Sarasota company stages new comedies about love and romance

It's a little early for Valentine's Day for most of us, but not Starlite Players.

The quirky Sarasota theater company stages one new show every month. Every show consists of four short comedies written by area playwrights. There's a loose theme every month, and for January it's "My Funny Valentine." (February's Starlite show will come after Valentine's Day, so the company is doing its Valentine's show this month.)

Starlite Players perform in a small space upstairs from the Starlite Room on Cocoanut Avenue. The technical limitations are extreme -- which is one thing that makes its show so interesting -- so the emphasis is on the playwrights and the actors. The company, which just opened last summer, has already given lots of local writers, actors and directors an opportunity to showcase their work.

The four plays this month, all of which involve love, romance or sex, are "1-800-SEX-DATE" by Julian Olf, directed by James Thaggard; "Valentine's Day" by Richard J. Budion, directed by Tim Guerriri; "Connubial Bliss" by Jo Morello and Jack Gilhooley, directed by Bob Trisolini; and "T.G.I.F." by Michael E. Wolfson, also directed by Thaggard.

Details: Jan. 21-23, The Starlite Room, 1001 Cocoanut Ave., Sarasota. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $16.50. Information: starliteplayers.com.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Sarasota company stages new comedies about love and romance ."