The best things to do around Sarasota for Aug. 18-24

There's entertainment for all audiences in Sarasota this week, starting with art galleries and exhibits and winding through theater, concerts and classic movies at the cinema.


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  • | 5:00 a.m. August 16, 2022
  • Arts + Entertainment
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Ben Cherry, Jack Gerhard and Alberto Bonilla star in Florida Studio Theatre's production of
Ben Cherry, Jack Gerhard and Alberto Bonilla star in Florida Studio Theatre's production of "Smoke and Mirrors." (Photo courtesy of John Jones)

Thursday

'Smoke & Mirrors'
7:30 p.m. at FST's Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
$25-$36
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

How does a Hollywood director get hold of a production when a screenwriter stands in their way? Smoke and Mirrors. This wickedly funny romp takes you behind the scenes as an actor, director and screenwriter compete to control an upcoming production, and it lampoons the sometimes dastardly lengths they'll go to realize their own vision. Who will win? And will they get away with it? Runs through Aug. 28.

'Shrek: The Musical'
7:30 p.m. at Rise Above Performing Arts Center, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
$17-$32
Visit RiseAboveArts.com.

Make way for a charming ogre and his irreverent donkey pal. Shrek, which won an Academy Award as an animated feature and a Tony Award for best costume design as a musical, will be taking over the stage at the Rise Above Performing Arts Center. Kyle Ramon stars as Shrek, and Jaquavien Jones stars as Donkey. Runs through Aug. 28.

Art Talk: A Week in the Life of a Curator
4-6 p.m. at Arts Advocates Gallery, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
$10 members, $12 non-members
Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.

Mark Ormond, the former senior curator of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, will take you through his 25 years of experience in the art world and what it means to be a curator on a regular basis. Ormond, who curates the Arts Advocates' collection, will discuss planning, fundraising, acquiring and even transporting art. 

Summer in the City
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Art Uptown Gallery, 1367 Main St.
Free
Visit ArtUptown.com.

This show, which will wrap up on Aug. 19, features work from all 26 Art Uptown Gallery artists. You'll find painting, sculpture, photography, glasswork, pottery and more.

 

Terry Guest, playwright behind
Terry Guest, playwright behind "At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen," will discuss his latest work with the Hermitage Artist Retreat. (Courtesy Photo)

Friday

Third Friday Food Truck
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Whitney Plaza, 6858 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key
Free.

This month features food from the new restaurant, La Villa Mexican Grill. Selected merchants will donate 10% of sales to Temple Beth Israel. 

The Latest From Terry Guest
6:30 p.m. at Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
$5, registration required
Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Hermitage Fellow Terry Guest is serving notice to the world that he has a lot more to say. Guest, the playwright who wrote "At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen," will deliver a sneak peek at his new play, "Pageant on White American Memory," which examines the arc of some of America's most prominent families and how they got to be in that position.

Get The Bunk Out Tour
8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court
$10
Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville.

Join Steve McAllister for his one-man tribute to Will Rogers, the actor, author and social commentator who had an outsized role in shaping American thought in the early 20th century. McAllister will move you with words uttered by Rogers nearly a century ago, but he's also added original poetry and songs that help to supplement the Rogers voice.

Classic Movies at the Opera House: 'Double Indemnity'
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$12
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

It's a classic film noir that launched 100 imitators. "Double Indemnity," co-written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, stars Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson in a tale of murder, betrayal and intrigue. Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Academy Awards and didn't win any, but it was chosen as the No. 29 film in the American Film Institute's "AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movies" list in 2007.

 

Saturday

Flora Imaginaria
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
Free with admission
Visit Selby.org.

Are you amazed at the many ways that framing and lighting can change the perception of an image? Then come on down to Selby Gardens and look at flowers through the lens of some of the most accomplished photographers in the history of the genre. You'll see a variety of methods and techniques employed to render natural beauty in its simplest form.

The cast of Florida Studio Theatre's "We're Doomed" is prepared for any disaster movie eventuality that you can throw at them. (Photo by Harry Sayer)

Back to School Bash
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Music Compound, 1751 Cattlemen Road
Free
Visit MusicCompound.com.

Music Compound hosts its annual Back to School Bash, featuring crafts, a bounce house, live music, food trucks and beer samples. Join one of the demo classes, starting every 20 minutes, to learn about Kidz rock, guitar, vocals or drums.

Taco & Tequila Crawl
1-6 p.m. in downtown Sarasota
$19.99-$37
Visit Eventbrite.com.

Take your standard pub crawl to the next level with the annual Taco & Tequila Crawl. General crawl tickets include a crawl map, three tacos and discounted specials at every stop for margaritas, beer and tequila. VIP tickets also include a crawl T-shirt, four signature tacos and a welcome tequila shot to get the end-of-summer party going.

We're Doomed
7:30 p.m. at Bowne's Lab, 1265 First St.
$15
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

They may not have the special effects budget of "2012" or "The Day After Tomorrow," but the Florida Studio Theatre improv troupe has all their disaster bases covered. Throw them a title and watch how they swish it around in their minds and throw it back to you as a fully packaged disaster flick.

 

Sunday

HD at the Opera House: ‘Rusalka’
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House
$22
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

It's a Dvořak classic brought to you from across the globe. This performance was recorded at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 2020, and it stars Asmik Grigorian and Eric Cutler. This timeless tale, created in 1901 and based on Hans Cristian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," has become one of the most performed operas in the world. 

Assisted Living The Musical: The Tales Granny Will Never Tell
3 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice
$35-$50
Visit VenicePerformingArtsCenter.com.

Rick Compton and Betsy Bennet both created and will perform in this play, which centers on the untold tales from an active senior living community called Pelican Roost. These aging seniors are taking their Golden Years in stride, and they're finding comedy in some of the least likely places you'd imagine to find it.

Big and Little Chef: Baking
11 a.m. at Publix Aprons Cooking School, 2875 University Parkway
$80
Visit ApronsCookingSchool.publix.com.

Here's a wholesome family experience for parent and child. This Aprons Cooking School class will focus on baking and it will cater especially to enterprising parents and children who want to learn how to bake together. They'll make unicorn biscuits, mojo pork empanadas, pizza dough garlic knots and marble cookie Yoyos over the course of the class.

 

Tuesday

Sarasota Slam
Through Aug. 27 at Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza
Billfish $3,000/boat; offshore $600/boat; inshore $200/angler; junior anglers $25/child
Visit SarasotaSlam.com.

The annual fishing tournament begins with a captain’s meeting, a sponsor party and other events throughout the week before finishing with a weigh-in and awards ceremony on Aug. 27. 

 

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