Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Awards Scholarships

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has announced that it has, for the fifth consecutive year, awarded WBTT Artist Development scholarships to deserving students. This year, WBTT has provided six young, aspiring artists – four continuing students and two receiving new awards – with scholarships of $2,000 each.

This year's recipients are: Ariana Fitzgerald, who has entered her final year at Jacksonville University majoring in Musical Theatre, received the scholarship in memory of Shelley Goldblatt; Will Mauricette, in his senior year at Ringling College of Art + Design majoring in Film, received the Rose Marie Proietti scholarship; Astrid McIntyre, in her third year at Southeastern University majoring in Commercial Music, received the Dr. Julian Olf, Professor of Theatre Scholarship; recent high school graduate Amillia Samuels, who is now a freshman at the University of South Florida majoring in Music Education, received the Charles & Susan Wilson scholarship; Zion Thompson, who is completing his Associate in Arts degree at State College of Florida, received the Jane Bode Brown Scholarship; and Canela Vasquez, who has transferred from State College of Florida to the University of South Florida majoring in Communications and Performing Arts, received the Shari and Stephen Ashman scholarship.

"Through our youth training programs and professional performance opportunities, we are honored to help young, aspiring artists to hone their skills and receive guidance and support to help them on their educational and career journeys,” said WBTT Founder/Artistic Director Nate Jacobs. "We are very grateful to the supporters who have made it possible for us to contribute financially to the arts education of these students and look forward to seeing their achievements in the years ahead."

Since the inception of WBTT’s scholarship program in 2019, six have graduated from college thus far.

To be eligible for a scholarship, a participant must have performed on the WBTT stage in at least two productions, worked at the theatre as an intern, and/or been a participant in the Stage of Discovery summer musical theatre intensive program (all six of this year’s recipients are Stage of Discovery alumni, among other activities with WBTT). Funds are disbursed directly to the educational institution the awardee will be attending in the fall.

For more about WBTT, visit westcoastblacktheatre.org or call 941-366-1505.