Sarasota Jewish Theatre Will Perform Two Short Comedies and I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY
All plays are presented at The Sarasota Players, inside the Crossings at Siesta Key mall.
By: Stephi Wild Sep. 10, 2025
Sarasota Jewish Theatre will present two contemporary short comedies by Bruce J. Bloom, and “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” which is based on a play be Celeste Raspanti, in October. All plays are presented at The Sarasota Players, inside the Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
We've Got Short Shorts is two fully staged short contemporary comedies by Bruce J. Bloom on stage October 10 and October 12 at 1:30 p.m. and October 11 at 7:30 p.m. In “Daniel Ortega and the Yom Kippur Blues,” directed by Diane Cepeda, it is Yom Kippur and Arthur Kleinman (Leonard Rubinstein) is having a crisis of faith. When he wanders into a Latino saloon, bartender Luis Valencia (Gabe Ortiz) offers him a magic potion to solve his problems. Enter Reesy (Yinoelle Colon), a hooker with a heart of gold, and things get complicated. In “The Last Request of Eddie Carmichael/Cohen,” Eddie Carmichael (Steve Black, also directing) announces on his deathbed that he's Jewish, not Catholic, and that his real name is Eddie Cohen. As his dying wish he asks a rabbi (James Kassees) to marry him and sweet Esther Goldman (Alice Cotman). Sister Veronica (Lynne Doyle) keeps insisting that Eddie is Catholic and delusional. Is he telling the truth? Is he lying? Or is he just plain crazy? Tickets for We've Got Short Shorts are $24.
“I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” based on a play by Celeste Raspanti and directed by Sharon Ohrenstein, is being presented on October 17 at 3:00 p.m., October 18 at 7:30 p.m., and October 19 at 1:30 p.m. This family-friendly, one-hour play is based on the true story of the children interned at the Terezin concentration camp during WWII. Over 15,000 children passed through Terezin's gates; only about 150 survived. Irena (Lynne Doyle), a dedicated teacher, gives the children, including Raja (Nyla Chambless) and Honza (Declan Moyer), the courage to write and draw descriptions of their lives in the camp along with their hopes and dreams. Inspired by the extraordinary book of artwork and poetry created by the children, “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” is a powerful play that stands as a stunning testament to resilience, humanity, and courage in the face of unimaginable hardship. Offered in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Tickets are $29; middle school and high school students are free when accompanied by an adult.
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