In an interview with Van Jazmin, independent film director and writer VIncent Dale says, “I want audiences to realize that when you walk out of the theater, you’re not walking away from the story; you’re walking deeper into it. … If I can make life more exciting or more connected for people, I’ve fulfilled my job as a storyteller.”

This week, the Florida Studio Theatre finished this season’s “Write A Play” program, in which 21 winning plays from over 3,000 submissions were staged by a small FST cast. Over 300 people, including the winning young playwrights and their families, traveled to Sarasota to watch their plays and receive recognition at an awards ceremony.

Whether your a seasoned thespian or want to try out for your very first on-stage experience, you’ll find the Backstage Blogger’s guide to the upcoming community theater season and rounds of auditions very useful!

The 4th annual Harvey Milk Festival (HMF) is slated to return to downtown Sarasota for three days of music, film and art in celebration of LGBTQ equality. Last year, the festival stole the national spotlight thanks to performances by indie music heavyweights, drawing over 5,000 festival-goers. This year, it promises to be even bigger with film, art and a lineup of nine emerging local and national music acts.

In a small theater north of downtown, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) raised the roof in a rousing production of It Ain’t Nothin But the Blues, which runs through May 12. Tickets to the season’s remaining shows are scarce, and it’s no wonder.

Bonnie Silvestri interviews art critic Jerry Saltz about his desire to move away from the vertical model in which the art critic tells everyone else what to think. Using online media, Saltz opens up a “more horizontal platform” in which everyone has a voice in the creative and critical process.