Sugden Theater

 Sugden Theater on Naples' Fifth Avenue South is the home of a professional quality community theater.  The theater has 35 paid staff and 700 volunteers who gave 70,000 volunteer hours last year.  They just re-opened after a $22 million renovation.  

Cole, the production stage manager, led a tour. 

There are multiple performance spaces.  I think this is the one dedicated to student performances.

The tension wire ceilings let stagehands move safely above amidst the lighting.

 Mike leads the student theater, does set design and also acts.

They make most of the costumes in this shop.

Dana started in the costume shop as an intern four years ago.  He worked elsewhere for a while and just began working full-time at the Sugden Theater two weeks ago.

Locally Owned Shops

I need to show some of the old one-story, locally owned shops on Fifth Avenue South before someone buys them and knocks them down.  Personally, I like their character.

Most have been replaced by much bigger places like these.  Many old-timers in Naples call this the Miamification of Fifth Avenue South.  Indeed, many of the new buildings are handsome.  I just liked it better when there was more of a mix of new and old, big and small.

Hope

 

On election day in America, I am hoping.  But also dreading.

Brambles

Brambles, an English tea room, is down an attractive alley.

Day of the Dead

Naples Botanical Garden hosted a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration on Friday and Saturday.  Naples has many Latin residents, but few of them are Mexican, so few visitors dressed for it.  But, there were musical acts, vendors and a few installations.

Naomi worked in a pastry booth.  She overflows with personality.

Canal

 

Decades ago developers dug canals from Naples Park into a channel leading to the Cocohatchee River so many homeowners could have waterfront homes.

Cooking

 In November 2013 we stayed at the Cathedral Peak Hotel in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa.

I remember delicious food, nicely presented, and plenty of it.

"Cooking" is the theme for November 1 for participants in the City Daily Photo group.  

I was surprised how many photographs showed up when I searched my photo archives for "cooking."