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Featured Artist
Eva Slane

Eva Slane is probably one of the busiest people in the Sarasota arts community; serving on the boards of the Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, the Banyan Theater Company and the Manatee Players. Eva is also very active with the local Chapter of UNIFEM and its annual Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival, the United Way of Sarasota, the Community Foundation of Sarasota and the newly, and very successfully, launched CUNY Alumni of Southwest Florida.

We are sure that hundreds of AnythingArts.com readers either know, or know of, Eva and her unwavering contribution to the arts. But how many know, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story?

Eva was born in Germany to an opera singer father and an actress mother. The family later escaped Vienna, Austria in 1939, just in advance of World War II, to NYC where Eva learned English, grew up and attended Hunter College. Eva pursued a performing career before meeting, and later working for, Lucy Kroll as a theatrical agent. Her clients included Helen Hayes, Lillian Gish, Carl Sandburg and James Earl Jones. She continues her desire to help individual artists and her current protégé is DeMario McGrew, a graduate student at the FSU Asolo Conservatory. And, as if all the above wasn’t keeping her busy enough, Eva wrote a play, “Forgotten Memories,” that will be produced on March 16 as part of the Theatre Odyssey 10-Minute Play Festival. Lastly, in 2005 Eva was invited to join a Holocaust Survivors Writing Project at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg resulting in a book titled “We Were There ... Memories of the Holocaust.” Though Eva is quick to point out that she, herself, is not a camp survivor, the book is a collaboration of seven people who experienced the camps, the pre-war atmosphere of hatred and persecution and, for the more fortunate, escape to America and a new life. All of the memories, stories and photos give readers an idea of what different people endured before, during and after the war. Book signing events are scheduled for March 19 in St, Petersburg and April 6 at the East Village Cabaret in Lakewood Ranch (see "memories" story below).

Thank you, Eva, for your tireless dedication and effort.

(click here to nominate our next artist)

The 28th Annual Sarasota Jazz Festival is underway all this week in Sarasota with a variety of concerts at the Van Wezel including: Chuck Mangione on the 6th; The Billy Taylor Trio on the 7th; The Chenille Sisters and James Dopogny’s Chicago Jazz Band on the 8th at 2:00 pm and Branford Marsalis in concert that night at 8:00 pm. Something for every jazz taste. Call 941-953-3368 for all the skinny on the gigs (that’s jazz talk).
 

It’s déjà vu all over again- every month. It’s déjà vu all over again- every month. Wait, didn’t I just say that? This week in Sarasota, be sure to take advantage of the downtown, Palm Avenue Gallery/Art Walk on the 7th from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. This week in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts, it’s their Art Walk both Friday night and Saturday morning. It won’t be too long before the temps rise…get out and enjoy!  

The Church of the Redeemer presents a concert of Elegies, Lullabies, and Nocturnes performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Florida, with conductor Richard Cormier at 4:00 pm. The public is warmly invited; “a suggested ticket donation of $20 is greatly appreciated.” The Church of the Redeemer is located at 222 South Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota. For more information, call 941-955-4263, or visit their site.

Need we say more than the caption? The FSU Asolo Conservatory hosts a special “late night” - that isn’t so late - at 8:00 pm each night called “Ahead of Their Time: New Music from Broadway’s Next Generation.” It is an evening of songs by some of NY’s hottest composers like Pete Mills, Joe Iconis, Scott Alan and Pasek and Paul. Call 941-351-8000 for more information. 

The Michael Royal Trio fires up the stage at the East Village Cabaret, in Lakewood Ranch, every Tuesday night from 7:00 – 10:00 pm. The gate is only $10 and the intimate 75 seat house lets you experience the music like you are in the band. Tickets available on-line by clicking here.  

The artwork of Helen Frank in on display at the Edfish Gallery on Webber Street in Sarasota. The Edfish Gallery is run by, owned and operated by Ringling grad Edward Walsh. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery offers custom framing and fine art sales. Call 941-925-0308 for more info.

They say it is “a classic tragedy of lust, passion and political intrigue.” “The Duchess of Malfi” is in its last 10 days at the FSU Asolo Conservatory. If you haven’t been, the Cook Theatre is a great space where every seat is a good seat. Go check it out and email us your review. Call 941-351-8000. (photo by Frank Atura)  

Thanks to Theatre Odyssey for sending a release that looks something like the stories we put in AnythingArts.com (you’d be shocked by the number of 5,000 word essays we get that are called press releases). So, here is their release as copied and pasted: “Theatre Odyssey presents the third annual Ten-Minute Play Festival at Players Theatre in Sarasota entitled “Chasing the Horizon.” The festival presents seven plays, each written by a Gulf Coast author and selected anonymously by three unidentified readers.” The festival has two shows: at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the Players Theatre box office, by clicking here or calling 941-365-2494. (photo by Ted Mase…and isn’t that Ted front and center?)

The 4th Annual “Old Bags Luncheon” (insert age denigrating Sarasota joke here) is from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm at Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret. The event, co-chaired by Marie Kropp, Susan Morin and Nancy Rand, benefits the programs offered the public by FST. The fun includes a silent and live auction of new and “gently-used” handbags, lunch and a special performance by the FST Improv Troupe. For info and reservations call 941-366-0932.

The 4th Annual Moonlight Movie & Martini returns to Bradenton’s Village of the Arts from 6:00 – 10:00 pm. The evening includes a fashion show at 6:30 and an outdoor screening of the Oscar nominated “Across the Universe” at 8:00 pm. A few VIP tables (for 8) are available at $125 and include prime position for all events and the film and include a martini - everybody else is free! Call 941-713-5927 or 941-302-1069 for more information. The next day, the 15th, the Village hosts a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The Selby Public Library features many programs throughout the month, including a three-session lecture series by Professor Don Rolls called “Making Sense of American Art.” The lectures follow American art from the nation’s beginning through the 20th century, exploring what makes it unique and comparing the grand artistic traditions of Europe. Call 941-861-5000. Classes are 10:30 am - noon at the Selby Library in downtown Sarasota. Click here (pdf) to see a list of all the things happening at the library this month. 

Ringling College of Art and Design grad Bevin Carnes won a Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences for her animated short “A Leg Up.” Good Morning profiled Bevin on February 12 and you can hear all about this exciting artist and her film by clicking here. Congrats Bevin! See Bevin’s film, and other animated shorts by Ringling students, Saturday March 15 at 9:30 am, at Burns Court, as part of the FREE Film Society Film Forum.  

McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre and Florida Ballet Arts Foundation are presenting a special evening with comedian Jeff Caldwell, “A Night of Laughs.” Proceeds from the 7:30 pm show benefit the future ballet production of “Imaginique.” Caldwell has been seen on Letterman, The Late, Late Show and Comedy Central. Call 941-955-3422 for tickets and information. **they have to sell 150 tickets by March 10 to keep the show non-smoking! Call now and show McCurdy’s you don’t like to stink when you laugh!  

Documentary films entertain, educate and have the power to make you laugh, cry and generally understand other people and issues. Join Rick Hughes and AnythingArts.com in creating the Documentary Film Society at this special organizational gathering. The idea is to assemble a group of documentary enthusiasts to publicly screen films, produce documentaries and further the appreciation of the genre. This meeting is for both filmmakers and non-filmmakers, it is a brainstorming session. Part of the proposed mission of the Documentary Film Society will be to produce short films, at no cost, for non-profits that cannot afford to do so, to use in their own awareness and fundraising campaigns. Additionally, the DFS will explore ideas for feature documentaries to put the local film community to work….for actual pay…what a concept! For more information email Rick here and you'll be notified of the date and place of the meeting.

Florida Studio Theatre’s Improv Troupe has just two more Tuesday performances before they break for the season… can you believe season is almost over? It feels like it started last week. 

“We Were There: Memories of the Holocaust” is a special presentation, and the title of a new book, by Adam Broner, Helga Harris and Eva Slane. Join the authors as they share experiences during a brunch and book signing event at the East Village Cabaret 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. The publication is a product of the Holocaust Survivors Writing Project at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg. Reservations are required, call 941-373-3933; cost is $15. Copies of the book will be available for $17.  

Noah Andreas contacted AnythingArts.com for a little help reaching the public with his work. You can click here to visit his site and check out his latest music video. 

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The Sarasota Film Festival Student Screenwriting Program is scheduled for Sunday, April 6 at 5:00 pm at the Asolo. Actors are needed to do a public reading of several screenplays written by students at the Phoenix Academy in Sarasota. Since it is a reading, there will probably be just one rehearsal in advance. If interested in participating as a reader/actor, email us and we’ll be in touch (that’s Hollywood sounding, huh?) This is the second year of this program as part of SFF’s Outreach and Education and AnythingArts.com is happy to be a co-sponsor.

Florida’s “Art in State Buildings” program (ASB) and Art in State Buildings at the University of Florida buys artwork for display in new public buildings. They look for both existing work and commissions. The budget is pretty good, but the competition could be pretty good too. Check out the requirements for the project here. Good luck! 

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