For the past 12 years, Sarasota’s Urbanite Theatre has made a name for itself as an incubator for new works and emerging playwrights. For the past six, Urbanite has extended that legacy with its Modern Works Festival, a new play festival dedicated to female playwrights and female theater makers. This year’s Modern Works Festival, which kicked off on September 10 and will come to a close on September 21, has been Urbanite’s biggest undertaking yet, with an expanded two week schedule.

The format of the Modern Works Festival is relatively straightforward: out of hundreds of submissions, a panel of female readers select three finalists. Those finalists are granted a production team and the opportunity to showcase their work in two staged readers, with feedback and guidance from Urbanite’s artistic team. The festival functions as a launching pad for these new works, in past years plays from the Modern Works Festival such as Kate Douglas’s The Apiary and Brenda Wither’s Westminster have both been produced by Urbanite Theatre.

Out of the 304 submissions, this year’s finalists are Stacey Isom Campbell (1999), Jenny Stafford (Ahoy-Hoy) and Sarah Cho (Screen Time). “For this year, the rules of the festival were four characters or less and no adaptations. And that's pretty much it—they don’t have to be about anything specific,” says Summer Wallace, co-founder and producing artistic director of Urbanite Theatre. “It’s always fun to see if there are any common themes that emerge amongst the plays, and this year we had a lot of plays that dealt with themes of legacy, parenthood and parental relationships.”

Campbell’s 1999 is set amidst the backdrop of academia and follows Emma, a renowned film producer and professor, who is forced to confront a traumatic moment from her past when a college student objects to the inclusion of a cancelled #MeToo-era director in the class syllabus. Stafford’s Ahoy-Hoy is a farcical romp about American ambition, legacy and the invention of the telephone. Cho’s Screen Time interrogates the practices of modern parenting and society’s increasing reliance on technology.

The Festival kicked off with a fully realized production, Phoebe Potts’ acclaimed one-woman show Too Fat for China and ends with a discussion with Nan Barnett, the Executive Director of the National New Play Network, an organization pivotal in Urbanite’s dedication to the production of new works. “I’ve been so overwhelmed over the years by how many people have said yes to participating in the festival. It’s a testament to the spirit of the festival, of women supporting women,” says Wallace. “In my dreams, I would love for this festival to continue to grow and become something where other theaters come to find new work.”

Modern Works Festival, September 10-21, Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St., Sarasota, 34236 

Shots from Phoebe Potts' performance of "Too Fat for China." Provided photo.

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September 17, 2025— Trinity Presbyterian Church of Venice will present a special benefit concert on Sunday, November 16, featuring the internationally acclaimed Padkovskyi Brothers. Proceeds from the event will support C.A.M. (Community Assistance Ministry), helping provide vital resources for those in need throughout the South Venice and Englewood community. The one-hour program, presented without intermission, will showcase two extraordinary young musicians: violinist Andrii Padkovskyi, 15, and clarinetist Yurii Padkovskyi, 21, brothers from Ukraine who are performing together in Venice. They will be joined by Jesse Martins, pianist and music director with Sarasota Opera.  The concert will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 4365 Englewood Road (State Road 776), Venice, Florida. Admission is $10 per person at the door. Additional donations will be welcomed and appreciated. Seating is limited to 250. Questions pertaining to the concert can be directed to Donna Smith, pianist and music director at Trinity Presbyterian Church at: musicdirector@trinitypc.org.  

The wildly popular cult classic, "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show," will be performed live in Venice Theatre's Pinkerton Theatre from Friday, Oct. 3 through Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. The theatre is keeping the late-night "Rocky" tradition alive with a closing performance on Saturday, Oct. 25 at midnight. This is the seventh time Venice Theatre has produced the show, the first being in 2007 and last in 2017. To get in the Halloween spirit, theatregoers can purchase tickets at www.venicetheatre.org or 941-488-1115. Prices are $40 for adults/seniors, $28 for college students and educators, and $18 for high school students. Because "Rocky Horror" contains adult language and strong sexual themes, audience discretion is advised and high school students must show an ID at door. The Oct. 25 midnight show is for adults only.  

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Last week, local music school Music Compound held its inaugural Thrive in 2025 workshop, "From Overwhelmed to Overpowered." Featured presenters Leanndra Yates, M.Ed. and Allison Phinney, LMHC led the audience of nearly 20 families through topics such as navigating school transitions, dealing with emotional overload, and nurturing children’s interests. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the event, another "Thrive" workshop will be held on November 11; the topic will be "Being Present and Regulating Emotions". 

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Couldn’t make it to the 2025 ALSO Art Exhibit, or still dreaming about a piece you saw there? ALSO's Encore Art Sale is your second chance to bring art home. About the Sale: Only 29 original works remain from the 76 incredible pieces originally donated by professional artists and our talented youth; Bid or Buy Now - place your bids or purchase outright at our new reduced “Buy Now” prices; Ends 8 PM on Thursday, September 26 - bidding closes then, and any unsold works go to the highest bidder; Support LGBTQ+ Youth - every dollar funds ALSO Youth programs that create safe, affirming spaces. 

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GEA Live, and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, in association with Lionsgate, are bringing the highly-anticipated 60-city national tour of the first-ever Twilight In Concert (www.twilightinconcert.com) to Sarasota for one night only on October 17. As the novel, “Twilight”, celebrates its 20th anniversary, the live-to-film cinematic experience featuring the original movie accompanied by a 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians on stage will transport audiences on a journey deep into the heart of this romantic story. Whether you’re Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team Bella, Twilight In Concert promises an unforgettable evening for fans of the beloved The Twilight Saga film franchise -- and music enthusiasts alike. For more information, tickets, and tour dates visit www.twilightinconcert.com and follow @TwilightMovie on Facebook, and @Twilight on Instagram and X. For more information, tickets, and tour dates visit www.twilightinconcert.com and follow @TwilightMovie on Facebook, and @Twilight on Instagram and X.

Art Center Sarasota’s centennial exhibition season kicks off with four new exhibits on view from October 9 - November 15. The Centennial Season exhibition schedule celebrates the history of Sarasota’s arts and cultural legacy while looking toward the future through a contemporary lens. The Opening Reception for all four exhibits is on Thursday, October 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The opening reception for all four exhibits is Thursday, October 9, 5-7 p.m. All works on display are available for purchase. Art Center Sarasota’s exhibitions are paid for, in part, by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues and generous donors. 
 

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