With the final preview tonight, Asolo Repertory Theatre officially opens its second production of the month this Friday with the comedy Morning After Grace. Written by playwright Carey Crim and directed by Peter Amster, the story follows the amorous pair of Abigail and Angus, two tenants of a Florida retirement home whose post-funeral one night stand leads to new questions about their future. Throw in a retired professional baseball player named Ollie and it’s a bit like an old-fashioned sitcom, says Amster. “Except in this case, it’s old people behaving badly.”

Frankly, Amster found that to be a big draw. At a time when a majority of theater programming is designed to bring in a new and younger audience, productions that speak more directly to the older audience are a treat. “Every once in a while it’s nice to celebrate who’s actually going to the theater,” laughs Amster. “I’m a 68 year old man and it’s speaking to my people.”

And Amster’s people in the Asolo audience will get to see their own version of the show, in a way, as Amster and Crim have also taken the production as an opportunity to give the play its final workshop. Though enjoying its world premiere up in Michigan at the Purple Rose Theatre in 2016, Morning After Grace never received a proper workshop, due to the principal actor (and inspiration for the show) falling ill during rehearsal. “So this is [Crim’s] opportunity to strengthen it, change it, make things clearer and funnier,” says Amster. “And she’s so much fun to work with. She jumps in with both feet and an enormous spirit of generosity.”

At the same time, Amster remains confident that the play can speak to younger crowds as well. Comedy is comedy, and Morning After Grace relies less on old-timey knee-slappers as it does character-driven situational comedy and a solid emotional center. Whether directing drama or comedy, says Amster, it always comes back to the truth of the matter, and the truth resonates beyond age. “These have to be real people,” he says. “If the truth is more important in this moment than the joke, then let the joke go. Throw it away and nail the next one.”

And there’s a lot of truth that Amster hopes audiences will find in Morning After Grace. There are hard truths, such as about grief and loss, which he sees his friends experience more and more as they grow older together, but also inspiring truths, those that he sees as they laugh and do their best to stay young together too. “It’s never too late to find love, to find truth, to find goodness, to be alive,” says Amster. “This is a play that’s there for them.”

Morning After Grace is currently onstage at Asolo Repertory Theatre and runs through March 4. 

Pictured: Jack Wetherall and Catherine Smitko in Asolo Rep's production of Morning After Grace. Photo by John Revisky.

Leggings that are ultra form-flattering and stretchtastic—probably the closest thing in existence to a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants item. But once you’ve seen one pair of leggings, you’ve seen them all, right? Not necessarily— a beloved local brand of upgraded, breathable athleisure leggings prove to belong in every woman’s activewear drawer. Read on.

Total girlboss Veronica Rosas, created Yummy & Trendy with high-performance and style versatility in mind to take you from yoga to the office without ever having to change outfits or sacrifice comfort. Because, let’s be real ladies— we’d be sporting leggings 24/7 if we could get away with it. Good thing Rosas made certain her premium-quality products would last through the rigours of constant wearing and washing.

The Yummy & Trendy wardrobe is abundant with moisture-wicking, pilling-resistant, lightweight fabrics designed for ease of motion even during your sweatiest pursuits. Super sleek-sculpting action and major support means no budging, from burpees to boxing. With fun colors and funky patterns, it’s the edgy-chic statement tight you’ll want to wear to barre class and your post-workout coffee date. What’s more, the added smoothing effects, seamless cuts and hygge comfort of these second-skin puppies make you undeniably feel your most confident self #2018GOALS

We look forward to spotting you fitness buffs feeling fly and strutting through the Sarasota Saturday Farmers Market in your total knockout leggings. 

Photo provided by: Yummy & Trendy

Yummy & Trendy

Bite Squad is gaining ground in Sarasota and now delivers from over 150 local restaurants. They recently put out a list of the most popular foods for delivery in our area. Their top restaurants for delivering Broasted Chicken (marinated, breaded and broasted under pressure in trans-fat-free oil) were Der Dutchman and Sommer's Dutch Family Restaurant. And the top restaurants for burger deliveries were S'macks Burgers & Shakes (multi-year winner of the Best of SRQ Local "Best Fries" category) and Bravo Coastal Bar & Kitchen's Double-Stacked Burger with white cheddar and special sauce. With cold weather ahead, deliveries are bound to ramp up. Stay cozy and warm while Bite Squad does the fetching! 

Image courtesy of Bite Squad

Bite Squad

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is currently accepting applications for 2018. The Barron Prize celebrates social entrepreneurship spearheaded by young people from diverse backgrounds across North America. Since its inception, the Barron Prize has recognized 417 young leaders and has won the support of the National Geographic Education Foundation, Girl Scouts of the USA, and National Youth Leadership Council, among other organizations. The Barron Prize has also announced that it is doubling the award amount, from $5,000 to $10,000 per winner. Established in 2001 by author T.A. Barron, the Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, or the environment. The top winners each receive a monetary award to support their service work or higher education. Applications for the Barron Prize are accepted online only and are due by April 15, 2018.  The winners will be announced in September. 

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes

The Haven, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the lives of those with special needs, will be celebrating the groundbreaking of its latest therapeutic amenity, Judy’s Oasis Aquatic Center, on February 5. The Haven’s board, staff and The Friends of the Haven will all be in attendance, as well Haven CEO Brad Jones, Darryl Fry of The Fry Family Foundation and President Jack Cox of Halfacre Construction, who will all be delivering remarks as well. The groundbreaking commences at 9:30am on February 5, at The Haven on DeSoto Road. RSVPs are requested by those wishing to attend. 

The Haven

In the current environment, it is more important than ever to ensure that your organization understands how to prevent sexual harassment and protect itself from harassment claims. To give its nonprofit partners the tools they need to proactively address the issue of sexual harassment and prevent harassment in the workplace, Gulf Coast Community Foundation is hosting a complimentary legal workshop titled Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. The event, which is open to all nonprofit organizations in the region, will be held on Tuesday, January 30, at Michael’s on East. Reservations are required and can be made online at GulfCoastCF.org. The workshop will be presented by Jennifer Compton, who is partner and Labor & Employment Practice co-administrator at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick. The session is geared toward executive directors or staff in finance, operations or human resources. It will be offered in a “train the trainer” format, so that attendees leave with the ability to train managers and supervisors at their own agencies. The event will begin with breakfast and networking at 8am, followed by the program from 8:30 to 10:30am. This workshop is offered through Gulf Coast’s Invest in Incredible initiative, which provides professional training, consulting and resources to strengthen the operations and board oversight of nonprofit organizations throughout the Gulf Coast region. 

Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace