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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Checking in on ‘CHECKMATE’

The Black Queen battles the Red Knight in Dame Nanette de Valois’ dramatic ballet.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

ike many performers, ballerina Margaret Barbieri got typecast early in her career. Born in South Africa to Italian parents, Barbieri was identified as a “romantic” dancer when she went to study at the Royal Ballet School in London. But that wasn’t a bad reputation to have. It helped her win romantic roles in “Giselle,” “Swan Lake” and other ballets.

That’s why Barbieri was surprised when she was cast against type as the Black Queen in Dame Ninette de Valois’ production of “Checkmate.”

She landed the role in 1982, after receiving a note on yellow paper summoning her to de Valois’ office at the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. Barbieri initially assumed the worst because the missive dancers nicknamed “the yellow peril” was often the harbinger of bad news.

De Valois, whom everyone called “Madam,” was a stickler for discipline, so Barbieri thought she had done something wrong. If a dancer racked up too many violations of the company’s rules, Madam would banish them to ballet’s answer to the penalty box, or worse, chuck them out of the company altogether.

Fortunately for Barbieri and for Sarasota balletomanes, the reason for the meeting was to inform Barbieri there had been a change. Even though she had not originally been cast as the Black Queen in Sadler Wells’ upcoming production of “Checkmate,” the role was to be hers after all.

The movements, gestures and attitudes de Valois created for the Black Queen when she choreographed “Checkmate” in 1937 to music by Arthur Bliss were imparted directly to Barbieri, who is today the assistant director of Sarasota Ballet.

IF YOU GO

PROGRAM 7: ‘FOUNDATIONS OF ROYALTY’ When: May 1-2

Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Tickets: $35-$125 Info: Visit SarasotaBallet.org.

Born Edris Stannus in County Wicklow, Ireland, de Valois lived to be 102. The French-sounding monicker Ninette de Valois was the stage name of the dancer, choreographer and founder of what would become the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. Today Barbieri is passing down the knowledge she gained from de Valois to the dancers in Sarasota Ballet’s production of “Checkmate,” which it will perform at the Sarasota Opera House from May 1-2.

Given the majestic setting of the 100-year-old opera house, it’s fitting that “Checkmate” is part of a program called “Foundations of Royalty.” The program also includes Sir Peter Wright’s “Summertide” and Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Birthday Offering.” Barbieri is staging all three pieces in Program 7.

The last time Sarasota Ballet performed “Checkmate” was in 2017. The lavish production, which was also staged by Barbieri, starred Danielle Brown as the Black Queen and principal dancer Ricardo Rhodes as

Nearly every member of the Sarasota Ballet will be on stage for “Checkmate” May 1-2 at the Sarasota Opera House.

Images courtesy of Frank Atura Ricardo Rhodes plays the Red Knight.

Sierra Abelardo stars as the Black Queen in Sarasota Ballet’s production of Dame Ninette de Valois’ “Checkmate.”

Courtesy image

Margaret Barbieri starred in the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet’s production of “Checkmate” in 1982.

her enemy, the Red Knight. Brown has retired, and this time around, the Black Queen will be danced by Sierra Abelardo. Her reallife partner, Samuel Gest, will star as her opponent, the Red Knight, whom she first checkmates and then ultimately kills in the chess-inspired ballet.

“Ricardo is a very good Red Knight, but he is also dancing in ‘Summertide’ and ‘Birthday Offering’ on the first night (Friday), and he can’t do all three roles,” says Barbieri.

Sarasota Ballet typically alternates its principals during three performances in its two-day run. Rhodes will reprise his role as Red Knight for at least one of the shows.

Nearly all of the Sarasota Ballet’s members will be on stage for “Checkmate.” The Black Queen is such a demanding role that it will also be performed by Brooke Wilson, in addition to Abelardo.

“I have to tell you that the Black Queen in ‘Checkmate’ is one of the heaviest roles in the ballet repertoire,” says Barbieri. “I used to come off stage and quickly swallow a glucose sweet that dissolves quickly before going on again. You’re already exhausted, but you’ve got this heavy solo to do.”

After finishing her performance in “Checkmate,” Barbieri says she was “completely shattered.” Playing the evil, scheming Black Queen, who first bewitches the Red Knight before stabbing him, is not just physically demanding, but emotionally draining, she says.

When Barbieri and her husband, Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb, were discussing the casting for this season’s production of “Checkmate,” both agreed that Abelardo had the qualifications to portray the Black Queen, despite being just 22 years old.

“You have to be powerful for the role, and Sierra is very powerful,” Barbieri says. “You’ve also got to have good technique. I wasn’t sure if she had the sensibility to interpret the role, but when we did photographs at the beginning of the season, I could see from the photos that she could be good.”

“Playing the Black Queen is unlike anything I’ve ever done before,”

Abelardo says. “Maggie’s been very helpful with getting into the character.”

EVERYONE LOVES TO SEE REAL-LIFE COUPLES ON STAGE

Both Abelardo and Gest are among the next generation of stars Webb and Barbieri are cultivating. Will they replace the husband-and-wife team of Macarena Giminez and Maximiliano Iglesias in the hearts of Sarasota audiences? Time will tell.

Giminez left at the end of the 2025 season to become principal dancer at the Miami City Ballet, and her husband followed her.

Both natives of Argentina, Giminez and Iglesias joined the Sarasota Ballet as principal dancers in 2022 from the Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

The departure of Giminez and

Iglesias has opened up opportunities for Webb to cast Abelardo and Gest in crowd-pleasing pairings. Of course, dancers don’t have to be romantically involved to deliver an enchanting pas de deux, but it doesn’t hurt.

This is Abelardo’s fourth season with Sarasota Ballet. A native of Cincinnati, she joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2022. She since has risen through the ranks, being promoted to first soloist in 2024 and junior principal this season. Gest was previously a dancer with the National Theatre of Belgrade before joining the Sarasota Ballet in August 2021 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and was raised in Indiana. Gest trained at the National Ballet School of Canada, and like Barbieri, is a graduate of the

“I have to tell you that the Black Queen in ‘Checkmate’ is one of the heaviest roles in the ballet repertoire.”

— Margaret Barbieri, assistant director of the Sarasota Ballet

Royal Ballet School.

During a roundtable interview that included Gest and Abelardo, who bear an uncanny resemblance to one another, Barbieri recalled that she and Webb originally discovered Gest through an online audition in 2020. However, they weren’t able to hire him immediately because of the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I actually graduated (from the Royal School of Ballet) during Covid,” Gest says. “It was a rocky time for getting jobs. I ended up finding a job in Serbia. I was there for less than a year, but I wanted a change, so I sent my material everywhere. That’s how I ended up in Sarasota.”

The 2026-27 season will mark Webb’s 20th anniversary at Sarasota Ballet. Under his leadership, the company has championed the works of Sir Frederick Ashton, considered the father of English ballet. Webb and Barbieri are intimately familiar with Ashton’s works since they danced them with Sadler’s Wells (now the Birmingham Royal Ballet) and the Royal Ballet in London. Barbieri and Webb married in 1982.

Barbieri joined Webb on Sarasota

Ballet’s management team in 2012, staging ballets and overseeing the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory, the pre-professional training program named in her honor. In 2016, the couple invited Joseph Volpe, the former general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, to become executive director of Sarasota Ballet.

Like other professionals who have retired to Sarasota, Volpe was coaxed out of retirement by the opportunity to help elevate the arts in the town known as Florida’s “Cultural Coast.” Together, the troika has raised Sarasota Ballet’s national and international profile. The company has traveled to the Jacob’s Pillow dance festival in the Berkshires of Massachusetts twice, New York City’s Joyce Theatre and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2024, the company performed in the Royal Ballet’s “Ashton Celebrated” program to rave reviews from London critics.

Looking ahead to next season, Barbieri says she can’t wait to stage Ashton’s “The Two Pigeons” again. It was last performed by Sarasota Ballet in 2017.

“I’ve been fortunate because I’ve danced both of the lead roles, the gypsy girl and what used to be called the white girl, now the young girl,” she says.

There will be some departures of company members at the end of this season, Barbieri said, but didn’t specify names.

Sarasota Ballet guest principal dancer Misa Kuranaga, who is also a principal with the San Francisco Ballet, will be returning for a second season, Barbieri says.

Veteran principals Rhodes and Ricardo Graziano will both be back on stage for the 2026-27 season.

Fans of romantic pairings will welcome the return of Ashton’s version of “Romeo and Juliet” in 2027.

Sarasota Ballet’s production of Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers was a triumph for Giminez and Iglesias in 2025.

Of course, there are no casting guarantees at Sarasota Ballet. But we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Abelardo and Gest get the starring roles in “Romeo and Juliet” and that their real-life love story has a happy ending.

The Red Knight and the Black Queen perform a death dance in Sarasota Ballet’s “Checkmate.”

Images courtesy of Frank Atura

Truffle in paradise

We’ve rooted out some affordable ways to celebrate National Truffle Day.

and see loved ones out of state, you’ve no doubt discovered that quick domestic flights somehow add up to the cost of an international getaway. If you’re trying to eat healthy as an investment in your future, you’ve noticed that the price of one container of pomegranate seeds is suddenly equal to HOA fees at a downtown condo. OK, I’m exaggerating here, but not much.

So please hear me out: When the cost of living is climbing, why not indulge in little luxuries?

I’ve got some ideas to celebrate National Truffle Day on May 3. This feels like the perfect excuse to treat ourselves where it counts. Not in the big, unattainable ways, but in the bite-sized, buttery, truffle-rific moments that remind you life can still be awfully delicious at times. What makes truffles so expensive? Unlike mushrooms, their fungus cousins, truffles grow underground in forests and are usually harvested by animals who dig them up. Other factors that make them pricey are strong demand from chefs around the globe and a long growing period. Will prices go up on these menu items I’m recommending due to economic and political forces out of control? Probably. But trust me when I say these dishes are worth every last penny.

So go on, my foodie friends, treat yourself to the following dishes.

MYMAMMA 3105 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-259-1911; My-Mamma.com

Truffle Shuffle: The new spot near Ringling College of Art and Design makes a very convincing case for both delivery and dining in, thanks to its effortlessly “stay awhile” kind of vibe. The beef Genovese and truffle ($42.90) is pure comfort. Slow-braised beef in a velvety onion ragu layered with pork collar and sausage, served over truffled mashed potatoes that feel like a warm hug in every bite. What a Fun-gi: Recipes at MyMamma are traditional yet reimagined with just enough flair to keep things interesting. Passed down through the generations, the paccheri contadina ($26.90 and up, $9.90 to add truffle), is pasta tossed with savory Italian sausage, earthy porcini mushrooms and a creamy sauce kissed with truffle that brings it all home.

CAFE ON ST. ARMANDS

431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-4415; CafeonStArmands. com

Truffle Shuffle: If you’re leaning into your earthy era in this truffle travel, the Cafe’s mushroom bisque ($12) is calling your name. Rich, with a drizzle of white truffle oil and a hint of za’atar, it’s the kind of bowl that quietly transports you somewhere along the Mediterranean coast.

What a Fun-gi: Steak frites ($38) might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think truffle, but this ribeye with Spanish seasoning and harissa butter is paired with the one, the only, the truffle fries ($10). One of the more trendy side dishes of my time, I hope it’s one that never goes out of style or off my plate, for that matter.

KOJO

1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941536-9717; EatKojo.com

Truffle Shuffle: Kojo lives rentfree in my flavor dreams. You don’t always walk into a modern Asian spot expecting a truffle moment, but the truffled chicken wontons ($14) change the game. Floating in a rich dashi-soy broth with scallion ginger oil, they’re delicate and savory, and clearly deserve a permanent spot on your must-order list.

What a Fun-gi: Ready to lean into luxury? The 10 oz. Wagyu Skirt Steak ($68) is that moment with roasted garlic, shishito peppers and a truffle, garlic and smoked soy butter that is extravagant. But if we’re respecting our budgets, the Tuna Pizza ($22) delivers its own kind of magic with truffle ponzu mayo, shaved red onion and micro greens.

SIESTA KEY SUMMER HOUSE STEAK & SEAFOOD

149 Avenida Messina, Siesta Key; 941-260-2675; SiestaKeySummerHouse.com

Truffle Shuffle: Take a bite of the diver scallops with mushroom truffle risotto ($59) to continue this truffle trip of guilty pleasures. Seared scallops sit upon creamy risotto, accompanied with asparagus fettuccine, prosciutto crystals (whatever those are, I want more), white balsamic caviar and the dreamiest light dusting, yes, dusting of truffle.

What a Fun-gi: This opulent era we’re living in wouldn’t be complete without an order of the lobster truffle five-cheese mac ($26). This dish defines a no-regrets order with bites of buttery, bold and not-hereto-be-subtle notes. Sure, your wallet might notice, but your culinary soul (and your very happy stomach) will thank you.

STATION 400

400 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota; 941906-1400; 8215 Lakewood Ranch St., Bradenton; 941-907-0648; Station400.com

Truffle Shuffle: Truffles deserve way more brunch credit than they get, and Station 400 clearly agrees. The truffle eggs Benedict ($14.99) layers a toasted English muffin with poached eggs, arugula, Canadian bacon, roasted mushrooms and a truffle hollandaise that makes every bite feel like money does grow on trees. What a Fun-gi: If we’re really committing to the morning upgrade, the Station 400 Omelette ($18.99) is the way to do it. Poached lobster, blue crab, fried capers and that dreamy truffle hollandaise come together in a way that feels less like breakfast and more like something suitable for a king or queen.

Courtesy image

Kojo serves incredibly delish truffled chicken wontons ($14).

THIS WEEK

OUR PICK

‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’

JAZZ AT TWO: PAUL GORMLEY QUARTET

2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists of SRQ, 3975 Fruitville Road

$20 Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Roll into the weekend with Jazz Club of Sarasota’s Jazz at Two series. This week’s featured artist is bassist Paul Gormley and his quartet, which will play classic jazz and favorites from the Great American Songbook.

MUSIC FOR 18 MUSICIANS

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$30 Visit EnSRQ.org.

OUR PICK

HUMANGROVE

Tania Vergara’s contemporary piece celebrates the mangrove in dance, music and poetry by Florida conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas illuminated by projections of paintings by Guillermo López González. The dance explores how humans and mangroves are linked through visible and invisible networks.

IF YOU GO When: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25

THURSDAY

‘BIRTHDAY CANDLES’

7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $46 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

“Birthday Candles” stars Rachel Moulton as Ernestine Ashworth, whose 17th birthday celebration does a time warp and moves ahead to her multiple birthdays throughout her 107-year life, all with the same cake. Runs through May 17.

‘TOO FAT FOR CHINA’

7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St.

$5-$48 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Phoebe Potts’ “Too Fat for China,” which made its Sarasota debut at Urbanite’s 2025 Modern Works Festival, returns for an encore performance. The autobiographical tale follows a comic storyteller’s efforts to adopt a baby. Runs through April 26.

‘LIES, SPELLS & OLD WIVES’ TALES’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $50 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe. org.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs teams up with his brother, Michael Jacobs, for “Lies, Spells & Old Wives’ Tales.” The marathon musical comedy plays off the sayings, stories and beliefs passed down from one generation to the next. Stick around for the grand finale. Runs through May 17.

‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’

7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $40 Visit AsoloRep.org.

In Shakespeare’s crowd-pleasing comedy, four lovers who venture into an enchanted forest outside Athens discover a troupe preparing a play to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta. The line between reality and illusion gets blurred as naughty fairies, led by Puck and his magical potions, create mischief among the players. Runs through April 26.

‘A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN’

7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $59 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Francesca Ferrari gets top billing as Janis Joplin in Randy Johnson’s show at Florida Studio Theatre. But the Black artists who helped inform Joplin’s singing style (Odetta, Bessie Smith, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and others) are more than just backup singers in this knockout production directed by Ben Liebert. Runs through April 26.

FRIDAY

SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING NEW

10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Curated by Rangsook Yoon, “Something Borrowed, Something New” features major modern artists such as Louise Bourgeois,

At Asolo Repertory Theatre, what’s old is new again under Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein. Director Rothstein breathes new life into “Fiddler on the Roof,” the feelgood musical set in a Russian village circa 1900, by casting actor/musicians. Famous from both stage and screen, “Fiddler” follows Tevye’s efforts to find husbands for his daughters as he balances the traditions of the past and the opportunities of the present. Runs through May 24.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $37-$99 Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

Chuck Close, David Hockney, Yoko Ono, Kara Walker and Ai Weiwei. Their works were loaned by private collectors in Southwest Florida for the show. Runs through Sept. 27.

ALEXANDER CALDER: THE NATURE OF MOVEMENT

10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $28 Visit Selby.org.

In this year’s Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens showcases artist Alexander Calder and his abstract moving sculptures, dubbed “mobiles.” Calder’s interest in suspension provides a provocative pairing with Selby’s collection of epiphytes, or air plants. His love of circus is a perfect fit for the former hometown of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Runs through May 31.

It’s a year of big birthdays in Sarasota, and Samantha Bennett and George Nickson’s ensembleNewSRQ is offering up a trifecta. Exactly 50 years after its premiere, enSRQ will perform Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” at the Sarasota Opera House during Reich’s 90th birthday year. It’s one of the highlights of enSRQ’s 10th anniversary season.

SATURDAY

‘THE PIRATE SHIP AND THE SEA MONSTER & OTHER WINNING PLAYS’

10 a.m. and noon at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.

$12 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Don’t let the kids spend weekends glued to digital devices. Bring them to Florida Studio Theatre for family fare. A 50-minute program of short plays written by grade schoolers from around the world features professional actors bringing heroes of all kinds to life. Through May 2.

SUNDAY

‘ELMO’S GOT THE MOVES’

2 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $46-$66 Visit VanWezel.org.

Elmo’s got the moves, and he’s bringing them to Sarasota’s Purple Palace, formally known as the Van Wezel. This new Sesame Street Live show features singing, dancing and favorite songs such as “Sunny Days” and “Letter of the Day.”

SUNCOAST CONCERT BAND

3 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 3131 61st St.

$5 Visit SuncoastConcertBand.org.

Suncoast Concert Band’s tribute to America’s semiquincentennial includes “Star Spangled Spectacular,” a medley of George M. Cohan patriotic songs, as well as “Songs for My Country” and Irving Berlin’s “Songs for America.”

Where: Sarasota Contemporary Dance Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 Tickets: $15-$30 Info: Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.

CHAMBER SOIRÉE 6: SOUNDS OF THE AMERICAS

4 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $48 and up Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Sarasota Orchestra presents a chamber music program featuring works from Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, Uruguayan native Enrique Crespo and Cuban jazz musician Paquito D’Rivera. Their compositions will be played by a string quartet, a brass quintet and a wind quintet, respectively.

MONDAY

ANCIENT ART FROM CYPRUS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN

10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $30 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.

In 1928, circus magnate John Ringling moved beyond collecting Baroque paintings with a major acquisition of more than 2,000 pieces of Cypriot art at the Anderson Galleries in New York. For the first time, Ringling’s treasures have a permanent home in Gallery 12 after a decadelong project.

WBTT ARTIST SHOWCASE: SIEGLINDA FOX

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $39-$100 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org. Get on board Sieglinda Fox’s “Soul Train” with a WBTT show that tells the story of her life in word, song and dance in “A Survivor’s Journey of Life, Love and Happiness.” The showcase allows Fox to explore the moments that shaped the dynamic artist she is today.

Sunday, May 3 •

Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee

Maxim Chlumecky is at the center of the action in this scene from Asolo Repertory Theatre’s “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Today and tomorrow take the stage

FST blows out the candles on a lifetime of birthdays during a single play.

MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC

hey say it’s your birthday? It’s Ernestine’s birthday too, yeah, in Noah Haidle’s “Birthday Candles,” now on stage at Florida Studio Theatre. Actually it’s a lot of birthdays for Ernestine, all in one play.

Haidle’s play has a magicalrealist vibe, sure. But aside from its inventive, clip-show structure, there’s nothing magical about it. It’s entirely realistic. The only magic is life itself. And that’s enough.

The play opens on Ernestine’s 17th birthday. The precocious teen (Rachel Moulton) has a bad case of existential dread. Her mother, Alice (Susan Haefner), comforts her with a cosmic birthday cake. She insists that its ingredients aren’t just sugar, eggs and flour. The recipe includes “stardust, the machinery of the cosmos” and “atoms left over from creation.” Ernestine rallies. But a “ding” interrupts the scene. Time fast-forwards to Ernestine’s 18th birthday.

More “dings” ensue, sometimes skipping years, sometimes decades. Each “ding” marks another birthday, another cake. These scenes unfold like a clip show of Ernestine’s life.

Her multiple identities include daughter, mother, friend, aunt, mother-in-law, wife, widow, second wife, grandmother, a greatgrandmother and a great-greatgrandmother. The play’s strange changes resist tidy plot summary. It’s more like a series of motifs ...

n The birthday cake itself.

(Mother Alice’s recipe. An assertion of tradition and continuity in the churn of life.) In case you were wondering, Moulton bakes a real cake on stage.

n “I am a rebel against the universe. I will wage war with the everyday. I’m going to surprise God.” (Ernestine’s battle cry from her 17th birthday.)

IF YOU GO

‘BIRTHDAY CANDLES’

When: Through May 17

Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.

Tickets: $25-$42

Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre. org.

never seem rushed.

Kate Alexander’s direction honors that rhythm. She makes time’s passage feel organic — you barely notice as decades slip by.

Moulton’s Ernestine burns brightly with a fire within. Her vivacious character shifts from incandescent adolescent to aging child prodigy. Moulton conveys a lifetime of change with no prosthetics, just acting. Brava!

A shapeshifting cast fills in for the supporting characters in Ernestine’s life story. Aside from Brogan, they play a platoon of sons, daughters and lovers.

Haefner begins as Ernestine’s mother, Alice, then morphs into her troubled, gifted daughter and then her granddaughter.

Brogan’s Kenneth is the lovable oddball who’s carried a torch for Ernestine from the instant he could feel.

Freddie Lee Bennett appears as Billy, Ernestine’s headstrong son, at various ages. He’s a struggling musician who finally gets good at it.

Peter Kendall plays Matt — Ernestine’s first husband — a confident athlete who’s casually unfaithful. Kendall’s heartbreaking as John, their grandson. Sarah Colt is equally great as Beth, Ernestine’s iconoclastic daughter, and Joan Alice, her supportive friend.

The play spans 90 years. When to when? Haidle never nails down its time frame. Madison Queen’s costumes suggest the passage of time — but they’re not tied to any era.

n Atman, the goldfish — a gift from Kenneth (Rod Brogan), the next-door nerd. He has a 3-minute memory and a 3-year lifespan. (The goldfish, not Kenneth.)

That’s just a sampler. These motifs, insults and catchphrases are fixed points in the temporal carnival whizzing around you.

The play spins at a velocity of 90 years in 90 minutes. Its scenes move at the speed of life — and

Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay’s stunning set offers some clue. Their kitchen’s turquoise appliances evoke the 1950s. Best bet: “Birthday Candles” starts in the mid-20th century. Ernestine lives to 107. So, it’s safe to assume the last scene is sometime in the mid-21st century. Outside the kitchen, lighting designer Andrew Gray’s starry, starry night sky evokes a timeless sense of wonder.

Cosmic dreams aside, the play’s not all happy-happy. Over her lifetime, Ernestine experiences her share of tragedy and loss.

“Birthday Candles” is funny, tragic, warm, philosophical, paradoxical, surprising and yet full of beautiful patterns. Simply put, it’s like life itself.

Debra Flynt-Garrett and Marlon Black

Michael Springer, Cheryl Anderson and Carolyn Michel

The most talked-about shirt at the fête was Ali Bahaj’s Pantone design. He is photographed with WBTT Executive Director Julie Leach and his wife, Gloria.

Photos by Janet Combs Student performers take the stage.

Ellen and Richard Sandor

Charles Brown, Cecil and Shirley Pickett and Vincent Foderingham