Scene & Heard

+ Explore The Players’ 84th season
I had the pleasure of sitting next to supporters of The Players, Joanna Brown and Shirley Foss, and board member Dick Pell, at the season-announcement party Saturday, Jan. 5.

When the season was announced, here are the shows in need of sponsors:
• “Steel Magnolia’s” Sept. 18 through Sept. 29
• “Crazy for You” Oct. 23 through Nov. 3
• “White Christmas” Dec. 4 through Dec. 15
• “Carousel” Jan. 8 through Jan. 19, 2014
• “Sordid Lives” Feb. 12 through Feb. 23, 2014
• “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” March 19 through March 30, 2014
• “Urinetown The Musical,” April 16 through April 27, 2014

+ You can take it with you (to San Francisco)
Asolo Rep’s season opener, “1776,” had much acclaim in Sarasota. So much so that the costumes, the set and most of the professional cast is heading to San Francisco for a run at a theater there. Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards announced more details will come at a later date.

Another interesting announcement from Edwards was that following each showing of “You Can’t Take it With You,” the set hands strike it within 30 minutes, and the technical process begins for “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Asolo Rep is one of three theaters in the nation to be able to accomplish such a feat in such little time.

+ Volunteers branch out
There are more than 100 volunteers signed up to participate in the building of Patrick Dougherty’s outdoor exhibit (read the article on Dougherty at YourObserver.com). President of Sarasota Art Museum/SMOA, a Division of Ringling College of Art and Design, Wendy Surkis said at the volunteer barbecue, held Jan. 6, that the turnout was because of the article’s call for volunteers.

I’m one of the said volunteers who will be working with Dougherty to help build his sculpture made of crepe myrtle, which averages 1-to-2 inches in diameter. Beginning Jan. 7 and continuing through the next three weeks, you can see Dougherty and his volunteers erecting the sculpture from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a 2 p.m. daily docent tour. Prior sculptures have lasted anywhere from two-to-four years.

+ Judge Barbieri gives her marks
Last weekend, Assistant Director of Sarasota Ballet Margaret “Maggie” Barbieri was a judge at the Youth America Grand Prix at Tampa’s David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts.

“I enjoyed watching and judging the competition,” Barbieri says. “It was good to see some amazing talent participate and interesting to see the different schools and training techniques.”

She said she couldn’t be more proud of the Sarasota Ballet students.

There were 10 female and two male students from the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance, including the youngest pas de deux entry of Olivia Ratner and Eddie Duffy, both 11.

“All the judges gave most of our students excellent marks,” she says. “I’d like to give credit to Isabel, Javier (Dubrocq) and Dex (Honea) for all their hard work.”

Hot Ticket
Sunset Boulevard: The Players’ production of “Sunset Boulevard” has been extended through Jan. 27. See it opening night at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 838 N. Tamiami Trail. Tickets are $25; 365-2494