The bad news is the Sarasota arts season is heading into its typical summer slowdown. The good news is there’s less traffic and smaller crowds whatever you choose to go see. Here are Jay and Carrie’s suggestions for this week.
May 21
Jeff Bridges as Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski and John Goodman as Walter Sobchak in “The Big Lebowski.”
Bring a blanket, grab some popcorn and a drink at “The Nest,” and settle in at The Oval at the Bay Park for a screening of the cult classic, “The Big Lebowski,” part of the outdoor Cinema at The Bay series. Relive the antics of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski as he (Jeff Bridges) and his bowling buddies (among them, Walter Sobchak, an intense, Vietnam-obsessed, hot-head played by John Goodman) seek restitution for his ruined rug after he’s mistaken for a millionaire of the same name. The Dude abides!
“The Big Lebowski,” Cinema at the Bay. 7:30-9:30 p.m. The Oval at The Bay, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Reservations at thebaysarasota.org/event/cinema-at-the-bay-big-lebowski/
— Carrie Seidman
May 21-24
There may be bigger shows each season at Venice Theatre, but few are as inspiring as the annual spring production of “Pinky’s Players.” Under the direction of Becky Hollahan, the annual show and the workshops leading up to it, provide performance opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The theater collaborates on the project with The Haven’s south campus, where rehearsals are held before the performance in Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center. Hollahan brings together a variety show that showcases hidden talents.
A scene from a past production of Pinky’s Players at Venice Theatre. Photo provided by Venice Theatre
Pinky’s Players performs May 21-24 at the Venice Theatre Raymond Center, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice. Tickets are $30. 941-488-1115; venicetheatre.org
— Jay Handelman
May 22
enSRQ conductor George Nickson. / Photo provided by enSRQ
Created in collaboration with the famed director Peter Sellars, ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) presents its final program of the season, Matt Aucoin’s “Music for New Bodies.” Fusing poetic texts from Jorie Graham with visceral soundscapes, it’s a operatic meditation on our shifting place in the natural world. Sellars’ visionary staging brings the music into visual focus, inviting us to imagine new forms of life, connection and transformation.
“Music for New Bodies,” presented by enSRQ at the Sarasota Opera House 61 N. Pineapple Ave. 7:30 p.m. $50. ensrq.org/seasons/s10/2026-05-22-music-for-new-bodies
— Carrie Seidman
May 22-23
The latest edition of CreArte Latino Cultural Center’s “VOCES” series, which fosters open conversation about topics relevant to the local community, focuses on adolescence, a time of change, challenges and experimentation. Oral testimonies from people within the Hispanic community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties will be performed and read – in English; the Spanish version, “VOCES de adolescencia” took place last week – followed by a talkback with the director (Vinoelle Colon), the actors, those who’ve shared their stories and audience members.
“VOCES of adolescence,” at CreArte Latino Cultural Center, 1913 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota. 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. secure.qgiv.com/for/crearteeventform/event/voicesofadolescence/
— Carrie Seidman
Through July 12
The cabaret show “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane” salutes folk/rock artists of the 1960s to open the summer cabaret series at Florida Studio Theatre.
Florida Studio Theatre turns over its cabaret theaters in the summer to performers and musical tribute shows that come from around the country. The opening show this summer is “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane: A Folk Journey,” created by Aaron Gandy who brought “A Band Called Honalee” to FST last year. Katie Blackwell, Brian Ott and Colin Purcell are celebrating the folk rock sounds of the 1960s and such artists as Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Crosby, Stills & Nash and more.
‘Leavin’ on a Jet Plane’ runs through July 12 at Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. Tickets are $37-$42. floridastudiotheatre.org; 941-366-9000
—Jay Handelman
Through Sept. 16
Wynn Richards’ “Flowers in Glass,” circa 1920, is one of the images in The Ringling exhibit “The Evocative Lens: Pictorialism and the Rise of Art Photography,” Photo provided by The Ringling
With its latest exhibit, The Ringling is exploring how how photography became an accepted artistic medium in the late 1800s and early 1900s. “The Evocative Lens: Pictorialism and the Rise of Art Photography” features work by such noted photographers as Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Clarence H. White and groundbreaking female artists, including Anne Brigman, Gertrude Käsebier and Eva-Watson Schutze. Curator Christopher Jones says that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “heated debates arose over whether photography could be considered a true art form or if it was merely a mechanical means of recording and reproducing images.”
“The Evocative Lens” is on display through Sept. 16 in The Ringling’s Searing Wing, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota. ringling.org; 941-359-5700
— Jay Handelman
