SRQ DAILY Jan 8, 2021
Friday Weekend Edition
"The most important thing for us was to provide some kind of opportunity to experience culture again after spending so much time pent up."
With the widespread dissemination of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccines still months away from helping theatre companies get back to “normal,” Urbanite continues to find new ways to produce new work. Next week, the theatre introduces the first installment of its 2021 Outdoor Reading Series, which features dramatic readings at several open-air venues that celebrate three new works from up-and-coming playwrights.
“It’s clear now that the vaccine is rolling out,” says Urbanite’s co-artistic director Brendan Ragan, “but the name of the game for these coming months is ‘let’s innovate and do something alternative.’” Earlier in the pandemic, Urbanite released a one-man radio play that saw Ragan reprise a lead (and only) role in “Conceal and Carry.” For Ragan, the play, though a well-produced response to what became the more prevalent Zoom approach to producing new work, was never meant to serve as anything more than a stand-in for Urbanite’s real mission of live theatre experiences. But the outdoor reading series, despite its almost-normal in-person style of production, offers an intriguing step in the right direction. “These readings won’t let us sell as many tickets,” says Ragan, “but it gets people out of the house and allows us to get some money into the hands of artists.”
The first play, Ronán Noone’s “Thirst,” opens next Thursday at Selby Gardens’ downtown campus. In a rare departure from Urbanite’s typical selection of fresh, contemporary stories, the play explores how the other half lives in Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” Rather than focus on the moral and physical decay of the upper-middle class Tyrone family, Noone’s “Thirst” follows the experiences of two Irish immigrant servant girls that work in the Tyrone household. Like the Tyrone’s, the servants search for love, connection and belonging, but when set against the excesses of their self-absorbed employers, the play grapples with questions around class and the immigrant experience. “It’s a deeply human piece and a beautiful spin on a classic,” says Ragan, “and we don’t often produce this kind of work unless it takes the spirit and language of the classic and does something completely new.”
The production will be a staged reading, which in many ways takes the already-sparse ethos of the black box theatre to a fitting extreme. With no built sets and only the actors and the text to carry the story, audiences get a chance to see the work in an elemental form, safely seated outdoors on the Selby grounds.
“If guests find it as intriguing and rewarding as I do, we have to give real thought to continuing it in the future to augment our programming,” says Ragan, “but the most important thing for us was to provide some kind of opportunity to experience culture again after spending so much time pent up.”
“Thirst” runs Thursday, January 14th through Saturday, January 16th. Temperature checks will be conducted on all guests and masks must be worn before and during the reading. 
With the start of a new year, the Circle located on St. Armands Key has announced it is in the midst of a much-needed reinvigoration. This campaign is an initiative of the St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District (BID), which works with the City of Sarasota to promote economic stability, growth and community life on the Circle through responsible planning, development, management, and coordination of programs, projects and services. The BID plans to introduce a more modern brand for the Circle, including an updated website and advertising campaign, a refreshed social media program, digital communications plan and banners reflecting a new look and feel, among many other initiatives that will be launched throughout 2021.
Known for its roundabout of local and national merchants and open-air shopping setting, the destination is now welcoming more than eight new merchants to its nearly 140 existing establishments and businesses. Joining them is Vernona Gourmet Market and Restaurant, Sea Bags, Butterfly Beach, Anna's, Sea Glass Lane, Meaney's Mini-Donuts & Coffee House, Arcade Monsters and The Whiskey Barrel.
“This is an exciting time for us, as well as our visitors,” says Diana Corrigan, executive director of the St. Armand’s Circle Association, “as we provide even more reasons to come to our tropical community.” The growth coincides with a major public relations campaign to introduce, or re-introduce, the Circle to new residents and long-time locals, those staying at nearby resorts and a broader Florida audience looking for day trips or weekend excursions, while keeping it top of mind for its many international visitors. “The new branding reflects the vitality, history and singular qualities of St. Armands,” said BID Operations Manager Brandy Wiesner. “We say ‘there’s always something happening on the Circle’,” said Corrigan, “and it’s never been more true.”
Photo courtesy of St Armands Circle Association
While there are many players and singers who are comfortable with the technical aspect of music, owning the stage during a performance is another thing entirely. In order to help individuals looking to enhance their stage presence, Music Compound presents professional pop/rock singer and stage performer Martina Long, who will teach an intense six-week performance workshop. The classes will take place on Thursdays, January 21 through February 25, 7-8pm at Music Compound (1751 Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota). Vocalists, band members and solo performers ages 13 and up are invited to attend. A performance opportunity will serve as the culmination of the experience during the Music Compound’s member concert in March. Cost is $50/Music Compound members, $99/public. Limited to six performers; first-come, first served.
Call 941-379-9100 to register.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to announce a recent gift of art to the museum from Murray Bring and Kay Delaney Bring. The donors will contribute 22 works of art by important artists in support of the modern and contemporary collection at The Ringling. “The museum is ecstatic to receive this generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Bring,” said Steven High, Executive Director. “These acquisitions will greatly expand our contemporary art collection. We are excited to soon be able to share these with the community.”
Asolo Rep will offer 25 percent off its upcoming virtual masterclass series. The series features online classes that will connect theatre lovers from around the world with top Broadway and regional theatre artists. It features the Young Artist REPertoire Workshop for Asolo Rep’s Young Artist Academy program (8th – 12th graders) and a separate workshop geared toward adults. The two-hour long courses will be offered at 3pm (Adult) and 5:30pm (Youth) on select Mondays January 11 through May 10.
The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations recently awarded the Education Foundation of Sarasota County $75,475.85 in matching funds through the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program. The funds support the expansion of the Education Foundation’s College, Career, and Life Readiness Initiative designed to graduate young adults with a plan and purpose for their lives after high school.
The Patterson Foundation is giving a one-time honorarium of more than $450,000 to the fiscal agents and community agencies strengthening Season of Sharing’s impact on families and individuals in our region. “The Patterson Foundation is proud to celebrate 10 years of helping our neighbors in need through the Season of Sharing campaign,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. "Without the many partners and agencies involved donating their time and resources, Season of Sharing would not be able to strengthen the thousands of people it serves in our community. Their efforts are more important than ever during the pandemic, as many in our region find themselves facing significant financial hardship for the first time in their lives.”
Manatee County Commissioners signed off on a new COVID-19 vaccine standby pool process that will allow seniors ages 65 and older to avoid waiting lines by pre-registering by phone or online with the County if they're interested in receiving vaccines beginning to arrive locally. "We're pleased to announce a new open-ended registration process that will help avoid some of the online registration challenges we encountered before," said Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea as she explained the new system to County Commissioners today. "If for some reason you're not able to register at one time, you should have no problems registering another time. It won't impact your chances of getting a vaccination appointment."
Women make up half of the overall workforce yet hold only about a fourth of STEM-related jobs in the U.S., with less than 20 percent of computer science degrees going to women, according to Code.org. Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is hosting an online webinar to encourage more women to consider the lucrative option of the technology sector at any stage in their career. Lori Gentile, director of client services at WRC said, "Employment in the tech industry continues to expand at a faster rate than many other sectors. And the pandemic has shifted many jobs to be remotely based, vastly expanding the options for women considering this field."
The Florida Public Relations Association’s Central West Coast Chapter is pleased to announce that Elise Ramer, APR has earned her Certified Public Relations Counselor (CPRC) credential.
We are gathering our leaves on the ground to color & then we are leaf threading them with a nature needle to make our original necklaces on Friday, January 15 from 11am to 11:30am. This is included in admission.
On Friday, January 15, 2021 and Saturday, January 16, 2021, enjoy live jazz with the Michael Ross Quartet in the Van Wezel's Grand Foyer with food and beverage by Mattison's. Doors open at 7pm and the performance begins at 7:30pm. "Get a good sound, swing hard and play the bass like a bass," says Michael Ross about his one and only instrument: double bass. A fixture in Florida's jazz scene, he has lived by those words for some 37 years. Dynamic jazz and world music vocalist Fred Johnson, who has toured with Chick Corea, Roy Haynes, Christian McBride, Richard Elliot and more, joins him alongside keyboardist Ron Reinhardt and drummer Walt Hubbard. Tickets to the general public go on sale on Friday, December 18 at 10:00am.
The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Van Wezel Foundation present "UNSCRIPTED+ Community Edition," with arts advocate, educator, and author Eric Booth, on Thursday, January 14, at 7pm, via Zoom. This intimate, "off-script" series takes audiences on an insider's journey of the artistic process, produced by award-winning writers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, educators, and other Hermitage Fellows from around the globe. Previous UNSCRIPTED programs have featured Hermitage Fellows Claire Chase (flutist, MacArthur “Genius” recipient, Avery Fisher Prize winner); Ann Patterson (visual artist, sculptor, author); Melissa Studdard (poet); Christopher Theofinidis (composer); and Patrick Harlin (composer, visual media artist). The event is offered via Zoom, and registration is required at artsUNSCRIPTED.org.
Thirst by Ronán Noone and directed by Brendan Ragan will be read outdoors on January 14, 15 and 16 at 6pm at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Downtown Campus. Set in the Tyrone family kitchen during Eugene O’Neill’s classic play Long Day’s Journey into Night, Ronán Noone’s Thirst explores the comedy, tragedy and triumph of two Irish immigrant servant girls’ search for love, success, and a sense of belonging in their new world.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Downtown Campus
FST audiences may remember the work of husband and wife creative team Jason Odell Williams and Charlotte Cohn from their Winter Mainstage play, Handle With Care. Now, we reconnect with the couple as they share about their latest work - a musical - which continues their creative exploration of Cohn's Jewish heritage. As the Nazis plan to round up all of the Danish Jews for concentration camp assignment in the fall of 1943, one family of five attempts to elude capture by hiding in a fishing boat traveling to Sweden - and freedom. In this FST Forum on January 14, 2021 at 11am, we will examine what it takes to bring such an emotionally-charged story to life and how to tell a true story with justice, authenticity, and heart.
At a moment when colleges around the country, including New College, are doubling down on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, what can we learn from the turmoil and angst experienced 10 years ago, when New College students discovered that among their number was a young leader in America’s white nationalist movement? More than merely a member of the movement, Derek Black served as a site moderator for Stormfront, America’s first “White Pride” website, created by his father and white nationalist movement leader, Don Black. Many students demanded that Black be expelled. Should the college congratulate itself for Black’s eventual renunciation of the white nationalist values he grew up with? When a community member’s political beliefs are perceived to be a clear and present danger to the community, what is the appropriate response for the community and its leadership? This event will take place on January 27, 2021.
Virtual
The Ringling Museum has long been committed to inclusivity and community outreach. This commitment was formalized in 2018 when we created our IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, access) Team to address our efforts in a more systematic way. This year, the IDEA Team developed a museum-wide equity statement, which was formally adopted by the museum's board of directors on October 16, 2020. During this virtual program on January 26 at 1pm, we will discuss the content of the statement, providing an overview of how it was developed and where we go from here. We will also leave time for program attendees to share feedback and ideas.
Now, more than ever, The Ringling Museum is committed to understanding our institutional history – especially as it relates to exclusion of marginalized groups. We are committed to becoming a more inclusive institution by listening, learning, and growing. In support of our own learning process, we’ve assembled a group of staff who are researching the Museum’s history. Although our research is a work in progress, we’d like to share how we are approaching this work: what sources are available, how we access them, and what more we hope to uncover at 1pm on January 26, 2021. $5 / Free for Members.
Online, Online
Join Mote Marine and Dr. Aileen Maldonado for "The Mysterious World of Chemical Communication and Ecotoxicology" on January 25 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Dr. Aileen Maldonado is a Postdoctoral Fellow and in Mote's Ecotoxicology Program. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members.
The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that promotes using the unifying power of the arts to nurture inclusion and diversity across the regional arts and cultural landscape, presents "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Visual Arts," part of its free Arts & Racial Justice Panel series, Monday, January 25, from 5pm until 6:30pm, via the Zoom webinar platform. The moderator for the discussion is Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a leading civil rights activist, journalist and former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, CNN, and the Public Broadcasting Service. Panel members include Gale Fulton-Ross, a renowned artist and arts advocate; Steven High, executive director of The Ringling; Katherine Pill, curator of contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg; and Anne-Marie Russell, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum. The series is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and is a collaboration with Florida Studio Theatre's Forum Series. The event is free, but registration is required at www.suncoastblackartscollaborative.org by January 20.
This month we are discussing This One Wild and Precious Life by Sarah Wilson on January 25, 2021 at 6pm. A fee of $34 is required for participation. This includes a copy of This One Wild and Precious Life and the Zoom book club meeting. The fee is $39.50 to have the book shipped. The New York Times bestselling author of First, We Make the Beast Beautiful tackles the loneliness epidemic, encouraging readers to view solitude through a spiritual lens, and embrace the art of being alone. Ticket purchase required for Zoom link.
SRQ Strong, Selah Freedom, and More Too Life bring you a community conversation on human trafficking. Speakers Kyra Montaque, Prevention Coordinator, Dawn Sakes, MSW, and Kim Squires, Survivor Champion will highlight the importance of prevention, provide tips for communicating
with youth, delve into what domestic trafficking looks like, and share personal experiences with trafficking. This event will be held on Monday, January 25 from 6pm to 7:30pm through Zoom. Details will be sent upon registration. Register through Eventbrite, for questions please email sarasotastrong@gmail.com.
In its 3rd year at Booker Middle School, SoloSynergy bridges generations, pairing middle school students with older adults in a collaboration of self-discovery and the honoring of another. SoloSynergy is paid for in part from individual donations and corporate matches made through the 2020 Giving Challenge. We are deeply thankful to all who participated in the challenge as well as our year-round supporters for keeping SoloSynergy and our additional education programs alive and growing. This event will take be streamed online on YouTube on January 26.
Women makeup half of the overall workforce yet hold only about a fourth of STEM-related jobs in the U.S., with less than 20 percent of computer science degrees going to women, according to Code.org. Women's Resource Center (WRC) is hosting an online webinar to encourage more women to consider the lucrative option of the technology sector at any stage in their career. The session is part of WRC's monthly Career Connections program that links women to quality jobs and funded training programs. The free informational webinar is on January 20, from noon to 1pm. Participants can attend by phone or computer and will be able to ask questions via a chatbox. Panelists include the new director of the Coding Academy at State College of Florida (SCF) and women in leadership roles at the Sarasota-based firms Dealers United, an automotive digital marketing firm, and SouthTech, a leading IT solutions company.
A truly compelling narrative has transformative power. As stories become alive and engage they teach us about our communities, our histories and ourselves. Ringgold + Robinson: Storytellers, is a two-artist exhibition featuring a mini survey of mixed media artworks by legendary African American female artists Faith Ringgold and Aminah Robinson. This exhibition will be on view (in-person and online) from January 11 to February 12, 2021 in the Lois and Stulberg Gallery located on the Ringling College of Art and Design campus. This exhibition courtesy of the ACA Galleries, NYC and sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County., SRQ Media Group, WUSF 89.7, Home Resource, and paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.
Now in its 12th year, the Ringling College glass sculpture exhibition from the Richard and Barbara Basch Collection presents A Few of Our Favorite Things from January 11 through March 27 at the Richard and Barbara Basch Gallery in the Larry R. Thompson Academic Center. This exhibition features some of the most exceptional examples of art glass and brilliant one-of-a-kind commissions by the greatest masters of the medium from around the world. It highlights the Basch Collection of more than 300 works of art glass by iconic artists, including Giampaolo Amoruso, Martin Blank, Latchezar Boyadjiev, Peter Bremers, Lucio Bubacco, Dale Chihuly, Laura di Santillana, Laura Donefer, Robin Grebe, Colin Heaney, Shin-ichi Higuchi, Richard Royal, Lino Tagliapietra, and Bertil Vallien. Appointments are required to view this exhibition. Admission to this exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery Hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm.
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