery.   

The SMH Medical Staff also appointed the 2017-2018 Medical Executive Committee officers: Dr. Kyle Garner was named chief of staff, serving as the top representative of Sarasota Memorial’s more than 900 medical staff members. He succeeds Dr. Scott Stevens, whose one-year term as chief of staff ends Oct. 31. Dr. Joseph Seaman was named Chief of Staff-Elect, while Dr. Jon Yenari was named secretary/ treasurer, and Dr. Karen Hamad and Dr. Jeffrey Sell were named members-at-large. 

Sarasota Memorial Hospital

The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation has issued a challenge grant to raise money to build a Visualization Theatre classroom in the new Library & Learning Center at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF). For every $1 donated to the project through March 31, 2018, the Duckwall Foundation will donate $1 up to $100,000. The donation qualifies for another match of $200,000 from the SCF Board of Trustees and the SCF Foundation’s Board of Directors, bringing the total donation to $400,000. The Visualization Theatre classroom, which can seat 40 students or visitors at a time, is designed to provide library users with a contemporary digital learning environment. It offers 270-degree immersive projection on three walls for 80-linear feet of display surface, zoned audio systems, cameras for real-time video capture and collaboration spaces. The Library & Learning Center is expected to be completed in 2018. The first installment of the grant, based on matching funds, will be distributed in March 2018. The match will apply to all new pledges, cash or securities contributions from individuals or businesses received during the challenge period. 

SCF Library & Learning Center

The November edition has made its grand debut, and with it comes SRQ Magazine’s, 2nd Annual Building of the Year Competition! As part of the celebration for this noteworthy competition, we hosted the finalists and contributors at SRQ Studios for an awards ceremony recognizing their achievements and distributed the very first copies of the November edition to the public.

 “Each year, this competition recognizes some of the most amazing local talent in design and construction along the Gulf Coast. And since our magazine is devoted to living local, it is only fitting that we celebrate and showcase some of the region’s most jaw-dropping structures,” said Wes Roberts, Executive Publisher of SRQ Magazine.

 The SRQ Building of the Year panel of judges review the submissions and score each project based on innovation, function, architecture, aesthetics, place-making and livability to name the Building of the Year Platinum, Gold and Silver award recipients to be featured in the November edition of SRQ. 

To view a gallery of photos from the Building of the Year awards ceremony, Click Here. And to view the amazing buildings and survey the incredible talent of the architects, builders and design companies in Sarasota and Bradenton, pick up your copy of the November edition of SRQ today! 

Building of the Year Photos