In August many residents leave Sarasota temporarily for cooler climes. All the more reason for those who've stayed behind to enjoy the ease in attending summer arts events – no difficulty getting tickets, no traffic and plenty of places to enjoy dinner without reservations before the show. Here are a few of our suggestions for the coming week.
August 17
The Sarasota Jewish Theatre’s Newish Jewish Play Reading Series begins with Michael Schwartz’s “A Punchline.”
The Sarasota Jewish Theatre launches a new season of its Newish Jewish Play Reading Series, with staged readings of three new works chosen from more than 150 submissions. It opens at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 with Michael Schwartz’s “A Punchline,” directed by Jeffery Kin. It’s about Leah, Holocaust survivor who creates a TV show featuring “funny Nazis,” which has proven popular and offensive. that features “funny Nazis.” Leah also has a more personal story to share in the course of the play about how she did survive. The series continues Aug. 24 with a Stephen Kaplan’s “Un Homebre: A Golem Story” and on Aug. 31 with Robert Axelrod’s “Dry Summer.”
The Sarasota Jewish Theatre’s Newish Jewish Play Reading Theatre is presented at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17, 24 and 31 at the Sarasota Players, 3501 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $18 each or $45 for all three. sarasotajewsitheatre.com; 941-365-2494
— Jay Handelman
August 21
Everyone knows about Sarasota’s circus history, but not everyone is aware that much of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” the 1952 Hollywood circus drama directed by Cecil B. DeMille was filmed on location here using the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus headquarters. The movie premiered at the Sarasota Opera House on January 31, 1952.
Much of Cecil B. DeMille’s circus drama, “The Greatest Show on Earth” was shot in Sarasota at the former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey campus. Photo provided by SOH
You can re-live that moment in Sarasota history this week by attending a special screening of the film at the very same venue as part of the Classic Movies at the Opera House summer series. The star-studded cast includes Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, James Steward and Dorothy Lamour and the sweeping storytelling showcases DeMille’s signature grandiose scale of direction in this drama about a manager struggling to keep his show afloat while a famous aerialist disrupts love and rivalry.
“The Greatest Show on Earth,” Classic Movies at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota. 7 p.m. Tickets: $12. 941-328-1300; tickets.sarasotaopera.org/8545/8547
— Carrie Seidman
August 22
Nostalgic for those earlier, simpler times when music had a melody and dancing wasn’t all about celebrity “stars”? The second annual “SouL in Motion” Showcase features a curated collection of performances, from rising talents to experienced artists, each bringing their own style, personality and interpretation to the energy and music of the ‘80s.
“SouL in Motion,” 5 p.m. at the Cook Theater, FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets $35-55. 941-894-4168; vividiance.com/event-details/soul-in-motion-2026
— Carrie Seidman
August 22
If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing REVolutions Dance company, here’s a chance to watch this mixed-ability troupe in the intimate setting of Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s black box studio theater.
REVolutions Dance Company Photo provided by Sarasota Contemporary Dance
Founded in 2005 by Dwyane Scheuneman and Amie West in St. Petersburg, REVolutions was the first professional organization in the area exploring ways to include disabled community members in their training and performance opportunities. It has since grown to become a treasured cornerstone of the Tampa Bay arts community.
REVolutions Dance Company, part of Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s In-Studio series. 5 p.m. at 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300, Sarasota. $15-$25. https://sarasotacontemporarydance.org/in-studio/
— Carrie Seidman
Through Sept. 13
Zahara Greco as Natasha in the Dingbat Theatre Project production of “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Photo by Kayla Lee Webster provided by Dingbat
Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” as a musical? It may sound unlikely, but writer, composer and lyricist Dave Malloy created something of a sensation with his musical “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” which was a hit off-Broadway before moving to Broadway. It’s a sung-through musical (meaning there’s hardly any spoken dialogue) and a major undertaking for Dingbat Theatre Project. The show is actually based on just a 70-page portion of the Tolstoy novel. Co-founders Luke Manual and Gretchen Beaumier direct a cast that includes Craig Weiskerger as the depressed Pierre, Zahara Greco as the young Countess Natasha and Heather Kopp as Pierre’s unfaithful wife.
“Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” runs Fridays through Sundays through Sept. 13 at Dingbat Theatre Project, 7288 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $38 for general admission, $18 for immersive floor seating and $60 for VIP tables. dingbattheatre.org; 941-451-7706
— Jay Handelman
