Leading Ladies, a farce, had me laughing from start to finish. Photo courtesy of Venice Theatre.

Earlier this week I attended “Leading Ladies,” at the Venice Theatre, a farce about two English Shakespearean actors who are so down on their luck that they are performing “Scenes from Shakespeare” at a Moose Lodge. When they hear that an old lady in a nearby town is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long-lost English nephews, they decide to pose as her relatives to get the inheritance. But there’s a kink in their plan; the long lost relatives are nieces, not nephews. What follows is constant hilarity: two men dressed as women, cast members secreted in the audience, and other such tomfoolery.

What surprised me most was the top-notch quality of this community theatre performance. But perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising. The Venice Theatre has been achieving the near-impossible since 1950, when 40 volunteers banded together as the Venice Little Theatre to produce the very first season of three shows in a converted hangar at the local airport. All went well until the company was forced to vacate the hangar in 1972 because the city needed it for storage. After plans to construct a new faciity were thwarted by petitions from neighbors, the organization purchased a historic building in downtown Venice for $60,000, prompting local media to dub them “the little theatre that wouldn’t die.”

Historic Venice Theatre in Venice, Florida

From these humble beginnings, when attendance for the entire season was only 1,440, the venue has grown to two stages that attracted 68,000 attendees last year. Additionally, the theatre today offers summer camps and after-school classes; sponsors the Silver Foxes, a seniors-only performance troupe; and is home to the Theatre for Young People. Last year the word “little” was dropped from the name, because board members finally realized that the organization was not “little” anymore!

Plays staged by Venice Theatre regularly take Best Production Honors at Florida Theatre Conference and Southeastern Theatre Conference, and the institution has been recognized for “Outstanding Accomplishments and Contributions to the cultural richness of Sarasota County.” But the most exciting times may still lie ahead for the Venice Theatre, as they were recently chosen to host the American Association of Community Theatre International TheatreFest on June 22-27, 2010.

If you are planning to visit the Gulf Coast of Florida, be sure to carve out at least one evening to attend a performance at the historic Venice Theatre. West Side Story, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and The Outsiders are just a few of the outstanding selections slated to be performed this season. You’re sure to be entertained, and the city offers numerous fine restaurants within walking distance of the theatre that are perfect for pre or post-performance dining. Venice, Florida is located midway between Sarasota and Fort Myers (about 30 miles from either), and has a wide selection of accommodations for all budgets.

Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

While the majority of the country is hunkering down in freezing temperatures and snowstorms, Florida’s abundant sunshine and warm temperatures signal the start of Fair season.

The RC-48 Coaster is 160' long, 65' deep and stands approximately 53' high, with exciting bank turns. Photo courtesy of South Florida Fair.

Florida’s County fairs focus on the agriculture, trade, entertainment, and heritage of Florida. Annually there are more than 50 fairs and livestock shows in Florida that showcase the past, present and future of Florida agriculture. County Fairs pair carnivals with traditional livestock competitions and displays such as the life-size “Milkable Cow” model that travels in her own exhibit trailer and “There’s A Cow In My Truck!,” an exhibit that portrays the parts of a truck that come from by-products of cattle.

The partial list below provides links to County Fairs that have individual web sites. For a complete listing of fairs around the State, visit Florida-Agriculture.com.

• DeSoto County Fair, January 15-25, Arcadia
• Manatee County Fair, January 15-25, Palmetto
• South Florida Fair, January 16 – February 1, West Palm Beach
• Highlands County Fair, January 23-31, Sebring
• Collier County Fair, February 5-15, Naples
• Martin County Fair, February 13-21, Stuart
• Osceola County Fair & Livestock Show, February 13-22, Kissimmee
• Pasco County Fair, February 16-22, Dade City
• Southeastern Youth Fair (Marin County), February 20 – March 1, Ocala
• Sumter County Fair, February 27 – March 7, Bushnell
• Southwest Florida and Lee County Fair, February 27 – March 8, Fort Myers
• Saint Lucie County Fair, February 27 – March 8, Fort Pierce
• Okeechobee County Fair, March 13-22, Okeechobee
• Indian River County Fire Fighters Fair, March 13-22, Vero Beach
• Sarasota County Fair, March 13-22, Sarasota
• Citrus County Fair, March 16-21, Inverness
• Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition, March 26 – April 12, Miami
• Suwannee County Fair and Livestock Show, March 26 – April 4, Live Oak
• Brevard County Fair, March 27 – April 5, Melbourne
• Santa Rosa County Fair, March 31 – April 5, Milton
• Clay County Agricultural Fair, April 2-11, Green Cove Springs
• Lake County Fair, April 2-11, Eustis
• Hernando County Fair, April 6-11, Brooksville
• Central Florida Fair, April 16-26, Orlando

Carley Moss, winner of 2008 Miss Martin County Fair Pageant. Photo courtesy of Martin County Fair.

Rosaire's Racing Pigs, photo courtesy of the South Florida Fair

Additionally, the Florida State Fair is scheduled for February 5-16 in Tampa. Except for a couple of years during World War II, this granddaddy of all fairs has been held every year since its inception in 1904. Horse shows, 4-H dog training classes, gun shows and sales, model train shows, concerts, tea times, and history tours join with the traditional carnival and livestock shows to provide 12 days of fun and excitement. If you plan to attend one of Florida’s many fun fairs, be sure to book accommodations well ahead of time, as hotels and motels fill up during these popular events. To find accommodations around the state, visit the UpTake.com Florida hotels page.

Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels