New Works Festival Finalists Announced

Gulfshore Playhouse has announced the ten finalists from which three winners will ultimately be chosen to participate in their Tenth Annual New Works Festival in September.

Each submission is reviewed during a monthslong anonymous process by a committee of theatre professionals. The ten finalists are then chosen by the Gulfshore Playhouse artistic team.

The annual New Works Festival will take place at Gulfshore Playhouse from September 14-17. The Festival will include developmental workshops for the winning plays and will culminate with staged readings.

The ten finalists are:

• Blood of the Lamb, by Arlene Hutton

• BUZZ, by Hope Villanueva

• Circle Forward, by Deb Hiett

• Cracked Pots, by Kristen LePine

• Emergency Protocol Camouflage, by Erin Osgood

• Hrdza, by F.J. Hartland

• Stockade by Andrew Rosendorf

• The Gentle Life-Changing Magic of Burning it All Down to the Ground, by Heather Beasley

• The Lion Tamer, by Ivan R. Lopez

• Westminster by Brenda Withers

“I was really impressed with how well-crafted this year’s submissions were,” said Kristen Coury, Gulfshore Playhouse Founder & Producing Artistic Director. ‘Plus they all had something important to say. The ten finalists chosen stood out not only in how well they tell a story, but in their uniqueness.”

Each of the winners will receive actor input, revision time, and a staged reading that will help in its development. These are plays that Gulfshore Playhouse may or may not produce, but feels it important to contribute to the creation of new work by providing feedback that a professional director, talented cast, and audience can provide.

In addition to the three winners, who will each receive 16 hours of rehearsal culminating in a staged reading, Gulfshore Playhouse will also be workshopping one or two other shows that it has interest in specifically developing for future production. These shows have been selected for development by the artistic team at Gulfshore Playhouse and will receive a full two-week workshop.

The shows will also be performed as staged readings with light blocking and some props alongside the three winners. A post-performance Q&A with the playwright of the show will follow each performance.

Tickets for individual performances as well as multishow packages, are available now.

Performances are at the Norris Community Center, located at 755 8th Ave. S. in downtown Naples. For information, call 261-7529.

Summer Circus Spectacular

Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling have partnered again to present their annual Summer Circus Spectacular with performances at the Historic Asolo Theatre in Sarasota thru August 12. Showtimes are Tue-Fri 11am & 2pm & Sat 2 & 5pm.

Summer Circus Spectacular patrons can enjoy access to The Ringling’s Circus Museum on the day they attend a show for an additional $5.

The Historic Asolo Theatre is located on the The Ringling campus, located at 401 Bay Shore Rd. in Sarasota. The Circus Museum and the Ringling Museum of Art, open daily 10am-5pm, are short walks from the Asolo Theatre. For information, call 941-360-7399.

Selby Gardens Showcases

John Pirman’s Art M

arie Selby Botanical Gardens will feature the iconic artwork of Sarasota-based designer and illustrator John Pirman at its downtown Sarasota campus, July 22-September 17.

John Pirman: Diving into Nature will be presented both inside Selby Gardens’ Museum of Botany & the Arts and outdoors throughout the bayfront Gardens. The retrospective show will include many of Pirman’s signature views of Sarasota and its surroundings, complemented by a diverse range of works from earlier in his career. A number of pieces in the show have never been exhibited to the public before.

Pirman has lived in Sarasota since 2008. “John Pirman is a beloved treasure locally and a renowned artist nationally,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, President of Selby Gardens. “His work celebrates Sarasota and its worldclass attributes in such a fun and alluring way.”

The exhibition will feature Pirman’s distinctive digital illustrations of Sarasota and its natural and architectural features showcased in each issue of Sarasota magazine for over a decade, as well as his work for the Sarasota Orchestra and The Ringling.

It will also include some of Pirman’s earlier work as a freelance illustrator over three decades in New York City. They include editorial art for Fortune, Vogue, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications, as well as shopping bags, promotional materials, and holiday cards for Bloomingdale’s, Estée Lauder, Nick at Nite, The Museum of Modern Art, American Express, and others.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, located at 1534 Mound S.in Sarasota, is open daily 10am-5pm. For information, 941-366-5731.

Steampunk & Fantasy in Cape Coral

Southwest Florida SteamCon returns to the German American Social Club of Cape Coral on Saturday, September 26 for a full day of steampunk fantasy.

A subgenre of sciencefiction, SteamPunk features retro-futuristic technology inspired by 19th century steam-powered machinery, a mix of the Victorian era and the American Wild West. Steampunk incorporates elements of fantasy, horror, historical fiction, and alternate history.

SteamCon features steampunk and fantasy theme vendors, panels discussions, authors and artists, as well as steampunk themed activities like parasol and tea dueling, costume and talent contests, and splendid teapot racing. There will be live music, entertainment and special cosplay guest appearances.

Attendees are invited to dress in Victorian and Steampunk themed outfits.

SWFL SteamCon is open 10am-6pm. The German American Social Club of Cape Coral is located at 2101 SW Pine Island Rd. in Cape Coral. For information, visit swflsteamcon.com.