My husband and I—playwrights in search of a play—entered the world-renowned Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, after sunset for a staged reading of Thirst, written by Galway-born Ronán Noone and directed by Brendan Ragan, co-founder of Sarasota's Urbanite Theatre. The event kicked off the Urbanite Outdoor Reading Series, a wintertime activity possible only in warm climates, although even subtropical Florida can be chilly in January. An email warned us: “Please dress warm and/or bring blankets. The current forecast suggests temperatures in the 50s after sunset. In the case of rain, the performance will be cancelled and you will be notified.” We weren't deterred. Zoom fatigue from innumerable COVID-era readings with actors in boxes left us hungry for live theater.
Selby at night is magical! Under a starry sky, white light bulbs shone from trees high overhead as patrons sat socially distanced on lawn chairs, two by two...
