Around Town | Nate Jacobs

By Tom Reese | Photos by Nancy Guth | March 2025

This month we go “Around Town” with the cool, dapper and talented Nate Jacobs, the leader of our beloved Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Nate has wowed audiences for a milestone 25 years, showcasing dynamic and engaging musical and dramatic productions that celebrate the history and experience of the African American community. We love his passion to help the development of aspiring artists and build their confidence through important WBTT programs, and we applaud along with him every success achieved by this very special non-profit organization.

How did Nate Jacobs begin his life as a performer, director, and writer? 

My career as an actor began in my senior year at Florida A&M University in the school’s production of Eden. I had not decided to become a professional at that time, so that was a one-time experience which I enjoyed and put behind me. After moving to Sarasota, I was discovered by a mentor as I was an art and drama teacher at a local private K-12 school. The mentor introduced me to the artistic director of Asolo Rep at that time, John Almer, and I was hired immediately as “Cal” in a production of The Little Foxes. I performed in that show for over two months and quickly became known by the critics and patrons of Sarasota. My directing began as a teacher directing and writing children’s shows for the school I worked at. I directed my first public debut in 1994 at The Sarasota Players; it was a production of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner and it was the first all-Black show that the theater had done in its 60-year history. I have been writing for the theater, music revues and shows for the last 30 years.  

Tell us how WBTT came to be? 

During my acting career as I worked at Asolo Rep, Florida Studio Theatre, and other theaters around our community, I noticed the extreme lack of diversity. Meaning people of color on the stages with me. That concerned me and it became a big part of my life—wondering why there were no other artists who looked like me. After a few years of talking to theater artistic directors about doing more diverse and inclusive shows, it became very evident to me that they were not really interested in bringing such shows to their theater, and that there was an extreme need for a platform that would celebrate and tell brown and black stories the way I desired to see them. And that was the catalyst that inspired me to start Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. 

Tell us about WBTT’s community classes and workshops for both young and adults? 

WBTT has been called the teaching theater because of the mentorship, development, and training we provide for new and aspiring artists. Although we work with professional artists from all over the state who have been trained in universities and college programs, we also give training to kids ages 11-18 in our Stage of Discovery summer camp. I call it a musical intensive, where the youth learn singing, acting, dancing and more in a five-week span and present a full show for the community at the end of the camp. We also recently began to offer adult acting classes along with seminars and workshops where we have invited the movie stars Ving Rhames, Melba Moore, and Jennifer Holliday to speak with our artists about their careers and give great insight and advice about the professional industry. We have also provided Improv classes and African dance and other fun and entertaining classes at WBTT. 

In 2015, you were honored with the prestigious Larry Leon Hamlin Producer Award at the National Black Theatre Festival for your contributions to Black theater. What does the recognition mean to you personally?

I was fortunate enough to have Larry Leon Hamlin, the founder of the International Black Theatre Festival, as a mentor and a director of my one man show Aunt Rudele: Family Reunion.  So, I got to know the founder and his wife, who was also the executive director of the festival and their vision and passion for creating an event where all Black theater would unite and learn how to support each other instead of trying to compete with each other when all of them were struggling and in desperate need of funding. To receive the Larry Leon Hamlin Producer Award was an achievement that I honor, as they told me I produced the more consistent main stage productions than most black theaters in the country. This was an achievement I was not fully aware of, so I will always hold this honor close to my heart, as I will with my relationships with the founders Larry Leon Hamlin and Sylvia “Sprinkle” Hamlin.  

From 70s soul music to vintage tap, WBTT is celebrating a great achievement—its 25th season.  Tell us about the season’s success and the two remaining performances.

During our 25th season, my heart is filled with gratitude and appreciation for all the love and support we have received from the Sarasota community. The shows that I chose this season celebrate our unique success on the cultural arts scene of our city and the unique, vibrant, and talented artists we celebrate on our stage. The two remaining shows after Fences celebrate the music of jazz artist Louis Jordan, in the musical Five Guys Named Moe. It is one of our biggest hits during our show history and I felt it was time to share it with all the new patrons we have grown over the years. The final show is the first original tap revue that WBTT has ever presented. Inspired by the very talented dancer singer Lamont Brown, I know our patrons are going to enjoy this new vibrant and extremely entertaining revue we’re calling Syncopated Avenue.  

What can we look forward to in the future for WBTT?

In the future, WBTT will provide more training, development, and mentorship for many more deserving artists, continue to tell more and more essential black and brown stories on our stages, and provide even more support to aspiring professional theater artists, singers, and musicians. We plan to build a perpetual institution for years to come that will always bridge deserving artists into this professional industry. It is important to have institutions such as WBTT now more than ever. I hope to have a new theater with a fly system that facilitates the very popular musicals we present at WBTT. 

As with all other performing arts organizations, donations are vital to success. How does one become involved with WBTT? 

We are always happy to add new donors to our WBTT family. All they have to do is reach out to our offices at 941-366-1505 and express their interest as to how they would like to support the shows and programs of WBTT to either our executive director Julie Leach or our development director Debra Flynt-Garrett.

When you’re not busy working, what are some of your favorite things to do and places to go in town? 

Most of my personal time at this stage of my journey begins after I leave the theater. I spend much of it on my couch in front of the television watching a good movie, a good drama, or a good comedy. I love cooking. I love spending time with friends and cooking for friends. I love art galleries. I love walking on the beach. I love quiet time. Spending a lot of time giving to our patrons and people who see me on the streets or in the stores. I truly cherish my personal time.  Life for me is quite simple but very meaningful and I feel very blessed and highly favored to be able to do the thing that I love and the thing I have passion for and call it my job. Wow! Am I blessed!

For more information about Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, please visit www.westcoastblacktheatre.org.