How does one measure a legacy? Is it how successful one is in their career? Or is it the impact that they’ve had on the people around them, on their friends, family and colleagues? For Dr. Larry R. Thompson, president of the Ringling College of Art and Design, his legacy lies in his indelible impact on the beloved institution.

On April 17, Dr. Thompson announced that the 2025-26 academic year would be his last at the college. Dr. Thompson’s arrival in 1999 catapulted Ringling College into the 21st century, during which the college would undergo a period of unprecedented growth.

“I first came to Ringling College with my wife and children from Flint, Michigan, in the summer of 1999. At that time, the institution was still named the Ringling School of Art and Design. We had about 800 students then,” said Dr. Thompson in a statement. “In recent years, we have edged closer and closer to our enrollment goal of approximately 2,000 students across a 60-acre growing Main Campus and Museum Campus. We have come to be known as a beacon of creativity within our local community, as well as nationally and internationally.”

With the increase in enrollment came a shift in the curriculum. Today, Ringling College offers 13 different degree programs—increased from six in 1999. Under Dr. Thompson’s leadership, the college expanded into the digital age, now offering degrees in Computer Animation, Game Art, Motion Design, Virtual Reality Development and other more computer-related disciplines. That shift in curriculum is what has allowed Ringling College to grow into the renowned institution that it is today and to continue to not only be a bastion of creativity in Sarasota but a cultural and economic engine for the city as well.

“The decision to announce my upcoming retirement has not been easy for me. Ringling College has been my home and my greatest passion for the past 26 years. Throughout my tenure, I have been privileged to witness and help steward incredible change and evolution at our institution,” said Dr. Thompson. “And now, I find myself overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and encouragement I feel, knowing that the college’s Board, leadership, students, faculty and staff will continue to nurture the college with the same passion we collectively share.”

Dr. Thompson at the Alfred R. Goldstein Library on Ringling College's campus. Provided photo.

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Good Night, Oscar, directed by Peter Amster and currently onstage at Asolo Repertory Theatre, is a good show.

It’s a fun night at the theater full of quick wit and familiar tropes, a comforting message and some absolutely stellar musicianship. There’s even a legitimate argument to be made that Max Roll’s performance as the titular Oscar Levant—real-world American pianist and composer with demons and skill in equal proportion—is flat-out great, complete with a show-stopping turn at the ivories that puts the audience on silent. (Like their cell phones should be.)

But while Good Night, Oscar is a diverting hour or so at the theater, it’s also not much more than that. Audiences will be entertained but rarely challenged, as the plot goes precisely where they predict and even the rough edges—a cunnilingus joke, oh no—are padded to prevent injury.

The setup is as such:

It’s minutes to curtain at the Tonight Show and host Jack Paar can’t exactly promise his studio executive boss, Bob Sarnoff, that tonight’s guest is in the building. Or when he will be. Or if he’s pseudo-escaped from a mental institution and battling hallucinations of Gershwin between desperate bids for more pills. (It’s that last one.) Meanwhile, Mrs. Levant plays the Appropriately Despairing Wife and Oscar’s orderly escort questions every decision in his life that led to abetting a patient’s unauthorized appearance on national television. The ensuing comedy of errors, complete with an angry studio exec and an endlessly quippy Oscar—and buoyed by Asolo Conservatory’s own Jonathan Acosta, in a hilarious turn as the starstruck Max Weinbaum—plays out as you’d expect, punctuated by moments of drama that ultimately pull their punches.

Within this structure, there are themes and questions at play, of fame and exploitation, genius and mental illness, touched on but not explored, and the bones of what could be a compelling character study, if perhaps taken one step further. But, like Oscar, the play often uses humor to deflect these probing impulses, and the characters in the protagonist’s orbit remain largely two-dimensional dialogue-delivery vehicles for jokes and exposition. And when those moments of drama and transformation arrive, they’re refreshing but often feel unearned.

Much earned kudos, however, to the production design team and stage crew, for not only brilliant set design that evokes the era without overstating or complicating, but some of the most creative scene transitions around.

Currently onstage at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Good Night, Oscar runs through April 26. 

Pictured: From Left - MaxRoll, Jonathan Acosta. Photo by Adrian VanStee.

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Footwear has long been a central figure in popular culture. From Cinderella’s slipper to Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans to the P.F. Flyers promised to make the characters “run faster and jump higher” in the seminal coming-of-age film The Sandlot, shoes have always held a special place in the public’s collective heart. From around 9000 BC, humans have crafted footwear—first out of deerskin and animal hides, then from wood and other materials, eventually landing on leather and rubber—with the concept behind it growing from functional to fashionable and everything in between.

The Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) is celebrating that heritage and its progression into the future with its exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks. The exhibition, on view until May 4, is organized by Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum and the American Federation of the Arts and features over 70 pieces from the Bata Shoe Museum and loans from other collectors and institutions. While Future Now does include many futuristic, cutting-edge shoe designs, the exhibition also tracks how shoes were made before the Industrial Revolution.

“The exhibition includes some of the early tools used for shoemaking like the hammers and wooden pegs for attaching soles. There’s a case that has all of these items that were used for toolmaking in the 19th century,” says Virginia Shearer, executive director of SAM. “Shoes would get more complex over the course of the 1800s all the way to the first sneaker, which was a technological innovation that came through the United States.” After the Civil War, there was an explosion in popularity of sports like tennis and basketball that required speciality shoes. By 1892, the first rubber-soled shoes—or sneakers—were born.

Future Now also addresses issues of sustainability and accessibility in its featured pieces. The exhibition includes 3D-printed shoes, footwear made from recycled ocean plastics and mushroom leather and sneakers designed specifically for the meta-verse. The EKTO One Robotic VR Boots allow the wearer to walk in virtual reality while the Undercurrent P Virtual Prototype bring high fashion to footwear.

“There’s a sneaker from 2021 called the Nike Go FlyEase that was created for people with limited mobility. It functions similarly to a ski boot—it can be locked into place and slipped back off without the use of hands or lacing—and I think the fact that Nike and shoe designers are thinking about accessibility is terrific,” says Shearer.

February 9 to May 5, Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trail

The Future Now exhibition at SAM. Photo by Ryan Gamma.

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Due to overwhelming demand, Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is extending its critically acclaimed production of Jersey Boys through Saturday, May 31, 2025, in the Gompertz Theatre. Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, Jersey Boys follows the rise, fall, and redemption of one of the most iconic groups in music history: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Tickets are on sale now at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or by calling (941) 366-9000. 

Join a group of like-minded architecture and design enthusiasts for an exclusive look into downtown St. Petersburg, from charming historic places to the new developments that make it a unique cultural gem of Florida’s West Coast! This excursion includes a guided walking tour of the city’s waterfront and historic downtown, a docent-led tour of the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, a shuffleboard happy hour in a landmarked club, and an opportunity to explore the famous St. Pete Pier. Option 1: Transportation included ($450, $150 tax-deductible, hotels and dining not included). Option 2: Transportation not included ($400, $150 tax-deductible, hotels and dining not included). Please register by Friday, April 25th at midnight. For questions, please contact us at info@architecturesarasota.org 

He earned his stripes on Broadway… now the ghost-with-the-most is coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, BEETLEJUICE is “SCREAMINGLY GOOD FUN!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O! Don’t miss your chance to see BEETLEJUICE in Sarasota! Tickets start at $75 and can be purchased at the Van Wezel box office, by visiting VanWezel.org, or calling 941-263-6799. Group orders of ten or more may be placed by calling 941-263-6726.  

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The Hermitage presents its next “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” program on Friday, May 16 @ Historic Spanish Point with “Broadway Off and On,” featuring two Tony Award nominees: Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Bess Wohl. Earlier that week, the Hermitage will present another edition of “Songs from the Sand: An Evening of Hermitage Music” on Monday, May 12 at Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside Pavilion. 

CreArte Latino Cultural Center announces the premiere of “VOICES of Hidden Minds” (“VOCES de mentes escondidas”), a powerful dramatized reading presented in Spanish with English surtitles. This original production, created and directed by Angélica Castro and Marcela Vanegas, is based on real testimonies from members of the Hispanic community in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Their voices are woven into a narrative that explores the lived experience of those facing mental health challenges—stories rarely shared and often stigmatized. The presentations are Thursday, May 8, through Saturday, May 10, 8 to 9:30 p.m., followed each evening by a bilingual audience talkback. Performances take place at CreArte’s new home at 1913 Northgate Blvd in Sarasota. Tickets are $20 and available at CreArteLatino.org.  

The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation (LWRCF) is pleased to be the featured nonprofit during the May 2 Lakewood Ranch Music on Main event, held on Main Street, Lakewood Ranch, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. LWRCF board and staff will be managing the beer trucks and the foundation will benefit from the proceeds of beer sales, helping to reach the $250,000 fundraising goal for its 25th anniversary celebration. For more information about LWRCF, visit LWRCF.org, email info@LWRCF.org, or call 941-208-6799. For more information about Music on Main, visit lakewoodranch.com/music-on-main.  For more information about LWRCF, visit LWRCF.org, email info@LWRCF.org, or call 941-208-6799. For more information about Music on Main, visit lakewoodranch.com/music-on-main.  

Nominate your peers for SRQ Magazine’s 2025 Elite Top Attorneys! Help us spotlight outstanding legal professionals across the region. Your nomination supports a trusted guide to the area’s top attorneys. One week left to submit—don’t miss the chance to recognize excellence in the legal field. Nominate HERE!