Picutured: Students from WBTT's 2020 Stage of Discovery program during the recording of a music video Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe was recently awarded a grant of $30,000 from the Zella I. and Junius F. Allen Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. These funds will support WBTT’s upcoming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program, 2021 April Fools’ Fete, and next summer’s Stage of Discovery musical theatre camp. This grant is particularly meaningful as WBTT struggles with the loss of revenue not only from show cancellations but also its fall gala, which was postponed and then canceled in November after an outbreak of the coronavirus among the cast and crew of its “Light Up the Night” open-air concerts. “We are so grateful to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for its continued support of our organization,” said Julie Leach, executive director of WBTT. “Our arts community has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and this funding will be essential to help us maintain our presence and relevance through the supported programs and events.”

Picutured: Students from WBTT's 2020 Stage of Discovery program during the recording of a music video Photo by Sorcha Augustine.