🎭 Florida’s Gulf Coast Takes Center Stage: A Guide to Live Theater in Venice, Englewood, Sarasota, Bradenton & St. Petersburg

If you think Florida’s Gulf Coast is all about beaches and sunsets, think again. This vibrant region is also home to a thriving live theater scene, offering everything from intimate community productions to world-class professional performances. Whether you’re a year-round resident or considering a move to the area, here’s your backstage pass to the best local stages in Venice, Englewood, Sarasota, Bradenton and St. Petersburg.

Venice Theatre – Venice, FL

A beloved cultural cornerstone, Venice Theatre is one of the largest and most active community theaters in the U.S. With over 100 performances each season, it offers musicals, dramas, comedies, and youth productions that rival professional venues.

📍 140 W Tampa Ave, Venice, FL
🔗 venicetheatre.org 

Lemon Bay Playhouse – Englewood, FL

Charming, intimate, and community-driven, Lemon Bay Playhouse offers a cozy atmosphere perfect for date night or a relaxed evening out. Their lineup includes comedies, thought-provoking dramas, and original works by local playwrights.

📍 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood, FL
🔗 lemonbayplayhouse.com 

Sarasota’s Cultural Powerhouses – Sarasota, FL

Sarasota is often referred to as Florida’s “Cultural Coast”, and its theater scene proves why. Here’s a look at the city’s standout stages:

Asolo Repertory Theatre

• A nationally recognized professional repertory company.

• Known for bold programming and Broadway-quality productions.

📍 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL
🔗 asolorep.org

Florida Studio Theatre (FST)

• Offers contemporary plays, cabarets, and improv.

• Multiple performance spaces downtown, creating an immersive arts campus.

📍 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL
🔗 floridastudiotheatre.org

Urbanite Theatre

• Bold, intimate, and thought-provoking, Urbanite Theatre is one of Sarasota’s most exciting black box venues.

• Known for cutting-edge contemporary works and daring storytelling.

📍 1487 2nd St, Sarasota, FL
🔗 urbanitetheatre.com

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT)

• Sarasota’s only professional Black theater company, celebrating African-American history, culture, and creativity.

• Offers electrifying musicals, original dramas, and culturally rich experiences.

• 📍 1012 N Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL
  🔗 westcoastblacktheatre.org

The Players Centre for Performing Arts

• Sarasota’s original community theater with a legacy spanning over 90 years.

• Known for its accessible performances, musical favorites, and youth programming.

📍 The Crossings at Siesta Key, 3501 South Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Sarasota, FL 34239
🔗 theplayers.org

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

• A Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired seashell-shaped landmark seating, presenting Broadway tours, concerts, ballet, opera, and educational programs.
• A premier venue for big-budget touring productions.

📍 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL
🔗 vanwezel.org

Sarasota Jewish Theatre

• Contemporary and Classic Plays with Jewish Themes.
• New Works by Jewish Playwrights

📍 The Crossings at Siesta Key, 3501 South Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Sarasota, FL 34239

🔗 sarasotajewishtheatre.com

Bradenton & Anna Maria Island, FL

Manatee Performing Arts Center

• Award-Winning state of the art facility offering a full season of productions, events, concerts, comedy and more
• The Manatee Performing Arts Center features two theaters, rehearsal and classroom space and public rental spaces.

📍 502 Third Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34025

🔗 manateeperformingartscenter.com

The Island Players

• Celebrated as the oldest community theater in Manatee County, The Island Players was founded in 1949 and has dazzled audiences with stellar stage productions ever since.
• The theater, which typically presents five performances each year, is housed across the bridge in one of Anna Maria Island’s most storied buildings. Before the structure became a 137-seat performance venue in the mid-1970s, it served as a family home, a center of municipal affairs, school classroom, multiple churches and a World War II service club, among other things..

📍 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria , FL 34216

🔗 theislandplayers.org

St. Petersburg: Theater with Urban Flair

St. Petersburg brings big-city energy to the Gulf Coast’s arts scene with its vibrant downtown and eclectic venues.

American Stage Theatre Company

• One of Tampa Bay’s oldest and most acclaimed professional theaters.

• Emphasis on diverse, socially conscious productions.

• Offers Shakespeare in the Park each spring—free and unforgettable.

📍 163 3rd St N, St. Petersburg, FL
🔗 americanstage.org

freeFall Theatre

• Innovative, immersive, and bold—freeFall pushes boundaries.

• Known for reimagining classic works and producing adventurous new scripts.

📍 6099 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL
🔗 freefalltheatre.com

St. Petersburg City Theatre

• Florida’s longest-running community theater (since 1925), powered by volunteer talent and renowned for resilience—even during a recent roofing crisis.

📍 4025 31ST STREET SOUTH, St. Petersburg, FL
🔗 spcitytheatre.org

The Palladium at St. Petersburg College

•  The theater, built in 1925, features the 880-seat Hough Concert Hall, recently been remodeled with state-of-the-art sound and lights and boasting a full-sized Skinner Pipe Organ. It offers a variety of art, music and entertainment

📍253 5th Ave N., St. Petersburg, FL
🔗 my palladium.org

Mahaffey Theater

• Located in the heart of beautiful Downtown St. Petersburg, the newly renovated Duke Energy Center for the Arts – The Mahaffey Theater is a 2,031-seat cultural jewel featuring elegant ballroom space, spectacular waterfront views, and European box-style seating.

📍400 First St S., St. Petersburg, FL
🔗 the mahaffey.com

Ruth Eckerd Hall

• Conveniently located between Tampa International and St. Pete/Clearwater airports and pristine Clearwater Beach, Ruth Eckerd Hall is consistently named a Top 10 venue in the United States. The theater showcases some of the biggest names in entertainment concerts and events presenting nearly 100 shows a year.

📍1111 N. McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL
🔗 rutheckerdhall.com

🎬 Final Curtain

Whether you’re a longtime lover of the arts or new to the world of live theater, Florida’s Gulf Coast offers a dazzling variety of performances for every taste. And when you live in Venice, Englewood, Sarasota, or St. Pete, world-class entertainment is never more than a short drive away.

🎭 Thinking of relocating to this culturally rich coast? I’d love to help you find a home where the arts—and the sunsets—take center stage.