Critics leave with good impressions of Sarasota

Sarasota theaters put on a good show for the American Theatre Critics Association last week. Make that seven or eight shows.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre and Golden Apple Dinner Theatre hosted the critics for performances and meals during the week, showing off just part of what makes the Sarasota such a unique arts community.

But don’t ask me what they liked best. When critics gather, they don’t usually talk about the shows they are seeing, preferring to leave their reactions to the stories they print in their newspapers and Web sites (or broadcast outlets). There was praise, however, from some quarters for the Asolo’s “The Winter’s Tale” and the broad range of offerings at FST.

I will be keeping an eye out for stories about the conference, but you can already check out the blog entries of Wendy Rosenfield, a freelance critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the author of the blog found at http://www.artsjournal.com/dramaqueen.

During the week, the critics also had a chance to visit Selby Botanical Gardens and fast tours of all aspects of the Ringling Museum of Art.

There were panels about the community’s circus legacy started by John Ringling, how Sarasota grew into a cultural center, and where the arts may be heading in the future in the wake of an economic downturn, state budget cuts and new entertainment options.

I have posted a large assortment of photos from all the events, from our opening night reception at the home of Ron and Rita Greenbaum to our closing night party hosted by FST at http://tinyurl.com/criticspix.