Sarasota Actor's Workshop, a new company of actors honing their craft, begin group explorations in October 2004 at the JABU Center, a Sarasota gallery. Six plays on the theme of honor will be staged in the round on three successive weekends, starting October 1-3.
Executive producer Rick Hughes says the plays, from serious dramas to farce, take from nine to 25 minutes. Aiming to differ from Sarasota's familiar stage fare, especially musical comedies, the "Honor" one-acts will be "provocative, funny, enigmatic." Three will be premieres. Three were first produced last spring by The Drilling CompaNY, New York, with which Actor's Workshop has affiliated.
Plays were chosen from about 40 submitted by writers nation-wide. The actors, ages 19 to 60s, come from Canada, Britain, Australia, Mexico, and Asia, as well as the U. S. Hughes, a Sarasotan, said the genesis of the group came from actors improving or studying at Florida Studio Theatre. Tom Demenkoff, a New York-based actor who worked as a contract teacher and performer for FST through May, is the initial artistic director for Sarasota Actor's Workshop. Hamilton Clancy, associate producer, is head of The Drilling CompaNY and one of its founders.
The Sarasota Actor's Workshop website, www.sarasotatheater.com, will give actors' bios as well as details of the group's aims and offerings.
JABU Center is at 1915 Ivanhoe St. Each arena-style production (a unique-in-Sarasota type), will play to 50, with tickets costing $50. Interactive actors-audience sessions follow.
