Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

What Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe does

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT), founded in December 1999 by Nate Jacobs, is a Sarasota, Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating as the only professional Black theatre company on Florida's West Coast. The organization produces four mainstage productions annually in its renovated Donelly Theatre (completed 2020), with a repertory spanning original musical revues celebrating African-American artists (Sophisticated Ladies, Stevie: A Stevie Wonder Revue, A Motown Christmas, Beehive – The 60s Musical), dramatic works, and — beginning in the 2026-2027 season — its first Shakespeare production. Ticketed adult pricing is set at $54 with student/military rates at $24, preview tickets at $44, group discounts ($5 off per ticket for 15+), and a Student Rush at $5, distributed through a Salesforce-based online box office, phone sales, and in-person sales at the Education & Outreach Building.

WBTT operates a comprehensive education and outreach division that functions as both a community impact engine and a recurring revenue stream. Programs include Stage of Discovery (a free five-week summer intensive for ages 10-18 serving ~30 students/year), the Young Artist Program (mentored MainStage showcases for emerging performers), Jazzlinks (an in-school integrated arts curriculum co-developed with The Jazz Club of Sarasota and Sarasota County Schools to meet Florida state education standards), Rhythm & Tales (elementary school residencies), the New Playwrights Series, and fee-based community classes in tap, line dancing, and youth acting. The organization also hosts community programming (Pride Nights, AfterWords discussions, WBTT Voices forums) and the annual Juneteenth Arts Festival.

The revenue model is hybrid: earned income from ticket sales, subscriptions (saving 25-33%), group sales, and community classes is supplemented by tax-deductible donations, production sponsorships, foundation grants (Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Barancik Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Bloomberg Philanthropies), and a $10M Solid Gold Comprehensive Campaign launched November 2024 (Phase 1: $5M program expansion; Phase 2: $5M endowment), with over $3M raised as disclosed. WBTT is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Doris Johnson and led operationally by Executive Director Julie Leach and Founder/Artistic Director Nate Jacobs. The organization employs 11-50 staff and uses Salesforce for ticketing/donations and Eventbrite for class registration.

Name

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

Legal name

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

Website

https://westcoastblacktheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is a Sarasota, Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 and the only professional Black theatre company on Florida's West Coast, producing mainstage theatrical productions celebrating the African-American experience alongside youth education, school residency, and community outreach programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Performing Arts / Professional Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theatrical productions
• African American performing arts
• Youth arts education
• Community theater programming
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual tickets, preview tickets, group sales, and season subscriptions. Adults $54, students/military $24, preview tickets $44, group discount $5 off per ticket for 15+.
2. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible gifts from individuals, businesses, and foundations supporting shows, education programs, capital projects, and long-term endowment stability.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Production sponsorships underwrite specific productions with VIP seating, premier recognition, and visibility benefits.
4. Solid Gold Endowment Campaign: $10 million comprehensive campaign launched November 2024 during 25th Anniversary Celebration, with Phase 1 goal of $5 million for program expansion and Phase 2 goal of $5 million for endowment growth.
5. Education Program Classes: Community classes including tap dance ($35 per class), line dancing ($20 per class or $100 for 6-week series), and youth acting classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe produces and presents professional, full-scale theatrical productions that celebrate and promote African American history and culture at its own venue in Sarasota, FL. The company also delivers year-round youth and adult arts-education programs (e.g., Stage of Discovery, Jazzlinks, Young Artist Program, Rhythm & Tales) and community engagement programming such as WBTT Voices, Pride Nights, AfterWords, and the Juneteenth Arts Festival. Tickets, subscriptions, classes, and donations are sold directly through the company's box office, website, and community outreach.

Product overview

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) is a professional Black theatre company founded in 1999, producing theatrical performances that honor the African American experience. The organization's offerings include main stage productions (musical revues, plays, and dramatic performances in the Donelly Theatre), a comprehensive youth education and outreach division featuring programs like Stage of Discovery (summer intensive), Jazzlinks (school touring program), Young Artist Program, Rhythm & Tales, New Playwrights Series, and Community Classes. WBTT also hosts special events including Juneteenth Arts Festival, Pride Nights, and AfterWords post-show discussions. The 2026-2027 season 'Rhapsodies of Rhythm' features Sophisticated Ladies (Duke Ellington tribute), A Midsummer Night's Dream, Beehive – The 60s Musical, Stevie: A Stevie Wonder Revue, and A Motown Christmas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sophisticated Ladies Professional mainstage musical production as part of WBTT's 2025-26 season, performed at the company's Sarasota theatre for ticketed audiences.
• A Motown Christmas Professional mainstage holiday musical production celebrating Motown-era music, part of WBTT's 2025-26 season.
• A Midsummer Night's Dream Professional mainstage production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, part of WBTT's 2025-26 season.
• Beehive – The 60s Musical Professional mainstage musical celebrating 1960s female vocalists, part of WBTT's 2025-26 season.
• Stevie: A Stevie Wonder Revue Professional mainstage musical revue celebrating the music of Stevie Wonder, part of WBTT's 2025-26 season.
• Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill Professional mainstage production of the Billie Holiday biographical play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, part of WBTT's 2025-26 season.
• Stage of Discovery Summer Program Paid summer performing arts training program for school-age youth at WBTT, priced at $300 per participant, designed to introduce and develop young artists in a culturally focused environment.
• Jazzlinks Program WBTT's jazz-focused music training program for young musicians, offered as part of the company's year-round youth arts education portfolio.
• Young Artist Program Year-round advanced training and performance opportunity for teen and emerging artists at WBTT, supporting pipeline development into professional theatre.
• Rhythm & Tales Program WBTT's storytelling and rhythm-based youth arts program designed for younger school-age participants as part of the year-round education portfolio.
• New Playwrights Series WBTT development program supporting emerging playwrights through readings, workshops, and staged presentations of new works tied to African American history and culture.
• Community Classes Open-enrollment arts classes for adult community members at WBTT, covering performance and creative skills as part of the company's community engagement programming.
• WBTT Voices WBTT's community storytelling and open-mic style program offered as part of community engagement.
• Juneteenth Arts Festival WBTT's free annual community arts festival celebrating Juneteenth, featuring performances, vendors, and family programming in Sarasota.
• Season Subscriptions Multi-show season subscription package covering the WBTT mainstage season, available through the box office with subscriber benefits.
• Independent Artist Program WBTT program that supports independent and emerging performing artists with development and presentation opportunities within the company's programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stage of Discovery has trained students since summer 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Jazz Club of SarasotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe to develop the Jazzlinks program, an integrated arts experience illustrating African American history through music and theatre for high school students.
• Sarasota County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in delivering Jazzlinks program content; WBTT's Director of Education works with curriculum specialists to ensure content meets Florida's state education standards.
• The African American Cultural Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoused by The Friends of Betty J. Johnson Library Collection; contributed artifacts to the Juneteenth Arts Gallery as part of WBTT's Juneteenth celebration.
• Sage RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant partner sponsoring Pride Nights pre-show receptions.
• Tsunami Sushi and HibachiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant partner sponsoring Pride Nights pre-show receptions.
• EdExploreSarasotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform through which classroom teachers can access grant opportunities for Jazzlinks program performances.
• WEDU PBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced documentary 'This Light of Mine' about WBTT in partnership with Community Foundation of Sarasota County, exploring the organization's founding by Nate Jacobs and its cultural impact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Florida Studio Theatre: Sarasota-based professional theatre producing a year-round multi-stage season. Comparable to WBTT as a Sarasota professional theatre competing for local audiences, subscribers, and corporate sponsors.
• Asolo Repertory Theatre: Sarasota-based LORT professional theatre producing a multi-show season. Comparable to WBTT as the principal professional theatre co-tenant in the Sarasota market with overlapping audience and donor ecosystem.
• M Ensemble Company: Florida-based (Miami) African American theatre company producing professional productions celebrating the Black experience. Closest in-region peer to WBTT among Black theatres in Florida, sharing professional production and education programming.

Direct peers

• ETA Creative Arts Foundation: Chicago-based African American arts organization producing theatre, educational programs, and community programming celebrating Black culture. Comparable to WBTT as a nonprofit Black arts organization combining mainstage productions with youth education and community programming.
• True Colors Theatre Company: Atlanta-based professional theatre producing work that celebrates the Black experience and advancing new voices in American theatre. Comparable to WBTT as a Black-led professional producing company with educational outreach and new-play initiatives.
• National Black Theatre: NYC-based Black theatre institution producing work that celebrates the Black experience through performance, workshops, and community programming. Comparable to WBTT as a Black-led professional producing house with strong education and community-development programs.
• Crossroads Theatre Company: African American theatre company in New Jersey with a decades-long mission to develop and produce work celebrating the Black experience. Directly comparable to WBTT as a Black-focused professional producing theatre with an education and new-play development arm.
• The Billie Holiday Theatre: Brooklyn-based African American theatre producing mainstage work that reflects Black culture and developing emerging playwrights. Comparable to WBTT as a Black-focused professional theatre with new-play development and arts-education programming.
• Penumbra Theatre Company: St. Paul, Minnesota-based Black theatre founded in 1976 with a mission of racial equity through performance and arts education. Comparable to WBTT as a regional professional Black theatre combining mainstage productions with education, leadership, and community programs.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nationally recognized professional theatre company producing original work with an education and community engagement program. Comparable to WBTT as a professional nonprofit producing house with deep community programs, though at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wbttsrq
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCybG2ZksJE8-hSWgTdLEiLw
• Facebookfacebook.com/wbttsrq
• Instagraminstagram.com/westcoastblacktheatretroupe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westcoast-black-theatre-troupe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe