Summer provides a time to discover new things in the arts in Sarasota area
Summer has arrived and the local arts scene is getting a little quieter, especially now that the annual Sarasota Music Festival has come to an end. There are fewer events and openings over the next couple of months even as arts leaders remain busy behind the scenes preparing for all the activity that will start up again this fall.
But there are still new things to see. Florida Studio Theatre opens the second production of its mainstage summer season, Audrey Cefaly’s two-character play “Maytag Virgin.” It’s about two widowed school teachers who wind up living next door to one another and test their readiness to consider the possibility of a relationship and love. The theater also launched a family-friendly musical revue “Off the Charts,” which will be presented in free programs in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties. And performances continue for “Ring of Fire” and “Rock and Roll Reignited.”
At Urbanite Theatre, performances continue for its season-closing production of “Athena,” about two high school fencing competitors.
Soon, the Players Centre for Performing Arts will be presenting four plays for its 2022 New Play Reading Festival, and Choral Artists of Sarasota will continue a 17-year tradition with its annual July 4th concert “American Fanfare.” You can read more about those events next week.
Summer is also a good time to stay cool and head indoors at local museums. Our art critic Marty Fugate provides an overview of the “Metadata” showcase at The Ringling. And coming later this week, he will take a look at the “State of the Arts 2020: Constructs” exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum.
In case you missed it, I took a look at Asolo Repertory Theatre’s efforts to help develop the future of new musicals with tryout productions of shows like this season’s “Hook” and “Knoxville.” It’s something that Michael Donald Edwards has been doing since he began his tenure as producing artist director 17 years ago. Last week, the company also had a celebratory opening of its new grand rehearsal hall, part of a long-planned expansion of its Koski production center.
Jay Handelman
Arts Editor
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Discover new arts in the summer in the Sarasota area
