Take a deep breath, because it won’t be long before the Sarasota arts season is in full swing and you’ll have to curate your calendar selectively. Meanwhile, here are a few events to lure you out before the traffic gets heavy and tickets get scarce.
September 16-27
Cast members from the Sarasota Players production of “As You Like It.” Photo by Adrian Van Stee provided by The Players
The Sarasota Players is heading into the Forest of Arden for a production of the Shakespeare comedy “As You Like It.” Kelly Wynn Woodland, who has become a local expert in directing Shakespeare, is staging the play. Amelia Valery plays Rosalind, who is banished from the court and escapes into the forest disguised as a young man, stirring also sorts of comical complications and romantic configurations. Rosalind comes across Orlando, the man she loves, but he doesn’t recognize her in men’s clothes, and there are other cases of mistaken identity and deception. The large cast features Vera Samuels as Rosalind’s cousin, Celia, Zach Tudor as Orlando and Charlie Phillips as Touchstone.
“As You Like It” runs Sept. 17-27 at the Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $35, $15 for students. theplayers.org; 941-365-2494
— Jay Handelman
September 17
Presented by the City of Sarasota Public Art Program, “Echoes of Sarasota,” is a cultural heritage exhibition featuring mural-scale artworks by Regan Dunnick and Frank Hopper on loan from Thomsen Fine Art with additional pieces curated by Arts Advocates. The collection highlights more than a century of Sarasota’s history, from early indigenous roots and pioneer life to the region’s raise as a center for arts and culture.
“Centennial Celebration” by Frank Hopper. Photo provided by the City of Sarasota
The City Hall Cultural Heritage Exhibit is a rotating exhibition program created through a partnership between the City’s Public Art Program and Historic Preservation Division. The program honors and shares the cultural legacies that have shaped Sarasota’s identity through curated displays of artwork, photography, and historical materials.
“Echoes of Sarasota,” exhibition opening at City Hall, 1565 First Street, Sarasota. 4-6 p.m. Free. sarasotafl.gov/Department-Pages/Planning/Public-Art/City-Hall-Cultural-Heritage-Exhibit/Echoes-of-Sarasota-City-Hall-Cultural-Heritage-Exhibit
— Carrie Seidman
September 17-27
Erika MacDonald stars in her solo show “Tea TIME,” which kicks off Urbanite Theatre’s 2026 Modern Works Festival. Photo by Kevin Rife provided by Urbanite Theatre
Urbanite Theatre kicks off its female-focused annual modern Works Festival with five peformances of Erika MacDonald’s one-woman play “Tea TIME.” MacDonald is a performance artist known for solo shows, including “Tea TIME,” which has been featured at numerous fringe festivale since its premiere in Cincinnati in 2025. What starts as a seemingly simple story about how to prepare a cup of tea flows into something deeper and more emotional. It kicks off a festival featuring three new plays (Sept. 25-27), a talk by playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger and more. Last year’s winning festival play “Ahoy-Hoy” opens the theater’s regular season Oct. 30.
“Tea TIME” runs Sept. 17-18 and the three Modern Works Festival new play readings are performed Sept. 25-27. Festival passes are $108-$128. 1487 Second St., Sarasota. urbanitetheatre.com; 941-321-1397
— Jay Handelman
September 18-20
Tree Fort Productions teams with Grief Dialogues to present “In the Wake of Life,” a program of six 10-minute plays about dying, grief and love. Photo provided by Tree Fort Productions
Tree Fort Productions is exploring issues related to dying, grief, love and what it means to be human with “In the Wake of Life,” a program of six 10-minute plays. It is presented in association with Grief Dialogues, which was founded in 2016 to use staged readings, short plays and talkbacks to help people talk about issues that are often difficult to discuss. Lee Gundersheimer is directing the production that features work by five writers from different parts of the country. Each performance will be followed by a discussion to allow the audience to ask questions and talk with the performers. The Sunday performance will be followed by a reading of “What Remains of Us” by local playwright and actress Nya Chambless.
“OIn the Wake of Life” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at Tree Fort Productions in the Crossings at Siesta Key shopping center, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $40. https://treefortproductionsprojects.com/buy-tickets-2026-2027/
— Jay Handelman
September 18-Oct. 4
“What a Glorious Feeling!” imagines what went on behind the scenes in the making of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Provided by freeFall Theatre
The Hollywood classic “Singin’ in the Rain” is getting a lot of attention in area theaters in the next few months. Asolo Repertory Theatre is bringing it to the stage starting in November in a production staged by Josh Rhodes. But before then, freeFall Theatre is providing a little background and perspective with a production of Jay Berkow’s “What a Glorious Feeling!” a play with a little music and dance. Berkow imagines how the film musical about the early days of talking pictures came together, and how star and director Gene Kelly navigated the tense relationship between his co-director Stanley Donen and Donen’s ex-wife and trusted assistant Jeanne Coyne. Douglas S. Hall directs a cast that includes John T. Wolfe as Kelly, Justin Lopez as Donen, Caroline Lynch Desmarais as Coyne and Larry Alexander as producer Arthur Freed.
“What a Glorious Feeling” runs Sept. 18-Oct. 4 at freeFall Theatre, 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Tickets are $55. freefalltheatre.com; 727-498-5205
— Jay Handelman
September 19
Ashkan Tabatabaie. Photo provided by Sarasota Contemporary Dance.
In “Shifting Ecologies,” the latest offering in Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s eclectic In-Studio series, multi-media artist Ashkan Tabatabaie explores the space between the organic world and the synthetic environment. Drawing on themes of wildlife, environmental transformation and the passage of time, the program weaves the electric guitar with reactive visuals that respond to sound, translating elements from the natural world and scientific data through an artistic lens to reveal patterns found in nature.
“Shifting Ecologies,” by Ashkan Tabatabaie, part of the In-Studio series at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300, Sarasota. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets $15-25. sarasotacontemporarydance.org/in-studio/
— Carrie Seidman
September 20
This month the “HD at the Opera House” series brings a royal treat for ballet lovers, with a screening of Carlos Acosta’s production of “Don Quixote,” performed by The Royal Ballet. Teeming with comedy, wit, and an abundance of bravura choreography, it brings the Spanish heat and romance of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel to life.
Featuring Mayara Magri as Kitri and Matthew Ball as Basilio, alongside Gary Avis as Don Quixote and Liam Boswell as Sancho Panza, the production showcases the extraordinary talent of The Royal Ballet’s principals; additional cast includes Thomas Whitehead and James Ha.
Carlos Acosta’s “Don Quixote,” performed by The Royal Ballet, part of the “HD at the Opera House” series at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. 1:30 p.m. Tickets $20. sarasotaopera.org/summer-and-fall-2026-hd-opera-house
— Carrie Seidman
