5-24-16 Interview

7-19-16 Listen to singer, actor performer Tarra Connor-Jones tell the story of how she discovered, at 6 years old that she was supposed to sing, describing how she felt when she saw the impact her singing was having of her audience. Follow her journey as she chooses to work as a teacher, doing “theater on the side,” until she got an opportunity to audition for the real thing. Hear how she wound up as part of the West Coast Black Theater Troupe and how the desire to continue to communicate with her audience through her performance motivates her still. And come see her as part of the ensemble company of How I Got Over, a tribute to the Gospel Music of Mahalia Jackson and many other Gospel performers.

5-24-16 Interview

7/12/16 Actor, theater maker Brendan Ragan loves being on stage. He always knew he was a natural; but he “never wanted to settle for pretty good,” and the need to hone his “artistry,” to be pushed, to be torn down and rebuilt if that was what it took for him to reach his personal best, drives him. It drove him to risk to joining 11 other graduates to create Single Carrot, a theater company in Baltimore on what was – although they didn’t know it – the most dangerous street in town; it drove him to leave there, although people thought he was crazy to leave that wonderful set up, and apply to graduate school; and its driven him to join Summer Wallace and Harry Lipstein in creating the Urbanite theater in Sarasota. Listen to this passionate, articulate man talk about his obsession to create the very best theater experience he can for himself and his audience

5-24-16 Interview

7-5-16 Summer Dawn Wallace discovered acting at four years old. Listen to the sweet story of how little Summer learned that a person could be anything she wanted to be. For example, every day she pretended to be a different animal, and if that day’s animal was a cat, little Summer refused to eat at the table insisting that her mother feed her on the floor This began a lifelong commitment to creating alternate realities for herself and her audiences culminating, with co-founder Brendan Ragan in the creation of the Urbanite Theater, Sarasota’s newest and most unique theater company. In a very short time The Urbanite has proved Brendan and Summer right – that they are clearly filling a need in the community, is borne out by their swift and remarkable success.