The Sarasota Improv Festival is celebrating its sixth year this weekend at Florida Studio Theatre, and it’s come a long way in such a short time. Gone are the days of squeezing in shows at odd hours and hunting for available theater time, the festival runs this Friday and Saturday night in two FST theaters and troupes from across the country are slated to perform. The event has near doubled in size these past six years, in no small part due to Florida Studio Theatre managing director Rebecca Hopkins.

“When I started doing improv here, nobody in Sarasota really knew what it was,” said Hopkins, who would create the festival six years later. “I started Improv Fest because Sarasota had been so embracing of improvisation and our group, and I wanted to introduce the community to all the different forms throughout the country.”

This year, more than a dozen troupes will appear at the festival, playing 40-minute sets in either the Goldstein Cabaret or Keating Theatre, with 20-minute breaks between performances for the audience to hit the bars, stretch their legs and chat with fellow festival-goers. Hopkins promises all types of improvisational comedy on display, from longform to shortform, from musical to meta, and with varying levels of audience participation. Ye bold few may find yourselves on stage, and maybe even on trial.

It’s an eclectic ensemble, according to Hopkins, featuring a pedigreed grouping not often seen in one place.

“A lot of our groups aren’t really on the festival ‘circuit,’ so to say. They do festivals, but they’re picky about them,” said Hopkins. “And they love coming to Sarasota because we pack the houses. The audience has gotten more and more improv-savvy every year.”

Though Hopkins insists there can be no real headliner in a festival jam-packed with groups of such caliber, it's the imminent arrival of the New York and LA-based Upright Citizens Brigade that has generated the most chatter. Known for talented alumni such as Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Donald Glover and really almost half of the people starring on improv-comedy TV shows today, UCB will be the only troupe performing in the Gompertz Theatre during the festival.

But the options are vast. Crowd favorite SAK Comedy Lab returns this year, whose work in Orlando Hopkins calls “some of the best stuff in the country,” as does Stacked, the all-female musical improv troupe from Chicago. Newcomers include Villain, out of Improv Olympic, also in Chicago, and North Coast Improv, a New York-based group specializing in hip-hop themed improv.

In a grand finale Saturday night, all of the performers will gather on stage to work together in a massive All Play session.

“You don’t have to dress up. You don’t have to know anything about improv. You just come and be ready to laugh,” said Hopkins. “It’s our job to be entertaining for you, and we’re yet to miss that bar.”

The Sarasota Improv Festival runs tonight and tomorrow night at Florida Studio Theatre. Shows begin at 6pm.

For more information and to purchase tickets for either night or individual shows, visit www.floridastudiotheatre.org/ or call 941-366-9000 for the FST Box Office.

For those interested in learning more about the craft itself, improv workshops will be held most of the day Saturday, before performances begin, in the new home of FST Improv, the Bowne’s Lab. Workshops are ticketed events. 

Photo: The Third Thought

Blaize Clement, author of the popular Dixie Hemingway mystery series, worked for years crafting the perfect heroine for her novels in the picturesque setting of Sarasota where she lived for many years before her passing in 2011. Although not involved in writing the first seven books of the series, her son, John Clement, often enjoyed discussing the plots of the books with his mother. With her passing, John Clement continues his mother’s work—using her notes and outlines for future novels—resulting in the release of the newest addition in the series, The Cat Sitter’s Nine Lives.

The Cat Sitter’s Nine Lives takes place on Siesta Key, an island community that appears to foster more mystery than one would imagine. The plot follows Dixie Hemingway as a series of strange events involving a car crash, a missing cat, a murder and several creative disguises wraps her in a mystery she is determined to solve.

For Sarasota locals, reading about landmarks or places they’re familiar with creates a special bond between the story and the reader. Reading e-mails and letters from fans of the series has even led to the discovery that a few had moved to the Sarasota area because of how beautifully it was portrayed in the series.

For Clement, the character of Dixie Hemingway who, with every book, enraptures readers with her strongly independent personality and resiliency, reminds him of his mother in more ways than one.

“People often ask if it has been hard to capture Dixie’s style, and the truth is it hasn’t been hard at all. We each have that one voice in our head—a parent, a grandparent, an influential teacher—for me, it’s my mother. Like Dixie, she was a romantic, a dreamer, a fighter, an optimist, and like Dixie, she endured great loss in her life.”

Although his mother may be gone, her influence is evident in everything her son writes. Clement admits that whenever he feels a bit lost in the writing process, all he needs to do is pull out one of his mother’s books and read the words of a “voice so true, that it usually puts me back on track in no time.” Inspiration for future novels, he says, comes first and foremost from the readers, calling their support, “humbling, terrifying, and so incredibly inspiring.”

As for Clement’s future plans concerning the Dixie Hemingway series, he says he’s already finishing up the next installment, The Cat Sitter’s Whiskers, with the eleventh book also on the way.

Simply put, Clement said, “As long as Dixie keeps stumbling upon new adventures, I’ll keep writing about them.”  

Opening the door to Elysian Fields is akin to stepping into a sanctuary complete with the relaxing sounds of trickling water and wind chimes. Since 1991 the kind people at Elysian Fields have been gifting customers with their personal rendition of paradise, offering up a peaceful and serene environment where anyone can walk around the store for a while, taking in the sights and sounds. Looking to treat yourself to a home spa day? Elysian Fields offers numerous body lotions, bath salts and spa treatments to complete your relaxing night in the comfort of your own home. As delightful music plays from the speakers over your head, browse the store’s impressive selection of books covering topics like meditation, yoga and more. If you dare, pick up and (softly!) play one of their quartz crystal bowls, the sounds of which are said to evoke feelings of relaxation and rejuvenation. In Greek Mythology, Elysian Fields was a physical place that brought forth a state of perfect happiness to all who indulged in it. Sarasota’s version of Elysian Fields proves to be nothing short of paradise. 

1273 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-361-3006

The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County has announced that recommendations for the Tourist Development Tax funding for the Arts have been approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Funds were distributed to the following organizations, among others: Asolo Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Fuzion, Sarasota Orchestra, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota Ballet and the Ringling School of Art and Design.   

Richard Miller, Managing Director of executive search firm  Brooke Chase Associates, Inc., announced the successful placement of Jack Harwell as Vice President Sourcing/Supply Chain  with Piedmont Hardware Brands - Amerock. As Vice President Sourcing/Supply Chain, Harwell will develop and broaden the strategic plan and vision for the future of Amerock. In addition, Harwell will be responsible for developing and executing strategic and annual operating plans focused on enhancing value through profitable growth in both existing and new markets and customer bases. 

Dog's Best Friend

Did you know that the historic Sarasota Opera House was once used by some of the greats such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley? This world famous venue also hosted the 1952 world premiere for the blockbuster DeMille movie, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” based on Sarasota’s Barnum & Bailey Circus. On Saturday, October 4, 2014, from 8pm-midnight, SRQ | The Magazine will host their signature black tie gala, Bal Masqué, at this landmark venue. Event beneficiaries include the Circus Arts Conservatory, the Child Protection Center, Suncoast Charities for Children, and the Suncoast Science Center. Tickets to this soiree are $125 with a portion of the proceeds going to a beneficiary of choice, to be selected upon purchasing admission online.  

Get Tickets