Three award-winning and internationally recognized writers take to the stage tonight at Florida Studio Theatre, with playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury, poet Camille Dungy and novelist Chinelo Okparanta, all three African-American women, reading and discussing their work, while sharing stories of the inspirations and challenges they have faced throughout their lives and careers. Presented by the Hermitage Artist Retreat, where all three women are currently artists in residence, this community dialogue is free and open to the public, beginning at 7:30pm in the Goldstein Cabaret.

Each speaker brings her own singular background and perspective—from Brooklyn-based Drury, the playwright whose work has shown across the U.S. and in London and been workshopped in places like Sundance, to acclaimed poet Dungy, whose words have filled three books and garnered two Northern California Book Awards and two NAACP Image Award nominations. Nigerian-born Okparanta rounds out the trio. A New Yorker-published storyteller on a bit of a hot streak, Okparanta was named one of Granta’s six new voices to watch in 2012, short-listed for the Caine Prize in African Writing in 2013 and received both the 2014 O. Henry Award and 2014 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction.

“Lately there have been a lot of conversations about the inequalities faced by women, not only in corporate America, but in the art world as well,” said Bruce Rodgers, executive director of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, on the purpose of the dialogue. “We thought it would be interesting to have them address this topic.”

“The theater, by its very nature, is in dialogue with our community,” added FST Associate Director Kate Alexander, who views this sort of community discussion as a natural outgrowth of issues raised and opinions challenged regularly on stage. “This Artists’ talk represents the fullest aspect of those dialogues–women who are changing the world.”

Drury, Dungy and Okparanta continue the discussion tonight at 7:30pm at Florida Studio Theatre. 

A Sarasota city commissioner still embroiled in controversy regarding responses on an Equality Florida questionnaire said Wednesday that she remains as committed to ever to protecting the legal rights of all citizens, but also stood firm that her faith does not personally condone homosexuality.

Commissioner Shelli Freeland Eddie said she supports city actions including the establishment of domestic registries for same-sex couples and the inclusion of transgender people as a class protected from discrimination. But when asked if she felt being gay was a choice, she turned to her faith for answers. “Based upon my faith I don’t think you are born homosexual,” Eddie said. The comments came during an interview on The Nilon Report on WSRQ, where she was interviewed by host Susan Nilon and SRQ Senior Editor Jacob Ogles.

Eddie last week sent an email to Equality Florida clarifying that while she supported the legal rights of same-sex couples and of a woman’s right to choose, gay marriage and abortion both violate her personal beliefs, so she wanted responses to survey questions in support of marriage equality and reproductive choice to have that information added. Eddie says now she worded the email poorly. She has apologized to Equality Florida, and said she is now in the process of regaining the trust of her constituents.

When asked why she felt the need to clarify her views to a gay organization as opposed to the faith-based community, Eddie said she communicated with Equality Florida because that group had endorsed her, and she felt an obligation to clarify her views with that group following the U.S. Supreme Court decision making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. “I didn’t want there to be a grey area, so to speak,” she said.

The entire interview, which also covered city issues including the moving of elections and construction of Lift Station 87, can be heard at sarasotatalkradio.com. 

NCC Property Services, a Sarasota-based concierge property service and maintenance company, is launching locally to assist discerning clients with prompt, affordable and complete maintenance and repair services for their residences. Fully insured and licensed, Sarasota natives Brad Westover, the president of the newly formed company, and T.J. Nutter, president of Nutter Custom Construction, founded this joint venture. From home watch services to comprehensive maintenance, the company delivers a wide range of services including lawn care, pool maintenance, interior and exterior cleaning and plumbing, irrigation and air conditioning services. The offices are located on Fletcher Avenue in Sarasota. 

NCC Property Services

Chris Loftus was appointed as chief operating officer at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Prior to joining Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Loftus worked at Bayfront Health Punta Gorda in Punta Gorda as the associate administrator and served as interim CEO from April–August 2014. Prior to that, Loftus worked at Venice Regional Medical Center as assistant administrator. Loftus holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in History and focus in Pre-Med from Duke University and a Master’s degree in Health Service Administration from the University of Evansville. 

Lakewood Ranch Medical Center

Construction is underway for the new 35,000 square-foot Cobb CinéBistro Theatre at Westfield Southgate in Sarasota. The movie theater, scheduled to open in early 2016, will be located in the space previously occupied by Saks Fifth Avenue. The seven-screen CinéBistro will feature first-run movies and offer a luxurious movie experience for adults age 21 and over with reclining leather chairs and in-theatre full service dining. Theatre guests can enjoy an American Bistro menu featuring daily food and drink specials and a separate bar, dining lounge and patio.Customers can now experience Cobb CinéBistro at the new CinéBistro pop-up theater adjacent to Macy’s.  

Cobb Theatres