Sarasota’s Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will be well represented at this year’s International Black Theatre Festival with three shows it has helped to develop.
The company was invited to perform for the sixth time at the festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which had previously been known as the National Black Theatre Festival.
WBTT will present “Soul Crooners Solid Gold Edition,” a combination of two earlier versions of its original “Soul Crooners” revues it has presented both in Sarasota and at the festival. It will present a one-act version of the show at its Sarasota theater as a warm-up to the festival at 7:30 p.m. July 25, and the full version will open the company’s 2024-25 season Oct. 9-Nov. 17.
Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs created and directs the show in which he’ll star with such popular WBTT performers as Earley Dean, Christopher Eisenberg, Michael Mendez, Raleigh Mosely II, Leon S. Pitts and Sheldon Rhoden. Donald Frison is once again choreographing the show, which will be accompanied by a live band led by music director Etienne “EJ” Porter.
Two one-act shows that the theater presented in the 2021-22 season also will be presented at the festival. Darius Autry, most recently seen in “A Soldier’s Play,” stars in “Float Like a Butterfly,” a play about the late boxer Muhammad Ali, his career in the boxing ring and his political stands against the Vietnam War and injustice in America. The play was written by Nate Jacobs and his brother Michael and features original music by WBTT performers Derric Gobourne Jr. and Henry Washington.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
And Tarra Conner Jones, who has performed in numerous WBTT shows, will star in her original one-woman show “From Birmingham to Broadway” about the Tony Award-winning actress Nell Carter. Nate Jacobs directs the show, which is presented at the festival by both WBTT and the actress.
The festival, which runs at multiple venues around Winston-Salem July 29-Aug. 3, is the largest gathering of Black theaters and performers in the country. It is held every other year.
“We could not be more thrilled to return to the International Black Theatre Festival and bring two original productions that showcase the very best of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe,” Jacobs said in a statement. Our goal this year, as it has been each time we attend, is to show the whole world what our small but mighty ‘miracle theater’ can do. We aim to do our community very proud.”
Arts Newsletter:Sign up to receive the latest news on the Sarasota area arts scene every Monday
A potential new home:City Commissioners talk to Sarasota Players about new theater outside Payne Park
Executive Director Julie Leach described the invitation to return as “a tremendous honor,” adding that “not only does the festival offer our organization the opportunity to share our work with theater fans from around the world, it also gives us a chance to bring a group of our most passionate WBTT leaders and supporters so that they can experience first-hand this joyful celebration of Black theater and see what other groups are doing.”
The festival was started in 1979 by the North Carolina Black Repertory Co. and has been held biennially since 1989, except during the COVID pandemic.
Jacobs was honored at the 2015 festival for his work in developing and encouraging Black theater.
‘Soul Crooners: Solid Gold Edition’
A special one-act version of the original revue created and directed and Nate Jacobs is presented in advance of performances at the International Black Theatre Festival. 7:30 p.m. July 25, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. $50. 941-366-1505; westcoastblacktheatre.org
Follow Jay Handelman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact him at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.
Most Popular
Comments / 0