Actors, artists, filmmakers and events in the news February 8-14, 2020

Grouped under headings that include art openings, film, outdoor art fairs and festivals and theater are advances, announcements and articles about the actors, artists, filmmakers and events making news in Southwest Florida this week:

1     ART EXHIBITS

Mariapia Malerba’s ‘Shadopia’ in the Capital Gallery

Fashion designer, visual artist and filmmaker Mariapia Malerba has installed an awe-inspiring and overpowering exhibition of new work in the Capital Gallery in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in February. Called Shodopia, the show is comprised of work she’s created with a technique inspired by Shodo.

Shodo is a form of calligraphy in which an ink-dipped brush is used to create Chinese kanji and Japanese kana characters. Practitioners are admired for the accuracy of the characters they create, the balance with which they arrange them on the paper, how they shade the ink and, especially, the way they handle the brush while performing the calligraphy.

The art of Shodo originated in China during the Han dynasty and came to Japan in the sixth century, along with methods for making brushes, ink and paper. In those days, calligraphy was an essential part of the education of members of noble families. But as time passed, the art spread among the common people. Today Shodo is not just a celebrated and revered art form, but a harmonious and philosophical process that fuses poetry, literature, and painting by possessing rhythm, emotion, aesthetic and spirituality in one unique art form. It’s such an important aspect of Japanese culture and ideals that it is even introduced to Japanese children as early as elementary school.

Although Mariapia also employs a brush for the more minute, detailed aspects of her images, she actually used a broom to paint large swathes of her support, which consists of 208 uninterrupted lineal feet of recycled paper panels taped together into a single “canvas” reminiscent of Bob Rauschenberg’s 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece (1981-98). But unlike that work, Mariapia confined her pallet to various shades of black.

The monotone is intentional. It underscores the theme of the imagery stretching down the walls and around the room. A cryptic note greets the viewer when they enter the exhibition space through a fold in a white sheet. “In my dreams I fly like an eagle In my dreams animals speak to me When I am awake nature fills life with beauty and joy.” But these animals are screaming a warning. Each is endangered or facing extinction, a message underscored by the rod and bob of a grandfather clock swinging ominously on the opposing wall.

Mariapia’s imagery is astonishing. She infuses the realism of her images with an unmistakable spirituality and kinetic dynamism. She enlists diluted black acrylic in a valiant effort to keep her animals from vanishing as time inexorably wears on.

But these animals are vanishing right before our eyes. Ninety-five percent of all elephants have vanished from the planet. Fewer than 400,000 remain. Giraffes are facing a more silent extinction; their numbers have declined by 40 percent to just 97,000, due to habitat loss, hunting and climate-related factors. Fewer than 25,000 rhinos remain, with the last northern white male dying in 2018, and the right whale is down to fewer than 500, their decline linked to ocean warming. The western lowland gorilla is critically endangered due to logging, poaching and even Ebola. Because of ongoing loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from climate change, polar bears are threatened. In fact, 75 percent of bear species face extinction.

And then there’s the bee. Due to colony collapse and other environmental factors, bee populations have been declining with alarming rapidity all around the globe.

In fact, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services reports that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. Based on a systematic review of some 15,000 scientific and government sources, the IPBES report is the most comprehensive assessment of its kind to date. Presented in Paris a year ago in May, it notes that 1,000,000 species now face extinction, the rate of decline is accelerating. But it is still not too late to initiate changes. Nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably “through transformative change.”

In her installation, Mariapia delivers this clarion call through the symbolism of the raven. They fly and flap around the piece, in a thick black flock on one wall – using ropes to carry off the carcass of an overturned dead whale on another. It’s an inspired heady choice. From the time of Edgar Allen Poe to the present, ravens express mournful never-ending remembrance and provide connection to death and the underworld while simultaneously signalling that it’s time to pause and give serious consideration to impending transformation.

It is easy, almost inevitable, to get swept up in the lighting, scope and scale of the imagery included in this show. On opening night, the gallery was full of conversation and chatter. But this exhibition is really meant to be experienced with reverence – in quiet contemplation and respectful reflection. Linger and allow the artist to speak to you through her artwork. If you do, you’ll feel her care, concern and angst. They’re lurking just below the calligraphic surface, waiting to be discovered. But whether you go alone or in a group, it’s a show you really should see. Go now. Go again. It’s a thought-provoking exhibition.

And if you really want to impress and please the artist, do something to protect these animals and the environment in which they live. All of us can make changes to protect the planet and be better stewards of the world we share with the plant and animal kingdoms. N’est pas?

[Go here to see a 2-minute short film titled The Dancing Shadow on the Rose in which Mariapia demonstrates her newfound art form of Shodopia: You can see that film here.]

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DAAS featuring unique watercolors of JoAnn LaPadula in February

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts will feature the work of award-winning artist JoAnn LaPadula in February. The exhibition is a collection of colorful pieces created within the year. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, February 7, 2020 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in conjunction with Art Walk.

Four years ago, JoAnn LaPadula moved from the Finger Lakes Region of New York State to Fort Myers. She is currently a member of the Alliance for the Arts, Florida Watercolor Society and Fort Myers Beach Art Association, where she also serves as director. Her work has been featured on the cover of the Sand Life Magazine, Gulfshore Life, and the Florida Watercolor Society online. Her work is collected in places that range from Guantanamo to California.

LaPadula obtained a B.A. in Arts from Buffalo State University, after graduating from the Rockland Community College. She worked in the field of graphic design for 30 years. Now in retirement, she has embraced the opportunity to return to her interest in fine arts, particularly watercolor. However, she does not pursue the genre using traditional watercolor technique. Instead, after attending a workshop taught by nationally-known watercolor artist Lian Zhen, she developed her own  signature style, which features a blowing/spraying technique combined with negative painting.

“I was not interested so much in the traditional watercolor style, so I attended a few workshops to find my own style,” JoAnn remarks. “I do not consider myself a traditional watercolor artist but would say I am more of a colorful abstract/realist. Here [in SWFL] I am thrilled to find people who have been a great inspiration to me and found the support needed to begin my second career.”

LaPadula’s work will be on display through February 29, 2020.

DAAS CO-OP is located at 1815 Fowler Street, Unit 3, in Fort Myers, FL 33901. Business hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m on Sundays.

More information about gallery and/or how to become a member can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

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‘Beatriz Monteavaro: Vacation’ at Bob Rauschenberg Gallery through March 28

Beatriz Monteavaro: Vacation is on view at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida SouthWestern State College through March 28. The show presents a survey of drawings, designs for concert flyers and comics/zines, and large-scale art objects that Beatriz Monteavaro has created over more than two decades.

This immersive installation takes its title from the 1982  Billboard Top 10-charting single and RIAA Gold-certified studio album of the same name by the seminal “all-female” Punk/New Wave group, The Go-Go’s.  The heroines of several adventurous and densely-drawn narratives included in the exhibition, The Go-Go’s are recurring characters in the work of Beatriz Monteavaro and provided early inspiration for the artist and four of her teenage friends to pay tribute to the band by dressing-up as the band for a Halloween show in the 1980s. Fulfilling a childhood dream and literally coaxing one frequent subject of Monteavaro’s art to life, the Rauschenberg Gallery is pleased to welcome The Go-Go’s co-founder Jane Wiedlin during the reception for this one-night-only “in-person” appearance.

Cuban-born, Beatriz Monteavaro received a BFA from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Her art has been influenced by monster movies, science fiction, Disneyworld (especially it’s themed Adventureland area, a midcentury representation of Africa, Asia, Polynesia, and The Caribbean), and music scenes including the 1970’s English punk and the Miami underground surrounding Churchill’s Pub, which she has been a part of since 1991. Her work has been exhibited in venues such as Annina Nosei Gallery, New York; Miami Art Museum, Miami; Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami; NFA Space, Chicago; The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C; Tent, Rotterdam; Galerie Edward Mitterrand, Geneva; Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris; The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum at FIU, Miami, among others.

She has had solo exhibitions at Las Cienegas Projects, Los Angeles; Derek Eller Gallery, NYC; Galerie Sultana, Paris; Locust Projects, Miami; Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami; Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami; The University Galleries at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, The Gulf Coast Museum of Art in Largo, FL; and CUNSTHAUS, Tampa, FL.

Her work has been reviewed and featured in Flash Art, ArtUS, ArtNews and Art Papers.

Monteavaro plays drums for SAAVIK and is one half of the band Holly Hunt. She has a solo sound project called Ellen Ripley. Monteavaro works at a record store, which she considers part of her practice.  The artist lives and works in Miami.

For additional information, please telephone 239-489-9313 or visit www.RauschenbergGallery.com. The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery  is located on the Fort Myers campus of Florida SouthWestern State College at 8099 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33919.

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Assemblage artist Ran Adler exerts ‘Presence’ in FGCU’s Wasmer Gallery 

Presence by Ran Adler is on view in the Wasmer Art Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University through February 27.

Ran Adler is a self-taught assemblage artist who employs various elements of nature as his medium which he wires, weaves and strings together into unique organic structures that serve as needed reminders of the staggering unpredictability and humbling power of nature lurking just outside. His horsetail reed, thorn and seedpod constructs don’t just shape the space in which they are exhibited. They open the mind to the fragility, if not futility, of our pretentious efforts to control our physical environment. They underscore our overarching responsibility as stewards of the planet.

The harmonious transformation of chaos into ordered systems results from Adler’s meditative process. The often repetitive and rhythmic movements of threading, inscribing and assembling become a meditative or prayer-like state of mind from which remediation of external forces is understood and expressed in the work. That respectful, contemplative state transfers to those who have the good fortune to view his work.

Currently represented by Judith Liegeois Designs in Naples, Gardner Colby Gallery in Naples and Blackman Cruz in Los Angeles, Adler has exhibited widely in the United States in solo and group exhibitions. He is the artist in residence at Judith Liegeois in Naples and the guest artist at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Presence is sponsored by The Wasmer Family, Judith Liegeois Designs, Alice and Dean Fjelstul, Gene and Lee Seidler, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and WGCU Public Media.

The Wasmer Gallery is located in the Arts Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University at 10501 FGCU Blvd. S. For more information, please telephone 239-590-1000 or visit https://www.fgcu.edu/artgalleries/currentseason/adler.

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Adler’s ‘Presence’ affords opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas across art forms

Each year the FGCU Art Galleries curates an exhibition with the goal of not only exhibiting the work of an outstanding artist, but of identifying an artist who is closely connected with Southwest Florida’s unique attributes. “This year’s artist, Ran Adler, comes to us with an established and deep connection to the natural environment of our area,” expounds FGCU Gallery Director John Loscuito. “Working in close proximity to campus from his studio in Naples, Florida provides the artist with an opportunity to engage inventive collaborations across multiple disciplines of FGCU.”

Go here for the rest of this post.

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Ran Adler exhibit underscores that art can exert influence in indoor environments

On display through February 27 in the Wasmer Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University is Presence, a collection of large-scale organic works by assemblage artist Ran Adler.

For most people, public art conjures images of outdoor sculptures – like Albert Paley’s Cross Currents or Robert Roesch’s Transition 2012 here on campus – or murals like those you’d see in Hotel Indigo courtyard in downtown Fort Myers or in Miami’s Wynward Art District. But with this exhibition, Ran Adler reminds us that art can also exert its presence in indoor environments – not just magnificent galleries like the Wasmer, but in airport and cruise ship terminals, convention centers, hotel and hospital lobbies and even shopping malls. And because of the enclosed intimacy of such spaces, artworks such as these can have an even more profound impact on the people who encounter them.

Public art works subliminally to convey a variety of messages. They tell viewers: This is a place that values art and culture. This is a place that honors its historical underpinnings.

The rest of this post is here.

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Divining the meaning of Ran Adler’s ‘Presence’

There is a distinct and profound Zen-like quality to the works included in Ran Adler’s solo show Presence in FGCU’s Wasmer Gallery. In fact, the very title of the show implicates the doctrine of anicca or impermanence and its corollary, living presently, in the moment.

The notion of impermanence (anicca) forms the bedrock for the Buddha’s teaching. On a grand or macro scale, the doctrine postulates that the universe is expanding and disintegrating in repetitive cycles throughout beginning-less time. On a physical plane, all beings, from people to micro-organisms, are mortal, subject to “being worn and rubbed away, to dissolution and disintegration.” For that matter, even metal and rocks are subject to decay through oxidation and the action of wind, water and sunlight. And on a mental or existential plane, every thought, emotion, smell, taste, sight and sound are transient. They arise and then pass out of existence like waves lapping on a sandy shore.

Go here for the rest of this post.

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FGCU Jazz Combo creates original music for Adler exhibit ‘Presence’

The FGCU Jazz Combo played original music at the opening of the Ran Adler solo show Presence that was inspired by the assemblage pieces on display in the Wasmer Gallery.

The FGCU Jazz Combo consists of Isaiah Suriel on Tenor Saxophone, Joel Law on Piano, Brandon Robertson on Bass (and drums for one composition) and Josue Gallardo on Drums. In all, the foursome created five songs for the opening. Although a different Combo member assumed primary responsibility for one song each, all four members made contributions to each composition.

“Forrest of Rebirth” was the first composition the Combo penned. “Ran’s artwork signified the rebirth of nature’s cycle. This was something the Combo wanted to capture first,” explains Robertson, who is also the Combo’s director and FGCU Instructor of Music and Jazz Studies. “We took the elements of sunrise and fall to represent the transition of seasons between fall and winter.”

Go here for more.

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Public art advocate Tom Hall presenting ‘Presence’ public art gallery talk on February 13

Acknowledging the strength and utility of the 2018 Americans for the Arts/PAN Advisory Council green paper, art advocate and City of Fort Myers Public Art Consultant Tom Hall will present his gallery talk Why Public Art? Why Now? Why You? from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 13 in the Wasmer Gallery at FGCU. Hall will present a pictorial survey of the ways in which Southwest Florida residents, visitors, vacationers and cultural tourists connect and interact with the public artworks interspersed throughout the region, demonstrating in the process why public art improves overall quality of life and attracts creative class entrepreneurs, workers and new residents and retirees to the region. The presentation will conclude with an analysis of the role that individual citizens can play in supporting public art in both outdoor and indoor environments and providing the images and messages that dominate our public spaces and shape our visual landscape.

Why Public Art? Why Now? Why You? is held in conjunction with Presence by Ran Adler, an exhibition of large-scale organic works that pay home to the both the power and fragility of the natural world. The gallery talk is free and open to the public.

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CFABS Members Only show runs January 31-February 27 

The Annual Members Only Exhibition takes place at the Center for Visual Arts Bonita Springs January 31-February 27. This dynamic exhibition contains awe-inspiring artwork in a wide array of media by CFABS’ talented members.

Each year just gets better and better. Help CFABS celebrate 29 years of great member art.

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African/African American art exhibition at Naples Art through February 23

The Human Spirit:  African and African American Art is on view at the Naples Art Association through February 23. This curated exhibition celebrates people in African and African American art with paintings, drawings, carved wood and additive sculpture. Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The Naples Art Association is located at 585 Park Street, Naples.

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‘Little Things’ will be in Gallery 104 at Naples Art through February 16

Each year, Naples Art holds a small works show. Called Little Things: An Exhibition Celebrating Small Works, the show celebrates works of art 60 inches and below.

Miniature art has been made for thousands of years. In many of the world’s civilizations there was a fascination with creating in small scale. Ancient Greeks adorned their walls with small murals while coins and rings often bore engraved portraits. In Persia, the shahs maintained the best artists of the day to paint the court and illustrate copies of the Koran and other great books, both religious and secular.

Monks in the Middle Ages embellished manuscripts with delicate illuminations and bordered them with a red lead pigment called ‘minium’ from which the word ‘miniature’ later evolved.

The Elizabethan era was noted for its exquisite miniature portraits on vellum and later, ivory and evokes memories of masters such as Holbein, Hilliard, Oliver and others. Many Dutch and Flemish artists painted small-scale works in order to do focused studies on specific painting techniques and subjects. Frans Hals’ striking 6 ½” by 5” Portrait of Samuel Ampzing, for example, was used as a study for a noted reproductive print. Often, Dutch and Flemish painters created small self-portraits that they could use as “calling cards” with potential patrons.

Among some of the most famous and valuable small scale paintings from this period are two by Rembrandt (Self-Portrait at 26 and Portrait of Old Man with Beard), two by Vermeer (Girl in Red Hat and Young Woman Seated at a Virginal) and Anthony van Dyck (Portrait of Nicholas Rockox).

Miniature art fell out of vogue with the advent of photography more than a hundred years ago. But it has experienced a resurgence in the past twenty years among artists, collectors, curators and art museums around the globe.

The White House, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Astolat Dollhouse Castle and museums around the world have collections of miniature paintings, drawings, original prints and etchings, and sculpture. Perhaps the most intriguing miniature exhibition of renowned American artists sits today on the lunar surface. Fifty years ago this past November 19, astronauts Alan L. Bean and Richard F. Gordon left behind a ceramic wafer

Southwest Florida has seen numerous exhibitions of miniature artworks, including ELEVEN: The John Erickson Museum of Art Retrospective at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery in 2014 (featuring galleries only slightly larger than a shoebox conceived in the tradition of Marcel Duchamp’s Boite en Valise) and the upcoming small scale art show at DAAS CO-OP Gallery in Fort Myers’ Gardner Park.

The exhibition will be on display through February 16, 2020 in Gallery 104.

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Naples Art will be ‘Daydreaming’ in April and May

Daydreams: Fantastical Wanderings of the Brain will be exhibited by Naples Art in Gallery 104 between April 7 and May 26, 2020. The possibilities are endless when artists use daydreams as their inspiration. Mind wandering, fantasy and spontaneous thoughts all lend themselves to some very creative artwork. If you’d like to participate in this show, then please deliver one exhibit-ready artwork on March 30, 2020 between 12 noon and 4:00 p.m.

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2     ART FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

Naples Artcrafters returns February 8 to Cambier Park for fine art & craft show

Saturday, February 8 is the date for the Naples Artcrafters Fine Art & Craft Show. Naples Artcrafters is committed to promoting excellence in arts and crafts and to supporting established artists, craftspersons and students by providing a venue for the display and sale of their work in a beautiful setting. At this show more than 90 artists will display a wide array of artistic genres, styles and media, including paintings in oils, acrylics, watercolors, drawings in pen and ink and pencil, pastels, scissors art, multi-media and collage, photography, ceramics and pottery, jewelry, metalsmithing, metal clays, lapidary, beading, sculptures, stained glass and fused glass, wood turning and carving, and basket weaving. The show takes place in Cambier Park along 8th Street South, within view of the Band Shell and Cambier’s Quilt, the first public art project at a municipal building under the City of Naples’ public art ordinance.

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Bonita Springs National 2.0 is February 8 & 9 in Riverside Park

The Bonita Springs National Art Festival returns on Saturday and Sunday, February 8 & 9 to picturesque Riverside Park and side streets in historic old Bonita Springs on Old 41 for the second of its three fine art festivals. Ranked #2 in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine, this festival stresses quality and originality, with the 211 artists juried into the show from across the United States, Canada, and even Europe exhibiting and selling original paintings (in oil, acrylics and watercolors), drawings, pastels, photography, handcrafted jewelry, clay works and ceramics, glass art, metal sculpture and more. Riverside Park is located at 10450 Reynolds Street or 27000 Old 41 Road in central Bonita Springs, Florida 34135.

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Pine Island Art Ass’n’s 48th Annual Art Show & Sale is February 8 & 9

This year the Pine Island Art Association’s 48th Annual Art Show and Sale will be held on Saturday and Sunday, February 8 and 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. New this year, the event will be held at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center. It will feature the works of more than 100 artists, and will include more than 500 paintings in acrylic, oil, pastel, pen and ink, and watercolor, with an emphasis on Florida landscapes, seascapes, birds, fish and flowers – “all ready to hang in your home.”

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Rest of February art fair and festival schedule is on ARTSWFL

January is a busy month for outdoor art fairs and festivals in Southwest Florida, with a total of 14 events scheduled over the four weekends, including Bonita Springs National, the 35th Annual Cape Coral Festival of the Arts, the Sanibel Community Association Fine Art and Craft Festival, Art Fest Naples and the Art Festival at Mercato. To see the entire schedule for January, visit Art Southwest Florida’s art fair and festival calendar here.

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3.      FILM

5th Annual Bonita Springs Int’l Film Festival set for February 27-March 1

The Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs introduced the inaugural Bonita Springs International Film Festival in  February of 2015. It will return February 27-March 1, 2020 with over 70 carefully curated narrative, documentary, animation and short films from around the world, complemented by a wide variety of workshops, demonstrations, and Q & A sessions with filmmakers, writers, directors, producers and actors.

The unique and entertaining special events begin with Thursday’s over-the-top ‘Opening Night’ and culminates with a spectacular Awards Night and Filmmakers Party on Sunday evening. Each event is unique, featuring delicious catered food, refreshing beverages, quality entertainment and, of course, ample opportunities for film lovers to mix and mingle with a coterie of filmmakers, directors, writers and actors, who similarly enjoy the chance to share ideas and explore future opportunities. Films are shown in both the 400-seat CFABS Hinman Auditorium and the renovated 200-seat Moe Auditorium & Film Center.

Last year, BIFF accepted films in 12 categories including youth- and teen-produced films, animated films, shorts and Florida films, as well as standard fiction/narrative and documentary works, and awarded cash prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000.

The film festival is an expression of CFABS’ longstanding appreciation of film as an art form. The Centers launched their Film for Film Lovers series in 2008, offering one film per month for three months. Over time, Film for Film Lovers was expanded and now features films every Monday. The Centers launched their Foreign Film Series in 2012, and added the impressive Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers in early 2015, with showings on the first Tuesday of each month. Today, thousands of Southwest Florida residents and visitors attend these screenings, so it was only logical to add a multi-day film festival to the equation.

The mission of the Bonita Springs International Film Festival is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world, recognizing that it is through the art of cinema that a community becomes more informed, aware and alive.

“The big point that ultimately surfaced in our discussions about having a film festival was that we, as an organization, are all about the arts, all the arts,” says Susan Bridges, President of the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs, who is also Co-Chair for the festival. “So, we began looking at the idea that our Bonita Springs International Film Festival might see the majority of our films showcasing an artistic connection of some kind, beyond the fact that film is an art form in itself.”

BIFF is so much more than just watching films. Festival-goers enjoy fascinating and rewarding experiences, right alongside the discovery of each film’s unique details, inspiration, meaning and challenges.

CFABS has yet to release a schedule, so check back for details as they emerge.

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4      THEATER

Five actors will play 45 characters in Theatre Conspiracy’s ‘Baskerville’

Get your deerstalker cap on — the play’s afoot when Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts presents Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken (Lend Me a Tenor) Ludwig February 13-23.

Sherlock Holmes is on the case. The male heirs of the Baskerville line are being dispatched one by one. To find their ingenious killer, Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as our intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than forty characters without ever confusing one accent for another as they present this Arthur Conan Doyle work that almost everyone knows by heart in a new and funny way.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

Go here for play dates, times and ticket information.

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Spotlight on ‘Baskerville’ director Rachael Endrizzi

Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance has entrusted Rachael Endrizzi with the direction of its upcoming production of Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig. So the show’s in good hands. Rachael has directed numerous shows, including Pinkalicious, the Musical (The Legacy Theatre), Always … Patsy Cline (The Legacy Theatre), Lend Me a Tenor (The Legacy Theatre), Marian: The True Story of Robin Hood (Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance), Gideon’s Knot (Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance), 33 Variations (Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance), The Nerd (Off Broadway Palm), Moonlight & Magnolias, Camping with Henry & Tom (BIG ARTS Strauss Theater), Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance), Freud’s Last Session (BIG ARTS Strauss Theater), The Bible: Complete Word of God (abridged)(Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance), Social Security (Florida Rep, Asst. Director), The Odyssey Experience (Spark Theatre Company; Florida Rep Touring Show), The Fisherman & His Wife (Spark Theatre Company); Harriet Tubman: An American Moses (Spark Theatre Company); The New Kid (Spark Theatre Company); Baskerville (Ashland University), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Lorain Co. Comm. College), Thomas Edison: Fire of Genius (Florida Rep Touring Show), And Then They Came for Me (Florida Rep Touring Show, 2010-11), And Then They Came for Me (Florida Rep Touring Show, 2009-10), Cinderella Confidential (Florida Rep Touring Show), Red Herring (Theatre Conspiracy), Shipwrecked! (Theatre Conspiracy), All the Great Books (abridged)(Theatre Conspiracy) and The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged)(The Legacy Theatre; Theatre Conspiracy).

But that’s not all. Go here to see Rachael’s extensive acting and film credits, as well as her accomplishments as an acting instructor.

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Spotlight on ‘Baskerville’ actor Rob Green

Following Katori Hall’s Mountaintop, Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance will be producing Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig, and included in Director Rachael Endrizzi’s cast is Rob Green. Since returning to the boards following a three-year hiatus, Rob Green has appeared in numerous roles, including Dr. Sanderson in Harvey, Nick Dahner in Rancho Mirage, The Teacher, Cam, in Max Frisch’s Andorra, Gerald Halverson in Jeffrey Hatcher’s Murderers, the Archangel Gabriel in David Javerbaum’s An Act of God, the wheelchair-confined Queen of the Hollywood Melodrama Blanche Hudson in the outrageous Lab Theater summer spoof Whatever Happened to Baby Jane: A Parody of the Horror and Burton in in Burn This, as well as a supporting role in The Elephant Man.

Want more? Go here for the rest of Rob’s profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Baskerville’ actor Thomas Marsh

Following Katori Hall’s Mountaintop, Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance will be producing Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig, and included in Director Rachael Endrizzi’s cast is Thomas Marsh. Tom is a local thespian who is building an impressive resume of work as a character actor. He has played Joseph Carey Merrick in Bernard Pomerance’s The Elephant Man, a priest battling Satan in 2017 New Play Contest winner Noli Timeri, Squeamish in The Country Wife, Toys in the Attic, the evil Mr. Burns in Mr. Burns: The Post-Electric Play, a Victorian dandy by the name of Woodnut in The Nether, and 2014’s A Position of Relative Importance.

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Spotlight on ‘Baskerville’ actor Shelley Sanders

Following Katori Hall’s Mountaintop, Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance will be producing Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig, and included in Director Rachael Endrizzi’s cast is Shelley Sanders. Shelley is a Fort Myers actor, singer and dancer. Her acting credits include both dramatic, comedic and musical theater roles, including Columbia in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show (New Phoenix Theatre), the lead in Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance), Minka Lupino in Murderers, Marjorie in Hand to God (Lab Theater), Marjorie Pinchwife in The Country Wife (Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance) and Bitsy Mae Harling in Sordid Lives (Lab Theater), among others.

Go here for Shelley’s full resume.

And go here

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Spotlight on ‘Baskerville’ actor Madelaine Weymouth

Following Katori Hall’s Mountaintop, Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance will be producing Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig, and included in Director Rachael Endrizzi’s cast is Madelaine Weymouth. Maddy’s previous acting credits include Robyn in Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man, Vandy Jordan in Venus in Fur (for The Studio Players), Forgive Me; I Put You in a Play, Boberg’s Timer and Dash in the Middle in Lab Theater’s inaugural Festival of Tens, Serenity in And the Winner Is, Jessica in Hand to God, The Musical Comedy Murders of the 1940s and two staged readings at the Laboratory Theater of Florida, the titular role in Julia and Callie in Stop Kiss.

Go here for Madelaine’s full resume.

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Spotlight on ‘Baskerville’ actor Jordan Wilson

Following Katori Hall’s Mountaintop, Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance will be producing Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig, and included in Director Rachael Endrizzi’s cast is Jordan Wilson. Born and raised in Southwest Florida, Wilson has performed in a number of other Theatre Conspiracy productions, including The Cave, The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged), Deadman’s Cell Phone, The Nerd, Becky’s New Car, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) and Swell Party.

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‘Grumpy Old Men closes February 8

The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre’s production of  Grumpy Old Men: The Musical closes February 8. In addition to a bouncy musical score, Grumpy Old Men features lovable characters, crisp production numbers, relentless zingers, biting insults, rapid-fire one-liners and delectable double entendres.

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‘Kinky Boots’ a wonderful story about the family we are born into and the one we create

Kinky Boots opened at Broadway Palm February 13. The  high-energy musical won every major best musical award, including the Tony Award, the Grammy Award and London’s Olivier Award.

Based on true happenings, this heartwarming story follows Charlie, a factory owner struggling to save his shoe business, and Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. The two have seemingly nothing in common, but with a little compassion and a lot of understanding, this unlikely duo learns to embrace their differences and find they have more in common than they think!

Featuring original songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this full-hearted hit is inspiring audiences to let love shine and showing them that sometimes the best way to fit in is to stand out.

Directing Kinky Boots is Amy Marie McCleary, whose director/choreographer credits include such Broadway Palm hits as Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever, Mamma Mia, Cats and more.

“Kinky Boots is a story taken from true events, about a young man who must learn to adapt to keep his family’s shoe making company in business,” explains McCleary, “and at its heart, the show is about accepting others and accepting yourself. Both lead characters go on a huge journey in learning to trust themselves and honor their pasts while looking toward the future. It’s a wonderful story about the family we are born into and the family we create.”

Choreographer Chris Kane was recently on tour with the Broadway production of Kinky Boots for two years as the Dance Captain and Swing. He also just finished performing in Ogunquit Playhouse’s production of Kinky Boots as an Angel.

Kinky Boots plays April 4, 2020. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees. Tickets are $55 to $80 with group discounts available. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

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Spotlight on ‘Kinky Boots’ director Amy Marie McCleary

Kinky Boots opened at Broadway Palm February 13. Directing Kinky Boots is Amy Marie McCleary, whose director/choreographer credits include such Broadway Palm hits as Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever, Mamma Mia, Cats and more. Amy also helped create the musical revues including 2019’s holiday smash Sounds of Christmas (which she wrote, directed and choreographed),  Holly Jolly Christmas and A Swinging Christmas – creating a Fosse version of The Nutcracker Suite and a tap ballet featuring all nine of Santa’s reindeer.

Go here for all her acting, directing and other stage credits.

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‘Weekend Comedy’ at Off Broadway Palm through February 22

Weekend Comedy is at the Off Broadway Palm through February 22. The frothy comedy follows two couples who are accidentally booked into the same vacation cabin for a 3-day weekend.

Peggy and Frank are a middle-aged couple who have fallen into a marital rut. Peggy is hoping that a change of pace will rekindle their stale romance. For his part, Frank seems content to just placate his wife of 33 years.

In their 20s, Jill and Tony live together. Madly in love, they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. But like Peggy, Jill has a hidden agenda. She secretly hopes that the retreat will inspire Tony to make their arrangement legal and permanent.

Although the two men take an instant and palpable dislike for one another, they inexplicably decide to share the cabin rather than finding alternative accommodations, thereby setting in motion a comedic clash of the generations denoted by edgy wordplay and rapier exchanges.

Performances are Tuesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees.

Ticket prices range from $42 to $62 with discounts available for children and groups of 20 or more. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

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CFABS Youth Theatre producing ‘Tuck Everlasting’ in February

Tuck Everlasting comes to the Center for Performing Arts for four performances – Friday & Saturday, February 21 & 22 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday, February 22 & 23 at 2:00 p.m. The show is a production of the CFABS Youth Theatre.

The show centers on eleven-year-old Winnie Foster, who yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence. But when she unexpectedly becomes entwined with the Tuck Family, Winnie gets more than she could have imagined. After she learns of the magic behind the Tuck’s unending youth, she must fight to protect their secret from those who would do anything for a chance at eternal life. As her adventure unfolds, Winnie faces an extraordinary choice: return to her life or continue with the Tucks on their infinite journey.

Based on best-selling children’s classic by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting will be performed in the Hinman Auditorium.

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‘Same Time, Next Year’ opens at Cultural Park Theatre

Bernard Slade’s Same Time, Next Year opened February 7 at Cultural Park Theatre. One of the most popular romantic comedies of the century, Same Time, Next Year ran four years on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for lead actress Ellen Burstyn, who later recreated her role in the successful motion picture. It remains one of the world’s most widely produced plays. Cultural Park’s production stars Dave Rode as George and Aricka Shuck as Doris.

For more, including play dates, times and ticket information, go here.

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Spotlight on ‘Same Time Next Year’ actor Aricka Shuck

Aricka Shuck plays Doris in Cultural Park Theatre’s production of Same Time, Next Year. A veteran of the stage, Shuck has performed in more than 40 theatrical productions since the age of 6. Some of Aricka’s favorite roles include The Woman in Veronica’s Room, Virginia Noyes in It’s Only a Play, Kay in Father of the Bride, Maggie in The Man Who Came to Dinner, the good witch Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, Maddy Monroe in Tony and Tina’s Wedding, Madge in Picnic, Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer and Hermione in The Winter’s Tale. Go here for the rest of Aricka’s impressive profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Same Time Next Year’ actor Dave Rode

Dave Rode plays George in Cultural Park Theatre’s production of Same Time, Next Year. Dave has been acting and singing for over 25 years in New Hampshire, Maine and Florida. His favorite local credits include The Man in Veronica’s Room (Lab Theater), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Pseudolus), Harvey (Elwood), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Dave), and Boeing, Boeing (Bernard). When he’s not on stage you can find Dave in the classroom teaching math and science or at a piano bar belting out classic rock tunes.

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‘Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf’ closes with two shows on February 8

Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody closes February 8 with a 2:00 p.m. matinee and an 8:00 p.m. finale. it stars Sue Schaffel as Blanche Dubois, Steve Stefanik as Stanley Kowalski, Michael Hennessey as the narrator, Joann Haley as Martha, Robert Armstron as George and Howard Nutt as hapless Willy Loman.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

Go here for play dates, times and ticket info.

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Improv returns to The Lab November 30 with Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab

With a history of over-the-top sold out performances, Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab returns to The Laboratory Theater of Florida on February 15 for a night of hilarious antics, musical comedy, and on-the-spot jokes. Every facet of the uproarious improvised show is based on audience suggestions. With years of performance experience, Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab delivers a side-splitting, one-of-a-kind show every time.

Scared Scriptless is composed of Leigh Shein, Nick Hernandez, Kea McElfresh, Bill Owens, Andrew Florance and Steve Cobb.

Scared Scriptless offers a unique mixture of both short- and long-form improv, creating an entertaining evening of family-friendly laughter that is fast-paced, musical, and completely improvised. While no two shows are the same, they are always packed with hysterically funny songs, sketches, and jokes created instantaneously based on your suggestions. For the more adventurous, there are occasional opportunities to join the cast on stage.

Individual tickets for the 7:00 p.m. performance on Saturday, February 15 are $15 per person and are available at www.LaboratoryTheaterFlorida.com or by calling (239)218-0481. The theater is located in the River District of Fort Myers at 1634 Woodford Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33901.

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Spotlight on Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab tech Leigh Shein

Chicagoan, Leigh Shein took his first improv class with Second City in 1979 and has since studied and worked all over the world. He was a founding member of Bay Area Improv Theater and currently directs and hosts Harry’s Senior Moment. In addition to Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab, Leigh is also a member of Gene Pool Party, an improv group of dads and their daughters. He teaches improv to all ages including kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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Spotlight on Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab tech Nick Hernandez

Nick Hernandez has been doing improv for 4 years. He has been in many productions in various theaters. He is currently in college studying to be a sound engineer for theater and artist performances. He is glad to now be a part of this improv group.

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Spotlight on Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab tech Kea ‘Mac’ McElfresh

Kea “Mac” McElfresh has been with Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab for nearly two years. As a Miami Improv Member of “Impromedy”, she was glad to finally find an improv family in Fort Myers. Mac is currently teaching theatre at Estero High School and serves the community as District VI Jr. Thespian Chair. She brings a wealth of knowledge and crazy characters to the stage.

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Spotlight on Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab tech Bill Owens 

Bill Owens has the privilege of performing with fellow cast members, Steve Cobb, Leigh Shein and Kea McElfresh in the local improv troupes Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab and Gene Pool Party. He was also a member of Harry’s Senior Moment and Dueling Swords. Bill’s passion for improvisation began only three years ago when his determined kids persuaded him to get out of his comfort zone and take an improv class. When not making a fool of himself on the improv stage, Bill practices law as a business and real estate attorney.

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Spotlight on Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab tech Andrew Florance

Andrew Florance was born in Tucson, AZ in the back of the O.K. Corral. After escaping from his crib for the 6th time he started traveling with a comedy troupe of babies. They traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, before ending up in Florida. When he grew too old for the Crying Laughing baby troupe he traveled the U.S. and Europe to perfect his comedic skills in the corporate world, making jokes at the office level until he found Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab. He’s been performing with Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab happily ever after.

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Spotlight on Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab tech Steve Cobb

Steve Cobb has been professionally doing improv for over 6 years. Steve currently is the creative director, show runner and cast member for the following improv groups: Scared Scriptless Comedy Lab, Gene Pool Party Improv (dads and their daughters), and Musical Swords Improv. Gene Pool Party Improv has performed locally in Southwest Florida, at the 2017 Palm Beach Improv Festival, the 2018 Palm Beach Improv Festival, and at the 2018 Miami Improv Festival, among several recognized national and international troupes. Musical Swords Improv debuted in the 2018 Palm Beach Improv Festival.

Steve coaches and trains the youth improv troupe Foot Milk Experience Improv. He is the former coach and director of Mission Improvable Youth Improv, and New and Improv’d Youth Improv.

Steve has hosted improv shows throughout the state of Florida, including at the Naples Players Sugden Theatre and the Bonita Springs Center for the Arts. Steve has taught workshops throughout the state, including at the 2018 Palm Beach Improv Festival and for the FGCU Improv Club. He has worked extensively with the FGCU Improv Club. Steve was a judge in Sarasota for the Regional College Improv Tournament in 2017. Steve has performed with many local and national improvisors all around the state, including with “Stacked- All Female Musical Revue” in Sarasota, Florida, as part of an instructor show at the Palm Beach Improv Festival, and with other troupes throughout the state as a guest featured player.

Steve is also a stage actor. His credits include Moon Over Buffalo for the CFABS Players.

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Florida premiere of ‘How to Transcend a Happy Marriage’ opens at Lab on February 21

The Florida premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s How to Transcend a Happy Marriage opens February 21 at The Laboratory Theater of Florida.

Four best friends decide to invite an unusual young polyamorous woman and her two companions to join them for a New Year’s Eve party. What happens next pushes the boundaries of friendship, marriage, and parenthood.

The show will be directed by New York director, international acting coach and Meisner alum Steven Ditmyer.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

Go here for play dates, times and ticket information.

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Spotlight on ‘Happy Marriage’ actor TJ Albertson

Included in the cast of the Florida premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s How to Transcend a Happy Marriage is TJ Albertson. TJ is one of Southwest Florida’s rising community theater stars. In just the past season, he’s turned in outstanding performances as the priest in The Crucible, Anorexia Nervosa in The Legend of Georgia McBride, The Soldier in Andorra, Tyler Johnes in And the Winner Is … and Timmy in Hand to God. Go here to access his full profile and accompanying interview.

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Spotlight on ‘Happy Marriage’ actor Tamicka Armstrong

Included in the cast of the Florida premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s How to Transcend a Happy Marriage is Tamicka Armstrong. She’s a former “choir kid” and karaoke aficionado with a decade’s worth of experience in ensemble and solo work. Her stage credits include The Crucible (which marked her Lab Theater debut) and Cindy in Repossessed for Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance.

Go here for Tamicka’s full profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Happy Marriage’ actor Steven Coe

Included in the cast of the Florida premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s How to Transcend a Happy Marriage is Steven Coe. He’s one of Southwest Florida’s most intelligent and engaging actors. His evolving body of work includes starring roles as John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Thomas Novachek in David Ives’ Venus in Fur for The Studio Players, Andri in Andorra, The Boy in Veronica’s Room, and Doug in Neil LaBute’s The Way We Get By, as well as memorable supporting and ensemble appearances in Hush Up Sweet Charlotte, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane: A Parody of the Horror, Arthur Kopit’s Wings, Rick Abbot’s Play On!, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. Inveterate theater-goers may also remember Steven as the twenty-something Russian spy in Theatre Conspiracy’s 2013 production of Red Herring, a light-hearted espionage spoof. Other favorite shows include Blithe Spirit and The Government Inspector, both comedies.

Go here for the rest of Steven’s resume.

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Spotlight on ‘Happy Marriage’ actor Paul Graffy

Included in the cast of the Florida premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s How to Transcend a Happy Marriage is Paul Graffy. Over the past 15 years, Paul has appeared in more than 25 productions and directed over a dozen others at such theaters as The Naples Players, Artis Naples, TheatreZone, The Studio Players, The Naples Dinner Theater and the Laboratory Theater of Florida. Among his acting credits are the deputy governor of Massachusetts, Judge Thomas Danforth, in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible,  General Thomas F. Waverly in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (The Naples Players), Pale in Burn This! (for The Lab), Senator Joe Cantwell in The Best Man (also for Lab), Frank Sr. in Catch Me if You Can, Johnny Lowell in Stage Kiss, Alan in God of Carnage and George in Moon Over Buffalo, both at The Naples Players in 2014. In 2011, Florida Weekly recognized his stage talent with its Best Actor award.

Go here for Paul’s full profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Happy Marriage’ actor Heather McLemore Johnson

Included in the cast of the Florida premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s How to Transcend a Happy Marriage is Heather McLemore Johnson. Heather is a recent theatrical transplant from Starkville, Mississippi. Heather’s stage credits include the role of Rebecca Nurse in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, an aggrieved soccer mom (and the only adult cast member) in The Wolves, Andre’s mother in Max Frisch’s Andorra and the dip-spittin’ sheriff in Hush Up Sweet Charlotte. She also recently participated in Lab Theater’s 24-Hour Playwriting Project, directing Candice Sanzari’s Critics’ Choice winner Thanksgiving is for Nutters. Go here for more.

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Ten time Tony nominee ‘The Full Monty’ coming to New Phoenix Theatre

Coming to New Phoenix Theatre on February 27 for four full weekends is Terrence McNally and David Yazbek’s The Full Monty. Based on the cult hit film of the same name, this ten-time Tony Award nominee is filled with honest affection, engaging melodies and the most highly anticipated closing number of any show.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

Go here for play dates, times and ticket info.

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The Naples Players will be ‘Making God Laugh’ through February 9

Making God Laugh is on stage in the Blackburn Hall at The Naples Players  through February 9.

Making God Laugh follows one typical American family over the course of thirty years’ worth of holidays. Starting in 1980, Ruthie and Bill’s grown children — a priest, an aspiring actress, and a former football star — all return home, where we learn of their plans and dreams as they embark on their adult lives. The empty-nester parents contend with their own changes, too, as old family rituals are trotted out and ancient tensions flare-up. As time passes, the family discovers that, despite what we may have in mind, we often arrive at unexpected destinations.

Written by Sean Grennan, this nostalgic family play is meaningful, poignant, funny and heartwarming and underscores one simple fact: if you want to make God laugh, just tell her your plans. Showtimes are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00. Tickets are $30 for subscribers, $40 for individual tickets. To reserve your seats, telephone  239.263.7990 or visit NaplesPlayers.org.

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TNP’s ‘Silent Sky’ tells the true story of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt 

The Naples Players’ production of Silent Sky opened February 5 in TNP’s Tobye Studio. Silent Sky tells the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. The drama explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries – when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them.

Inspiring and touching, the story follows Henrietta as she begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s but isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta attempts to measure the light and distance of stars in her free time, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love.

Showtimes are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. February 5 through March 1. Tickets are $35 to subscribers and $40 for other individuals. Please call 239.263.7990 or visit NaplesPlayers.org to reserve your seats.

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Shakespeare-on-the-Plaza returns to Baker Stage February 15-March 8

Shakespeare-on-the-Plaza returns to The Naples Players’ outdoor Baker Stage February 15 through March 8. This year, the free annual outdoor Shakespeare event features the pastoral comedy, As You Like It. Shakespeare-on-the-Plaza runs every Saturday and Sunday, February 15 through March 8, with the Saturday performances taking place at 2:00 p.m. and the Sunday performances starting at 7:00 p.m.

Bring a folding chair to reserve your spot.

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Studio Players producing Pulitzer-winning ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ 

Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened February 7 at The Studio Players, which performs in the Joan Jenks Auditorium in the Golden Gate Community Center.

The iconic play takes place is a plantation house, where a family is celebrating the sixty-fifth birthday of Big Daddy, as they sentimentally dub him. The mood is somber, despite the festivities, because a number of evils poison the gaiety. Greed, sins of the past and desperate, clawing hopes for the future spar with one another as the knowledge that Big Daddy is dying slowly makes the rounds. The play stars Vic Caroli as Big Daddy, Nancy Scanlan as Big Mama, Kevin Hendricks as Brick, Rachel Borwein as Maggie, Matt Flynn as Gooper and Danielle Channell as Mae.

You’ll find the rest of this advance here.

And go here for play dates, times and ticket info.

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Spotlight on ‘Hot Tin Roof’ actor Rachel Borwein

Rachel Borwein is a Naples actor. She is appearing in the lead as Maggie in The Studio Players’ production of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Her other credits include the roles of Suzette in Don’t Dress for Dinner for The Naples Players, Martha Livingstone in Agnes of God for The Studio Players and Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew.

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Spotlight on ‘Hot Tin Roof’ actor Kevin Hendricks

Kevin Hendricks is playing the part of Brick in The Studio Players’ production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Kevin is a local actor who was born, raised and educated right here in Naples (at Golden Gate Middle School and Naples High). Kevin’s first love was golf, and in addition to giving lessons and working in area pro shops, he even played on one of the mini-tours for a few years. One day, he decided to join a plant club at Golden Gate Community Center. Arriving early and looking for a way to kill some time, he stumbled into the auditorium where The Studio Players were rehearsing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? As luck would have it, the actor playing Nick had just dropped out and Kevin jumped at the opportunity to take his place. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Go here for Kevin’s full profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Hot Tin Roof’ actor Danielle Channell

Danielle Channell is a talented actor living and working in Naples, Florida. She is appearing as Mae in The Studio Players’ production of the Pulitzer-winning Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by legendary Tennessee Williams. Past credits include trophy wife Kaitlyn Gordon, brainiac neurosurgeon Angela Saperstein-Koplan and caustic Bohemian author Brianna in Let Nothing You Dismay and Beatrice Pomeroy in Don’t Talk to the Actors for The Studio Players in Naples. Go here for the rest of Danielle’s stage credits.