2026 – 2027 Season Audition Information
AUDITION DATES AND TIMES:
May 2nd and 3rd, 2026, 1pm – 5pm both days
Mandatory Dance Call at 5:10pm both days
Callbacks at 5:45 both days
PREPARATION:
Two contrasting monologues – each one no longer than two minutes. Or 32 bars of music (in the correct key) and one monologue not exceeding two minutes.
SUBMISSION DEADLINES:
Submission deadline for videos – Monday, May 4th, 2026, at 5PM EST. Please send audition videos to apitts@westcoastblacktheatre.org
To sign up for in-person auditions, please also email apitts@westcoatblacktheatre.org
Details on how to submit video auditions as well as additional details on our General Season Auditions can be found after the show descriptions below.
Here are the shows being featured in our 2026-2027 Season:
SOPHISTICATED LADIES:
Rehearsal Starts: September 15, 2026, through October 13, 2026
Show Run: October 14, 2026, through November 22, 2026
A musical revue featuring the music of Duke Ellington. We are seeking performers who love the style and rhythm of The Duke from his early days to when he was the king.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
- The Raconteur (male lead) – Seeking an African American jazz vocalist, age 30s-50s with strong dance skills. Vocal range: Bari/Tenor.
- The Danseuse (female lead) – Seeking an African American jazz vocalist, age 30s-50s. Must be a strong and versatile dancer with tap. Vocal range: Mezzo/Alto.
- The Chanteuse (female lead) – Seeking an African American jazz vocalist, age 30s-40s. Must be a strong mover. Vocal range: Mezzo/Alto.
- The Soubrette (female lead) – Seeking a jazz vocalist of any ethnicity, age 20s-40s. Must be a strong/versatile dancer with swing and tap skills. Vocal range: Mezzo/Soprano.
- The Hipster (male lead) – Seeking a jazz vocalist of any ethnicity, age 20s-40s. Must be a strong/versatile dancer with swing and tap skills. Vocal range: Bari/Tenor.
- The Jazzbo (featured male) – Seeking an African American jazz vocalist with strong dance/tap skills, age: 20s-30s. Looking for a wonderful dancer versed in several styles of dance: jazz, tap, swing. Vocal range: Tenor
- The Danseur (featured male) – Seeking an African American jazz vocalist with strong dance/tap skills., age: 20s-30s. Looking for a wonderful dancer versed in several styles of dance: jazz, tap, swing. Vocal range: Bari/Tenor.
- The Ensemble – Seeking strong male and female dancer/singers, age 20s-40s. A fully interracially diverse cast of triple threats with strong tap skills.
A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS:
Rehearsal Starts: November 3, 2026, through December 1, 2026
Show Run: December 2, 2026, through January 6, 2026
Just about everyone enjoys some type of Christmas music during the holidays. And WBTT loves to present a special holiday show as its Christmas card to the community. This year, presented for the third time, One of our most popular holiday offerings. A Motown Christmas will grace the main stage and have you dancing in your seats to select holiday tunes — the kind we all love singing along with. Motown’s Barry Gordy had a vision that changed the music industry forever. This festive holiday revue is the culmination of that vision – a 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! Created and Directed by Nate Jacobs.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
- Seeking African American Women and Men. Must be strong singers, dancers, or able to move well.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:
Rehearsal Starts: December 8, 2026, through January 12, 2027
Show Run: January 13, 2027, through February 21, 2027
Playful, seductive and richly imaginative, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a beloved Shakespeare comedy, drawing audiences into a world where desire, illusion and mischief collide. Moving between order and enchantment, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” sparkles with wit and invites wonder at every turn. This is the first time WBTT is doing Shakespeare and the Troupe can’t wait to put its own spin on it! Director will be Geoffrey Owens.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
- Theseus – male; 30s-60s; Duke of Athens; warrior and poet; married to Hippolyta
- Hippolyta – female; 30s-60s; Duchess of Athens; formerly an Amazon queen and warrior; married to Theseus
- Lysander – male; 20s-30s; a young nobleman; in love with Hermia
- Demetrius – male; 20s-30s; a young nobleman; in love with Hermia
- Hermia – female; 20s-30s; a young noblewoman; Egeus’s daughter; in love with Lysander
- Helena – female; 20s-30s; a young noblewoman; in love with Demetrius
- Egeus – male; 40s-60s; a nobleman; Hermia’s father / same actor will play PHILOSTRATE, Theseus’s advisor
- Oberon – male; 30s-50s; king of the fairy kingdom; Titania’s husband; possesses magical powers
- Titania – female; 30s-50s; queen of the fairy kingdom; Oberon’s wife; possesses magical powers
- Puck [aka Robin Goodfellow] – male or female; 18 – 30; a mischievous sprite; possesses magical powers; Oberon’s assistant; must move well
- Peter Quince – female (to play male); 20s-40s; a carpenter; the writer and director of the play-within-the-play; plays ‘Moon’ in the play-within-the-play
- Nick Bottom – male; 20s-40s; a weaver; plays ‘Pyramus,’ the lead role, in the play-within-the-play; must have excellent comic sense, timing, etc.
- Francis Flute – male; 20s-40s; a furnace mender; plays ‘Thisbe,’ the second lead in the play-within-the -play
- Tom Snout – male or female (to play male); 20s-40s; a tinker; plays ‘Wall’ in the play-within-the-play
- Snug – male or female; 20s-40s; a handyman; plays ‘Lion’ in the play-within-the-play
- The production will also require FOUR (4) additional ensemble members to play FARIES; LORDS; ATTENDANTS, etc.
BEE HIVE:
Rehearsal Starts: February 2, 2027, through March 2, 2027
Show Run: March 3, 2027, through April 11, 2027
A high energy 60s revue. A jukebox style musical featuring hit songs from stars like Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, and Carole King. We are seeking six dynamic female singers of any ethnicity with very strong dancer/mover skills.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
- Wanda – (20s-40s) A strong singer and actor who carries the bulk of the dialogue/narration to guide us through the show. She is a leader: no nonsense, powerful, engaging, and clever. Needs to be comfortable interacting directly with the audience.
- Jasmine – (20s-30s) She portrays Diana Ross, Judy Craig, and others by singing songs like Where Did Our Love Go, One Fine Day, Come See About Me and more.
- Laura – (20s-40s) She portrays stars like Janis Joplin, Lulu, and others – some of the songs she sings are Me and Bobby McGee, To Sir With Love, and Try.
- Allison – (20s-30s) In her repertoire are portrayals of Petula Clark, Connie Francis, Dusty Springfield, and others. She sings Where the Boys Are, Downtown, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, and more.
- Pattie – (20s-30s) She brings us Aretha Franklin, Patty Paige, and others by singing A Natural Woman, Wishin’ and Hopin’, and It’s My Party.
- Gina – (20s-40s) – Think Tina Turner. Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. She sings Proud Mary, Respect, A Fool in Love, I Sold My Heart to A Junkman, and more.
STEVIE: A STEVIE WONDER REVUE:
Rehearsal Starts: March 23, 2027, through April 20, 2027
Show Run: April 21, 2027, through May 30, 2027
WBTT closes its 27/28 season with a new Musical revue celebrating the best hits of the iconic singer, songwriter, musician and activist Stevie Wonder! Stevie rose to fame in the 1960s and is known for his contributions to pop and rhythm, blues and soul music, particularly in the 1970s. The show is a creation of artistic director Nate Jacobs and will feature some of the best tunes from Stevie’s catalog like Superstition, Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, I Just Called To Say I Love You, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life! and many more. Director will be Nate Jacobs.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
- Seeking African American Women and Men. Must be strong singers, dancers, or able to move well.
Video Submissions
Your video submission should include either two contrasting monologues (not to exceed 4 minutes total) OR 32 bars of music and one monologue (not to exceed 2 minutes). YouTube or Vimeo are acceptable to submit your video.
Please state your name and where you’re based. Be sure to have your video properly framed and well-lit so we can see your face, as well as making sure we can hear you, especially if you’re auditioning with a song! Send your video to apitts@westcoastblacktheatre.org and attach your updated headshot and resume with your submission.
*Please note we do not provide feedback on auditions.
In-Person Auditions
To schedule your audition, please send an email to our Casting Coordinator, Adrienne Pitts at apitts@westcoastblacktheatre.org. We will be accepting walk-ins. We will have sign-up sheets for both Equity and Non-Equity actors.
In-person auditions will be taking place in our rehearsal studios located in our Administrative Building. The address is 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota, Florida 34236. It is the smaller building with a ramp leading up to it. Please enter through the double doors and check in at the front desk. Once checked in, please wait for your scheduled audition time. We advise actors to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled audition just in case we are running ahead of schedule
All auditioners should prepare two contrasting monologues (not to exceed 4 minutes total please). If auditioning for a musical, then prepare 1 monologue (no longer than 2 minutes please) and 32 bars of music (in the correct key). Please bring sheet music. A pianist will be available. Also provide five copies of your headshot and resume stapled back-to-back.
We have a gravel parking lot right across the street from our mainstage space. Please use this parking lot, as we will be having our patrons use our main parking lot on those days for our shows. We have our mainstage production going on this audition weekend.
Equity
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.
Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
Housing: We provide housing with a private bedroom and shared common areas. FREE laundry onsite.
Flight: We will provide roundtrip airfare (coach class). We will reimburse you up to 2 checked bags.
Local transportation: We try to place actors in walking distance of our theatre. If we place you farther away, we will provide transportation to the theatre. We also have shared company vehicles if you have personal auto liability insurance and pass a background check.