This weekend, a special production is making its Sarasota premiere. Staged at the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Sailor Circus Arena, White Plume Productions is producing Naga-Mandala by Girish Karnad. The play is the first ever production of White Plume’s, a nonprofit company created by Salil Singh, director of the Suzuki Institute School of Music in Sarasota.

“White Plume Production’s mission is to create a platform to bring together creative people in the performing arts in our region that otherwise may not ever meet with each other or collaborate,” says Singh. “I am trying to create the kind of theater that normally would not happen, unless a certain set of people came together and expressed the desire to collaborate across cultures.”

For Singh, the production of Naga-Mandala is a project that is close to his heart. Originally published as a play in 1988 by Karnad, a legendary Indian playwright, Naga-Mandala is a fantastical tale of love, loss and moral reckoning steeped in South Indian folklore. “In post-independence India, Karnad is seen as a groundbreaking, very sophisticated visionary. He’s like the Arthur Miller of India,” says Singh, who is directing the production. “He writes in a very beautiful way, taking mythology and folklore and then giving it a contemporary twist that speaks to our own time, our own proclivities and dilemmas.”

Much of Naga-Mandala takes place in a village square—staging the play in the Sailor Circus Arena, in which the audience is on two sides with the performers in the middle—enhances that perspective. Singh wanted to also add to the locality of the production, by incorporating a largely local cast of dancers and actors. “I have a composer writing original music for the production in an ensemble that’s a combination of the sitar, cello, violin and percussion,” says Singh. “We have local actors, including contemporary dancers and the circus has its own history within Sarasota’s evolution, which adds to it.”

Naga-Mandala, White Plum Productions, March 13, 14 and 15, Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota. 

Cast members of White Plume Productions' Naga-Mandala. Provided photo.

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Bees, as nearly every child learns in elementary school, serve a vital role in Earth’s ecosystem. Bee pollination is what enables plant reproduction—if bees were to go extinct and pollination became all but naught, what would become of the world? Widespread famine, global crop shortages, utter catastrophe?

Such is the subject of Urbanite Theatre’s latest production, The Apiary, premiering on March 20. The play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2024, was written by Kate Douglas and was developed at Urbanite during the theater’s 2023 Modern Works Festival.

“It’s not always easy for Urbanite to find a comedy that is funny, but also has a lot to say at the same time,” says Summer Wallace, Urbanite’s producing artistic director. “This play is set 22 years into the future and honeybees are nearly extinct. We meet two scientists, Zora and Pilar, who are working in a lab to get bees to pollinate—the story focuses on what we will go through to keep the world evolving. It’s a provocative comedy about sacrifice and the ethics of discovery.”

Zora and Pilar—under the overbearing eye of their supervisor Gwen—struggle to find a way to get the bees to pollinate. That is, until the body of a former coworker appears in the apiary, creating a makeshift hive for the bees. In the darkly comedic world of The Apiary, Zora and Pilar resort to drastic measures—recruiting terminally ill cancer patients to donate their bodies to science—in an effort to create hives and grow the bee population.

Part of the challenge of the production is logistical. Without releasing actual bees into the theater, Wallace aims to employ sound and illusory techniques to create the presence of bees that is so central to the play. “The set dressing for the play is so much fun to create with all of the apiary hives,” says Wallce, who is also directing the production. “We’re very lucky that our master carpenter, Eugene Alcorn, is also a master illusionist. He builds illusions for magicians that work all over the world.”

The Apiary, March 20-April 19, Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St., Sarasota. 

Christina Mei Chen (left) and Deyki Ronge in Urbanite Theatre's The Apiary. Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

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The historic Leonard Reid House celebrates 100 years in existence with an array of events throughout the year. From a presentation about parrots, to a book fair celebrating access to literacy, the family friendly events commemorate the core beliefs of the pioneering family who shaped Sarasota’s history. In collaboration with Jungle Gardens' avian keepers, Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC) presents, "Hello Pretty Bird." It's an hourlong program about the world of colorful parrots and the stories of Overtown residents who remember the Reid family's two large, talking birds. The event takes place at 2529 N. Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL from 1 - 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. Leonard Reid came to Sarasota in 1900. He was valedictorian of Savannah Normal School (now known as Savannah State University). He valued education, and his home became a "library" where free books were given to neighborhood children. A book fair on the grounds is coming Saturday, April 4. Please donate new and gently used children's books to the Reid House. Please call 941-667-0867. 

The second mini-festival of the Soundbox Fellowship Program unfolds across three days in April, bringing together resident musicians, composer fellows, and internationally renowned oboist James Austin Smith for an immersive exploration of how music preserves and witnesses history. "Hearing Memory" centers on a deceptively simple question: What stories does a musical score tell? When performers interpret a composer's notation, they are engaging with documents encoding memory, the last traces of a composer's imagination, voice, culture, and community. This Soundbox Fellowship Program dives into how musicians and composers bear witness to history through the act of interpretation, and what we might learn from musical cultures that have nearly been lost to time. For more information, visit www.soundboxventures.org 

The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation’s 24th Annual Gala, held March 6, raised nearly $1.4 million in support of the Foundation’s education and community engagement programs, which reach more than 40,000 students, educators, and families each year. Set against the scenic backdrop of The Bay, more than 340 distinguished guests gathered for an evening inspired by its musical headliner, Tony Award®–winning performer Idina Menzel. Titled Defying Expectations: An Evening in Three Acts, the event unfolded as a theatrical experience with a “Frozen”-themed cocktail hour, a “Wicked”-inspired dinner, and a lively “Rent” after-party, each reflecting iconic moments from Menzel’s celebrated career.  Proceeds from the evening will directly support the Foundation and Van Wezel Hall arts education initiatives throughout the region. To learn more about the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and its mission, visit PerformingArtsFoundation.org. 

Build a deeper understanding of Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement! This event includes an after-hours viewing of the exhibition, a reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages from Michael’s on East, and a performance by Circus Arts Conservatory inside the Selby Gardens Event Center.

Wednesday, March 18, 5:30 to 7:30pm, Downtown Sarasota campus. 

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Florida Studio Theatre is (FST) delighted to produce the southeastern premiere of Birthday Candles, an exploration of what makes a meaningful life. Written by Noah Haidle, this portrait closes FST’s Winter Mainstage Series with warmth and reflection. Previews begin April 1, officially opening April 3, with performances running through May 17, 2026, in FST’s Gompertz Theatre. Subscriptions and single tickets are available at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or by calling (941) 366-9000. 

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Priced-to-sell Florida-friendly plants grown locally by UF/IFAS Manatee County Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs), including natives, wildflowers, orchids, bromeliads, succulents, ornamentals, trees and more. Shop The Marketplace for gardening tools, books and other garden related items. Bring your own garden cart or wagon. Cash or check only. The sale will take place 8 a.m.–11 a.m., Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County’s Barbara Davis Educational Gardens, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, Fla., across from Palmetto High School. Pre-registration is required on Eventbrite. Get the best selection of plants and beat the rush with an Early Bird ticket for only $5 per adult, which allows you access to the sale from 8–9 a.m. Regular entry begins at 9 a.m. and is free. Contact our office at 941-722-4524 for accessibility concerns and special accommodation requests. All proceeds support MGV educational and outreach programs, as well as maintenance and operation of the Master Gardener Volunteers’ Educational Gardens and greenhouse.