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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Robert Rauschenberg’s “Preview,” from the “Hoarfrosts Editions,” 1974.

The Ringling joins museums around the world in celebrating the centenary of the revolutionary artist.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

If you asked a man on the street — or a woman at her keyboard — to name the most important artist of the 20th century, chances are Picasso would be the answer. Do an internet search of the top 10 artists of the century, and you’ll also find names like Dali, Mondrian, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollack and the ubiquitous Andy Warhol.

Conspicuously absent from these lists, whether compiled by AI or an art website, is Robert Rauschenberg. That lack of visibility could soon change. In honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth, museums around the world are holding exhibitions of Rauschenberg’s multimedia works, which span six decades.

The Ringling Museum is one of them — its “Rauschenberg at 100” show opened March 1 in two galleries of the museum’s Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing and runs through Aug. 3.

The exhibition includes works that The Ringling had in its collection, including pieces Rauschenberg created during his time on Captiva Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where

he moved in 1968 and remained until his death 40 years later. Like some of those who will see his art at The Ringling, Rauschenberg found solace in Florida’s natural beauty and enjoyed its outdoor recreational pursuits like fishing, boating and swimming. In a letter to an Orlando art critic, Rauschenberg called Captiva “ [t]he foundation of my life and my work; it is the source and reserve of my energies.”

The diverse pieces in The Ringling show are a reminder that while some artists keep returning to the same theme or medium that helped them achieve critical or commercial success, Rauschenberg never stopped experimenting. Until the end of his life, he was exploring the definition of art and crossing genres and disciplines in the process.

Rauschenberg wasn’t concerned about observing political or geographical boundaries either. He reached out to artists and craftsmen in other countries, some of which were deemed “politically sensitive,” with his Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Interchange. Among the countries that he and his entourage of assistants visited to create and present work were China, Tibet, the

USSR and East Germany.

The artist’s openness and curiosity about other cultures is reflected in one of his memorable quotes: “I feel as if the world is a friendly boy walking along in the sun.”

One of the fruits of Rauschenberg’s cross-border exploration can be seen at The Ringling. It’s the 40- by 30-inch color photograph “Bottles,” from the series, “Studies for Chinese Summerhall.”

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, to the son of a utility company worker and his wife, Rauschenberg studied art at Black Mountain College in North Carolina under Bauhaus member Josef Albers after a stint in the U.S. Navy and art studies in Paris. While at Black Mountain, Rauschenberg met composer John Cage, who was a major influence in his life. Cage’s imprint on Rauschenberg can literally be seen in the artist’s 1953 work, “Automobile Tire Print.” The composer drove his Ford Model A to achieve the tread mark in this early piece of Rauschenberg’s.

“Lithograph IV,” from “Glacial

by Trisha Brown with Rauschenberg’s set and costumes can be seen at The Ringling. Like many artists of his generation, Rauschenberg gravitated to New York City in the 1950s. He was never part of the “In Crowd” of abstract expressionists who hung out at the Cedar Tavern in Greenwich Village, but found collaborators — both personal and professional — in New York. He married Susan Weil in 1950, and had a son, Christopher. The couple divorced after three

Rauschenberg’s friendship with Cage sparked a lifetime of interdisciplinary collaboration with artists in music, dance and film. A video of a dance performance choreographed SEE RAUSCHENBERG PAGE 2

IF YOU GO RAUSCHENBERG AT 100

When: Through Aug. 3

Where:

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road.

Tickets: Free with museum admission of $30.

Info: Visit Ringling. org.

Robert Rauschenberg’s “Dutch-Roll Glut,” 1986.

Robert Rauschenberg’s “Bottles,” from the series “Studies for Chinese Summerhall,” 1983.

Courtesy images

Robert Rauschenberg’s

Decoy” series, 1980.

years when Rauschenberg realized that he was attracted to men.

Rauschenberg had a long-term relationship with abstract expressionist artist Jasper Johns and an affair with painter and sculptor Cy Twombly. But in the pre-Stonewall era in New York, Rauschenberg was private about his sexual identity. Some of his gallerists have been criticized over the years for downplaying this aspect of his life.

ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S ART

What made Rauschenberg’s reputation as an artistic revolutionary was his daring use of discarded objects in his pieces. He assembled collages that were hybrids of painting and sculpture that he dubbed “Combines.” Rauschenberg famously said, “I think a painting is more like the real world if it’s made out of the real world,” and he put this belief into action.

For his 1955 work, “Bed,” now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, he took a pillow, sheet and a quilt, scribbled on them with a pen and splattered paint in the style of Pollack. The three-dimensional work is backed by wood.

Years later, Rauschenberg explained that he initially used detritus such as light bulbs, tires, umbrellas and cardboard boxes to create art because he was too poor to afford canvases. His impoverished state would change as the Combines took the international art world by storm.

Whether due to talent, timing or the long arm of the U.S. government, Rauschenberg became the first American to win the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale in 1964. Suddenly, the outsider was the King of Cool. The art world maverick who lived by his own rules seemed to embody the cowboy ethos of the mythical Marlboro Man.

The wheeling and dealing by art dealers and State Department employees leading up to Rauschenberg’s triumph at the Biennale is the subject of an entertaining documentary, “Taking Venice.” The film screened at the 2024 Sarasota Film Festival and is worth a watch on one of the streaming platforms.

Later in the 1960s, Andy Warhol eclipsed Rauschenberg’s superstar

stature with his huge silkscreens of celebrities and grocery store staples such as Campbell’s Soup cans and Brillo pad boxes. The man who once said, “In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes,” certainly got more than his fair share of fame.

Art historians agree that Warhol’s Pop Art creations would not have been possible without Rauschenberg’s pioneering Combines. Still, it was a two-way street because Rauschenberg also learned from Warhol.

The two artists became friends in the early 1960s. After visiting Warhol’s studio, Rauschenberg adopted silkscreen printing techniques he learned from Warhol to transfer photographs to canvas, which became a feature of his own work.

Among the most recognizable of these are Rauschenberg’s “Retroactive” series of the early 1960s incorporating images of President John F. Kennedy and astronauts as the Cold War-era U.S. engaged in a space race with the Soviet Union.

Such iconic works are recognizable to art lovers because they were part of a Rauschenberg retrospective organized by the Guggenheim Museum in 1997-98 that traveled to museums in Houston and Europe. Another Guggenheim retrospective of Rauschenberg’s works was held in 2010.

According to Ola Wlusek, The Ringling’s Keith D. Monda Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, the last time the Sarasota museum held a Rauschenberg show was sometime in the 1980s. Wlusek joined The Ringling in 2018.

When The Ringling realized it had a gap in its exhibition schedule and that two galleries in the Searing Wing normally used for photography were free, Wlusek and her colleagues decided to join the other museums celebrating the 100th anniversary of Rauschenberg’s birth.

Given that the museum had some of the artist’s works in its collection that it had acquired or received as bequests, the show came about in a happy case of “serendipity,” she says.

Surely the iconoclastic artist who once erased a drawing of Willem De Kooning’s (with his permission) and exhibited the almost-blank paper with the title “Erased de Kooning Drawing” would approve of such institutional spontaneity.

Courtesy image

Robert Rauschenberg is shown with his artwork, “Estate” (1963), in a photograph taken at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, in February 1968.

Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival broadens mandate and rebrands as Reel Equals

The 26th edition of the fest runs March 7-9 at Ringling College and Sarasota Art Museum.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Last year, as it celebrated its 25th anniversary, the Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival quietly rebranded as the Reel Equals Film Festival and broadened its mandate to include other underrepresented voices. This year, it’s spreading the word about its bigger tent, so to speak, because there’s more room on the agenda.

The festival, which is funded through submission fees, tickets and patron and sponsor donations, doesn’t have to worry about changing political winds and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) backlash because it doesn’t rely on government funding of any kind, says E. Scott Osborne, president of the festival.

“It’s a nice position to be in, to have the support of the community and loyal and generous donors,” says Osborne.

Although everyone was invited to participate in the festival before, Through Women’s Eyes now explicitly says on its website, “We welcome everyone — women, LGBTQIA people, men, non-binary people — to join our efforts” at Reel Equals.

There was no deception involved in downplaying the broader mission last year, Osborne says. But a lot of the programming for the 25th anniversary focused on audience favorites throughout the years, what she calls “greatest hits,” so the decision was made to postpone the rebranding push until the party was over.

From Osborne’s point of view, embracing a more inclusive festival is not only a way to raise awareness; it’s a way to spread more joy. If there is one film that embodies the ethos of Reel Equals, she says, it’s the opening night selection: Michal Goldman’s “Why We Dance,” which tells the

real-life story of a dance instructor who begins teaching online during Covid and attracts a wide following.

After the film screens on Friday at Ringling College of Art and Design, the film’s star, Ketty Rosenfeld, will lead attendees in a celebration of movement.

In addition to “Why We Dance,” which is 37 minutes long, the Opening Night block of films includes two shorts, “Airborne Abyss,” an exploration of lethal air quality, and “Capetillo,” about a female lector, the term for those who read literature to cigar factory workers.

After the opening night festivities at Ringling College, the festival moves to Ringling College’s Sarasota Art Museum. The lineup of films can also be viewed online, a programming feature many festivals adopted during pandemic shutdowns but dropped later on.

Having online screenings isn’t just a matter of convenience. Some film lovers may not be able to leave their homes because of mobility issues.

Over the years, half of the films in the Through Women’s Eyes fest have come from outside the U.S. That global perspective continues this year, with 29 films (many of them shorts) from 10 countries.

In perusing the entries, it seems the festival’s programmers are attracted to heartwarming (not in a corny Hallmark Channel way) films that showcase the endurance of the human spirit.

Of course, it’s dangerous to generalize, but these are tales of ordinary people who are galvanized by a personal challenge or a social condition to stand up for themselves or their communities. Do they do emerge victorious? Not always, but they are wiser after the reckoning, whether it be with nature or political injustice.

Throughout its history, the fes -

tival now known as Reel Equals has never shied away from controversy, and this year promises to be no different. Sure to get audiences talking are “Undocumented,” about a Mexican family crossing the border illegally to seek medical treatment, “If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing,” about a young woman facing an unexpected pregnancy, and “Culture War,” a documentary set in our own backyard about the transformation of New College.

This year’s Reel Equals Film Festival puts a special emphasis on the environment and climate, topics that audience members told fest organizers that they wanted to learn more about. (This programming decision was made before last year’s hurricanes, Osborne notes.)

The eco-oriented films will unspool in a sidebar called the Green Room, a clever word play that nods to the room where talent waits before going on camera.

Among the films in the Green Room block are the documentaries “Forces of Nature,” about three Alabama women who come together to advocate for the land and water in their communities, “Rebels With Cause,” about urban guerrilla gardeners in London, and “Until the Last Drop,” an exploration of river use that was filmed in six countries.

As part of the Green Room programming, Heather O’Leary of the University of South Florida will moderate a panel discussion on Saturday March 8 on local water resources. The panel includes Christine Johnson of Big Waters Land Trust and Abbey Tyrna of Suncoast Waterkeeper.

No festival would be complete without at least one selection that everyone wants to see. Which is the buzziest selection at the 2025 Reel Equals Film Festival? “That’s like

asking a mother who is her favorite child,” laments Osborne. However, pressed further, she points to “Here’s Yianni!” The starstudded feature follows the wife of a Greek diner owner in New Jersey who is losing his memory. As the restaurateur falls into dementia, he imagines he hosts a late-night talk show.

The cast features Julia Ormond, Rosanna Arquette, Kevin Pollak and Joe Cortese. The New Jersey waterfront scenes are said to be a highlight, even for people who live in Florida.

IF YOU GO REEL EQUALS FILM FESTIVAL When and where: Opening Night Screening and Party, 5-9 p.m. Friday, March 7, at Ringling College of Art and Design, Larry R. Thompson Academic Center, 2363 Bradenton Road. Festival screenings take place March 8-9 at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail. Tickets: $15-$145 Info: Visit ThroughWomensEyes.org.

DANCING AT LUGHNASA

Written by BRIAN FRIEL

Directed by JOE DOWLING

ANNA IN THE TROPICS

Written by NILO CRUZ

Directed by MARCELA LORCA

Courtesy image

E. Scott Osborne, president of the Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival, which has rebranded as Reel Equals for its 2025 edition.

Sarasota Opera will present Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” March 8-28 during its 2025 Winter Opera Festival.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

CIRCUS SARASOTA 2025

7 p.m. under the Big Top in Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle

$28-$80 Visit CircusArts.org.

Circus Sarasota returns to the Big Top in Nathan Benderson Park with a lineup of all new acts presided over by Ringmaster Joseph Bauer. Among the circus artists featured are tight wire artist Brando Anastasini, a 2024 Generation Next honoree in the Circus Ring of Fame, aerialist Eve Diamond, the Pellegrini Brothers hand balancers, juggler Noel Aguilar and the Flying Caballeros trapeze artists. Runs through March 9.

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre,140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice

$18-$40 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

With a pulsating rock score, this musical about a teen of mixed heritage (half god/half human) has become a favorite among community theater companies. Join Percy Jackson on his quest to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent war. Runs through March 23.

‘FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $22-$52

Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

“Five Guys” tells the story of Nomax, who is down on his luck because his girlfriend has left and he’s broke. Last presented by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in 2011, this musical tribute to R&B pioneer Louis Jordan promises to delight audiences not only with music, but with lively dance. Runs through April 6.

‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W, Bradenton $29 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

What’s old is new again as Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” explores the fallout from chasing the American Dream. The classic drama about traveling salesman Willy Loman and his family is as relevant today as when it premiered in 1949. Runs through March 9.

‘BAD BOOKS’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $25-$46

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Directed by Kate Alexander, “Bad Books” offers a nuanced take on America’s 21st-century culture wars. Both sides claim to be fighting for “the children.” The play considers the unspoken, ulterior motives behind the fight. Runs through March 28.

‘FUN HOME’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130 $34

Visit ThePlayers.org.

The Sarasota Players presents the Tony Award-winning musical “Fun Home,” based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel. The coming-of-age tale gets its title from a shortened version of the Bechdel Funeral Home, the family business that is the setting for the tale. Runs through March 16.

‘OFF THE CHARTS’ (ENCORE)

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.

$18-$42

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

If you missed “Off the Charts,” which closed earlier this month at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret, you’ve got another chance. The show, which takes the audience on a tour of 20th-century pop music, has moved to the Keating Theatre for an encore performance. Runs through March 9.

‘THE CANCELLATION OF LAUREN FEIN’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.

$25-$42

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Written by Miami lawyer Christopher Demos-Brown, “The Cancellation of Lauren Fein” tells the story of a “woke” professor (Rachel Moulton) forced to defend herself against charges of racism and sexual molestation. Leave your assumptions at the theater door. Runs through March 15.

FRIDAY

JAZZ @ TWO: MICHAEL ROSS ‘4’

2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road

$15-$20 Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Sarasota bassist Michael Ross and his bandmates promise to play “straight ahead” jazz along with contemporary and original compositions from Ross’ new CD, “Giraffe.”

‘THESE SHINING LIVES’

7:30 p.m. at The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $40 Visit TreeFortProductions.com.

Melanie Marnich’s “These Shining Lives” tells the true story of Catherine Donohue, a worker at the Radium Dial Company in the 1920s. Donohue took her case against the company, whose employees were being poisoned, to the Supreme Court. Runs through March 16.

DON’T MISS

MASTERWORKS: ‘THE PLANETS’

‘CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/ PAGLIACCI’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$39-$162 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

“Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci” are staged so often together that they are known as “Cav” and “Pag,” for short. “Cav” takes place on an Easter Morning in a small village in Italy while “Pag” is a play within a play and is the mother of all sad clown stories. Runs through March 29.

SATURDAY

SECOND SATURDAY OPEN STUDIOS

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Creative Liberties, 901B Apricot Ave. and other locations

Free Visit SRQArtists.com.

On the second Saturday of every month during season, the roughly 70 members of the Sarasota Studio Artists Association open their studios to the public, where they can see artists at work and purchase their creations. A good place to start exploring is the area around The Bazaar at Apricot and Lime, which sells locally sourced arts and crafts. Download a map of the open studios at SRQArt.com.

‘THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO’

7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$34-$157

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Which is the better opera about Figaro — Rossini’s mirthful “The Barber of Seville” or Mozart’s masterpiece,“The Marriage of Figaro”? Decide for yourself during the Sarasota Opera’s 2025 Winter Festival, which features both. In “Barber,” Figaro helps his master, Count Almaviva, win the hand of Rosina through disguise and trickery. In “Marriage,” the Count begins to covet Figaro’s betrothed. But when he tries to bed her ahead of Figaro, he makes a surprising discovery. Runs through March 28.

‘LIFE’S A BEACH’ 7:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Florida Studio Theatre’s Improv Troupe performances are a surefire way to have fun without breaking the bank. Whether you’re a snowbird or are mystified by Sarasota’s roundabouts, arrive with a good

Guest conductor Peter Oundjian leads the Sarasota Orchestra as it performs Holst’s “The Planets,” an ambitious composition that attempts to convey the astrological energies associated with seven celestial bodies. Also on the program are Dvorak’s “Romance” and Ravel’s “Tzigane,” which both feature violinist Grace Park. The concert kicks off with Vaughan Williams’ overture to “The Wasps.”

The Masterworks concert moves to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall from March 7-9.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6

Where: SCF Neel Auditorium, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton Tickets: $52-$84

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Courtesy images

OUR PICK

SCD IN-STUDIO SERIES:

ARIEL BLUE

If you’re a patron of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, you’re familiar with the dynamic performer Ariel Blue, who recently finished a run in August Wilson’s “Fences.”

This program showcases her formidable talents, which have lit up stages at WBTT, Florida Studio Theatre and the late Golden Apple Dinner Theatre during the last 14 years.

IF YOU GO

When: 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Where: Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Blvd. of the Arts, Suite 300

Tickets: $20

Info: Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.

sense of humor as this indefatigable

troupe uses audience suggestions to poke fun at the folks and byways of our paradise home. Weekends through March 22.

SUNDAY

‘THE BARBER OF SEVILLE’

1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$32-$155 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” follow the adventures of Figaro, the clever servant of Count Almaviva. “Barber” is considered the prequel to Mozart’s masterpiece, “The Marriage of Figaro,” even though it was written later. Runs through March 29.

MONDAY

TOMORROW’S VOICES TONIGHT

5:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theater Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.

$30 Visit KeyChorale.org.

Led by Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins, Sarasota’s Key Chorale presents its annual Student Scholar Soiree as part of its Ruby

Anniversary season. The show takes place at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, one of the many cultural organizations with which the symphonic chorus collaborates.

JONAS FRIDDLE

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$25 Visit WSLR.org.

Chicago singer/songwriter and old-time banjo player Jonas Friddle comes to Sarasota with a repertoire that reflects a musician who has spent time in pub sessions and square dance halls. Friddle’s songs have been honored with the John Lennon Award and a first-place award in the Great American Song contest. He will be accompanied by Anna Jacobson, who plays fiddle, French horn and trumpet.

TUESDAY

THE SILVER FOXES

2 and 7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice $24-$29 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

Now in their 33rd year, the Silver Foxes bring their “Life Upon the Wicked Stage” show to Venice Theatre. The reputation of this young-at-heart troupe of retirees has spread far and wide. Each spring they return to the Venice Theatre with a full-scale production for mature audiences led by director Brad Wages. Runs through March 16.

LEWIS BLACK: GOODBYE YELLER BRICK ROAD - THE FINAL TOUR

8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

$45-$90 Visit VanWezel.org.

Not even a hurricane could keep Grammy-winning comedian Lewis Black from coming to Sarasota. After his Dec. 6 show was canceled while the Van Wezel was closed for repairs, the “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road” show was rescheduled.

WEDNESDAY

MATTEO BOCELLI

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

$52-$85 Visit VanWezel.org.

Since beginning his career in classical crossover music with a 2018 duet with his father, superstar artist Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli has laid to rest any nepo-baby aspersions. Since then, Matteo has performed at iconic locations like the Sydney Opera House and demonstrated his vocal and songwriting talent with his 2023 debut album.

Season 29 | Talent Unveiled ArtistSeriesConcerts.org 941-306-1202

Horns of Plenty

Hugo Bliss and Scott Sanders, horns with Joseph Holt, piano; Michael Turkell and Chungyon Hong, violin; Stephanie Block, viola; and Natalie Helm, cello

March 13, 11:00 am (includes lunch)

Sarasota Yacht Club

A cornucopia of music for the most magnificent horn, including Beethoven’s mighty sextet for two horns and string quartet.

Catalyst Quartet

March 30, 4:00 pm

First Presbyterian Church

This Grammy Award-winning quartet has toured widely throughout the United States and abroad, including sold-out performances in the world’s most prestigious venues. Their program includes music by Gershwin, Piazzolla, and Ravel.

Tessa Lark, violin

April 8, 7:30 pm

First Congregational Church

The Ernie Kretzmer Memorial Concert

Nominated in 2020 for a Grammy Award in the best classical instrument solo category, Tessa Lark is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky. This program is comprised of original works inspired by her combination of classical training and Appalachian upbringing – a style she lovingly calls “Stradgrass.” Join us for a pre-concert reception at Michael’s Wine Cellar (separate ticket required).

Sarasota Opera names Lael Mohib marketing director

Ahead of its Winter Opera Festival, which runs through March 29, the Sarasota Opera hired Lael Mohib as director of marketing.

A native of Bradenton, Mohib recently moved back to the area after living abroad for 15 years. She has nearly two decades of experience working as a communications and international development specialist.

Mohib succeeds Stephen Baker, who served as marketing director of the Sarasota Opera from 202123.

During her career, Mohib has served as a strategic communications consultant for the World Bank and the former government of Afghanistan.

In London, she created educational and media development programs for BBC Media Action.

She has been public relations advisor at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, DC.

Most recently Mohib was executive director of the Enabled Children Initiative, a nonprofit she cofounded in 2013, which supports children with disabilities. Mohib is the mother of three children.

She has a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in music theory from Mary Baldwin College and a master’s degree in international relations and journalism from Boston University.

“Our goal as a department is to enrich the experience of opera for our loyal audiences as well as to expand this experience to others in the community who may be new to town or new to opera,” Mohib said in a statement.

Assisting Mohib are Hallie Geyh, a digital marketing and communications manager who has been with the company since November, and Olivia Baylou, a marketing coordinator who joined Sarasota Opera in March 2023.

Before joining the opera, Geyh was digital communications manager at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she led digital projects to develop new audiences and launched the school’s newsletter, connecting students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Baylou, who is fluent in Japanese, Korean and Mandarin Chinese, collaborates with creative teams to develop marketing strategies that drive audience engagement and retention.

“I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to assemble such an accomplished team to help promote the message of our extraordinary work and to help build a community of opera lovers in Sarasota,” said Richard Russell, Sarasota Opera general director, in a statement.

Composer Rucyl Mills wins Hermitage Greenfield Prize

Composer Rucyl Mills is the 2025 winner of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize, which includes a six-week Hermitage Residency and a $35,000 commission to create an original work of music.

The work created by Mills will have its first public presentation in Sarasota in 2027.

“Amidst a remarkable field of four brilliant finalists, Rucyl Mills emerged as an ambitious and original musical voice who impressed the jury with her innovative and forward-thinking proposal,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg in a statement. Added Sandberg: “Her genrebending approach to the musical art form embodies the mission of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize: to

bring into the world works of art that have a significant impact on the broad as well as the artistic culture of our society.”

The three finalists for the Hermitage Greenfield Prize include Samora Pinderhughes, Xenia Rubinos and Conrad Tao, each of whom will receive a $1,000 prize and a Hermitage Residency.

The residency comes with the requirement that Hermitage Fellows perform a show for the local community, either on the beach of the Hermitage Retreat in Englewood or at venues in downtown Sarasota such as Marie Selby Botanical Gardens or the lawn of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Fellows who meet each other at the Hermitage often collaborate in stimulating cross-genre presentations.

The jurors for the 2025 Hermitage Greenfield Prize are Amy Cassello, artistic director of the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Lia Camille Crockett, music curator for NPR and the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, and founder of Parcha Projects; and Robert Spano, Grammy Award-winning conductor

and composer.

The $35,000 Hermitage Greenfield Prize commission is awarded annually by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation of Philadelphia. It rotates among music, theater, and visual art.

Past winners include Deepa Purohit (“Elyria”) playwright (2024), Rennie Harris, choreographer (2023), Angélica Negrón, composer/instrumentalist (2022) and Nilo Cruz (“Anna in the Tropics”), playwright (2014), to name just a few.

The 2025 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Award dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 6, at Michael’s On East. For information about tickets and sponsorships, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org. This year’s co-chairs are Robyn and Charles Citrin and Arthur Sicilliano and B.Aline Blanchard.

Robyn Holl to curate Palmer Modern Studio and Gallery

Robyn Holl has been named curator of the Palmer Modern Gallery and Studio, located in the Limelight District. Holl, who currently has a studio in Palmer Modern, is also cultural curator for Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota. Located at 925 N. Lime Ave., Palmer Modern was founded in March 2023 by artist Craig Palmer and his wife, Jen Palmer. It originally was envisioned as an art gallery for Craig Palmer with affordable studios for five additional artists. However, since then the Palmers have pursued other entrepreneurial ventures and have been busy with family obligations that have prevented them from devoting themselves full time to the gallery. Palmer Modern has been open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Second Saturdays Open Studios sponsored by the Sarasota Studio Artists Association and by appointment, with other hours depending on the time of year. With Holl’s arrival, the Lime Avenue gallery will feature 15 to 20 local artists and will be open set hours, to be announced. Holl, who holds an MFA from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and a BFA from Pratt Institute in New York. She has participated in the Artist in Residence Program at Art Ovation in 2021-23 and has exhibited at Creative Liberties in Sarasota, around the corner from Palmer Modern, as well as in Sarajevo and Mostar in the nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 5:30 pm The Westin Ballroom | sarasota,

Courtesy images

Lael Mohib is the new director of marketing for the Sarasota Opera.

Robyn Holl is the new curator of Palmer Modern Studio and Gallery.

Rucyl Mills is the winner of the 2025 Hermitage Greenfield Prize.

Dreams go up in smoke in Asolo Rep’s ‘Anna in the Tropics’

Life imitates art in Nilo Cruz’s elegiac play set in 1920s-era Ybor City.

MARTY FUGATE

ilo Cruz’s Pulitzer Prizewinning “Anna in the Tropics” has hit the Asolo Repertory Theatre stage like a tropical heat wave. The action transpires in a CubanAmerican cigar factory in Ybor City in 1929. Santiago Alcazar (Juan Luis Acevedo) owns this small family business.

While the Great Depression has dawned, he’s not depressed. Santiago clings to old-school, low-tech ways. His workers still roll cigars by hand. A professional reader (a “lector”) still fills their minds with great literature as they toil, a tradition brought to the New World from Cuba.

As the play opens, a dapper new lector has just arrived. Juan Julian (Gabriell Salgado) takes the workers on a journey through Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” That story sparks dreams and desires. Both are intoxicating. Both prove dangerous.

Tolstoy’s epic romance entrances Santiago’s daughters. They’re equally enchanted by the charismatic new lector. Marela (Kanisha Marie Feliciano) — the spirited youngest daughter — develops an instant teenage crush that is unrequited.

Her older sister, Conchita (Jenyvette Vega), has a far deeper infatuation. She’s unhappily married to Palomo (Jose-Maria Aguila), an openly unfaithful underachiever. Enflamed by Tolstoy’s forbidden romance between the married Anna and Count Vronsky, Conchita takes a lover of her own — namely Juan Julian. He’s smart, classy, refined — and everything Palomo isn’t.

Cheché (Nick Duckart) is

IF YOU GO

‘ANNA IN THE TROPICS’

When: Through March 18

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $29- $95

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org

Santiago’s volatile half-brother. Santiago’s success makes him feel like a failure — and he’s constantly angling to replace him.

Santiago would typically keep his house in order. But after a night of hard drinking and unlucky gambling at the cockfights, cleverly enacted on stage without the use of any live fowl, he pays off his debt by giving his Cheché a major share of the cigar factory.

The family patriarch stays home to dry out for several weeks. While he’s gone, Cheché tries to mechanize the factory. Santiago’s wife, Ofelia (Zuleyma Guevara), is a co-owner of the factory; she keeps him at bay. Santiago returns in time to stop his half-brother’s wicked scheme. At least that one.

Director Marcela Lorca grounds this play in realism. But she doesn’t ignore the “once-upona-time” quality of Cruz’ fable. The main characters and anonymous ensemble cast members move across the factory and dance floor with a fluid quality. At times, they seem like they’re moving under water — and that’s fitting.

Acevedo deftly conveys the family patriarch’s flawed nobility. Santiago’s a great man. A great man with a drinking and gambling problem, yes. But he’s still a great man.

Guevara’s Ofelia is a strong, pragmatic and resilient woman. She’s fully aware of her husband’s flaws — and does the heavy lifting necessary to keep the family and the factory in one piece.

Salgado’s Juan can bring a story to life. But he’s also a ladies’ man

Rauschenberg

— and he brings Conchita’s soul to life, too. Vega’s Conchita is a good woman in a bad marriage. You root for her when she revolts against her husband’s double standard. Before she embarked on her affair, Conchita used to be a self-effacing doormat. She transforms into a self-assured, passionate lover.

Aguila’s Palomo is a complex and conflicted soul. He struggles with jealousy, desire and the complex equations of his marriage. Not a likeable fellow. But he has a small redemption.

Feliciano’s Marela sings a song of innocence and inexperience. Her character wants what she wants — and doesn’t know what’s eating her elders.

Duckart’s Cheché is a volatile,

bitter human bomb. He’s lived in his older brother’s shadow all his life. Nobody at the factory likes him — but they all love Russian literature. And the man who reads it. Duckart makes you feel his character’s seething jealousy.

Ana Kuzmanić’s flowing costumes evoke Florida’s relentless heat in the days before air-conditioning. Workers are transformed by her finery as they turn out to celebrate a new cigar brand bearing the name of Tolstoy’s heroine. Regina García’s factory set flows, too — and subtly changes to suit the director’s mercurial sense of motion. While “Anna in the Tropics” isn’t a musical, it often feels like one. Dayramir Gonzalez’s original compositions and live piano playing create that

feeling. And capture the play’s emotional heartbeat. That rhythm is complex.

“Anna in the Tropics” is a tapestry of plot threads and characters. What’s the play about?

That’s a multiple-choice question.

It’s a play about the power of literature — and the dangers of that power. It’s a story about storytelling itself. And an elegiac lament for the end of the old ways. The Ybor City of Cruz’s play is a lost world.

Nothing lasts forever — not even memories. The playwright surely knows it. But he’s determined to keep the memories alive. For as long as he can.

Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee

Gabriell Salgado, Zuleyma Guevara and Jenyvette Vega star in Asolo Rep’s “Anna in the Tropics,” which runs through March 13 at FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6,

AVANT-GARDE

Saturday, March 1, at Ringling College of Art and Design Benefiting student scholarships

Ringling College of Art and Design once again wowed guests with its unique programming at its Avant-Garde fundraiser March 1.

Celebrating pop culture’s favorite moments, guests wore tracksuits and fanny packs that came in handy for the crisp temperatures that hovered in the 60s. Enthusiastic attendees, staff and students dressed as Elton John, the Beatles, denizens of “Wayne’s World” and “Gilligan’s Island” and so many more iconic characters, celebrities and notable folks at the event, co-chaired by Drs. Joel and Gail Morganroth.

Over 400 guests took a look at the past while channeling the future with immersive experiences featuring icons Marilyn Monroe/Taylor Swift, The Godfather/Harry Potter and Babe Ruth/Michael Jordan.

With the core ingredients of food, drinks, entertainment, fun and dancing, the evening honored Ringling students, who are the true trendsetters.

With more than 90% of its students qualifying for need, Ringling’s Avant-Garde event raises money for student scholarships.

— JANET COMBS

Photos by Lori Sax

Nate Carr, Erica Altman, Viron and Laura Lynch, Kassandra and David Burwood, Bethany Carr and Taylor Altman

Ripley Williams, Kimberley Rose, Sarafina Murphy Gibson, Nitza Altidor and Ruth Weisberg

Larry Thompson welcomes guests.

Dean and Sarah Eisner

Fran Lambert and Sy Ziegelman with Marion and Sam Levine

Rosie Walker and Joe Fig

Veronica Brady and Keith Monda

Event Co-Chairs Drs. Joel and Gail Morganroth

Kim Parris, Ingrid Summers, Greg Parris, and Rosa and Willie Stanfield

Tina and Dan Napoli

By Neil Simon, directed by Carole Kleinberg

changing monthly exhibits.

Member Artist Exhibit

Libby Hawk challenges norms about two- and three-dimensional art, daring viewers to engage differently, slowing down the exhibit experience. She creates provocative abstracts on

and

vibrating with color and texture, at once subtle and bold. Hawk will talk about her work on March 15 at 3 pm.