We are proud to announce the playwrights/plays selected for our 14th Annual Columbus Black Theatre Festival coming this July 2nd, 3rd and 5th in downtown Columbus, OH at the Columbus Performing Arts Center Van Fleet Theatre.
Auditions are April 11th & 12th Writing and Acting Workshops Saturdays May to July.

Poll Tax for Sista Blu by Clarence Holmes, Jr
1Black Female (30 – 60) 2 White Males (30 – 60)
After Sista Blu gets off work (she’s a waitress), she walks across Pettus Bridge (Selma, AL) in torrential rain to get to the only precinct where black people are allowed to vote. After she pays the poll tax (fortunately, she has money from tips), the poll worker tells her she has to take a literacy test. Sista Blu now has to answer tricky and difficult questions that are meant to keep black people from voting. The question is, can Sista Blu answer those questions correctly, or was the poll worker right when he said, “In the unlikely event you pass . . . . ”
Pound by Pound by Randy Stringer Jr
2 Males (20 – 40) 1 Female (20 – 40)
Roman works out religiously, but no amount of cardio can outrun the voice in his head telling him he isn’t enough. Standing in the shadow of his effortlessly fit best friend, Roman measures himself in pounds, glances, and near-misses. When a date he never expected becomes real, he must decide whether he’ll continue shrinking or finally take up space. Pound by Pound is a funny, intimate look at masculinity, body image, and self-worth.
American Myths by Kenndall Wallace
2 Black Males (20 – 50) 3 Black Females (20 – 50)
A surrealist drama following 4 Black Americans who seek to overcome their traumas through an unconventional 'Angry Blacks Anonymous' program, only to realize that their anger gives them the strength they need to fight back against their oppressors.
IBANUJE by Deon Barksdale, Jr.
1Black Male (20-30) 1 Female (40-60)
In the thick of a Southern afternoon, a young man burdened by grief waits at a busy bus stop when a woman with a familiar, almost otherworldly presence sits beside him. As their conversation drifts into unexpected places, the world around him seems to shift, gently unraveling what he’s held inside and guiding him toward a clarity he never thought he’d find.
When the Train Stops by Wendy Bryan Michaels
1 White Female (20-40) 1 Black Female (20 – 40)
On a nearly empty subway, Angela—a Black actress still in costume—decides to have a little fun with an uptight White woman by standing just close enough to unsettle her. Erica bristles, spirals, and takes the bait. Then recognition hits. They were best friends in sixth grade, thrown together during desegregation busing and torn apart when Erica used a racist slur that ended everything. What follows is not nostalgia but reckoning. Through humor, confrontation, and unexpected tenderness, Angela chooses how this story ends—offering grace without erasure, and power without apology.
The Anne Frank Society by Gregory Abbott
1 Boy (8 – 10) 1 White Female (20-30) 1 White Male (20-30)
1 Black Male (20-30) 1 Black Female (20-30)
A young man who is reluctant to get politically involved ends up hiding an immigrant family from ICE.
Cheers to Resilience by Theo White
1 Black Male (40-50) 1 Male/Female (20-50)
A successful man meets his friend out for drinks and gives him advice. His friend is struggling with problems at work, and it is wearing him down.
Reserve your day/time and get information to prepare to you for your audition click the link below.
The Elements are upset that humans have continued to destroy the earth. Only Lakota 234 can bring people together to save the world.
A young father faces his life choices and what it means to be a good father. All this happens while trying to buy milk for his son.
What happens when the caregiver becomes the one getting the care?
A female police officer is fired for saving the life of a Black man from another male police officer. Based on true events.
Premiers August 2nd, 2025
Premiers August 4th, 2025
Premiers August 3rd, 2025
We love our audience and supports, so feel free to visit during normal business hours.
Columbus, Ohio 43219, United States
Open today | 09:00 am – 05:00 pm |
Hours are based on performance dates/times and other scheduled meetings, workshops, etc.
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