For those of you not aware, the end of this school year will mark the end of my two-decade career at Booker High School. Anyone in my orbit in the past year or so has heard my schtick: “By now, I’ve spent nearly half my life at 3201 North Orange Avenue.”
Chapter 1: Becky King Gets Accepted into Theatre
I was lucky enough to be accepted into the VPA Theatre program in 1988. In high school, I was extremely grateful for Booker VPA. Those who know me know that it changed the course of my life. I’d had a less-than-ideal childhood–I’d lived with a single mom who had a hard time making ends meet, became terminally ill in her 40s, and succumbed at 50 to COPD; I was 12 at the time. All this had led to my being a terrible student, totally uninterested in school, with no concept of future or citizenship. Booker changed that for me, instilling in me a sense of self worth, drive, and connectivity with the world. I have been proud to witness this “Booker way” impacting countless students.
VPA Roadshow with Burt Reynolds, 1991
The VPA Theatre Banquet, 1991
Our VPA Theatre class, 1990
My long history with Booker, its deeply interwoven presence in my life, has been a point of pride and identity for me. Booker High School has, no doubt, played an integral role in shaping the person, citizen, and thinker I am today. However, the fact of my employment at the school was unplanned entirely.
My first Booker show, “My Cup Runneth Over,” was student directed by Karma Tiffany.
Indeed, I had no interest in a career in schools. I’d earned a Bachelor’s of Art in English lit and a Master’s of Art in Mass Communications and anticipated a career focused in communications. But when the opportunity arose to teach Mass Communications and advise the newspaper, The Lance, at the erstwhile Manatee Community College, I seized it. It so happened that my boss there also needed help at Booker High School. I couldn’t pass it up. The rest of the 20 year saga of my career there inevitably followed.
Chapter 2: VPA TV & Film–Fledgling Film Teacher
In my first decade as a Booker employee, I worked alongside the legendary Mark Loomis in what started as the TV & Media Arts Department. Turns out, the students had no interest in “media arts,” whatever that might mean, and after collaborating with them on what they’d like the curriculum to be, we switched gears. We were all spirit in those days, and the flexibility afforded by higher powers made for easy shifts.
Mark Loomis and me in the old TV studio, building 3.
We became the TV & Film Department, and the young filmmakers’ success just exploded. They were everywhere, winning awards and making incredible films. However, teaching film was all-immersive (look, when a student needs a “mom” in the movie, and you’re the oldest gal they know, you get offered a lot of roles!). In that decade, I had become a real mom, and I wanted a job that would allow me to spend time with my new, beautiful daughters. When the position of VPA Coordinator became vacant, I asked Dr. Shelley if she’d consider me for that role.
Noah Lamport, Richard Bertelsen, and Hali Gardella: these folks taught me to teach
Noah just couldn’t stay out of the news
Josh Rothenberg, Shane Spiegel, and Zach Freeman, who’d won the 48-Hour Guerrilla viewers choice award
Sweet gift from the film crew when I changed roles at BHS
Chapter 3: VPA Coordinator–Learning to Lead
That was 2012. In the years that followed, I’ve been tasked with leading the VPA and teaching various other classes, predominantly English. Those English classes were a delight–what an honor for me to be able to shape the language and communications skills of so many young people.
Theatre Renovation hits the news
Pandemic press: (l-r) me, Scott Keys, Dr. Rachel Shelley
Dr. Shelley and me. To work with a woman like her is to witness creative leadership every moment. She is a true inspiration.
In this past decade, the VPA has gone through enormous changes. We’ve developed a website (you’re bearing witness to that right now!). We’ve gone digital with ticketing and auditions/admissions. We’ve done successful fundraisers. We’ve hired numerous wonderful teachers, and we’ve lost other wonderful teachers. We’ve advocated for a new theater building. (Thanks to the tireless efforts of former School Board Chair Caroline Zucker, we won! The theater renovation is well underway.) We’ve triumphed through a pandemic, no easy feat for performing arts in particular. Our programs have evolved to meet the times. We’ve educated and graduated some 2,000 students with their VPA diplomas, and with that arts education, the inspiration, resources, and humanity to make the world a better place.
AICE Banquet 2019
Emma Johnson and me at ABC 7, where we filmed a promotional segment on Kaleidoscope
Graduation 2021–(l-r) me, Scott Keys, Sung Choe, Cathie Janssen, Steve Strenk: the VPA Old Guard 🙂
Dr. Lori White’s retirement celebration with Chris Hutchinson and Millie Wheeler
Nick Jones, our longtime production manager, at graduation, 2013: I was fortunate to work with him for years after
Charlie Barnett with me, Kaleidoscope of Creativity, 2019
My kids were so great that I won this award
Chapter 4: The Departure
Now, for me, the detour–that dip into the career of education–is over. I’ve been offered the job of my dreams, as Senior Communications Manager at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. I can’t think of a better way to marry my skills with my passions. CFSC is a font of support for this community, supporting nearly every aspect of positive change, from assisting nonprofits in their missions to providing scholarships to supporting such game-changing programs as the 2Gen Program and Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading.
Graduation 2022: Assistant Principal Shannon Fleming and I are both leaving Booker High.
I’d like to take the time here to thank all those BHS folks–my family–who believed in me and in all of our students along the way. It truly takes a village to raise the future to be creative, confident, compassionate. My own teachers and now my colleagues are the best village I know. They are a village of heroes.
All the parents, students, and community partners I’ve been able to meet and know have been gifts in my life, and I am grateful.
Chapter 5: The Future
My hope for the VPA is that it continues to thrive, and that the person or people who take on the role of leading it can use vision, expertise, and strategy to usher this very special program forth. Onwards!
Ms. Courtney Smith will take on a leadership role in VPA curriculum beginning in 2022-23. She is actively working to create arts-centered courses within the State of Florida. Her expertise in curriculum and instruction will be shared with the team overall. The search for a person to cover the administrative, managerial and communications elements is on.
For me, then.
Adios.
Arrivederci.
Au revoir.
Auf wiedersehen.
Abrahamson out. A033963 signing off.
But There’s More!
VPA Theatre Announces 2022-23 Season
It’s been a while since we’ve been able to announce future plans–that pandemic took hold of all such notions and hurled them at the construction site of our theater.
But…
…we’ve got a great Theatre season lined up that our students are thrilled about, and we know our audiences will be as well! Here’s announcing the VPA Theatre season for 2022-23! Tickets will go on sale in August here. Get yours early to reserve your seats.
Radium Girls
October 15-16, 2022 | Neel Performing Arts Center
D.W. Gregory’s Radium Girls is an historical drama based on the story of the 1920s female laborers who were poisoned by their factory’s radium-based paint. The play follows three young women, who paint dials at the U.S. Radium Plant and are instructed to pointedly shape their brush bristles with their mouths while painting. The factory’s owner sees radium’s promising future, supported by Marie Curie, the famous scientist, who believes radium could even cure cancer. But soon, the girls begin to notice strange effects; and some more than strange, even fatal. Radium Girls contemplates the profitability of science, the pursuit of wealth, the fierce injustices America workers have faced and the value of a human life.
A quirky group of kids vie for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime, all while revealing hilarious and endearing stories from their lives. They spell their way through rounds of words, hoping never to hear the ding of the bell that signifies the end of their sleeping bee journey. Six spellers enter, the losers get a juice box and the audience gets to participate too! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin, is comedy genius with no end.
Moliere’s comedy Tartuffe centers around a conning and cunning imposter, Tartuffe, a supposed holy man who has wound Orgon and Orgon’s conservative mother tightly around his finger. But Tartuffe’s antics do not fool the entire household and Orgon’s family go to great lengths to expose the fraud for what he is. When all hope seems lost and the family are at their wits end, a little divine intervention lends a hand. Tartuffe explores the dynamics of the family, logic versus emotion, and the dangers of hypocrisy.
The Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens musical takes us into the world of Dr. Seuss, where Horton, a kind-hearted elephant finds a speck of dust containing Whoville. He must protect the speck while at the same time protecting an abandoned egg. Horton tries to convince the other animals in The Jungle of Nool of the existence of the Whos, but he is ridiculed and put on trial. Only his neighbor, Gertrude, never gives up on him. Despite the odds, Horton and Gertrude band together to save the Whos, free Horton, and restore peace and unity. Seussical paints a picture of friendship, loyalty, and love, teaching of the power of being unique, and the importance of fighting for what you believe in.
We are hard at work cementing details for the season for Dance, Music, Film and Art. Stay tuned for those details. Suffice to say, for Music, the theme is “Adventure,” so prepare yourself for a sonic sojourn that will lift your spirits. The Dance concerts, “Let Me Tell You” (fall) and “Echo” (spring) focus on stories and the repetition of life. The theater renovation keeps us off campus another year, but we are working on details of venue. All tickets will be available in August.
Summer Audition Cycle Opening June 1
Late auditions will open June 1 for enrollment in 2022-23. Those eligible to audition are as follows:
Students moving into Sarasota County from elsewhere
Students already residing in, or moving into, the Booker High School zone
Any student not currently enrolled in another Sarasota County school based on residence in another zone
If you know creative youngsters curious about the arts, let them know! The audition website is here. Or call Nancy Wachendorf at (941) 355-2967, ext. 65211, through the end of June.
This week was all about seniors, with celebrations happening all week leading up to the commencement ceremony on May 21 at Robarts Arena.
Film & Animation Showcase a ‘Reel’ Success
The annual Film & Animation Showcase, “Reel Life,” was played to a packed house on May 17. Audiences clamored to view the creative works of these students in a showcase that offered both live-action and animated shorts.
John Timpe addresses a full house
The event, at Burns Court Cinema, marked a return for many to the old-fashioned buzz surrounding the opening of a new movie. After an emergence of streaming, isolated movie viewing that was only heightened by the pandemic, returning to a shared film experience, viewing the works on “the silver screen,” was exciting. Eat your heart out, Netflix! You’ll never compare to the communion created during a big film event like this one. As a matter of fact, the cinema had to open a second theater for overflow patrons.
Not only was the event well attended with enthusiasm, it also featured a sweet senior sendoff, with a video slideshow of the seniors.
Art Senior Showcase Illustrates Excellence
The VPA Art Class of 2022 opened their exhibit at the Basch Gallery at Ringling College of Art & Design on May 20. It will remain open through June 3.
Works on display were unified by a theme that was each artist’s sustained exploration. For Selby Sniegocki, the work centered on the idea of dreams. With this in mind, her creations combined paint, fabric and wax in intricate collages. The wax veneer made the images themselves feel distant, as if behind glass. Hazy, like an unsettling dream.
Sniegocki said that the process of creating these pieces taught her a lot about herself. Specifically, using a wax overlay forced her to plan to make permanent choices, which defies her penchant for impulse. It was a great lesson in planning and technique that she can carry with her to Savannah College of Art and Design, where she’ll start this fall.
Selby Sniegocki next to her “dream” images.
Overall, the artworks were personal and as unique as the artists themselves.
Alexis Van Butsel
Angelina Pecora
Riley Karau
Sadie Smith
Jinx Molina
Eilidh Mackenzie
Graham Pobjoy
On each wall hung the work of Ella Swartz, who has been a prolific artist of large pieces this year. With shows at Art Ovation, Pastry Art, and Embracing Our Differences, Swartz has been widely celebrated this year. She will attend Stetson University in the fall.
Top: Swartz poses next to one of her large imaginative stylized paintings. Bottom: her portrait of classmate Astrid Alvarez, and Alvarez herself.
The VPA hosted its annual Silver Cord Ceremony on May 18. In essence, the purpose of the ceremony is to celebrate the accomplishment of finishing the VPA program. Thus, seniors were given gifts and words of praise and wisdom as they embark on their next adventure.
Dr. Shelley welcoming families to the event
Ms. Abrahamson offering words of wisdom
Ms. Courtney commending her seniors for their courage
Ms. Burton sharing words of encouragement
Mr. Strenk keeping it concise: “We like to work behind the scenes, we don’t like to speak in front of crowds.”
Big hug for Selby Sniegocki
Initially, the ceremony began in 2020 as a result of the pandemic that cancelled everything, including graduation. In response, VPA teachers decided to host their own “mini-graduation” ceremony signifying the end of the artists’ VPA journey. It was held outdoors at the Van Wezel parking lot back then. From the beginning, the ceremony was a hit, so it has become a traditional rite of passage for VPA seniors.
The purpose of the silver cord is signify the VPA completion achievement. As such, it is a part of the graduation regalia seniors cherish. Take a look at some of our amazing seniors leading up to their big day.
…And They’re Off!
The commencement ceremony for the class of 2022 was held at Robarts Arena on May 21. With uplifting and moving speeches by Chloe Sebiro, Giacomo Mutti, and Sofia Espinet-Santiago, the ceremony was full of all the elements that make Booker unique. These include tolerance, dreaming to smash boundaries, and success despite the odds.
Pre-Processional photos of the grads-to-be
Even more Booker-esque were the performances. Abbey Holdway raised the roof with The National Anthem, while our orchestra, directed by Ms. Amanda Nix, performed a quietly intense rendition of “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.” Lending another moving performance was Zephyr, with “In this Hour.”
Orchestra seniors perform “Somewhere”
Once again, Booker High graduates made us all proud with their intellect, talent, and unwavering expression. The world will be made better now that these graduates are entering into it as adults. Parents, once again, thank you for sharing these phenomenal artists with us.
The Stephen King Dollar Baby Film ‘The Last Rung’ enjoyed an exclusive premiere at the Larry Thompson Education Center on Ringling’s campus. The audience–limited to cast, crew, and their families–enjoyed the film and Q&A.
Producer John Timpe and star Bradley Fisher
Caleb Ard and family
Riley Cullather
Shannon Fleming and husband
Nick Black
Alaya Knowlton, Sunny Smith, Ashley Sledziewski
The crew
Sunny Smith, Justin Kiger
The film is the culmination of nearly three years of work, beginning with applying for the Dollar Baby program. King offers rights to a selection of short stories for just $1 to fledgling filmmakers through an application process. Rights were granted on Nov. 13, 2019.
Then film source material, “The Last Rung on the Ladder,” is part of King’s “Nightshift” collection of short stories. The team first had to adapt the narrative story into a screenplay. What followed were months of preparation–and pandemic planning as well–prior to beginning production, which began in March 2021. After shooting all the scenes, student editors worked to piece clips together into a story. Finally, the team refined the video. The result? A spectacular film headed for the festival circuit. Hence, the limited premiere: in order to qualify for film festivals, a film cannot be so widely seen that it’s old news.
Congratulations to all the hands and minds who’ve contributed to this great VPA success. The undertaking of a project with this size and scope is enormous. Of course, the pandemic only complicated matters, with production halted until director Styles Summerlin proposed a COVID bubble plan. This was a work of determination and problem solving beyond the typical film production.
VPA Choir Participates in ‘Tomorrow’s Voices Today’
Each year, Key Chorale professional choir presents “Tomorrow’s Voices Today,” an intergenerational concert of choral works. Halted by Covid in the past two years, the concert is back, and Booker VPA choirs participated. The concert, on May 9, featured the Key Chorale choir along with students from Booker, Riverview, and Sarasota High Schools.
The choirs sang three pieces, and you can find those performances at the links below.
The event is a wonderful way to unite voices and lift spirits.
Senior Showcases Demonstrate Varied Skills
This week marked the beginning of the VPA Senior Showcases, which are like capstone projects for our grads-to-be. The showcases are an accumulation of skills students learn throughout their tenure in VPA. Accordingly, they take on full production roles, from developing content to marketing to hammering out production logistics.
This week’s showcases began with Theatre’s “TBA,” a performance using text chats as a story structure and heavy on the concept of their own lives being in-progress. With exceptional group performances–Sondheim’s “Putting it Together” and “Cell Block Tango,” which riffed on (VPA Theatre teacher) Smith Jail. At turns hilarious and touching, the showcase exemplified all they have learned. Thanks to our partners at SCF’s Neel Performing Art Center for hosting us with grace and generosity.
“Putting it Together” finale
Then came the Music senior showcase on Friday night at the First Presbyterian Church. Following an hourlong awards ceremony where students received such accolades as “Most Improved Musician” and “Director’s Awards,” the recital featured solo and chamber performances of the students’ choosing.
VPA Music Seniors and Mr. Z
Ben Strom at the keys
Jamarion Summers plays bass
D’Kai Shaw sings
Jazz Combo
The seniors
The whole group
Jasper Johnson flexes
Finally (for this week), Saturday night was the Dance senior showcase, featuring all-student created choreographies that illustrated their dazzling skills and imaginations.
Ms. Smith delivers the curtain speech
The students begin their first group piece
Megan Keim
Megan Keim
Megan Keim
Millie Menke
Millie Menke
Millie Menke
Devon Saxman
Devon Saxman
Devon Saxman
Devon Saxman
Lilu Trueschel
Lilu Trueschel
Lilu Trueschel
Jaylee Carpenter
Jaylee Carpenter
Jaylee Carpenter
Anna Abrahamson takes in the show
Jaylee Carpenter
The last piece, to Pat Benetar’s “We Belong”
The last piece, to Pat Benetar’s “We Belong”
Ms. Smith chats with parents
L-R: Rebecca Abrahamson, Dr. Rachel Shelley, Courtney Smith, Millie Menke, Lilu Trueschel, Devon Saxman, Megan Keim
Next up, we’ll finish the year with the Film & Animation senior showcase, a double feature with the department’s annual showcase, “Reel Life,” at Burns Court Cinema on May 17. After, Art will exhibit their senior works at the Ringling College of Art and Design on May 20.
Sam Mossler Memorial Scholarship Winner Announced
Darwin Rojas was named the second annual Sam Mossler Memorial Scholarship winner at the Theatre senior showcase on May 12. As a recipient, he was given a Dr. Who journal signed by the scholarship committee and will receive a $5,000 check. Rojas will major in Acting at Lynn University.
Darwin Rojas
The Sam Mossler Memorial Scholarship was created by Mossler’s friends and family upon the VPA Theatre alum’s sudden, tragic death in October 2020. In addition to graduating from Booker VPA, Mossler went on to earn an MFA in Acting from Florida State University and spent his life as a working artist in theatre performance and writing.
The winner is announced.
A compassionate and generous soul whose motto was “Keep evolving, please,” Mossler inspired those around him to be their most genuine and creative selves. Known as much for being a font of kindness as creativity, Mossler developed lifelong friendships with a range of people. His death shook the large community that adored him.
SMMS chairs Jay Duval and Dave Dewald flank Darwin Rojas
The Mossler Family with Darwin
Mr. Keys joins the scholarship committee in this photo op with Darwin
The scholarship is open to graduating seniors in VPA Theatre going into the arts, and candidates responded to writing prompts and held interviews with the committee. The committee seeks a combination of talent and Sam-like character traits: kindness, a sense of humor, an appreciation for life.
SMMS website: keepevolvingplease.com
The inaugural Sam Mossler Memorial Scholarship winner was Kaity Cairo, who now studies theatre at the University of California, Los Angeles.
All-VPA Art Show is a Hit
The Art Department hosted an art show on May 13 in the studios on campus. Art in every conceivable medium was on display. The senior show will open on Friday, May 20.
We are grateful to the mothers, parents and guardians who entrust Booker High VPA with the nurturing of their children’s talents. Here’s to an excellent day celebrating the sacrifice, limitless love, and strength mothers provide to the world.
Fantastic Forum Awes Audiences
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” enjoyed a short but electrifying run at the Sarasota Opera House this weekend.
The cast and crew of “Forum”
The musical showcased the physical, farcical talents of the cast, with Judah Woomert demonstrating his boundless capabilities as the lead Pseudolus, who engineers a plot to achieve his own freedom by wooing the girl next door for his master. With fantastical vocal performances and spectacular dance numbers, Forum provided a hilarious escape for all who witnessed it.
Music Recital Captures End-of-Journey Emotion
The VPA Music Department presented a choir and orchestra recital on Friday night at the First Presbyterian Church. The performance was the last all-class recital for seniors before their senior recital on May 13.
Mr. Zickafoose directs the chorus.
As is typical for Music performances, although the focus was only on two instrumental areas–vocals and strings–the range of music was broad. The choirs’ repertoire ranged from Rihanna’s “Stay” to Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye.”
The orchestra performed a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere” from West Side Story, which has enjoyed a revival in popularity since the release of the film in 2021.
Ms. Nix leads her orchestra in a final bow.
The concert culminated, as is tradition, in a performance of “Homeward Bound.” Emotions ran high, with Mr. Zickafoose giving seniors a special graduation trinket: a rainbow infinity symbol. The pendant represents the full circle of VPA concerts for these seniors. Their first concert was “In Living Color.” The final major showcase was “Infinite.”
Learning is infinite and diverse
Proud seniors show off their bling
Dance Show Emphasizes Process
The VPA Dance Department presented “In Progress” on Saturday night. ” Uniquely Courtney Smith, the show’s entire purpose was to illuminate viewers of the process of dancemaking.
Although she is a trained dancer, Ms. Smith is a teacher’s teacher. That is to say, her curriculum covers far beyond the artistry of movement. In fact, she folds mindset, goal-making, and strategies that can be applied to all areas of study.
As evidence of her emphasis on teaching and learning, Ms. Smith designed “In Progress” to showcase just that: progress. Rather than featuring finished works of accomplished choreographers, “In Progress” knitted together student works, demonstrating their learning and fledgling understanding of choreography.
Legacy of Dance: Dancers Learn Valuable Lessons from Alum
Another demonstration of Ms. Courtney Smith’s purposeful teaching this week was a conversation she coordinated between current dancers and alum of the Dance Department.
Dancer Claudia Rightmire shares advice.
Ms. Smith contacted dance graduates from the past decade to Zoom in with her current students. Topics of discussion ranged from navigating dance careers to understanding the value of dance education notwithstanding career goals. Indeed, those dance alum not still dancing shared the valuable skills from dance education they’ve brought into current fields. By contrast, those still dancing offered advice and personal journey stories that could help mentor up-and-coming dancers.
Students absorb each word and invite new insights with thought-provoking questions.
As with all Ms. Smith’s thoughtful activities, this one elicited engagement, sparked interest, and broadened her dancers’ concept of the treasures to be found in their dance education.
Upcoming Event
Reel Life: Annual Film & Animation Showcase
May 17 | 7 p.m. @ Burns Court Cinema
The VPA Film & Animation Annual Showcase will entertain and edify with screen stories that shine a light on life as our students see it. They will also offer a glimpse of the day-to-day process students use to bring their art to life. The showcase is a mix of live-action, animated shorts, and documentary work. This screening opportunity is made possible thanks to The Sarasota Film Society.
Wow! VPA Art alum Zaine Lodhi’s meteoric rise to prominence has surpassed another milestone. He was one of seven artists selected to be honored in Hollywood for the Illustrators of the Future award ceremony. The international contest attracts the best fantasy illustrators in the world.
Zaine with his Golden Brush Award.
Zaine’s illustrations for the sci-fi book, “Agatha’s Monsters,” earned him the Golden Brush Award, the top prize of the contest. The award is worth $5,000 and a whole lotta bragging rights. Congratulations to Zaine!
Zaine traveled to Hollywood last week, where he received red-carpet treatment and was celebrated for his outstanding illustrations. Read more about his journey here. To see more of his award-winning artwork, check out his artist website here.
Music Students Witness Grammy-Award Winning Guitarist
Grammy Award winning guitarist Jason Vieaux with VPA Guitar students
The La Musica International Chamber Music Festival is back! With it comes a host of world-class musicians, including Grammy Award-winner classical guitarist Jason Vieaux.
Mr. Thomas Koch’s guitar classes traveled to The Sarasota Opera House on April 8 to observe a rehearsal for Vieaux. It was an opportunity for students to behold mastery of the artform and see where discipline and practice can take a player.
Jason Vieaux
Vieux has an extensive discography and has been celebrated around the world. NPR called him “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.”
VPA Orchestra Student Performs Pre-show for La Musica
Larah with Ms. Nix.
VPA Violinist Larah Pereira was selected to perform a pre-show set for the La Musica concert at The Sarasota Opera House on April 6. She will also perform on April 13 for that concert.
Girrrrl Power: VPA Film Alum Selected for SFF Shorts Showing
Sirens movie poster.
VPA Film alum Hali Gardella (c/o 2007) created a film that was selected to be screened in the “Female-Led Shorts” event for the Sarasota Film Festival.
Hali Gardella at the Sarasota Film Festival
Hali’s film, “Sirens of the Swamp,” is a contemporary satire of Homer’s “The Odyssey.” The film follows two sisters living in a ramshackle cabin in The Everglades. Each time their security cameras broadcast images of unsuspecting passersby (think good ol’ boys out for a fishing trip), they stage an elaborate concert. You guessed it: the sounds of their irresistible harmonies lure the travelers. Upon showing up for the “concert,” they are killed and left to be alligator feed. Meanwhile, the sisters empty their cars and pockets of valuables.
The film was one of six from across the state selected for this important screening. The event celebrates the female experience in narrative film.
VPA Jazz Sweep it up at Solo and Ensemble
Congratulations to the VPA Jazz 1 group and FOURcast jazz combo! Both groups earned Superior rankings at the Jazz Solo and Ensemble MPA. Ms. Ellen Saxton directs Jazz 1 (the beginning jazz group), and Mr. Tim Eaton directs FOURcast.
A Superior rating is the highest achievement a performance group can earn, and this year has been more difficult than most. The pandemic presented many challenges for band performance classes–online instruction is nearly impossible, and the aerosols ejected through brass instruments posed dangers. Band programs generally declined in virtuosity. These awards signal enormous effort and a move in the right direction.
Upcoming Events
Infinite: Music Showcase
April 29-30 | 7 p.m. @ BHS Campus
In our final music showcase of the season, we take to the skies in INFINITE. Featuring music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Williams, along with original compositions, arrangements and songs from Booker VPA Music and Staff. our musical selections will create an aura of the air, the sky, and flight, where you will truly feel infinite.
Hang on to your tunics! This madcap farcical tale of a slave attempting to win his freedom by helping his master woo the girl next door is a hilarious adventure of epic proportion. Forum is one of Sondheim’s most celebrated and popular musicals, winning several Tony awards and enjoying numerous revivals and screen remakes.
The VPA Film & Animation Annual Showcase will entertain and edify with screen stories that shine a light on life as our students see it. They will also offer a glimpse of the day-to-day process students use to bring their art to life. The showcase is a mix of live-action, animated shorts, and documentary work. This screening opportunity is made possible thanks to The Sarasota Film Society.
Ella Swartz in front of large character studies: “I don’t even think about what I’m doing, It just happens,” she said.
Booker VPA has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the Art Ovation Hotel downtown. This year’s partnering was kicked off this week with VPA Artists Ella Swartz and Jinx Molina exhibiting artworks in the lobby.
Jinx Molina shares this artwork depicting the agony of being tethered to something undesirable.
Swartz and Molina are the featured artists in residence, which means they are artmaking as a public attraction. As artists in residence, they engage with hotel patrons, discuss their processes, sell artworks, and more.
Both artists have described the experience as transformative. For Swartz, who is negotiating a price on two of her paintings, it’s been a deep dive into the life of a pro. It’s been a foray into sales and value, self-promotion and more.
Molina said they would never have been able to attempt anything like this as a freshman. Their work is deeply personal–“all great art comes from tragedy,” they said. Their personality, shy. Showing up this way is a major feat and one that will likely never be forgotten.
Not only was it great to see them in this role, but the night I went, Booker VPA alum Hayden Richau was entertaining guests in the lobby, where he sang and played piano.
Hayden Richau, VPA Music graduate and Art Ovation Hotel performer
Renovation Update
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the VPA Theater renovation project is progressing nicely. If you’ve driven by, seen that visqueen fencing, and wondered what lies beyond the facade, here’s your chance to get a sneak peek.
Some plumbing foundation has been installed and tested. These pictures also illustrate how the raked house floor has been flattened. Now, those who’ve enjoyed performances here can recognize the house only by the brick walls.
VPA Music Students Perform at Holocaust Remembrance Event
The group singing before a packed house; the performance is available on METV.
VPA Music students were invited to perform at “My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Conversation with Jennifer Teege” on March 23 at Temple Beth Sholom. The Boxser Diversity Initiative sponsored the event, which was an interactive conversation with the author.
The quintet: Sinta Suarnawa, Genesis Gutierrez, Bea De Freitas, Bella Alberti, Marissa Barnes.
“My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me,” an international bestseller, is a book born of a shocking discovery: At age 38, Teege learned that her grandfather had been a Nazi commander.
The students sang the spiritual “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.”
That’s a Wrap! VPA Film and Theater Collaboration Projects ‘In the Can’
Ryan Modjeski is ready for his closeup.
VPA Film and Theatre students completed their joint project this week with raves from the students and plans from the teachers to continue this in years to come.
The crew directs Claire Bailey.
The goal was to give Film students an opportunity to direct actors so that they could apply theoretical lessons derived from the greats Sidney Lumet and Judith Westin. Additionally, the students learned together differences between acting on stage and for the screen.
The teams spent seven periods over the course of about a month working together. The classes culminated in filmed scenes from “Spanglish” and “Being the Ricardos.”
Sunny Smith and John Timpe developed and led the project.
VPA Artist at Pastry Art
Unexpected: Swartz combines iconic cartoons with street graffiti to produce a startling response.
Look, Ella Swartz is unstoppable, and she has an entire exhibit up at Pastry Art downtown. The collection features Swartz’s text-heavy works that offer incendiary social commentary.
Next time you’re on Main Street, dash in to locally owned Pastry Art for a beautiful cup o’ joe and take in Swartz’s work while sipping.
Upcoming Events
Fool*ish
Apr. 1-2 | 7 p.m. @ Booker High School
The line between reality and fiction is blurred in this dance show that explores our tendency to fool others as well as ourselves. Examining deception and awakening, the masks and the revelations, Fool*ish features pieces in modern, ballet, hip hop, African and Latin dance genres.
In our final music showcase of the season, we take to the skies in INFINITE. Featuring music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Williams, along with original compositions, arrangements and songs from Booker VPA Music and Staff. our musical selections will create an aura of the air, the sky, and flight, where you will truly feel infinite.
Hang on to your tunics! This madcap farcical tale of a slave attempting to win his freedom by helping his master woo the girl next door is a hilarious adventure of epic proportion. Forum is one of Sondheim’s most celebrated and popular musicals, winning several Tony awards and enjoying numerous revivals and screen remakes.
The VPA Film & Animation Annual Showcase will entertain and edify with screen stories that shine a light on life as our students see it. They will also offer a glimpse of the day-to-day process students use to bring their art to life. The showcase is a mix of live-action, animated shorts, and documentary work. This screening opportunity is made possible thanks to The Sarasota Film Society.
Cuban percussion jazz artist Yissy Garcia heated up the school week for our VPA Music students. First in a masterclass on Mar. 9, Yissy and her band performed and shared the stories of their journey.
Their jams were astonishing–at once precise and also exuberant–and the students soaked it all in, participating through clapping and dancing.
It was an exchange that underscored the importance of being open to opportunity. Most of the band had traveled around the world to seize opportunities to refine their musical mastery.
On Mar. 10, about 100 students traveled to the Historic Asolo Theatre, where they were treated to a full concert in that elegant hall, and then had the chance to wander the Ringling Museum grounds.
All jazzed up! VPA Music students after the performance at The Ringling.
The Ringling provided access to this incredible and inspiring experience.
VPA Art Alum Earns International Illustration Award
Zaine Lodhi
VPA Art alum Zaine Lodhi (’18) has won the “The Illustrators of the Future Award” and will be honored in Hollywood on April 8. He is one of 12 artists globally to win this award this year. Zaine currently majors in Illustration at Ringling College.
That’s one way to capitulate! One of Lodhi’s winning pieces.
In addition to being honored with the award, he’ll attend a week-long professional workshop with some of the top names in the industry and his art will be published in the anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38.
You can almost smell the mead and mutton. This dining hall picture is another of his winning illustrations.
The contest, now in its 34th year, recognizes illustrators and writers. Along with the awards the contests gives, its purpose is to support new generations of sci-fi content creators.
Nobody would want to find this creature lurking in the depths: Lodhi’s mythical lizard beast is the third of his winning illustrations.
Now a senior at Ringling College, Zaine hopes to pursue a career in illustration for the video game industry. He already works for a company creating 3-D assets for video games. He created all these pieces using Adobe Illustrator. Click here for more information about this contest.
Upcoming Events
Fool*ish
Apr. 1-2 | 7 p.m. @ Booker High School
The line between reality and fiction is blurred in this dance show that explores our tendency to fool others as well as ourselves. Examining deception and awakening, the masks and the revelations, Fool*ish features pieces in modern, ballet, hip hop, African and Latin dance genres.
In our final music showcase of the season, we take to the skies in INFINITE. Featuring music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Williams, along with original compositions, arrangements and songs from Booker VPA Music and Staff. our musical selections will create an aura of the air, the sky, and flight, where you will truly feel infinite.
Hang on to your tunics! This madcap farcical tale of a slave attempting to win his freedom by helping his master woo the girl next door is a hilarious adventure of epic proportion. Forum is one of Sondheim’s most celebrated and popular musicals, winning several Tony awards and enjoying numerous revivals and screen remakes.
The wildly popular Death By Chocolate was a hit again this year. With a theme of time–fleeting and everchanging–Death By Chocolate: In This Hour offered plenty of sweetness. Here’s a look:
The Arts as Impact
The BHS Student Government Association presented “Culture Day” on Feb. 25 during both lunches. The presentation included singing, dancing, art, and poetry celebrating Black culture.
It was an uplifting event that reminded all of the power of the arts to stimulate connection and honor identity.
VPA Art Pays Homage to Kara Walker
You saw it featured in the above slideshow–what better way to showcase Black achievement in art than to reference one of America’s most celebrated Black artists? Level 1 VPA artists painted a chalk mural featuring the colors of the African diaspora along with Walker-esque silhouettes.
The process was a lesson in problem-solving: first, the artists photographed Black people of the BHS community. Next, they had stencils cut (thanks to ____ and the Engineering class!). Finally, after painting the colors, students worked together to paint the stenciled figures.
One of the pieces from Kara Walker’s new show, titled “Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might Be Guilty of Something).” ( Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York )
From Stage to Screen: Film and Theatre Collaboration in the Works
Film and Theatre students began a collaboration this week that will help both groups of students with vital skills. The project, directing actors for film, gives film students an opportunity to guide performances. This gives them insight into how to offer constructive feedback, while for actors, it opens doors to a new venue. For these students who are accustomed to the stage, playing for a camera that’s a few feet away is a new experience. Furthermore, the proximity of lights, mics and film artists is a great way to deliver them from their comfort zones.
Mr. Timpe and Ms. Smith, who are leading the collaboration, have been thrilled already at the outcome and look forward to creating new connective, impactful experiences for their students.
Special Guest in Film & Animation
Levi Hernandez brought in a special guest for drawing day in Ms. Burton’s Level 1 Film & Animation classes Friday. Stan just may be the first Bearded Dragon to visit the Film studios.
Upcoming Events
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Mar. 3-5 | 7 p.m. and Mar. 6 | 2 p.m. @ The Civic Green
Presented in partnership with The Bay Park Conservancy, this Shakespeare in the Park presentation of one of the bard’s most popular plays is sure to please. Exploring love in all its facets, the play is a comical look at the nature of attraction.
The line between reality and fiction is blurred in this dance show that explores our tendency to fool others as well as ourselves. Examining deception and awakening, the masks and the revelations, Fool*ish features pieces in modern, ballet, hip hop, African and Latin dance genres.
Hang on to your tunics! This madcap farcical tale of a slave attempting to win his freedom by helping his master woo the girl next door is a hilarious adventure of epic proportion. Forum is one of Sondheim’s most celebrated and popular musicals, winning several Tony awards and enjoying numerous revivals and screen remakes.
Alanna Hutton in her work cube in Mr. Strenk’s studio. Zoom in to see the incredible detail of these images behind her.
Congratulations to VPA Art junior Alanna Hutton, whose portfolio earned Cambridge International Scholar “Top in the World” award for having scored the best out of all candidates submitting a portfolio in Summer 2021. Hutton worked under the supervision of Ms. Cathie Janssen to complete the 2-D portfolio.
One of Hutton’s paintings from the AICE 2-D portfolio.
“Top in the World” awards are highly prestigious and rare. The last “Top in the World” award-winner at Booker High School was Isabelle Stark for her work in General Paper in the 2018 series.
Multicultural Collab Demonstrates Power of Percussion
Poetry in Motion: Wilson demonstrates a beat for the students to replicate.
Nobody in the Band Room Feb. 14 could resist the allure of the beat when the artist Wilson led a Brazilian percussion workshop. Teacher of the Year Loridia Urquiza brought Wilson to the school to expose students to the intoxicating tradition of Brazilian percussion.
Pulsating rhythms set the perfect backdrop for dance demos.
Urquiza collaborated with Ms. Ellen Saxton to expand the impact of this (literally) moving workshop, where all students were given sticks to create Samba beats in unison. Chairs became drum sets as students brought rhythms to life, with dance students demonstrating the traditional Latin dance.
Samba is an artform brought to Brazil from Africa in the 19th century. Because of its roots in Black culture, Samba was criminalized for many years. Now it is known as an icon of Brazilian national identity.
Without a doubt, the workshop engaged and delighted. Thanks so much to Ms. Urquiza and Mr. Saxton for hosting. And of course, thanks to Wilson and Prof. Diego Villada for presenting the cultural workshop that began the week with a beat.
Ellen Saxton, Wilson, Loridia Urquiza, New College’s Prof. Diego Villada, and Dr. Shelley
Booker Band Earns Excellent at MPA
Ms. Saxton conducts the jazz band at the MPAs.
The Booker VPA Jazz Ensemble earned an Excellent rating at the district Music Performance Assessment on Feb. 17. While the rating is not the highest achievement at MPA, it comes after some challenges within the band and its leadership.
Recently, Band Director Ellen Saxton as well as some players have been out due to pandemic, and a last-minute injury to a saxophonist meant a day-of substitution. Due to unavoidable absences, the moment of truth was intimidating. Yet, even with less-than-perfect rehearsal conditions, the band pulled through.
Referendum Vote Just Around the Corner
Sarasota County Schools prides itself on being one of the best districts in the state, with robust programs, generous student support, and state-of-the-art learning facilities. Some of this is made possible through the 1 mill tax referendum that goes to support public and charter schools.
The referendum is up for renewal on March 8. Be sure to vote. To learn more about the ways the 1 mill property tax funds school activities county-wide, click here. At Booker High School specifically, here’s what the referendum supports.
Lady Tornadoes Head to Final Four!
The Booker High School Lady Tornadoes defeated Port Charlotte, winning the Class 4A Region 3 Regional finals on Feb. 18. Next, the basketball team will head to the Final Four Regional Finals.
What’s this got to do with VPA? Why, the pep rally, of course! The Whirlwind Brigade Marching Band and Color Guard feted the team at a brief rally. Interestingly, both groups are full of VPA students. So, enjoy a few photos from Friday’s festivities.
Upcoming Events
Death By Chocolate: In This Hour
Feb. 25-26 | 7 p.m. and Feb. 26 | 2 p.m.
The most decadent VPA event of the year, Death By Chocolate is a feast for all senses. Patrons can listen to fabulous music while indulging in chocolate, cocoa and coffee. This year’s theme, time, offers exploration into its mysteries, with songs about eternity, repetition, tedium, anticipation, and more.
Mar. 3-5 | 7 p.m. and Mar. 6 | 2 p.m. @ The Civic Green
Presented in partnership with The Bay Park Conservancy, this Shakespeare in the Park presentation of one of the bard’s most popular plays is sure to please. Exploring love in all its facets, the play is a comical look at the nature of attraction.
The line between reality and fiction is blurred in this dance show that explores our tendency to fool others as well as ourselves. Examining deception and awakening, the masks and the revelations, Fool*ish features pieces in modern, ballet, hip hop, African and Latin dance genres.
Hang on to your tunics! This madcap farcical tale of a slave attempting to win his freedom by helping his master woo the girl next door is a hilarious adventure of epic proportion. Forum is one of Sondheim’s most celebrated and popular musicals, winning several Tony awards and enjoying numerous revivals and screen remakes.
Ringling College of Art and Design Deepens Partnership with VPA
Ringling College of Art and Design will offer a captivating summer workshop in sound design and engineering to students enrolled in the Booker High School Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Film & Animation Department.
Proud Principal Dr. Rachel Shelley and Ringling President Dr. Larry Thompson seal the deal.
The workshop, designed exclusively for Booker VPA students, will cover the art of sound in live action and animated films. It will utilize state-of-the-art post-production equipment at Ringling College Studio Labs’ Soundstage and Post-Production Facilities. Exploration of the aural world of film will open new avenues for students pursuing higher education or careers in the field.
The program will start Summer 2022 with the expectation of continuing in perpetuity. The College is offering this unique opportunity free of charge to Booker students.
Booker Principal Dr. Rachel Shelley noted that the sessions will open new doors for students.
“This fully aligns with Booker’s mission of college and career readiness, giving students more options for pursuing their dreams. We couldn’t be more grateful for our partners at Ringling College,” Dr. Shelley said.
Ringling College of Art and Design President Dr. Larry Thompson said he’s excited to introduce the young cohort to the realm of sound design and engineering.
“Many high school students go through their entire educational experience without any exposure to the abundance of opportunities in creative careers. We feel so fortunate at Ringling College to have such incredible facilities in which we can help inspire the next generations of creative storytellers, and to continue to further enhance our close relationship with Booker High,” he said.
The sound design program will take place over two one-week sessions in June. It will admit up to 15 Film & Animation students.
Other Ringling Opportunities Open to BHS VPA Students
Along with the workshops, the College is also gifting Booker VPA students with scholarship opportunities, such as underwriting five Summer Teen Studio tuition fees, as well as one scholarship covering all Ringling PreCollege fees. These will be open for students interested in any of Ringling College’s 13 majors, from Film to Fine Arts to the Business of Art and Design.
The arrangement is made possible through the generosity of Ringling College of Art and Design and further signals an even greater level of commitment in the longstanding relationship the two art schools have shared.
Powerhouse Paula Vogel Puts ‘Pen to Paper’
Hermitage CEO Andy Sandberg facilitates a Q&A, calling for Booker VPA students’ questions FIRST! 🙂
Wow! Anyone in the boundless presence of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel during her “Pen to Paper” event may still feel the life force coursing through them. The workshop was like being plunged into a pool of writing wisdom.
Vogel with Art student Lexi Linton. After they pose, she takes time to review Linton’s sketches and advises ways she can use her dual talent to her advantage.
Vogel is one of the most celebrated playwrights alive, having won nearly every award available to theatre writers, including the Tony award for “Indecent,” the Pulitzer Prize for “How I Learned to Drive,” and induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
Yet you’d never guess it from her disarming demeanor and profound generosity. The workshop was equal parts writing guru’s gifts, life lessons, and bountiful encouragement.
Theatre students Jackson Carney, Ashley Rosas-Rios, Kylee Worth and Alanna Bray pose with Vogel post-workshop. This moment comes after she tells them she’s heard from those in the audience that Booker VPA Theatre productions are the best in town, better than local theatres. After sharing that praise, she advises that there is plenty of money to be made in the arts, so, she says, “follow your dreams.”
Vogel offered generous advice on writing during her workshop. The workshop, brought to Booker through the Hermitage Artist Retreat, was a crash course on all things storytelling: character, plot, and spectacle were just a few elements she elaborated on.
Double take! VPA Production Manager Lizzi Nehls with Vogel in the ’90s, when they worked together on a production of Minneola Twins at the Hippodrome in Gainesville. And then again with Vogel before Friday’s workshop.
Then came the challenge: a John Ringling “Bake-Off.” What’s a bake-off? Just like ones involving food, literary bake-offs involve taking prescribed ingredients and creating literature. In the case of this one, the ingredients are circus objects and people and dates important to circus magnate John Ringling’s life. Take all these, write for 48 hours, and then stop. Vogel said, “it doesn’t matter if you’re in the middle of a sentence. Just stop.”
Other than the challenge of writing the piece, Vogel offered empowering encouragement about life: “I celebrate your writing, I celebrate your lives, I celebrate your loves,” she offered through tears at the close of the workshop.
The message of the night was “everyone can write,” and how deeply moving for our Booker students to hear that from a living legend of the theatre. Her generosity, spirit and wit were gifts to all who were there.
Vogel and Theatre Chair Sunny Smith.
Student Wins Superior at Solo and Ensemble
Rutland performing Solo and Ensemble at Braden River High School on Feb. 12.
Congratulations to sophomore Dante Rutland for earning a Superior rating at the Florida Bandmasters Association Solo and Ensemble Festival for District 11. He earned the award and high praise from the judges for his work on the marimba.
Next up for Rutland: moving on to State Solo and Ensemble Festival in March.
Auditions for Upcoming Events Underway
Musicians Vie for Sweet Solos
While Death By Chocolate will follow its format of featuring ensembles like the orchestra and bands, the concert will also showcase soloists and duets. That said, musicians auditioned this week for those coveted pieces, and the results are in!
Emcees: Yoshi Wilson and Bea Defrietas
Piano soloists: Danae Tran, Cristobal Luguardo, Chelsie Louis, Tristan Tran
Vocal Solo: Julia Stover (accompanied by Mackenzie Lopatinski
Vocal Duet: Marissa Barnes and Bella Alberti
Marimba Solo: Dante Rutland
Plus, a small group comprising Anna Alarcon, Gus Baizabal, Edna Hernandez, Cristobal Luguardo, Danae Tran and Tristan Tran
Tickets for this exciting and indulgent event are on sale–get yours TODAY.
Theatre Students Get Farcically Physical for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” Auditions
Meanwhile, Theatre students spent the week singing their hearts out and learning dance choreography to “Comedy Tonight” for the upcoming production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” coming up on May 6-7 at the Sarasota Opera House.
For this production, the cast list will be posted early this week, and tickets will go on sale once it’s posted.
Upcoming Events
Death By Chocolate: In This Hour
Feb. 25-26 | 7 p.m. and Feb. 26 | 2 p.m.
The most decadent VPA event of the year, Death By Chocolate is a feast for all senses. Patrons can listen to fabulous music while indulging in chocolate, cocoa and coffee. This year’s theme, time, offers exploration into its mysteries, with songs about eternity, repetition, tedium, anticipation, and more.
Presented in partnership with The Bay Park Conservancy, this Shakespeare in the Park presentation of one of the bard’s most popular plays is sure to please. Exploring love in all its facets, the play is a comical look at the nature of attraction.
