Two favorite fall performing arts festivals are returning to Orlando in the next few weeks. Creative City Project double-sizes Immerse on Orange Avenue Oct. 19 and 20 with more interactive art installations than ever; most of the event is free, but to enjoy the Instagram-friendly Corkcicle exhibit, you'll need to purchase a pass at creativecityproject.com. And Playfest kicks off at Orlando Shakes on Nov. 2 for two weekends of readings featuring seven developing scripts, including 72 Miles to Go, an immigration epic by Hilary Bettis, and Emily Dendinger's God Hates You, a religious drama for the social media age.
Yvonne Suhor, founder of Winter Park's Art's Sake Film Acting Studio, passed away from pancreatic cancer on Sept. 27. Best known to 1990s television audiences for her roles on Northern Exposure and The Young Riders, the New Orleans native taught the Meisner technique to a generation of Central Florida performers, who flooded Facebook with condolences for her husband, fellow actor Simon Needham.
SAK Comedy Lab artistic director Mike Carr has departed Orlando and returned home to Massachusetts, where he will run Improv Boston's training program. Carr will soon be joined in Beantown by his wife, Julie Snyder, with whom he recently co-starred in God of Carnage at the Abbey. SAK has already appointed Emily Fontano (coincidentally, an alumna of Boston Conservatory) as its new artistic director.
Now Playing
The Royal Family, through Oct. 15 at Mad Cow ... I Love a Piano, through Oct. 14 at Winter Park Playhouse ... Joe's NYC Bar, through Oct. 14 at Iron Cow ... Gross Indecency, through Oct. 27 at Parliament House ... Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook, through Nov. 4 at Orlando Rep ... The Mystery of Irma Vep, through Nov. 18 at Orlando Shakes ... Spotlight Cabaret: Dustin Cunningham, Oct. 10-11 at Winter Park Playhouse ... Hot Mikado, Oct. 11-21 at Theatre UCF ... Orlando Ballet presents Carmina Burana, Oct. 12-14 at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts ... Phantasmagoria IX: Homecoming, Oct. 12-15 at Orlando Shakes ... The Birds, Oct. 12-28 at Garden Theatre ... Rich Weirdoes present The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Oct. 13 at Geek Easy.
Upcoming
Young Frankenstein, Oct. 19-Nov. 4 at CFCArts ... The Jungle Book, Oct. 20-Nov. 11 at Orlando Shakes ... Opera Orlando presents Tales of Hoffmann, Oct. 24-30 at Dr. Phillips ... Rapture, Blister, Burn, Oct. 26-Nov. 18 at Mad Cow ... Orlando Fringe presents The Exorcist: The Power of Fringe Compels You!, Oct. 29 at Orlando Shakes ... Jersey Boys, Oct. 30-Nov. 4 at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
