Urbanite Theatre: 'Ahoy-Hoy' Premieres in Sarasota
A new one-act play by Jenny Stafford reimagines the 1876 telephone patent race as a performance of the absurd, featuring a cast of drag kings and dancers.
By Harvey Wilson ·
Jenny Stafford’s play "Ahoy-Hoy" opened its rolling world premiere at Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota on November 5. The production, which runs through November 29, presents the historical rivalry between Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell as a piece of theatre of the absurd. The work was selected as the winner of Urbanite’s 2025 Modern Works Festival before its staging in the company’s 65-seat black-box space.
The narrative focuses on the final months of the 1876 race to patent the telephone. Amber McNew, an actor, choreographer, and drag king, portrays Elisha Gray. In the story, Gray is obsessed with securing his place in history, spending five years in his lab while his assistant, Cornelius, played by Ben Williamson, waits for a working device. Gray instructs Cornelius to answer the phone with the greeting "Ahoy-Hoy," a mariner’s term that Bell reportedly used before Thomas Edison popularized "Hello."
Casey Murphy takes on the role of Alexander Graham Bell, positioned at the opposite end of the stage. Murphy, who has performed with the Asolo Florida Studio Theatre and various Shakespeare companies, brings a strong dance background to the part. The production emphasizes physical performance, with both inventors driven by ego and a competitive need to reach the patent office first. Ariel Blue plays Wilbur, the patent office worker, completing the central trio. The casting process was described as gender-blind and color-blind, relying on the physical and vocal talent of the performers.
Director Celine Rosenthal, a Tony-nominated producer, leads the production. Costume designer Jonathan Hall, a former member of Venice Theatre, created the wigs and facial hair necessary for the historical setting. Hall noted that the visual elements are critical given the gender and period of the characters. The company, founded in 2015 by Summer Dawn Wallace, an intimacy choreographer and faculty member at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, bills its work as bold and contemporary. Wallace, a graduate of the conservatory’s three-year master’s program, established the space to prioritize inclusive, artist-first storytelling.
The one-act play runs for 95 minutes without an intermission. Urbanite Theatre is located at 1487 Second Avenue in Sarasota, near Whole Foods. The venue is approximately 40 minutes from Venice. Tickets are available by phone at 941-321-1397 or through the company’s website. The production continues its run in Sarasota until the end of the month.
