SRQ DAILY Apr 6, 2018
Friday Weekend Edition
"I'm so proud and happy, and I can't wait to be sitting in the audience."
“If you have the ability to give voice to someone who doesn’t, do you have a responsibility to do that? Or is it completely out of line, speaking on someone else’s behalf?”
Playwright Sarah Bierstock has wrestled with this very issue for years now, researching and rewriting her debut play, Honor Killing, which makes its world premiere tonight at Florida Studio Theatre. A drama about perspective, bias and a clash of cultures in the quest for justice, an honor killing in a Middle Eastern country sends a young journalist with the New York Times overseas, full of questions and expectations. But what she finds may challenge all of them. Directed by FST Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, Honor Killing runs through May 25.
The impetus came with the morning paper, and Bierstock reading about an honor killing “that I had a really hard time letting go of.” Disturbed by the story in itself, Bierstock, also an avid traveler, tumbled down a philosophical rabbit-hole, grappling with her feelings not only about this story, but her own experiences as a woman in the world—and even her home, the United States. The feelings stayed. The questions multiplied. And one day Bierstock sat down and the whole skeleton of what would be a play came rushing out of her, “like a Dionysian dump of my thoughts over the last three years,” she says.
But while that came quickly, putting meat on those bones and turning an outline into something ready for production would take years. “I just wrote it because it poured out of me,” Bierstock says of the beginning, thinking now perhaps it a blessing to not know what she had begun. “If you knew how long it would take,” she laughs, “you probably wouldn’t do it.”
Stepping outside of both her cultural and professional spheres with her characters, the research needed was “tremendous,” according to Bierstock, which accounts for much the intervening years between draft and debut. “I was writing from my imagination,” she explains. “I knew I would need to authenticate.” Reaching out to several female Pakistani journalists, they offered their own insights into journalistic practices and cultural customs, guiding Bierstock around tropish pitfalls in the search for something authentic.
This proved to be a crucial step, as Bierstock, human as any other, found herself falling prey to exactly some of the assumptions and biases that she wanted to rise above. “I was horrified,” she says now, but taking her writing to task and listening to the input of others, she made the changes she could then see were necessary.
Today, after a series of table reads and workshops and rehearsals that saw Bierstock criss-crossing the country for years, going from the Athena Theater in Denver, CO, to the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City, back West to the Pioneer Theater in Salt Lake City, UT, and then returning to NYC and the Guild Hall for more readings, the play finally stands ready for its world premiere, and Bierstock couldn’t be happier.
“I feel ready—the play’s ready,” she says. “I’m so proud and happy, and I can’t wait to be sitting in the audience.”
Opening tonight at Florida Studio Theatre, Honor Killing runs through May 25. 
Pictured: Rachel Moulton and Devon Ahmed star in Florida Studio Theatre's production of "Honor Killing." Photo by Matthew Holler.
Sarasota Opera has announced the line-up for the 2018 season of "HD at the Opera House" and “Classic Movies at the Opera House”. This weekly series of filmed performances has allowed Sarasota Opera to expand its programming from the fall and winter season to year-round. The 2018 “HD at the Opera House” series will open on Sunday, May 20 and run through September 30 and will include presentations of ballet and theater from some of the world's most famous venues and companies, including the Royal Opera House; Teatro alla Scala in Milan; Royal Shakespeare Company; Vienna State Opera; and the Royal Ballet. Each presentation will begin at 1:30pm. The “Classic Movies at the Opera House”, which debuted in 2017, will occur twice monthly starting June 7, and will include timeless films designed to be enjoyed on the big screen in the elegance of the Opera House. Each presentation will begin at 7:30pm. Sarasota Opera also recently announced its launch of a new program this spring with a series of summer concerts entitled Sarasota Opera House PRESENTS. This series will bring Sarasota audiences musical performances of American standards, jazz, rock, bluegrass, country and more. Sarasota Opera will debut this new series on May 4, at 7:30pm with Tony Danza’s cabaret show, Standards & Stories. For more information on showings, follow the link below.
Manatee County has an opening for a citizen member on the 2018 Value Adjustment Board, which hears appeals regarding denied property tax exemptions, petitions relating to assessments and appeals concerning ad valorem tax deferrals. The VAB appoints special magistrates to hear petitions relating to: assessments filed pursuant to Section 194.011(3), F.S.; complaints relating to homestead exemptions as provided under Section 196.151, F.S.; appeals from exemptions denied, or disputes arising from exemptions granted, upon the filing of exemption applications under Section 196.011, F.S.; and appeals concerning ad valorem tax deferrals and classifications. After the special magistrate hearings, the VAB meets to consider and act upon the recommended decisions of the magistrates. Applicants must own homestead property within Manatee County; and must not be a member or employee of any taxing authority in this state, or represent property owners, property appraisers, tax collectors, or taxing authorities in any administrative or judicial review of property taxes. Applications are due May 4 and may be found online at the website below.
The National Association of Social Workers Florida Chapter (NASW-FL), Sarasota/Manatee Unit has recognized Goodwill Manasota’s director of Veterans Services, C.J. Bannister, as its 2018 Public Citizen of the Year. The award, which was presented during NASW-FL’s annual awards dinner at Libby’s Café, honored Bannister for her tireless work on behalf of veterans in the community. Founded in 1955, NASW is the largest professional social work organization in the United States. Each year, the local chapter bestows the Public Citizen of the Year Award upon an outstanding member of the community whose accomplishments epitomize the values and mission of professional social work. To be eligible for the award, the recipient must make a significant contribution to a population of concern to the social work profession. Additionally, the recipient must act with courage, demonstrate outstanding leadership, and exemplify social work values and ethics. Bannister, who is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was hired in September of 2014 by Goodwill to lead its efforts on behalf of area veterans. While overseeing the organization’s Veterans Services Program, she has helped to lower or eliminate barriers to employment and provide opportunities for higher-paying positions for veterans and their families. Additionally, she works to connect veterans with crucial social services, helping them reintegrate into their families, communities and jobs. For more about Goodwill’s Veterans Services Program, visit the website below.
GATES Construction has announced the addition of Dan Simpler as superintendent. Simpler will be responsible for daily onsite supervision of GATES’ projects, including quality control, safety and security, project close out and transition planning. Simpler has over 16 years of construction experience with a wide variety of project types. He received his B.S. from Colorado State University. Simpler will be based out of GATES Construction’s Sarasota office.
This May we recognize your success as an influential female leader in Sarasota and Bradenton in the Women Who Roar sponsored marketing section. Women have been contributing their passion, financial leadership and pioneering spirit to our hometown since the famous Chicagoans Marie Selby and Mable Ringling arrived, and their legacies continue today.
Check out our April 2018 Best of SRQ finalist and winner awards showcase! Every year, we hold this awesome competition and ask the public to vote for their local favorites. We had some great finalists and winners this year!
Join us to celebrate the winners and finalists of this year's Best of SRQ Local Readers Competition at the Best of SRQ Local TGIF Party on Friday, April 6, 2018 at Aloft Sarasota Hotel from 5-8pm. Meet the restaurants who topped the charts and garnered the most reader votes to sample their award-winning dishes and cocktail pairings. Thank you to 20th Anniversary Partner Ringling College of Art and Design and TGIF host Aloft Sarasota Hotel.
Aloft Sarasota Hotel, 1403 Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota
530 Burns Gallery is pleased to announce Nikki Sedacca for Dusty “Wildman” Crum, a line of luxury python snakeskin accessories designed by Nikki and made in Florida. The goal of the collaboration is to raise awareness of the dire threat invasive Burmese pythons pose to humans and native wildlife of Florida’s Everglades. The show will highlight the efforts made by Dusty “Wildman” Crum and members of the Python Elimination Program to restore the Everglades’ delicate ecosystem.
530 Burns Gallery, 530 Burns Ct., Sarasota.
This four-part program will be presented in a format that will be written, spoken, smelled and experienced where the result will be a deeper and most profound connection to nature’s authentic medicine, pure and unadulterated essential oils. Register individually for one or more of the classes. Students will create an essential oil to take home.
Enjoy this program featuring one thrill ride after another. John Adams' Short Ride is full of surprises and leaves you wishing for more. While a contemporary composition, John Corigliano's Violin Concerto evokes music of past eras. Based on his score for the film, The Red Violin, the work showcases the expressive capabilities of the violin. Elina Vähälä is the perfect star for this ravishing work.
Van Wezel, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota
This kids show is an all new interactive live concert experience. Sing along to Disney Junior’s greatest hits with your favorite characters: Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Sofia The First, Puppy Dog Pals, Elena of Avalor, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, The Lion Guard and more! Kids of all ages and their families are invited to get up and dance, play games and join the biggest dance party around!
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Time to dust off those running shoes and get ready for the 32nd Annual Run for the Turtles on Siesta Key Public Beach. This run supports the Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program at Mote Marine Laboratory and is the Program's major fundraiser devoted to help sea turtles! Sign up to walk, run or crawl (for turtles only!) in this year's Run for the Turtles.
Siesta Key Beach , 948 Beach Road Sarasota, FL
La Musica stages four concerts for a springtime festival celebrating musical virtuosity and the grandeur of the concert stage. With single concert tickets at $40 and bundled deals for the entire festival run, rehearsal passes are also available for sale, for those wanting a behind-the-scenes look.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 North Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Join us for a talk & book signing with ICA, Boston curator Ruth Erickson. Black Mountain College was born out of a desire to create a new type of college based on John Dewey’s principles of progressive education. During its brief existence, Black Mountain College attracted and created maverick spirits, some of whom went on to become well-known and extremely influential individuals in the latter half of the 20th century, including; Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham, Cy Twombly, Franz Kline, Buckminster Fuller, Dorothea Rockburne and many others.
The Works, 891 South Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Jersey Boys is the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30. The show features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
This talk will be given by Chad Alligood, the chief curator of American art at the Huntington and will explore Andy Warhol’s surprising lifelong engagement with nature as subject matter. Although well known for his responsiveness to popular culture and advertising, Warhol simultaneously explored the natural world through his work, depicting landscapes, flora and fauna in innovative and unexpected ways.
Join The Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company and students from the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory in an exciting evening of dance. The program will include traditional ballet and culminate in a world premiere by Elizabeth Weil Bergmann to some of the ‘Songs for Drella’. John Cale and Lou Reed, leaders of rock band The Velvet Underground, wrote these songs as a musical tribute to Andy Warhol and his life.
This concert showcases the mavericks who defined the distinctive rhythms of American music. You’ll experience popular American composers such as Bernstein, Copland, Mancini and Ellington, as well as a few lesser known, but no less intriguing and accessible pioneers of the American sound.
Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Soar with Stravinskyʼs magnificent Firebird Suite and Korngoldʼs rousing The Sea Hawk Overture. Renowned piano soloist Orion Weiss takes command of Brahmsʼ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major and Bizetʼs crowd-pleasing Carmen Suite No.1 rounds out this program.
Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice.
Held annually, The Sarasota Film Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside exciting programs and events, with more than 200 films screened each year including features, documentaries, shorts and kid-friendly picks. This year's 20th Anniversary Festival will run April 13-22.
Experience art in a whole new light at the Art in the Dark event at Michael’s On East to benefit Lighthouse of Manasota. Lighthouse of Manasota is the only nationally accredited, private, non-profit agency providing rehabilitation training to blind and visually impaired individuals of all ages residing in a five county region.
Michael’s on East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239
SCAD stands for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection and is a little known condition in spite of being the leading cause of heart attacks for women under 50. When Tracy Murphy had a heart attack due to SCAD, doctors were not able to properly diagnose and treat Murphy right away. Now, Murphy is working with the Mayo Clinic to raise both awareness and money for their research study on SCAD. Come out and enjoy a fun run or walk for a good cause on a beautiful Saturday morning, kids can run as well.
Payne Park, 2050 Adams Ln., Sarasota.
Wynonna and her band The Big Noise, led by her husband, drummer and producer, Cactus Moser, return to the Van Wezel this season. Respected by the millions of fans who are drawn to her music and undeniable talent, Wynonna’s rich and commanding voice has sold over 30 million albums worldwide spanning her remarkable 33-year career. As one-half of the legendary mother/daughter duo "The Judds," Wynonna was once dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline."
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Returning by popular demand with an intimate live concert, trumpeter Chris Botti will again thrill you with his love for rich, evocative melodies and a treasure chest of jazz standards, famous classical masterpieces and soon-to-be instant favorites. Whether he’s performing with illustrious symphonies or at renowned venues around the globe, his unparalleled crystalline and poetic sound transcends musical boundaries and has cemented his place as one of the most brilliant and inspiring forces of the contemporary music scene
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
This is the show that you never got to see The Beatles ever perform. Let It Be relives the past from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road, with favorite hits including “Hard Day's Night,” “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Twist and Shout” and “Strawberry Fields,” and imagines the reunion that never was.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
As the 1960s Civil Rights movement unfolded, black music evolved from the controlled Motown performances to fiery cross rhythms sound—a little gospel, a lot of soul. The passionate soloists, such as James Brown, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, added energetic movements and unique vocalizations that inspired many future performers. Soul Man will feature some of WBTT’s most popular male performers.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1646 10th Way., Sarasota.
On April 18 during Child Abuse Prevention Month, Child Protection Center will hold its 6th annual Blue Ties & Butterflies at Michael’s On East. This signature, event is beautifully designed to build awareness about CPC's mission in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse. Child abuse is a difficult topic, but one we cannot ignore. At Blue Ties & Butterflies, we celebrate the healing and hope CPC provides to children and families in our community. We promise you an unforgettable evening full of hope and inspiration.
Michael’s on East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, Florida 34239
The audience and press all agree that this is the closest to ABBA you’ll ever get. ABBA The Concert brings one of the greatest pop phenomena back to life and continues to be the top ABBA tribute group in the world. Be dazzled by the performance of the most iconic hits from ABBA, including “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes All” and “Dancing Queen.” Come dance, come sing, having the time of your life at the ultimate tribute celebration.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
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