Each January, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe marks the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the national MLK holiday with a celebration. Written and adapted by WBTT Founder & Artistic Director Nate Jacobs and Rev. Charles S. McKenzie Jr., the event features songs and dances by WBTT performers and Stage of Discovery students, as well as excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches.

Rev. McKenzie’s soaring oratory matches the spirit and cadence of Dr. King’s historic words that stirred a nation — from his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington to the moving “mountaintop” speech he gave before his assassination in Memphis in 1968.

This year, due to COVID-19, WBTT is not presenting its traditional in-person performance at Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Theatre. But thanks to generous sponsors, we are pleased to honor Dr. King with a video of our 2019 celebration, presented free as a community service. The video includes a new introduction by Nate Jacobs, WBTT Executive Director Julie Leach, Community Foundation of Sarasota County President & CEO Roxie Jerde, and — from the Sarasota County Bar Association Council for Diversity and Inclusion — Judge Karimu Hill-Harvey and Tamara Williams.

Special thanks to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, our Lead Sponsor, and the Sarasota County Bar Association Council for Diversity and Inclusion, our Collaborating Sponsor, for sponsoring the 2019 event and this 2021 encore video presentation, Dr Martin Luther King Jr: Celebrating His Legacy in Spoken Word and Song. We believe it will move and inspire you!

We hope you enjoyed the celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy. We could not present these free and low-cost events and fulfill our mission of producing professional theatre that promotes and celebrates the African American experience, attracts diverse audiences, supports and develops African American artists, and builds the self-esteem of African American youth without generous sponsors and donors. If you are interested in supporting WBTT, CLICK HERE to learn more.

MLK Student Essay Winners

As part of our annual Martin Luther King Celebration, the Sarasota County Bar Association Council for Diversity and Inclusion sponsors a Martin Luther King Student Essay Contest. The winners are announced at our celebration each January.

This year’s WBTT MLK Celebration video features Nora Ngo Mitchell, a sophomore at Booker High School, reading her essay about the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Nora’s essay was awarded first place.

CLICK HERE to read Nora’s essay.

The second-place essayist is Oliver Myers, a junior at Pine View School. Oliver wrote his essay on the topic of Florida Governor DeSantis’s proposed legislation criminalizing certain forms of protest and assembly.

CLICK HERE to read Oliver’s essay.

The third-place essayist is Marian Morera Bandera, a senior at Booker High School. She wrote her essay on the topic of the “Black Codes” and “Pig Laws” passed in the South to limit the freedom of African Americans following the Civil War.

CLICK HERE to read Marian’s essay.

Congratulations to the 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest winners! We hope to be able to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy with all of you in person in 2022, but we’re glad we were able to celebrate via video this year. Here are some photos of the 2019 celebration we featured in the streaming video. Thank you for visiting this web page and watching the video!

Photo Gallery

Video by Bill Wagy Productions
Photos by Sorcha Augustine

HERE’S THE SCOOP ON SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR OUR EXCITING 20THANNIVERSARY SEASON!

On May 1, 2019, thanks to our generous donors, we will begin renovating our theatre building. In January 2020 we will reopen as the Gerri Aaron and the Aaron Family Foundation Theatre Building.

The Donelly Family Theatre, our mainstage theatre, will feature a larger stage, 200 real theatre seats and all-new lighting and sound systems. There will be many other improvements to the lobby and backstage areas, plus a second stage: the 60-seat Howard J. Millman Theatre. 

Here’s what you need to know about subscriptions for next season:

• Our goal is to make your purchasing experience easy, efficient and equitable for everyone.
  
  
• To accommodate our patron’s schedules, we will offer two subscription options: “Pick 3 Shows” or “Pick 4 Shows.”
  
  
• We will limit subscriptions to a maximum of 4 per household. For two or more households that wish to attend on the same performance dates, please submit completed forms together.
  
  
• If you are a current subscriber, your renewal forms will be mailed in June. Please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Box Office at 941-366-1505 (press 1) to update or verify the mailing address you would like us to use. Address updates and verifications must be received no later than Friday, May 24, 2019.
  
  
• If you are a current subscriber and you are part of a group of more than 4 subscriptions, please contact the box office to provide your mailing address to renew your subscription under your own name. If you do not confirm your subscription renewal status by May 24, 2019 you will be treated as a new subscriber. Forms with more than 4 subscriptions will be returned to sender.
  
  
• New subscriptions and individual ticket sales will begin online in August. Please make sure we have your current contact information, whether you are a renewing subscriber or would like to be a new subscriber!
  
  
• If you have questions about subscriptions, please contact our Box Office at 941-366-1505, press 1. Thank you — see you at the theatre!

WBTT’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

	Set in 1963 in rural Louisiana, the Broadway musical Caroline, or Change tells the compelling story of Caroline, an African-American maid, and her employers, the Gellman family. The score weaves blues, gospel and traditional Jewish klezmer music with lyrics by the playwright to tell the story of a changing America in a turbulent time. An intensely personal story by Tony/Pulitzer/Academy Award-winning writer Tony Kushner (Angels in America, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln). January 8 – February 16, 2020
	Are you ready for a miracle? Based on the Book of Matthew, this soaring celebration in song and dance tells the story of Jesus, his apostles, and the women who inspired, followed and consoled him. From parables to miracles, from crucifixion to resurrection, it’s a tale of love, betrayal and redemption, told through rousing gospel music. Our production celebrates the show’s creator, Vinnette Carroll, the first African-American woman to direct a show on Broadway. February 26 – April 5, 2020
	On August 3, 1952, the unthinkable happened. A black woman murdered a white doctor in Live Oak, Florida—guaranteeing a conviction for the woman bold enough to commit such a shocking crime and bringing celebrated writer Zora Neale Hurston to town to cover the story for a northern newspaper. This powerful and haunting musical by WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs and his brother, Michael Jacobs, explores the secrets just beneath the surface of the idyllic, genteel exterior of a quaint Florida town, evoking the themes of today’s Me Too Movement. April 15 – May 24, 2020
	In the 1890s, the lives of a small group of African-American women change after they leave the oppressive South and settle in the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas. Their hope and determination to survive in a harsh region are tested as they build new lives for themselves and their families. When a male relative arrives and pressures them to sell the land they claimed and worked with their own hands, the women face tough decisions. With flashes of humor amid serious themes, Flyin’ West sheds new light on a chapter of American history that’s seldom told, as it explores questions and conflicts that still resonate. June 3 – July 12, 2020

 BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND  |  HOLIDAY ADD-ON

During the holiday season—back by popular demand but for a very limited engagement—WBTT presents A Motown Christmas. Celebrate the season with this festive holiday revue. It’s the perfect blend of traditional Christmas carols paired with soulful songs made famous by such Motown celebrities as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and The Jackson 5. WBTT’s sizzling signature style makes this a most memorable Christmas treat that’s fun for the whole family! A Motown Christmas is not included as part of our subscription series. DECEMBER 4-6, 18-20, 2019 at the Sarasota Opera House