Navigating a wake can be a terribly complicated affair and there’s a reason most people in attendance eventually turn to drink. While there may not be an elephant in the room, there’s certainly a dead body, and this makes any celebration of life an emotionally confusing and contradictory experience. Are we crying? Are we laughing? The brain short-circuits and somewhere in the reboot the mind leaves an opening. Enter Terry Guest’s At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, kicking off tonight at Urbanite Theatre and running through December 5, 2021.

Set in Albany, Georgia, the intimate one-act play brings audiences behind-the-scenes of the passionate but embattled relationship between two young drag performers, Courtney Berringers (government name: Anthony) and Vickie Versailles (government name: Hunter), amidst the ongoing HIV epidemic. Through memory and monologue, dance and drag, the tale unfolds. It’s a story about blackness, queerness, and the art of drag; about intersectionality, The South, and the power of creating your own narrative. It’s joyous. It’s tragic…

“It’s a party!” says Shea Petersen, who co-stars as Vickie, opposite Donovan Session as Courtney.

Because while the title of the play may seed the story with a certain impending doom, Petersen says, the content of the play strikes an important balance between celebrating the characters’ relationship and addressing those obstacles that arise. “So you have sadness,” they say, “but you also have these beautiful tender moments of joy, happiness and friendship.” Not to mention all the singing and dancing—much of it in six-inch heels that required the performers to master their own sense of balance as well. “My quads hurt so bad,” laughs Petersen. “This is definitely one of the most demanding shows I’ve ever been a part of.” 

But it’s also a show that Petersen has followed since serving as an understudy in Guest’s original 2019 production at The Story Theatre in Chicago. “It’s a beautiful and tragic and important story, especially in this time” they say, making note of the play’s treatment of the ongoing AIDS epidemic. “People hear HIV and AIDS and think it was a thing of the past, that we’re done with that,” Petersen says. “It’s still an epidemic.”

Directed by Damian Lockhart, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen opens tonight at Urbanite Theatre (1487 2nd St, Sarasota). Tickets and more information found here. 

Shea Petersen (left) as Vickie Versailles and Donovan Session as Courtney Berringers. Photo by Jack Cooper.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze returns to the Van Wezel on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. to light up the stage with a dazzling family holiday spectacular. This annual tradition wraps a whimsical, Broadway-style musical infused with contemporary circus artistry into the ultimate holiday gift for the entire family! Tickets are on sale now.  As lights dim and music plays, a fantastical cast of holiday storybook characters come to life presenting an elaborate wonderland, invoking the stories behind a child’s eye as they dream on the most magical of nights. Ballerinas, nutcrackers, snowmen, penguins, reindeer, ethereal aerialists, gingerbread people, carolers and colossal ornaments fly, balance, juggle and stretch imaginations.

Audiences will celebrate this most wonderful time of the year with over twenty of the world’s critically acclaimed and accomplished artists and circus acts all gift-wrapped in over 300 imaginative and one-of-a-kind costume designs. Broadway singers perform original music along with new twists on seasonal favorites such as “Deck the Halls,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” This critically-acclaimed extravaganza is sure to dazzle any audience as Broadway World proclaims it, “The Perfect Holiday Gift … a show that everyone will enjoy.” Audiences of all ages will marvel at soaring acrobatics, gravity-defying feats and extravagant theatrical production numbers the Boston Globe hails as “Entrancing … Las Vegas meets family entertainment. 

Tickets are $37-$106 and can be purchased at VanWezel.org, by visiting the box office or calling at 941-263-6799. 

Shot of Cirque Dreams Holidaze, courtesy of Van Wezel

Planet Classroom is proud to showcase KIDS FIRST! Film Festival best films created by youth filmmakers worldwide to celebrate KIDS FIRST! 30th Anniversary. Beginning on November 1, 2021, the Planet Classroom Network’s YouTube Channel will stream a stunning collection of shorts and features from some of the most talented and up-and-coming indie and youth filmmakers worldwide. The stories are grouped under Planet Classroom’s themes of LGBTQ+, Race and Tolerance, Environmental Action, Wellness and Self-Esteem, Teen Musical, Teaching Empathy, and Girl Power. KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is an initiative of the non-profit Coalition for Quality Children’s Media founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children’s media. KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is a showcase for new and classic children’s films from independent and student filmmakers worldwide in addition to select studio films. The Planet Classroom Network, organized by CMRubinWorld, brings together musicians, dancers, video game creators, filmmakers, learning innovators and emerging technologists from around the world to entertain, educate and engage youth, and to provide a rich cultural experience for all. Content showcased for youth and by youth on the Planet Classroom Network is provided by 29 cultural organizations from around the world. Young people globally played a significant role in conceptualizing, creating, and producing the network’s vision and programming. 

For more information click here

On Veteran’s Day, Thursday, November 11, Fogartyville will open its 2021/2022 Visual Arts Gallery season with Peace is Patriotic, a solo show by artist and educator Mark Runge of Miami, Florida. Mark will demonstrate his longtime work using gunpowder as an art medium. A reception will be held from 7-10pm and includes a social hosted by the Florida Veterans for Common Sense, a cash bar, a gunpowder art demonstration, and live music with Bill Schustik (dulcimer) and Ray Hodges (guitar).  The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.  Gallery hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 5-7pm.  Runge, a U.S. Army veteran who served with the 5th Combat Engineer Group during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, said he expresses his memories, or “mis-remembrances,” through his art work. While he is grateful to have served in the Army, he would rather be thanked for his lifetime membership and service with the Veterans for Peace organization. Several pieces in Runge’s exhibit were created using gunpowder and pyrography. He said he began drawing with gunpowder around 2005, when he was teaching at a small college in Florida. Several students were veterans, and they decided to have a show about their wartime experiences. Mark Runge has received many awards for his artwork in local, state and national art competitions. 

The Fogartyville entrance is located at the west side of WSLR building on 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota, 34236.   

The Fresh Fridays team announces the final programming for its kick-off event, “Best Night Ever.” The first of downtown Sarasota’s elevated first-Friday events initiative seeks to offer residents and visitors dynamic opportunities to engage with the city’s diverse food, music, and cultural assets, reactivating downtown Sarasota as a hub for nightlife, entertainment and recreation. From 8pm - 11pm on Friday, November 5, Lemon Avenue and State Street will be closed to vehicles for the pedestrian-only event. Free food tastings will be provided throughout the event zone courtesy of Cask & Ale, Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi, Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood., and Serenity Wellness & Smoothie Café. Guests can also purchase their favorite refreshments from participating restaurants within the event zone. Several live music options will also be spread throughout the two-block event zone that cater to a wide variety of preferences, including a jazz guitar duo, a Country cover band, and a DJ spinning contemporary and classic hits. The vibrant block party will be glowing in a dazzling digital light display, making this a comprehensive event for the senses. The first 500 guests will receive a Fresh Fridays cup to go along with other party favors, and guests are encouraged to utilize the Fresh Fridays step-and-repeat photo set up to get their photos taken.

This 100% free event is an easy walk from just about any parking spot in the Downtown Improvement District including the State Street garage, where the first two hours of parking are free. Easily accessible and broadly inclusive of tastes, guests may enter the event from either end of State Street (including The Mark’s breezeway) and from Lemon Avenue at Main Street or Pineapple Avenue.  

Photo courtesy of Fresh Fridays Sarasota. Learn more here.

Centerstone, a not-for-profit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments, recently received awards of more than $1M for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programming by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO). The funding was awarded for two different programs that will serve residents of greater Manatee County in the coming year. A $625K+ award will be used to renovate a 41-year old building on Centerstone’s hospital campus that currently serves clients of its family intensive treatment programming. The Samoset Community Resource Center, as the site will be called, will benefit low and moderate income individuals/households, individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness, and those with special needs living in Manatee County.  Centerstone will take the lead on coordinating affordable behavioral health and social services at the center. In addition, Centerstone received $480K+ to fund a COVID-19 Mobile Care Team, called Project Hope, that will benefit homeless individuals who are at heightened risk for serious medical, mental and substance use conditions. This funding will support a multi-disciplinary clinical care team and a specially-equipped van.  Project Hope is modeled after the successful Lazarus Project in Miami-Dade County. Tentative launch date for Project Hope is November 2021; the Samoset Community Resource Center is expected to open and accept clients beginning in November 2022. 

To learn about Centerstone click here

Danielle Hughes, Team Coordinator of the Child Protection Team (CPT) at the Child Protection Center (CPC), has been selected to provide the upcoming Forensic Interview Training through the Florida Department of Health for CPT Case Coordinators across the state. 11 teams are partaking in the specialized 40-hour training, which will enable the participating CPT Case Coordinators to provide forensic interviews. These interviews are child-friendly, non-leading, and legally sound conversations with alleged victims of child abuse, which are recorded and submitted as evidence. The coordinators meet with the child, ensure they’re comfortable, build report, and are then able to transition to the topics of concern and explore the details of disclosure if abuse has occurred. By having the Case Coordinators within Child Protection Teams trained in forensic interviewing, it alleviates the need for children to be interviewed by DCF and law enforcement. This training enables more teams around the state to provide these interviews, which will benefit numerous children across Florida. "Child Protection Teams are a neutral party that assist in the investigations held by DCF and law enforcement,” Danielle states. “It’s not ideal for law enforcement to do these interviews because officers are often perceived as intimidating with the badge and gun, and DCF makes the decision about whether a child should be removed from their home. Having Child Protection Teams conduct the forensic interviews removes a lot of that fear and hesitancy because they are the neutral party.” 

For more information on CPC visit