Urbanite Theatre stages premiere of a work by area playwright

Natalie Symons is a well-known actor on stages around west central Florida, and in recent years she’s turned to playwriting.

Her play “The Buffalo Kings,” which had a lot of interesting moments, premiered at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg a couple of years ago.

Now her latest, “Naming True,” is getting its world premiere at Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota.

The plays revolves around two women: Amy, a transgender teenage girl from Seattle, and Nell, a dying woman who has lived most of her life on the streets of Detroit. Somehow they meet in a Florida motel room to discuss publishing Nell’s childhood memoir.

The Urbanite people call it “an intimate tale of survival, redemption and the desperate need to share our stories” and say that it “investigates how to persevere in the absence of hope.”

The women are played by Alexia Jasmene, who has worked extensively in Chicago, and Minka Wiltz, a long-time pro who is based in Atlanta. Daniel Kelly directs. Jasmene stepped in to take the place of a previously announced actor who had to leave the production.

“Naming True” runs until July 2. Urbanite shows tend to sell out so it’s a good idea to order tickets as early as possible.

Details: Through July 2, Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St., Sarasota. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $29; under 40 (with ID) $20; students (with ID) $5. 941-321-1397, urbanitetheatre.com.

This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Urbanite Theatre stages premiere of a work by area playwright."